Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues
Passaic County Jail Officer Admits Bringing Inmate To 'Blind Spot' For Beating By Colleagues 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A Passaic County correctional officer admitted that he brought an inmate to a "blind spot" at the county jail so two colleagues could beat him for squirting one of them with urine. Officer Lorenzo Bowden, 39, initially agreed with Sgt. Jose Gonzalez and Sgt. Donald Vinales not to talk after they'd received federal grand jury subpoenas two years ago this month, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Bowden eventually had a change of heart. The pretrial detainee was "transported through an area of the PCJ that does not have a video surveillance camera, which correctional officers …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Arlington, VA
News
Former DC Corrections Officer Admits To Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say Former DC Corrections Officer Admits To Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say
Former DC Corrections Officer Admits To Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say A former District of Columbia Department of Corrections officer who assaulted a handcuffed inmate has admitted to using unreasonable force, federal authorities announced. Marcus Bias, 27, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law after being charged late last year for an alleged incident more than three years ago. According to court documents, while working as a corrections officer, Bias pushed a handcuffed pre-trial detainee's head into a metal doorframe while escorting him within the Department of Corrections on June 12, 2019, causing an …

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by Zak Failla
Springfield, MA
Police & Fire
6 Western Mass Teens Held Mock 'Slave Auction,' Made Racist Comments On Social Media: DA 6 Western Mass Teens Held Mock 'Slave Auction,' Made Racist Comments On Social Media: DA
6 Western Mass Teens Held Mock 'Slave Auction,' Made Racist Comments On Social Media: DA Six Hampden County eighth-grade students have been charged in juvenile court after chat logs were discovered where they made threats against minority students, used racist slurs, shared racist memes and comments, and held a mock "slave auction" for two black classmates, authorities said.  Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni held a press conference on Thursday, March 14, explaining his decision to charge the Southwick Regional School students. He called their online chat "vile, cruel, and contemptible" in a news release.  Hatred and racism have no place in this community. …

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by Josh Lanier
Arlington, VA
Police & Fire
No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors
No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors There will be no charges for a pair of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department for their role in a fatal shooting last year involving a 33-year-old District resident, according to federal investigators. The US Attorney's Office announced that there is insufficient evidence to pursue criminal or civil rights charges for their roles in an officer-involved shooting in Southeast DC in October 2023 that left Arthur Porter dead. According to prosecutors, at around 5 p.m. on Oct. 19 last year, the officers were called to the 2800 block of Gainesville Street SE, where there were reports of…

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by Zak Failla
Cherry Hill, NJ
Police & Fire
NJ Prison Officer Admits Looking Other Way While Inmates Were Beaten, Brutalized NJ Prison Officer Admits Looking Other Way While Inmates Were Beaten, Brutalized
NJ Prison Officer Admits Looking Other Way While Inmates Were Beaten, Brutalized 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Nine months after a former corrections officer at a New Jersey prison was sentenced to 2½ years behind bars for admitting that he brutalized inmates in what one victim called a “fight club," a second officer cut his own deal with federal prosecutors. Joshua Hand, 34, of Millville, admitted in federal court in Camden on Monday, Feb. 26, that he stood by while two prisoners were being assaulted by fellow inmates at Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Hand violated both inmates' civil rights by not stopping their assailants or reporting the in…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Paterson Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Using Excessive Force Twice: Prosecutors Paterson Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Using Excessive Force Twice: Prosecutors
Paterson Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Using Excessive Force Twice: Prosecutors A 32-year-old Wayne resident and Paterson police officer pleaded guilty on Thursday, Feb. 8 to using excessive force during two separate arrests in late 2020, the US Attorney's Office announced. On Nov. 26, 2020, Kevin Patino responded to a call for backup from a police officer attempting to disperse a crowd on Main Street in Paterson, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Patino got into an altercation with a person getting into verbal exchange with the officer, pushing them into the street, Sellinger said. Patino then threw them to the ground and proceeded to repeatedly strike them, Selling…

