Mother waits for answers 5 weeks after son's death in Baltimore police custody
Melton's mother, Eleshiea Goode, feels she is being left in the dark, unable to get key records.
"My heart breaks every single day for my son because he deserves dignity. He should be here right now, and after all this time, we still don't know what happened," Goode said. "Something is not adding up to me at all."
The Maryland Attorney General's Office delayed the release of body camera video of the 10 officers it has named as involved in the case.
"That part alone, that 10 officers responded—I need to understand what was going on that it required the response of ten Baltimore City police officers," Goode said.
The encounter began on June 24 when Melton asked an officer for help during a mental health crisis.
He was later restrained by Baltimore Police, according to the initial report by the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID).
The report said it was for his own safety because he was going in and out of traffic at West Franklin Street and North Franklintown Road.
Because of a problem with the city's communication system, a medic never came, and officers transported Melton to a hospital in their police vehicle.
The IID said it needed more time "due to the technical complexity and volume of officer recordings involved."
There are now "Justice for Dontae Melton, Jr." Facebook and Instagram pages dedicated to bringing attention to the case.
"I'm not asking for anything extraordinary, right? I'm not asking for special treatment," Goode said. "I'm not asking for anything that they're not supposed to do. I'm just asking to find out what happened to my son."
Goode shared a picture of the shirt her son was wearing before he died with the phrase, "We are all human."
"It's been five weeks, and I need answers that every parent deserves when their child does not come home," Goode said.
WJZ reached out to the Attorney General's Office on Thursday. They had no new updates to report and referred WJZ to last week's statement about the body camera video.
Melton's mother has also reached out to her city councilman, who told her he was also seeking answers.
Goode shared with WJZ Investigates a recent denial of records letter she received from the medical examiner's office.
"The OCME has determined that we are not the Custodian of Record for the items requested, as positive identification and notification of next of kin are conducted by the responding law enforcement agency; therefore, there are no records responsive to your request," thel etter said.
Goode also said the hospital where she was told her son was treated has no record of it.
"I'm reaching out, but I just keep hitting roadblocks—one after the other," Goode said. "It's very, very frustrating because I still don't know what happened."
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Qantas hit with huge fine in court, rush hour chaos after crash on major bridge, leaders 'very afraid' of Trump meeting
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Monday. Qantas has been hit with a huge $90 million fine after illegally sacking 1,800 workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The union behind the workers has called for it to surpass $100 million. A crash on Sydney's Anzac Bridge has caused traffic chaos this morning. The five-vehicle crash left thre lanes heading into the city closed as traffic backed up several kilometres. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. Qantas cops $90m fine after depriving workers of their 'human dignity' In news just in, Qantas has copped a $90 million fine for illegally sacking 1,800 workers during the Covid pandemic. The Transport Workers Union had sought the maximum penalty of $121 million, while Qantas urged Justice Michael Lee to impose a "mid-range" penalty between $40 million and $80 million. The Federal Court judge cited the "sheer scale of the contraventions, being the largest of their type" as a reason to impose a penalty that would deter other businesses from similar conduct. He ordered Qantas to pay $90 million in penalties, $50 million of which is to be paid directly to the union that brought the proceedings and highlighted the illegal conduct. "To deprive someone of work illegally is to deprive someone of an aspect of their human dignity, and this is not assuaged simply by expressions of regret," Justice Lee said. He was scathing about the embattled airline's conduct after the outsourcing, pointing to efforts to place a "less than candid" picture of the outsourcing decision before the court. Treasurer admits 'a lot of work to do' for productivity Treasurer Jim Chalmers is warning there is no quick fix for productivity as the government is set to commence its much-hyped round table. "Productivity has been elusive over the last couple of decade, but it will be essential to the couple of decades ahead. That's what motivates and drives us in this economic reform round table," he told reporters on Monday. "This productivity challenge has been bedevilling our economy for a couple of decades. The weakest decade for productivity growth in the last 60 years was the Coalition decade. That is the situation we inherited. It will take some time to turn around. "We have a lot of work to do." 'Boring' Aussie dad's first move after winning lottery A self-described "boring guy" headed straight to Google after landing $1.6 million as one of four division one winners in the Saturday Lotto. The Armidale father went through all the questions in his head via the search engine, admitting he was unable to sleep after the huge win. 'It's all a bit surreal. When I checked my ticket on my online account, my first reaction was 'Holy dooly!'