Friday, April 10, 2015


New Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michael-slager-walter-scott-police-shooting-video-deeply-troubling-says-analyst/

Police shooting video "deeply troubling," says former FBI official
By JEFF PEGUES CBS NEWS
April 9, 2015

Photograph – North Charleston police officer Michael Slager (R) is seen shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott in the back as he runs away, in this still image from video, in North Charleston, South Carolina, April 4, 2015.
 REUTERS

Ron Hosko is the former head of the FBI's criminal investigative division. He now runs a legal defense fund for police officers. He's watched the video of Walter Scott being fatally shot by Michael Slager from beginning to end and says he's never seen anything like it.

"Arguably what he should be doing, before pulling out his gun is chasing him, right? Foot pursuit. Happens every day," Hosko said. "If he's unarmed, and presumably he is from the background, chase him. Cops chase every day. Call for backup. Have others come help chase."

But did Scott pose a threat based on what is on the video?

"In this piece of video, I don't see the threat," Hosko continued. "I see a man trying to flee the scene, running away. And if that's the case, to shoot this victim in the back multiple times while he is merely trying to flee from a non-violent crime, is deeply troubling and I think is likely to result in the conviction of the police officer."

But does the shooting qualify as murder?
"I don't want to sit as judge or jury," he said. "But given this set of circumstances, I think a strong case could be made that it is murder."

Hosko is also disturbed by something else on the tape. After the shooting, it appears that Slager drops an object next to Walter Scott's body. Slager reported that Scott took his taser.

"When you have a serious or fatal shooting incident, tampering with the evidence, moving a potential piece of evidence, like a Taser from place A to place B, that is a serious event. Because it raises questions, legitimate questions, about the integrity of the case," he said.

When other officers arrive on the scene, Hosko says they also appeared to shirk their duty.

"Make sure there are no additional weapons that the person would have access to to continue to pose a threat if one existed, but certainly take steps to preserve a life. It did not appear to be going on there at all.

Hosko said he typically gives law enforcement the benefit of the doubt. He said he does not believe this case defines police in America. He also had the opportunity to review the newly released dash cam video showing the initial traffic stop, from which Scott fled. Hosko said that video doesn't change his opinion of the incident.




"Arguably what he should be doing, before pulling out his gun is chasing him, right? Foot pursuit. Happens every day," Hosko said. "If he's unarmed, and presumably he is from the background, chase him. Cops chase every day. Call for backup. Have others come help chase." But did Scott pose a threat based on what is on the video? "In this piece of video, I don't see the threat," Hosko continued. "I see a man trying to flee the scene, running away. And if that's the case, to shoot this victim in the back multiple times while he is merely trying to flee from a non-violent crime, is deeply troubling and I think is likely to result in the conviction of the police officer." …. "When you have a serious or fatal shooting incident, tampering with the evidence, moving a potential piece of evidence, like a Taser from place A to place B, that is a serious event. Because it raises questions, legitimate questions, about the integrity of the case," he said. When other officers arrive on the scene, Hosko says they also appeared to shirk their duty.”

“Ron Hosko is the former head of the FBI's criminal investigative division. He now runs a legal defense fund for police officers. He's watched the video of Walter Scott being fatally shot by Michael Slager from beginning to end and says he's never seen anything like it.” Hosko mentions something I have been noticing since Ferguson in case after case. Officers tackle a suspect ALONE and without calling for assistance and then claim that they “feared for their life.” If they had done that simple step they wouldn't be in nearly as dangerous a situation. It takes common sense and less bravado. In this case the officer is seen picking up what looks like the tazer and dropping it beside the body – planting evidence, in other words. Slager will almost certainly go to prison for a number of years and could even face the death penalty. What bothers me is that police do these things commonly rather than rarely. A police officer I knew a number of years ago spoke of a “drop gun.” That is a personally owned and unregistered pistol with which the suspect is shot – rather than with the officer's service weapon – and then that gun is “dropped” at the body. That is an effort to keep the police officer from being arrested for the shooting by confusing the evidence, implicating an unknown third party.






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-deputies-beat-man-after-led-chase-horse-video-shows/

Video shows man beaten after chase on horseback
CBS NEWS
April 10, 2015

Photograph – Francis Pusok is seen in this undated photo.

