House bill to expand crime task force into Lake County moves to Senate
House Bill 1095 would allow the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force area to include Lake County. Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, authored the bill, which was on the House floor Tuesday afternoon.
The bill received 89 votes for passage Tuesday afternoon. House Bill 1095 also received unanimous support from the Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee on Jan. 30.
The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force was signed into law in 2021 and addresses violent crime in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson and Shelby counties, according to the Indiana General Assembly website. The task force expanded into Allen County two years ago, Harris said Tuesday.
'Part of the plan with the Crime Guns Task Force was to expand it throughout the state,' Harris said. 'House Bill 1095 aims to add Lake County to the task force.'
Rep. Gregory Steuerwald, R-Danville, is one of the bill's co-authors and told the House that the task force has been successful since it was created.
'The plan has always been to take this statewide,' he said. 'There's been over 20-some cities from across the country that have come here to visit this crime gun task force location. It is knocking it out of the park.'
In 2024, the task force investigated more than 150 cases that led to the arrest of 232 people, the seizure of more than 270 illegal firearms and 75,507 grams of illegal narcotics, according to a Jan. 30 news release from Harris.
The Lake County Coroner's Office investigated 65 homicides last year, according to the news release.
'The task force would give Lake County the chance to clean up our streets, providing additional resources to connect guns to other crimes throughout the region,' Harris said. 'Statistically speaking, we see a trend in the right direction for gun crimes in Lake County; we just want people to feel those statistics and I believe the expansion of this task force would keep trends flowing in the right direction enough for residents to feel a difference.'
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said in a statement that expanding the task force 'is a critical step in addressing the flow of illegal firearms and reducing violent crime in our communities,' according to Post-Tribune archives. Carter fully supports the bill and urges lawmakers to pass it.
Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon said he's pleased to see the General Assembly taking these steps, according to Post-Tribune archives. The city's police department plans to fully collaborate with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force if the legislation passes.
Gary led Lake County's homicide numbers for 2024, according to information from the coroner's office. Of the county's 65 homicide deaths last year, 24 victims died in Gary.
Harris' news release also highlighted East Chicago and Hammond as areas that would benefit from the expanded task force. Lake County coroner statistics said Hammond had 13 homicide deaths in 2024, and East Chicago had four homicide deaths.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Indiana General Assembly website did not say when the Senate will vote on House Bill 1095.
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Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Video of Merrillville woman's arrest by Lake County Sheriff's Department shows excessive force before miscarriage, lawyer says
A Merrillville woman's lawyer said recently released bodycam footage backs up her accusations that Lake County Sheriff's deputies forcibly pulled her from a vehicle during an arrest despite knowing she was pregnant. Three months later, she had a miscarriage. I'm '(expletive) pregnant,' Shikeia Randolph, 31, yells just before two officers pull her from a red Chevrolet Trailblazer, according to video obtained by the Post-Tribune through a public records request. A federal lawsuit accusing the officers of excessive force was filed two months ago in the U.S. District Court in Hammond. It alleges that a 3:24 a.m. traffic stop on June 5, 2023 was 'pretextual' — for an issue with a license plate cover, then a school truancy warrant — and quickly spiraled out of control. The video from an officer's dashboard camera appears to show, as she is arrested, the two officers turn her on her stomach as one pins her down to handcuff her hands behind her back. Randolph previously told the Post-Tribune she had just stopped for milk at a 24-hour gas station in Gary near Ridge Road and Grant Street with her four kids in the vehicle. She was supposed to drop them off at her mother's house, then head to her early shift as a receptionist at the Gary Housing Authority. Officer Peter Hamady, who pulled her over, is named with the sheriff's department in the lawsuit. His lawyer Casey McCloskey declined comment. In a federal filing on Aug. 7, McCloskey formally denied the accusations against Hamady, saying in part that his actions were 'objectively reasonable' and protected by 'qualified immunity.' Some of Randolph's claims could fall outside of a two-year statute of limitations, he wrote. McCloskey argued because Randolph refused to get out of her SUV, she forced cops to go after her, according to court documents. She disputed this, in interviews with the Post-Tribune. On the way to booking, Randolph tells Hamady the truancy case in Merrillville Town Court was for taking her daughter repeatedly to school a little late when she was in pain from just having another baby, according to footage recorded inside Hamady's police car. He appears to soften. 'I didn't know they had warrants for that,' he said in the footage. In an interview, Matthew Custardo, Randolph's lawyer in the federal lawsuit, argued the use of force was unjustified, even if she was arguing with the cops. 'She was confused why she was being pulled over,' he said. 