. It was crazy to see right in front of me," he told lottery officials. 'A thousand thoughts started going through my mind. I was wondering whether it was real or not, and what I needed to do now." World leaders move to avoid unwanted Trump scenario European and NATO leaders announced they will join Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House to present a united front in talks with Donald Trump on ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland are rallying around the Ukrainian president after his exclusion from Trump's summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their pledge to be at Zelensky's side at the White House on Monday is an apparent effort to ensure the meeting goes better than the last one in February, when Trump berated Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office encounter. 'The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr Zelensky to the hilt,' said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France's military mission at the United Nations. 'It's a power struggle and a position of strength that might work with Trump,' he said. Read more from Associated Press here. Rush hour chaos as city-bound lanes closed Sydney has been plunged into traffic chaos after a five-vehicle crash on the Anzac Bridge, with cars backed all the way up to Leichhardt. The crash happened in the eastbound lanes about 6.30am on Monday. Live traffic cameras show three of the four eastbound lanes are blocked, and the gridlock stretches back almost 3km down the A44. The right-hand westbound lane is also blocked by emergency response vehicles. An Ambulance NSW spokesman said five vehicles were involved in the crash; three cars, a motorbike and a truck. All people who needed to be checked by paramedics had minor injuries, the spokesman said. The male motorbike rider was still however taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Images show at least four police vehicles and two road crews are on scene. A damaged dark-coloured sedan stopped sideways across two lanes was put onto a tow truck about 7am. There is also a cement truck which appears to have been involved in the crash. Live Traffic NSW are advising motorists to slow down to 40km/h and plan for their commute to take extra time. - NewsWire Qantas set for big fine after illegally sacking workers Australia's largest airline is staring down the barrel of another nine-figure fine for illegally sacking more than 1800 workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Court will hand down a hefty penalty to Qantas on Monday in what will be the latest court blow for the airline after a scandal-plagued recent tenure. Qantas outsourced its baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff in 2020, in a move the court ruled was designed to curb union bargaining power in wage negotiations. It appealed the ruling to the High Court but the decision was not overturned, paving the way for Monday's penalty. The Transport Workers Union has sought the maximum penalty of $121 million, while Qantas has urged Justice Michael Lee to impose a "mid-range" penalty between $40 million and $80 million. Qantas will cop the fine on top of a $120 million compensation payment it has made to the ground staff for their economic loss, pain and suffering since their jobs were outsourced during the pandemic. It has argued the actions were a mistake, not a deliberate breach of the law. Qantas also sold tickets to cancelled flights for several years, triggering more legal turmoil and a $100 million fine after it was sued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The carrier, which was under the control of Alan Joyce at the time of the illegal sacking, lost billions of dollars during the pandemic, which decimated the aviation sector. But the former CEO did not address the scandal when he spoke at an aviation conference on Thursday, instead spruiking his ability to keep the airline afloat in unprecedented times. "But here's the real insight: resilience isn't a reaction … it's a decision made years in advance, often when it's uncomfortable, even unpopular," he said. "Qantas was the only major Australian airline not to go bankrupt during or after the pandemic … that wasn't luck. That was resilience." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Qantas cops $90m fine after depriving workers of their 'human dignity' In news just in, Qantas has copped a $90 million fine for illegally sacking 1,800 workers during the Covid pandemic. The Transport Workers Union had sought the maximum penalty of $121 million, while Qantas urged Justice Michael Lee to impose a "mid-range" penalty between $40 million and $80 million. The Federal Court judge cited the "sheer scale of the contraventions, being the largest of their type" as a reason to impose a penalty that would deter other businesses from similar conduct. He ordered Qantas to pay $90 million in penalties, $50 million of which is to be paid directly to the union that brought the proceedings and highlighted the illegal conduct. "To deprive someone of work illegally is to deprive someone of an aspect of their human dignity, and this is not assuaged simply by expressions of regret," Justice Lee said. He was scathing about the embattled airline's conduct after the outsourcing, pointing to efforts to place a "less than candid" picture of the outsourcing decision before the court. In news just in, Qantas has copped a $90 million fine for illegally sacking 1,800 workers during the Covid pandemic. The Transport Workers Union had sought the maximum penalty of $121 million, while Qantas urged Justice