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Two defendants in Adams County have been convicted by juries in separate murder cases this month, marking the first two convictions since jury trials resumed after a stoppage of several months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mauricio Eduardo Anchondo-Olivas, 29, was convicted on Friday, April 9, of first-degree murder and aggravated motor vehicle, according to a Thursday news release from the district attorney’s office. He was sentenced to life without parole. On April 12, 43-year-old Javier Zamudio-Anaya attended a gathering at a home in Federal Heights with a group of people, including Anchondo-Olivas. The men, who had previously been housemates, left the gathering together in a truck driven by Anchondo-Olivas. The truck had been stolen, the release said. Anchondo-Olivas shot Zamudio-Anaya twice and then slit his throat. The truck, with Zamudio-Anaya’s body inside, was abandoned near West 120th Avenue and Tejon Street in Westminster. Surveillance cameras showed … [Read more...] about Two men convicted by Adams County juries in separate murder cases

Progressive Democrats have reacted to footage of the shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo with calls for systemic reforms they hope could prevent such incidents in future. Chicago police released bodycam footage on Thursday showing an officer shooting the teenager on March 29. Toledo had his hands raised and they appeared to be empty at the time he was shot. Several Democratic lawmakers took to Twitter to express outrage and call for reform following the video's release. "Funding body cameras. Funding more trainings. Funding updated use of force guidelines," said Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota's 5th district. "All that funding and reform hasn't stopped the police from killing people or made our communities safer. "The problem is systemic and it requires systemic solutions." Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan's 13th district wrote: "I can't. He was 13 years old. A baby." Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York's 14th district criticized … [Read more...] about Adam Toledo Shooting Boosts Progressives’ Calls for Systemic Change

Clashes continued Wednesday evening between police and protesters outside the Brooklyn Center police station following the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer in the Minneapolis suburb. Law enforcement reportedly fired paintballs, a chemical spray and flash-bang grenades at protesters after declaring the assembly unlawful, according to The New York Times . A reporter for The Times , Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, shared several videos and images from the night on Twitter . "Police just got more aggressive, firing what appears to be a flasbang directly into the crowd (video) and firing dozens of paintballs," he tweeted in a post sharing one video. "They just declared the assembly in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, unlawful. Things quickly escalating," he added. More than 60 people were arrested Wednesday night, according to the head of Minnesota State Patrol, Bogel-Burroughs tweeted. The chaotic scenes took place about an hour before the city's 10 p.m. … [Read more...] about Brooklyn Center Police Fire Paintballs at Daunte Wright Protesters in Video

A man in Sweetwater, Texas , took to Facebook at around 10:00 a.m. local time Thursday to say he had been shot by police during a traffic stop. Police later identified the man as James Hearin, who remains at large. Hearin, 41, made the video shortly after the shooting incident. He says in the Facebook Live video that police shot him when he refused to open his door or window after being pulled over for a traffic stop. The suspect said said he suffered gunshot wounds in the stomach and arm. "I'm scared to death," Hearin can be heard saying in the video. "I don't know why they were shooting at me." He also admits to being a felon in the recording, and says: "But I hadn't done anything wrong." Local news outlets KTAB and KRBC reported hearing police scanner messages about the shooting and that a suspect had fled the scene in his pickup truck. The stations indicated the scanner transmissions said his truck had several bullet holes on the left side from the incident. KRBC … [Read more...] about Suspect Posts Video on Facebook Saying Police Shot Him in Texas

California Democrats have introduced several bills that would make it harder to recall elected officials in the state as Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom fights a potential recall. The key bill, S.B. 663, would not affect the current Newsom recall effort if it becomes law since it would not take effect until 2022. The bill would allow elected officials representing more than 50,000 eligible voters to contact those who signed a petition seeking to recall them to verify that they did sign the petition and were not mislead or coerced into doing so. Under current California law, signatures on petitions can only be verified by election officials. Critics of the bill believe that changing that law could lead to petition signers to be harassed by politicians targeted by petitions and those who work or campaign for them. Orrin Heatlie, leader of the Newsom recall effort and a former police officer, reportedly spoke against the bill during a hearing in the state Senate on Monday. … [Read more...] about As Gavin Newsom Faces Recall Election, California Dems Want to Make Petition Process Harder