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James Holmes

A jury has found James Holmes guilty of murder in the Colorado theater shooting.

Holmes faced two counts of first-degree murder for each of the 12 victims. The jury found him guilty on all 24 counts, and 140 counts of attempted murder for the 70 people wounded in the shooting.

On July 19, 2012, Holmes walked into a theater in Aurora, Colorado that was showing “The Dark Knight Rises.” He walked through a rear door and left it propped open. About 18 minutes after the movie began, Holmes came through the rear door wearing a ballistic helmet, a gas mask, black gloves and protective gear on his legs, throat and groin. He threw a tear gas canister into the theater that exploded, then he opened gunfire with a AR-15 rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a 40 caliber handgun. Holmes was arrested outside of the theater in the parking lot about 7 minutes after the first 911 call was made to police.

His sentencing phase begins on Wednesday and is expected to last about a month. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Sandra Bland

Sandra Bland

On Friday afternoon, Sandra was pulled over by a Texas Department of Public Safety officer for changing lanes without signaling. Bland allegedly struggled with the officer and another cop arrived, both of whom are seen with Bland on the ground during a video taken by a motorist.

Sandra is heard on the video saying “I can’t even fucking feel my arms,” and “You just slammed my head into the ground, do you not even care about that? I can’t even hear!”

One of the officers is heard on the video telling the person recording, “You need to leave.”

After she was arrested, Sandra Bland tried to post bail.

“I talked to her when she first went to jail,” said Joe Booker of Hempstead. “I called her mother for her.” Sandra needed $500.00 for bail.

Sarah’s sister said that Sandra called her from jail and said she believed her arm had been broken by police. Her body was discovered by a jail worker on Monday morning. An autopsy performed on Tuesday listed Sandra’s cause of death as suicide by asphyxiation. Texas Rangers said they are investigating her death, and the Bland family has retained an attorney.

Texas state Senator Royce West has asked the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety to release any video it has of Sandra’s arrest.

Four Marines Murdered, One Police Officer Wounded, and Killer Dead in Chattanooga

 

24-year-old Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez has been identified as the shooter who went to a recruiting office, then to a military facility.

 Abdulazeez had not been on the radar of federal law enforcement, but his father had. Abdulazeez’s dad was investigated several years ago for “possible ties to a foreign terrorist organization” and had been added to the U.S. terrorist watch list.

Bits and pieces are coming out, including that in April, Abdulazeez was arrested for driving under the influence.  He was scheduled to appear in court later this month.

Leaving His Job After 14 Years, Police Officer Gives Away Gift Cards

Police Commander Brian Peters (Photo: KARE)

Police Commander Brian Peters of the Brooklyn Center Police Department in Minnesota was on the force for 14 years. He left the job to start a new position as manager of Target’s global crisis command center. Peters didn’t want a going away party. He wanted to give back to the community, so he purchased ten gift cards worth $50.00 each and handed them out to strangers in Brooklyn Center.

“In light of how law enforcement was viewed these days, it was also a good thing for people to understand that police officers can be good. Not everyone is bad,” Peters said.

 

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