Michael Lee to impose a "mid-range" penalty between $40 million and $80 million. The Federal Court judge cited the "sheer scale of the contraventions, being the largest of their type" as a reason to impose a penalty that would deter other businesses from similar conduct. He ordered Qantas to pay $90 million in penalties, $50 million of which is to be paid directly to the union that brought the proceedings and highlighted the illegal conduct. "To deprive someone of work illegally is to deprive someone of an aspect of their human dignity, and this is not assuaged simply by expressions of regret," Justice Lee said. He was scathing about the embattled airline's conduct after the outsourcing, pointing to efforts to place a "less than candid" picture of the outsourcing decision before the court. Treasurer admits 'a lot of work to do' for productivity Treasurer Jim Chalmers is warning there is no quick fix for productivity as the government is set to commence its much-hyped round table. "Productivity has been elusive over the last couple of decade, but it will be essential to the couple of decades ahead. That's what motivates and drives us in this economic reform round table," he told reporters on Monday. "This productivity challenge has been bedevilling our economy for a couple of decades. The weakest decade for productivity growth in the last 60 years was the Coalition decade. That is the situation we inherited. It will take some time to turn around. "We have a lot of work to do." Treasurer Jim Chalmers is warning there is no quick fix for productivity as the government is set to commence its much-hyped round table. "Productivity has been elusive over the last couple of decade, but it will be essential to the couple of decades ahead. That's what motivates and drives us in this economic reform round table," he told reporters on Monday. "This productivity challenge has been bedevilling our economy for a couple of decades. The weakest decade for productivity growth in the last 60 years was the Coalition decade. That is the situation we inherited. It will take some time to turn around. "We have a lot of work to do." 'Boring' Aussie dad's first move after winning lottery A self-described "boring guy" headed straight to Google after landing $1.6 million as one of four division one winners in the Saturday Lotto. The Armidale father went through all the questions in his head via the search engine, admitting he was unable to sleep after the huge win. 'It's all a bit surreal. When I checked my ticket on my online account, my first reaction was 'Holy dooly!'. It was crazy to see right in front of me," he told lottery officials. 'A thousand thoughts started going through my mind. I was wondering whether it was real or not, and what I needed to do now." A self-described "boring guy" headed straight to Google after landing $1.6 million as one of four division one winners in the Saturday Lotto. The Armidale father went through all the questions in his head via the search engine, admitting he was unable to sleep after the huge win. 'It's all a bit surreal. When I checked my ticket on my online account, my first reaction was 'Holy dooly!'. It was crazy to see right in front of me," he told lottery officials. 'A thousand thoughts started going through my mind. I was wondering whether it was real or not, and what I needed to do now." World leaders move to avoid unwanted Trump scenario European and NATO leaders announced they will join Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House to present a united front in talks with Donald Trump on ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland are rallying around the Ukrainian president after his exclusion from Trump's summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their pledge to be at Zelensky's side at the White House on Monday is an apparent effort to ensure the meeting goes better than the last one in February, when Trump berated Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office encounter. 'The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr Zelensky to the hilt,' said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France's military mission at the United Nations. 'It's a power struggle and a position of strength that might work with Trump,' he said. Read more from Associated Press here. European and NATO leaders announced they will join Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House to present a united front in talks with Donald Trump on ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland are rallying around the Ukrainian president after his exclusion from Trump's summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their pledge to be at Zelensky's side at the White House on Monday is an apparent effort to ensure the meeting goes better than the last one in February, when Trump berated Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office encounter. 'The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr Zelensky to the hilt,' said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France's military mission at the United Nations. 