Aerial footage from Los Angeles station KNBC shows Francis Pusok, 30, on horseback, fleeing from San Bernardino County deputies in California. It also appears to show those deputies using a Taser and beating Pusok on the ground.

Authorities have yet to say whether the man seen in the video was armed, but after seeing the footage, the city's sheriff admitted that what he saw was "disturbing." A criminal investigation has been launched, reports CBS News correspondent Carter Evans.

Deputies are seen firing Tasers, bringing Pusok down.

"Suspect being tased. Suspect being tased," deputies can be heard saying.


While on the ground, two deputies appear to unleash a fury of kicks, knees and punches to Pusok's head and body with his face down and hands behind his back.

More deputies arrive and the beating continues. Over nearly two minutes, Pusok is struck more than 50 times.

"I couldn't believe it. The first thing I said is, 'They can't do that,'" Pusok's girlfriend Jolene Binder said. "I see him put his hands out behind his back and I just see officers swinging their legs. Kicking him punching him."

Deputies said they were trying to serve a search warrant on Pusok for identity theft, but he ran away from them, stole a horse and led them on a two hour chase near the Deep Creek area of Apple Valley.

"There was an attempt to take him into custody and a use of force occurred," spokesperson Jodi Miller said. "That use of force is now under investigation."

Pusok has had several run ins with the law dating back to 2002, including attempted robbery, driving on a sidewalk at an unsafe speed and obstructing or resisting an officer in 2014.

"I'm not going to stand here and say that he's perfect, but who is," Binder said.

"They're asking the family member what was he doing there. No, the focus has got to be on these cops," attorney Jim Terrell said. "These are bad cops."

Pusok was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries but Binder, mother of his three children, said she did not know his condition or even what hospital he was taken to.

She said they are considering a lawsuit.

Deputies claim three of their own were injured during the pursuit; one kicked by the horse Pusok allegedly stole and two suffering dehydration. Identities of the deputies involved in the arrest have not been released.




“Authorities have yet to say whether the man seen in the video was armed, but after seeing the footage, the city's sheriff admitted that what he saw was "disturbing." A criminal investigation has been launched, reports CBS News correspondent Carter Evans. Deputies are seen firing Tasers, bringing Pusok down. "Suspect being tased. Suspect being tased," deputies can be heard saying. …. While on the ground, two deputies appear to unleash a fury of kicks, knees and punches to Pusok's head and body with his face down and hands behind his back. More deputies arrive and the beating continues. Over nearly two minutes, Pusok is struck more than 50 times. While on the ground, two deputies appear to unleash a fury of kicks, knees and punches to Pusok's head and body with his face down and hands behind his back. …. "I'm not going to stand here and say that he's perfect, but who is," Binder said. "They're asking the family member what was he doing there. No, the focus has got to be on these cops," attorney Jim Terrell said. "These are bad cops." …. She said they are considering a lawsuit. Deputies claim three of their own were injured during the pursuit; one kicked by the horse Pusok allegedly stole and two suffering dehydration. Identities of the deputies involved in the arrest have not been released.”

Another “bad cop” situation – they are supposed to be able to restrain themselves from such unnecessary violence, or be arrested as Slager has been. I know they may be very angry after he lead them a merry chase, but overkill like this just makes police forces look like the bad guys rather than the ones who deserve to be wearing the white hat. I think there may be some officers fired and/or indicted in this case, too. The problem is that events like these happen much too frequently, and most of the time the police are not charged. No wonder people in poor neighborhoods, especially black and Hispanic areas, tend not to call the police for help, preferring to get themselves some “street justice” instead.






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/illinois-girl-found-forest-preserve-left-trash-can/

Authorities: Little girl's dad left her in trash can
AP April 10, 2015

Photograph – A 3-year-old girl named Aliya, who was found by a passer-by near a forest preserve in Prospect Heights, Illinois, on April 7, 2015  AP PHOTO/COOK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

CHICAGO -- Child welfare authorities say the father of a 3-year-old girl found alone near a suburban Chicago forest preserve left her in a trash can.

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services spokesman Andrew Flachtells the Chicago Tribune that an initial investigation found that the girl's father put her in a trash can and drove away.

Thirty-five-year-old Faiz Ikramulla was charged Thursday with aggravated kidnapping. He's jailed in Van Buren County, Michigan, pending extradition proceedings.

A passer-by found the girl Tuesday evening along a roadside near the forest preserve in Prospect Heights.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office says the girl could only provide her first name, Aliya, and was identified after investigators learned her mother was in the process of filing missing person reports for the child and Ikramulla.