'She's scared. She has every reason to be a little concerned about what's going on. She's standing up for herself, certainly.' According to the nearly 40-minute bodycam video, police officers tell her to call someone to pick up the kids, so they don't have to call child protective services. Originally, Randolph said she thought it might have been a warrant for an old driving while suspended case. 'Call CPS for what?' she responds in the video. 'A warrant for a suspended license?' 'It's not for that,' Hamady tells her in the footage. After she asks again, he says it's for truancy. 'Listen, you have a warrant,' Hamady said in the video. 'You're lucky I don't have you cuffed out of the car right now. You wanna go that route?' In the video, she accuses Hamady of pulling out of a nearby parking lot before she passed him. 'Ma'am, I was behind you,' he responded in the footage. At least three other officers are in view. 'I'm taking you to court,' she the phone, Randolph tells her mother the '(expletive) police' pulled her over as she asked her to get her kids, according to the video. She asks officers to wait until her mother arrives. 'I guess they are going to take me to jail,' she said over the phone in the footage. Randolph said in a previous interview with the Post-Tribune that the encounter appeared to escalate when she rolled up her window slightly to hear what her mom was saying. The arrest happens within about 12 minutes into the footage. As officers open her car door and grab her arm, Randolph's children can be heard crying in the back seat. 'This is your last warning,' one of the officers said in the video. 'We don't want your kids to see this.' 'You already freaked my kids out,' she said. 'Get out of the (expletive) car,' one officer stated in the footage. I'm '(expletive) pregnant,' she yells just before two officers pull her from the vehicle after she tried to cling to the steering wheel in the video. 'Let me go! Get off of me! Please get off of me! Somebody help me!' After she is handcuffed on the ground, a police dog is seen in the background of the dashboard camera footage. Randolph's white shoes are scattered nearby. 'I'm trying to help you out here,' one officer tells her in the video. Randolph was charged with resisting law enforcement two months later. Hamady's account in court documents makes no mention of her pregnancy. During the ride to booking at the Lake County Jail, they talk at length about her decision to have a fifth child, according to footage inside the police car. Her fiancé wanted one last child, she said. When Hamady asks how far along she is on the video, she responds she's nearly 12 weeks pregnant. 'Well, congrats to you,' he said in the video. Hamady stated in the footage that her bond should be $400. It's 'not Friday, so it's a good thing,' he tells her in the video. 'I'll make sure they keep you updated.' He asks if she's comfortable as late-'90s era music plays over the radio, the footage shows, before they chat about where she is planning to get married. Do you 'want the window open back there, or are you good?' he asks in the video. Since police insisted on towing her red Chevrolet Trailblazer, Randolph's mother had to take four kids back in a cramped sedan, a situation that was not likely 'legally safe,' Custardo said. Randolph's lawsuit alleged her arrest suggested a 'broader pattern' in the Lake County Sheriff's Department, including 'inadequate training,' 'insufficient supervision' and a 'failure to implement effective accountability measures,' according to court documents. The Lake County Sheriff's Department refused to answer questions related to the incident, including what kind of de-escalation training its officers receive at various stages in their careers. Hamady joined the department in 2022, according to court filings. Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. declined comment through a spokeswoman, who said he could not discuss pending litigation. Watching the video with her mother was 'very emotional,' Randolph said in an Aug. 5 interview, especially hearing her kids crying in the video's background. She refused to let her 12-year-old daughter view it. 'I feel better now that I've seen it,' Randolph said. 'It matches the exact story I've been telling for so long.' There's been some 'expected' backlash online after a pair of articles in local newspapers, Randolph said. She was there trying to protect herself and her Williams, her criminal public defender, said she did remember parts of the case in retrospect, and confirmed she tried to get the bodycam from the Lake County Sheriff's Department 'multiple times' since the case was filed in August 2023. Court filings show one discovery request for the body cam was made as late as October 2024. The only reason not to turn it over was if they 'didn't want me to see something,' she said. Randolph was tired of repeatedly coming to court for a slow-moving case, Williams said. She told her client that she could fight to get the bodycam footage, or take a pretrial diversion to get rid of the case in a year. 'It's common to get slow discovery (evidence) when you're requesting bodycams,' Williams said, adding that some police departments are worse than others, but she's had 'good experience' with the sheriff's department in the past. Randolph's case is scheduled for a pretrial diversion hearing on Aug. 15. However, an automatic court filing on Aug. 11 appears to show there may be a snag. Court filings show Randolph, her fiancé and sister were charged June 26 with resisting law enforcement in Hobart. Hobart Police Cpl. Christopher Sipes wrote that Randolph and her fiancé got his attention around 1:30 a.m. May 25 on Main Street for ignoring a 'pedestrian signal.' , Randolph said they were out that night celebrating her fiancé's birthday. As End Zone let out across the street, a crowd, including the half-dozen in her group, were migrating to the other bar, Randolph said. At least two officers were there, as someone behind them yelled something about the guy handcuffed on the ground getting arrested nearby. The officer thought her fiancé said something, she said. Sipes wrote he and the other officer followed them into Cagney's. 