'It's a power struggle and a position of strength that might work with Trump,' he said. Read more from Associated Press here. Rush hour chaos as city-bound lanes closed Sydney has been plunged into traffic chaos after a five-vehicle crash on the Anzac Bridge, with cars backed all the way up to Leichhardt. The crash happened in the eastbound lanes about 6.30am on Monday. Live traffic cameras show three of the four eastbound lanes are blocked, and the gridlock stretches back almost 3km down the A44. The right-hand westbound lane is also blocked by emergency response vehicles. An Ambulance NSW spokesman said five vehicles were involved in the crash; three cars, a motorbike and a truck. All people who needed to be checked by paramedics had minor injuries, the spokesman said. The male motorbike rider was still however taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Images show at least four police vehicles and two road crews are on scene. A damaged dark-coloured sedan stopped sideways across two lanes was put onto a tow truck about 7am. There is also a cement truck which appears to have been involved in the crash. Live Traffic NSW are advising motorists to slow down to 40km/h and plan for their commute to take extra time. - NewsWire Sydney has been plunged into traffic chaos after a five-vehicle crash on the Anzac Bridge, with cars backed all the way up to Leichhardt. The crash happened in the eastbound lanes about 6.30am on Monday. Live traffic cameras show three of the four eastbound lanes are blocked, and the gridlock stretches back almost 3km down the A44. The right-hand westbound lane is also blocked by emergency response vehicles. An Ambulance NSW spokesman said five vehicles were involved in the crash; three cars, a motorbike and a truck. All people who needed to be checked by paramedics had minor injuries, the spokesman said. The male motorbike rider was still however taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Images show at least four police vehicles and two road crews are on scene. A damaged dark-coloured sedan stopped sideways across two lanes was put onto a tow truck about 7am. There is also a cement truck which appears to have been involved in the crash. Live Traffic NSW are advising motorists to slow down to 40km/h and plan for their commute to take extra time. - NewsWire Qantas set for big fine after illegally sacking workers Australia's largest airline is staring down the barrel of another nine-figure fine for illegally sacking more than 1800 workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Court will hand down a hefty penalty to Qantas on Monday in what will be the latest court blow for the airline after a scandal-plagued recent tenure. Qantas outsourced its baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff in 2020, in a move the court ruled was designed to curb union bargaining power in wage negotiations. It appealed the ruling to the High Court but the decision was not overturned, paving the way for Monday's penalty. The Transport Workers Union has sought the maximum penalty of $121 million, while Qantas has urged Justice Michael Lee to impose a "mid-range" penalty between $40 million and $80 million. Qantas will cop the fine on top of a $120 million compensation payment it has made to the ground staff for their economic loss, pain and suffering since their jobs were outsourced during the pandemic. It has argued the actions were a mistake, not a deliberate breach of the law. Qantas also sold tickets to cancelled flights for several years, triggering more legal turmoil and a $100 million fine after it was sued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The carrier, which was under the control of Alan Joyce at the time of the illegal sacking, lost billions of dollars during the pandemic, which decimated the aviation sector. But the former CEO did not address the scandal when he spoke at an aviation conference on Thursday, instead spruiking his ability to keep the airline afloat in unprecedented times. "But here's the real insight: resilience isn't a reaction … it's a decision made years in advance, often when it's uncomfortable, even unpopular," he said. "Qantas was the only major Australian airline not to go bankrupt during or after the pandemic … that wasn't luck. That was resilience." Australia's largest airline is staring down the barrel of another nine-figure fine for illegally sacking more than 1800 workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Court will hand down a hefty penalty to Qantas on Monday in what will be the latest court blow for the airline after a scandal-plagued recent tenure. Qantas outsourced its baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff in 2020, in a move the court ruled was designed to curb union bargaining power in wage negotiations. It appealed the ruling to the High Court but the decision was not overturned, paving the way for Monday's penalty. The Transport Workers Union has sought the maximum penalty of $121 million, while Qantas has urged Justice Michael Lee to impose a "mid-range" penalty between $40 million and $80 million. Qantas will cop the fine on top of a $120 million compensation payment it has made to the ground staff for their economic loss, pain and suffering since their jobs were outsourced during the pandemic. It has argued the actions were a mistake, not a deliberate breach of the law. Qantas also sold tickets to cancelled flights for several years, triggering more legal turmoil and a $100 million fine after it was sued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The carrier, which was under the control of Alan Joyce at the time of the illegal sacking, lost billions of dollars during the pandemic, which decimated the aviation sector. But the former CEO did not address the scandal when he spoke at an aviation conference on Thursday, instead spruiking his ability to keep the airline afloat in unprecedented times. "But here's the real insight: resilience isn't a reaction … it's a decision made years in advance, often when it's uncomfortable, even unpopular," he said. "Qantas was the only major Australian airline not to go bankrupt during or after the pandemic … that wasn't luck. That was resilience."