So many modern couples get into pitched battle over who gets custody or visitations and who has to pay child support. This case is sicker than most, however, because this father has no love for the child apparently, so why didn't he just leave her with the mother? Sometimes these stories make me sorry that I read them. At least he was caught is will go to trial after being extradited.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/serial-bride-liana-barrientos-arrested-for-having-ten-husbands-authorities-say/

"Serial bride" arrested for having 10 husbands: NYPD
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP
 April 10, 2015

NEW YORK - Never a bridesmaid, always a bride!

Police say New York City woman Liana Barrientos faces fraud charges after allegedly marrying 10 different men over an 11-year period. The Bronx District Attorney says Barrientos had as many as eight husbands at once.

Barrientos is charged with filing a fake instrument, i.e. a phony marriage license and application. The DA's office says she faced two counts of felony fraud at her arraignment Friday, where she pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, the DA says she could get up to four years in prison.

The criminal complaint alleges the 39-year-old woman obtained two of the marriage licenses in the Bronx. It says the others were obtained all over Westchester County and Long Island. The first one allegedly was obtained in 1999.

According to CBS New York, Barrientos married Mohamed Gerbil in November 1999, Ahmed Allam in November 2001, Habibur Rahman also in November 2001, Davit Koridze in February 2002, Duran Goktepe in March 2002, Aliaksandr Paharelau also in March 2002, Vakhtang Dzneladze in May 2002, Rashid Rajput in July 2002, Kakhaber Khorbaladze in August 2002, and Salle Keita in March 2010, prosecutors allege.

The complaint says she was arrested following a probe of her most recent marriage in 2010.

It wasn't immediately clear if she had a lawyer.
Or maybe ten.




Did she do this to get money from them, I wonder? I wish this article would give more information. This is one of the stranger stories I've ever read.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-booker-army-recruit-in-kansas-accused-of-trying-to-support-isis/

Kansas man accused of suicide bomb plot at Army base
CBS/AP
April 10, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A 20-year-old man has been charged with planning a suicide bomb attack against the Fort Riley military base in Kansas, in an alleged plot to support the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), federal prosecutors said Friday.

John T. Booker, of Topeka, was arrested Friday morning while trying to arm what he thought what a 1,000-pound bomb inside a van near the base, according to court documents. He was scheduled to appear in federal court in Topeka later in the day. Court documents don't indicate whether he has an attorney, and he didn't have a publicly listed phone number.

Prosecutors allege that he first met with an undercover FBI agent in October and expressed desire to engage in violent jihad on behalf of the terrorist group. The two met several times over the next several months, with Booker discussing ideas for killing Americans, according to the criminal complaint, which states that Booker told the informant that the act was permitted by because the Quran "says to kill your enemies wherever they are."

Booker also allegedly told the informant that he wanted to make a video threatening Americans and warning them to get their relatives and friends to quit the military. He said his intent was to "scare this country" and to tell the people that, "we will be coming after American soldiers in the streets ... we will be picking them off one by one," according to the court documents.

On March 15, 2014, the criminal complaint alleges, Booker publicly posted on Facebook: "I will soon be leaving you forever so goodbye! I'm going to wage jihad and hopes that i die."

The FBI said there was no breach at Fort Riley, which is about 100 miles west of Kansas City.

Booker is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting to damage property by means of an explosive, and attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

The FBI has focused attention in the last year on individuals who profess allegiance to ISIS and who either make plans to fight alongside jihadists in Syria or commit acts of violence in the United States.

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Booker was arrested near Manhattan, a city that borders the base.

"We face a continued threat from individuals within our own borders who may be motivated by a variety of reasons," Grissom said. "Anyone who tries to harm this nation and its people will be brought to justice."

Booker, who also goes by the name "Mohammed Abdullah Hassan," becomes the seventh individual to be charged with material support in the last 10 days, CBS News' Paula Reid reports.

On Thursday, a Wisconsin man accused of traveling to the Middle East in a failed attempt to join ISIS was been ordered held without bond.

Last week, a Phildaelphia woman was arrested on charges she tried to join and martyr herself for ISIS, a day after two women in New York were charged with plotting to wage jihad by building a bomb and using it for a Boston Marathon-type attack.

