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North Miami man found guilty of aiming laser pointer at government helicopters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

After a trial in Miami federal court, a jury has convicted a North Miami man for deliberately pointing a laser pointer at two United States Coast Guard helicopters and one Miami-Dade Police Department helicopter.According to the evidence presented during the trial, Patrick E. Longsworth, 68, targeted three government helicopters in late November of last year. The laser pointer strikes occurred on two separate occasions, affecting two U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and one Miami-Dade Police Department helicopter.In the initial incident, the laser struck a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer in the eye. Six days later, Longsworth again directed the green laser pointer at a second U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. Shortly after that, a Miami-Dade Police Department helicopter arrived at the scene and was also repeatedly targeted by the laser. The incident was captured on video by police officers, who were able to track Longsworth to his residence, where he was apprehended holding the laser pointer...

US approves cluster bombs despite humanitarian concerns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday announced it will include cluster bombs in the United States’ next $800 million weapons package for Ukraine, as well as armored vehicles and air defense missiles.National security adviser Jake Sullivan responded to humanitarian concerns about the controversial cluster bombs by emphasizing the need to provide Kyiv with artillery and by saying that Ukraine has already been targeted by Russia’s cluster bombs.“We recognize that cluster munitions created risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance,” Sullivan said during a White House press briefing. “This is why we deferred the decision for as long as we could, but there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery.”Cluster munitions are designed to destroy multiple targets at once by dropping explosive “bomblets” ove...

Standoff continues in Worcester after man allegedly shoots 2 family members, shoots at officers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

A standoff continued in Worcester Friday afternoon, hours after police said a man shot two of his family members and then shot at police before running back into his home. The incident happened on Colby Avenue shortly after 8:30 a.m. Police said the man shot at his family members and opened fire on police when responding officers tried to arrest him. Police said the family members who were shot were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. None of the officers were hit, according to police.Still, the scene in Worcester remained active as of around 4 p.m. Friday afternoon with various law enforcement personnel on scene.Police said they were using drones as part of their response. Some residents in the area were evacuated from their homes.One neighbor earlier in the day Friday told 7NEWS he heard sirens around 9 a.m. The neighbor, Abdul Bilal, said he was concerned“I didn’t know what was happening,” Bilal said of his reaction.“I’ve been living here for tw...

Saugus man charged with murdering his roommate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

A Saugus man was charged with murdering his housemate Friday, officials said. 64-year-old George Finley is charged with killing Joshua Thomson, 37, in their home at 315 Essex Street, the Essex County D.A. announced.The D.A. said police responded to the home around 6:30 a.m. Friday to investigate a death of a male and then announced around 4 p.m. that Thomson was murdered.Finley was located at the house and arrested.Speaking on Friday, neighbors described the area as a quiet neighborhood even though it is close to Route 1.“It’s insane because it’s always so quiet over here,” one man said. “We’re off the highway but nothing happens over here. It’s just a hole in the wall to everybody.Finley is expected in court Monday.

Jury sent home for the weekend in trial of man accused of murdering Weymouth police officer, bystander

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

Deliberations stalled Friday in the trial of a man accused of killing a Weymouth police officer and a bystander in 2018. The jury has been deciding whether Lopes is not guilty by reason of insanity after he shot and killed Weymouth police Sgt. Michael Chesna and 77-year-old Vera Adams in 2018.There were no deliberations today, and a court source said this is “an emotional situation.” A young female juror met at sidebar five times with Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone. “I do appreciate everyone’s patience. This is a sensitive matter so I do need to see you at sidebar please,” Cannone said. The judge did not explain what the sensitive matter was. At times, the juror was shaking her head and wiping her nose and tears from her eyes. Just after 2 p.m., the judge sent the jury home. After five days of deliberations, the jury appears unable to come to a unanimous decision.“Either they’re going to find him responsible, guilty, or they’re going to end up ...

Police seek help IDing trio accused of stealing from Seekonk High School

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

Police asked for the public’s help Friday as they work to identify a group of people accused of stealing from Seekonk High School. Seekonk police said the incident happened on June 29 when two men and one woman entered the school by removing an air conditioning window unit. Officials said the trio then stole a school laptop and an Xbox and caused about $1,000 in damage. Police released photos of three suspects in the case on Friday and asked anyone with information to contact detectives at 508-336-8123 x. 51105.

Video shows Britney Spears ‘hit herself in the face’ during Victor Wembanyama encounter; security guard will not be charged: police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

The security guard at the center of the Britney Spears/Victor Wembanyama slap incident will not be facing criminal charges after police determined Spears inadvertently “hit herself in the face” when her hand was pushed off the NBA star.The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Friday their investigation into the incident did not find the security guard accused of slapping Spears to have willfully or unlawfully used force against her.According to the report, police said surveillance footage of the event “showed Britney going to tap the Spurs player on the shoulder. When she touched the player, [Damian Smith, the Director of Team Security for the Spurs] pushes her hand off of the player without looking, which causes Britney’s hand to hit herself in the face.”The incident occurred on Wednesday night after Spears spotted Wembanyama inside the ARIA Resort in Las Vegas. Spears and her team initially filed a police report, alleging Smith “backhan...

The US will provide cluster bombs to Ukraine and defends the delivery of the controversial weapon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

By ZEKE MILLER, TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will provide cluster munitions to Ukraine, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday, vowing the U.S. will not leave Ukraine defenseless and asserting that Kyiv has promised to use the controversial bombs carefully.The decision comes on the eve of the NATO summit in Lithuania, where President Joe Biden is likely to face questions from allies on why the U.S. would send a weapon into Ukraine that more than two-thirds of alliance members have banned because it has a track record for causing many civilian casualties. Biden, in a CNN interview, said it was a difficult decision, but he ultimately took the Defense Department’s recommendation to provide the bombs. “It took me a while to be convinced to do it,” said Biden, adding that he discussed the matter with allies and with lawmakers on the Hill. But, he said, “The Ukrainians are running ou...

Man sentenced to prison for using stolen identities of UCSD students

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A man who used the stolen identities of UC San Diego undergraduate students to commit bank fraud was sentenced in federal court Friday.US attorney Randy Grossman's office announced Nehemiah Joel Weave, 37, will spend 47 months behind bars and be ordered to pay $225,392 in restitution to the victims.Back in September 2022, Weaver pleaded guilty to bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, court records show. He admitted to using the identities of at least 15 people, which included UCSD students, his former supervisor and a former girlfriend. Two arrested after crime spree in four parts of San Diego County How were these identities stolen? Grossman's office says it was with the help of Weaver's co-defendant, Mia Nikole Bell, who admitted to stealing the student's private information while working as a UCSD employee and turning it over to Weaver. Bell was sentenced in December 2022 to four months in custody and was ordered to pay $16,480 ...

Chicago area man who drowned trying to help children had survived 9/11 attacks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:22 GMT

WINNETKA, Ill. (AP) — A suburban Chicago man who drowned in Lake Michigan while trying to help children struggling in the lake was a survivor of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, his family said.Witnesses said Luke Laidley, 43, was boating Tuesday with others on the lakefront north of Chicago when he jumped into the lake to help at least one child who had fallen off a raft being pulled by the boat.The Winnetka man went underwater before being pulled from the lake by others on the boat. Laidley died later Tuesday at an Evanston hospital and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined his manner of death was drowning, said Natalia Derevyanny, an office spokeswoman.An obituary prepared by his family states that Laidley “risked his life for the children who were struggling when their tube flipped on Lake Michigan.”The obituary adds that Laidley was 21 and on his second day on the job with Morgan Stanley in the World Trade Center’s South Towe...