'Bulls jersey, stop right there,' the other officer said to Randolph's fiancé, according to court records. As they got to the bar, Randolph said an officer grabbed her arm from behind. According to court documents, when the officer asked for identification, the couple 'ignored' him and said they 'didn't do anything.' Randolph 'stepped in front' of officers to block them from her fiance. As the cops went to arrest them just inside the bar's entrance, the crowd 'became aggressive,' the officer wrote. During a 'struggle' as she was being handcuffed, Randolph's black strapless top fell down, exposing her breasts, records state. Randolph said in an interview she tried to turn away for some privacy, because there were a 'million people standing around.' Once she stood up, an officer wrote, he pulled her top back up, records state. She denied she got in their way or refused to give her identification card. The officer was bigger than her, and it didn't make sense that she could overpower him. The whole incident was 'very unfortunate,' her lawyer Patrick Young said Aug. 7, adding he's working with prosecutors to resolve the case.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner makes blunt prediction about Zohran Mamdani, top Dems in NYC mayoral race: ‘It's inevitable'
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Getty Images 'I think it's inevitable,' he told host John Catsimatidis of the two lawmakers from Brooklyn. Some moderate Democrats who detest Mamdani's views will not endorse him — but Schumer and Jeffries as party leaders can't avoid the spotlight, he said. 'Some people can stay on the sidelines, and I think you're going to see a lot of people do that. but the leaders of the party, which Chuck and Hakeem are, are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea,' he said. 6 'They don't want to harm their moderate candidates all around the country, which are the ones they need to take back the House and Senate,' Weiner said about why Schumer and Jeffries have not endorsed the democratic socialist yet. REUTERS 'They've got the Democratic Party, who's now chosen their nominee,' Weiner said. Top Dems like Schumer and Jeffries have been dragging their feet on endorsing Mamdani to avoid harming moderate members of their party in the 2026 midterms, Weiner opined. 'The reason Chuck and Hakeem have been so slow to endorse Zohran is because they don't want to harm their moderate candidates all around the country, which are the ones they need to take back the House and Senate,' he said. 'That's a political question for them.' 6 According to Weiner, 'unfortunately, or fortunately … I think we're going to have Zohran Mamdani as the mayor in New York City.' James Keivom Republicans are already trying to link their Democratic rivals to Mamdani in this year's municipal elections across the Empire state. Weiner also predicted that Mamdani, as the Democratic nominee, will win the mayoralty. 'Unfortunately, or fortunately … I think we're going to have Zohran Mamdani as the mayor in New York City,' he said. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Catsimatidis noted that two other Democrats are running as independent candidates in the November election — incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who didn't run in the June Democratic primary, and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost badly to Mamdani in that race. But Weiner dismissed their chances at winning while running on independent ballot lines in the general contest. Weiner attempted his second comeback, running for a City Council seat in District 2 on Manhattan's East Side in June, but lost badly to Assemblyman Harvey Epstein. 6 Weiner, whose career crashed amid sexting scandals, attempted his second comeback by running for a City Council seat in District 2 on Manhattan's East Side in June, but lost. Paul Martinka Weiner's downfall began in 2011, when he resigned from Congress after admitting he'd sent salacious selfies to at least six women. He then saw his comeback campaign for mayor in 2013 go down in flames when it was revealed he resumed the pervy activity using the pseudonym 'Carlos Danger.' Weiner later developed a months-long online relationship with a 15-year-old girl, whom he asked to dress up in school uniforms and be part of 'rape fantasies,' prosecutors charged. He pleaded guilty to sexting with a minor and did some prison time. His scandal-scarred baggage and criminal conviction may make him unelectable — but Weiner suggested his more moderate brand of politics played a role. 6 Weiner had previously resigned from Congress after admitting he'd sent salacious selfies to women. Angelina Katsanis/AP 'Right now, the Democratic Party in a lot of parts of New York … is very, very left to the point of falling off the edge of the cliff,' he told Catsimatidis. Many mainstream or moderate Democratic lawmakers are 'looking over their shoulders wondering if the next AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] or Zohran Mamdani is going to be coming out of the woodwork to win in a primary,' Weiner said. While leftist or Democratic socialist candidates have won some races, they haven't shown yet that they can govern effectively, he said. 'The one thing that the left hasn't shown that they can do – if you look at Chicago and San Francisco – they haven't shown that they can govern yet,' Weiner said. 'The bigger problem is what outcomes are we going to get as citizens and taxpayers if these candidates are successful? Unfortunately, it looks like we're going to find out in New York City.'
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
St. Paul man killed in Chisago County rollover crash
A man from Minnesota's capital city was killed in a rollover crash north of the Twin Cities Saturday night. The 68-year-old St. Paul man was heading south on Interstate 35 near Harris when his car left the roadway and rolled multiple times, the Minnesota State Patrol said. He has not been publicly identified. The patrol said he was not wearing a seat belt. The patrol plans to release more information about the crash Sunday evening.