Federal prosecutors said last month that U.S. Air Force veteran Tairod Pugh plotted to travel to Syria to join ISIS and was arrested on terrorism charges.

Also last month, federal prosecutors said an Illinois Army National Guard soldier vowed to bring "the flames of war to the heart" of America if he was unable to get to the Middle East to join ISIS and his cousin bragged he could kill up to 150 people in a terrorist attack in the U.S.

And in February, three Brooklyn residents were formally charged with providing material support to ISIS.





"Prosecutors allege that he first met with an undercover FBI agent in October and expressed desire to engage in violent jihad on behalf of the terrorist group. The two met several times over the next several months, with Booker discussing ideas for killing Americans, according to the criminal complaint, which states that Booker told the informant that the act was permitted by because the Quran "says to kill your enemies wherever they are." Booker also allegedly told the informant that he wanted to make a video threatening Americans and warning them to get their relatives and friends to quit the military. He said his intent was to "scare this country" and to tell the people that, "we will be coming after American soldiers in the streets ... we will be picking them off one by one," according to the court documents.”

The bad news is that there is a rash of incidents by a large number of “lone wolf” jihadists. The good news is that the FBI is really locating many of them and incarcerating them. I would like to know where they get the inspiration for these plots – a American Mosques with radical imams, or on the Internet. If it is fundamentalist leaders here in the US, we need to look at the laws with an eye toward putting them firmly behind bars.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pedophiles-finding-a-safe-haven-on-the-dark-net/

Pedophiles finding a safe haven on the "dark net"
By HOLLY WILLIAMS CBS NEWS
April 9, 2015

Sweetie looks and sounds like a young girl from the Philippines.

"My name is Sweetie," she says. "I'm 10 years old."

There are thought to be hundreds of children like her in Southeast Asia, working in front of live Internet webcams, paid to perform sex acts for pedophiles.

But Sweetie isn't real. She's a digital puppet, designed by Hans Guijt and his colleagues at Terre des Hommes Netherlands, a child protection organization, to catch pedophiles.

"In the 10 weeks time that we were active on the Internet we were hit by more than 20,000 people, 20,000 men mainly, who were trying to get in contact with us to engage us in sexual activities," Guijt told CBS News.

But Guijt added that many hardcore pedophiles can't be so easily caught, because they're using a separate, hidden Internet known as the dark net.

Originally developed by the U.S. military, the dark net is only accessible via a browser that masks users' identities by encryption.

The dark net's millions of users -- and thousands of websites -- operate on a network of more than 6,000 computer servers spread around the world that reroute signals to hide users' locations.

It's still partly funded by the U.S. government, in order to help dissidents in China, Russia and Iran evade censorship.

But the layers of security protecting users' anonymity have also made the dark net a haven for pedophiles. While most users employ the dark net browser to hide their IP address while accessing sites on the regular Internet, a recent British study found that 80 percent of traffic to sites located only on the dark net were related to child pornography.

"It was just an awful realization, discovering there were tens of thousands of people who are not only trading child pornography, but planning to exploit children," said Greg Virgin, a former NSA employee turned cyber security consultant, who's now helping U.S. child protection groups.

"We found one site where users openly advertised the ages of the children they were interested in," Virgin said. "The average youngest age they were seeking for girls was zero years old. And the average age for boys was one."

The FBI is believed to have taken down several child pornography sites in 2013, after using malicious software to locate their servers.

Yet Virgin says that failed to stop the dark net's use by pedophiles, which he believes is growing.

"The demand is picked up very quickly by other sites and the sites are replaced very quickly, usually by a stronger, better site."




“But Sweetie isn't real. She's a digital puppet, designed by Hans Guijt and his colleagues at Terre des Hommes Netherlands, a child protection organization, to catch pedophiles. "In the 10 weeks time that we were active on the Internet we were hit by more than 20,000 people, 20,000 men mainly, who were trying to get in contact with us to engage us in sexual activities," Guijt told CBS News. …. The dark net's millions of users -- and thousands of websites -- operate on a network of more than 6,000 computer servers spread around the world that reroute signals to hide users' locations. It's still partly funded by the U.S. government, in order to help dissidents in China, Russia and Iran evade censorship. …. It was just an awful realization, discovering there were tens of thousands of people who are not only trading child pornography, but planning to exploit children," said Greg Virgin, a former NSA employee turned cyber security consultant, who's now helping U.S. child protection groups. "We found one site where users openly advertised the ages of the children they were interested in," Virgin said. "The average youngest age they were seeking for girls was zero years old. And the average age for boys was one." ….Yet Virgin says that failed to stop the dark net's use by pedophiles, which he believes is growing. "The demand is picked up very quickly by other sites and the sites are replaced very quickly, usually by a stronger, better site."