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by Sam Barron
Columbia, MD
Obituaries
Devoted Maryland Nursing Educator Jane Solberg Dies, 33 Devoted Maryland Nursing Educator Jane Solberg Dies, 33
Devoted Maryland Nursing Educator Jane Solberg Dies, 33 Tributes are pouring in for Jane Jordan Solberg, a devoted nursing educator from Howard County who died Sunday, Dec. 31 at the age of 33. Born in Georgia, Jane graduated from the McDonogh School with honors in 2008, discovering her passion for theater, singing, and dancing along the way, her obituary says. She went on to pursue a career in nursing and eventually earned an advanced degree during the COVID pandemic. Upon graduating, Jane taught nursing at several different institutions and was incredibly dedicated to her work. “She loved her students, and they loved her,” reads her obituar…

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by Valerie Musson
Towson, MD
News
Former Correctional Officer Gets Time For Sexually Abusing Inmates At MD Prison: Feds Former Correctional Officer Gets Time For Sexually Abusing Inmates At MD Prison: Feds
Former Correctional Officer Gets Time For Sexually Abusing Inmates At MD Prison: Feds A former correctional officer in Maryland will spend years on the other side of the bars after admitting to violating prisoners' civil rights, prosecutors say. Baltimore native Owen Nesmith, 54, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 20, to multiple charges that include the depravation of rights under the color of law and making false statements for having sexual contact with victims at the Maryland Correctional Institution in Jessup. On Thursday, officials announced that Nesmith has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for abusing the inmates. Nesmith was the acting lieutenant at…

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by Zak Failla
Jersey City, NJ
Politics
Hoboken Mayor Announces Congressional Run, Primarying Menendez Hoboken Mayor Announces Congressional Run, Primarying Menendez
Hoboken Mayor Announces Congressional Run, Primarying Menendez Ravi Bhalla, the mayor of Hoboken, announced Tuesday, Dec. 12, he is running for Congress in New Jersey's 8th Congressional District. Bhalla will be primarying incumbent Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City), the son of Senator Robert Menendez, who was recently indicted on federal corruption charges. The younger Menendez, who has represented the 8th district since 2023, has not been accused of any wrongdoing.  Menendez announced in September he was running for re-election for a second term and has already received endorsements from numerous elected officials in Hudson County. In a video announ…

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by Sam Barron
Egg Harbor Township, NJ
News
Scathing Report: Police Trainers Glorified Violence, Demeaned Women At NJ Seminar (VIDEOS) Scathing Report: Police Trainers Glorified Violence, Demeaned Women At NJ Seminar (VIDEOS)
Scathing Report: Police Trainers Glorified Violence, Demeaned Women At NJ Seminar (Videos) The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) showed no mercy to a New Jersey-based organization that they said preached unconstitutional policing tactics and  demeaned women at a massive training conference paid for using thousands of dollars in public funding. The OSC made a video montage of just some of the 100 instances of "discriminatory and harassing comments" made at the October 2021 seminar held by Street Cop in Atlantic City, included in its scathing report announcing the findings of its investigation. Approximately 1,000 law enforcement officers from across the U.S. gathered…

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by Cecilia Levine
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients
State Slams Paterson Handyman Who Refused To Serve Jewish Clients A handyman from Paterson was ordered to immediately stop refusing to serve Jews and take several remedial steps or face serious charges, state authorities in Trenton said on Thursday. Melquisedec Francis must satisfy eight specific demands to keep from being prosecuted, including announcing that he no longer discriminates against Jewish customers, attending training on anti-Semitism and paying a fine, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Nov. 30. In advertisements on TaskRabbit and elsewhere last month, Francis wrote: "I am expressing my solidarity with the Palestinian Peopl…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Mount Vernon, NY
Politics
Longtime Mount Vernon Resident Announces Run To Become Westchester's First Black DA Longtime Mount Vernon Resident Announces Run To Become Westchester's First Black DA
Longtime Mount Vernon Resident Announces Run To Become Westchester's First Black DA A Westchester native with years of experience in civil rights cases has announced his candidacy to become the county's first Black district attorney.  Mount Vernon native and attorney William O. Wagstaff III announced his candidacy for the Westchester County District Attorney's office on Monday, Nov. 20.  Wagstaff's candidacy announcement comes nearly a month after the county's current District Attorney, Miriam Rocah, announced she would not be seeking re-election in 2024.  Earlier Report - Westchester DA Rocah Won't Seek Re-Election: 'I Do Not Fit Mold Of Career Polit…

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by Ben Crnic