The number of men who are sexually deviant in one way or another is shocking. The article said that most of these sickos are men. How does a person become so twisted? Baby girls and boys under the age of one year old are favorite targets. I wonder how many people do this kind of thing for years before they are caught and jailed. One other issue, however, is that some of the penalties for this kind of crime are shockingly small – a very few years in prison instead of life. Then they are let out of prison and go back out on the streets. I know, they are supposed to register as sex offenders, but they don't always do that. We have so many citizens in this country that we can't keep track of all criminals when they move to another address and disappear into the crowd.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/air-force-general-relieved-of-command-after-treason-comment/

Air Force general relieved of command after "treason" comment
By JAKE MILLER CBS NEWS
April 10, 2015

Photograph – Four A-10 Warthogs from the Selfridge Air National Guard Base perform a fly-by before the start of the NASCAR Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Sunday, June 13, 2010.  BOB BRODBECK, AP

The vice commander of the Air Combat Command, Maj. Gen. James Post, has been relieved of his command for telling airmen that it would be "treason" to give members of Congress information that would interfere with the Air Force's attempt to retire the A-10 attack jet from active duty, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.
Post was relieved following an investigation by the Air Force Inspector General. That probe concluded that, whether he intended to or not, Post had interfered with the right of service members to lawfully communicate with Congress, which is a violation of U.S. Code and Pentagon regulations.

Post made the comments before 300 personnel in January at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and the Air Force's internal watchdog began investigating the incident soon thereafter.

The inspector general's report concluded that Post's "choice of words had the effect of attempting to prevent some members from lawfully communicating with Congress."

In a news release, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the head of Air Combat Command, said Post "understands the impact of his actions and has expressed his sincere regret to me, a regret he extends to all airmen."

Post, whose next posting has not been announced, sounded a contrite note in a statement.

"The objective of my comment was simply meant to focus the attention of the audience on working within the command's constraints," he said. "It was sincerely never my intention to discourage anyone's access to their elected officials. I now understand how my poor choice of words may have led a few attendees to draw this conclusion and I offer my humble apology for causing any undue strain on the command and its mission.

"I absolutely respect and understand the decision made by Gen. Carlisle and I hope my departure from ACC will enable the command to refocus on the mission as soon as possible," he added.

In a bid to save money, the Air Force has been trying to retire the A-10 "warthog" attack jet from service for several years, but the jet has its defenders in Congress, who claim it has been a valuable supplement to U.S. military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican who sits on the Armed Services Committee, has been among the staunchest defenders of the A-10. She welcomed the news that Post had been relieved of command in a statement on Friday.

"I appreciate the thorough investigation that the Air Force Inspector General conducted into Major General Post's comments," Ayotte said. "I hope this unfortunate incident will eliminate any doubt regarding the legal right of a service member to lawfully communicate with Congress about the A-10 or any other issue of concern."




“Post was relieved following an investigation by the Air Force Inspector General. That probe concluded that, whether he intended to or not, Post had interfered with the right of service members to lawfully communicate with Congress, which is a violation of U.S. Code and Pentagon regulations. Post made the comments before 300 personnel in January at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and the Air Force's internal watchdog began investigating the incident soon thereafter. …. "The objective of my comment was simply meant to focus the attention of the audience on working within the command's constraints," he said. "It was sincerely never my intention to discourage anyone's access to their elected officials. I now understand how my poor choice of words may have led a few attendees to draw this conclusion and I offer my humble apology for causing any undue strain on the command and its mission. …. New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican who sits on the Armed Services Committee, has been among the staunchest defenders of the A-10. She welcomed the news that Post had been relieved of command in a statement on Friday.”

Anything that interferes with a citizen's rights should not be allowed in the military even though superior officers fear a conflict in their plans or activities. An article a year or so ago was about women being told not to report sexual assaults. In that case the attackers were in some cases the soldier's superior officer, and he didn't want a complaint lodged against him. There were also a disturbingly large number of sexual assault complaints and the military was trying to avoid a public scandal.