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Fox News
Nine teens arrested after brutal murder of 16-year-old
Fox News correspondent Madison Scarpino reports on the murder of a South Carolina teenager on 'Fox Report.'
CNN
6 hours ago
- CNN
DC students head back to school amid Trump focus on cleaning up juvenile crime in the district
In southeast Washington, DC, children stood in line Friday to receive new backpacks filled with school supplies, while community organizers passed out free hot dogs and hamburgers to teenagers to celebrate the last few days of summer before. But just a few blocks away, the sight of National Guard trucks cut into the celebration — a reminder that the school year will begin under the shadow of federal troops. 'This is not going to go off well … most middle school kids walk to school by themselves. They're going to have to walk through soldiers and police,' Dara Baldwin, a DC-based activist on the Free DC advisory council, told CNN. 'They're going to be fearful for their lives. … They're either not going to want to go to school, or they're going to react to these people in their space.' President Donald Trump's deployment of federal law enforcement to the nation's capital to combat what he has described as 'roving mobs of wild youth' has ignited fear among parents, activists and youth advocates that Black and Latino teens will face heightened policing as they return to class next week. When Trump announced he was placing the District of Columbia's police department under federal control and deploying National Guard troops, he argued that youth crime in DC demanded urgent intervention. According to a report from the DC Policy Center, the juvenile arrest rate in DC is nearly double the national rate. Data from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, an independent DC agency that tracks public safety statistics, shows that total juvenile arrests during the first half of 2025 have largely remained consistent with the number in the first half of each year since 2023, when there was an increase after the Covid-19 pandemic. Looking specifically at juvenile arrests for violent offenses, which includes robberies, aggravated assaults and assaults with a deadly weapon, between 2019 and 2020, they dropped from 585 to 347, as did the overall number of arrests in DC during the beginning of the pandemic. That decline was short-lived: The numbers began climbing again in 2022, rising from 466 arrests for violent offenses to 641 in 2023 before dropping again in 2024 to 496, according to the data from the CJCC. Youth advocates cite the city's investment in more resources and programs targeting young people as part of the reason for the drop in arrests for violent offenses. In 2023, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a declaration of a juvenile crime emergency which focused city resources on addressing the issue. This year the DC Council approved stricter juvenile curfews that also give the city's police chief the ability to double down with even stricter emergency short-term curfews. She used those curfews recently around Navy Yard, an area near the Washington Nationals ballpark and the waterfront. 'It's clear that the target is the inner-city youth,' Kelsye Adams, an activist for DC statehood and director of DC Vote, told CNN at a rally outside of the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters on Friday. 'And what I've seen on the news from where the police checkpoints and the neighborhoods that they're going in, they are directly attacking young, Black and brown kids.' The White House says the administrations policies are aimed at making DC safer. 'Washington DC leaders have failed the city's youth – juvenile crime has been a serious concern for residents and local leaders even before President Trump's intervention to Make DC Safe Again,' Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, told CNN in a statement. 'The status quo of ignoring kids committing violent crimes has not worked, it has only exasperated the situation – President Trump is making DC safe again for everyone.' The DC Metropolitan Police Department did not respond to CNN's request for comment. CNN has spoken to more than a dozen DC residents about Trump's crime crackdown and whether it will impact the children in their communities – and some parents say the extra presence could reduce violence. 'I got mixed reactions with that,' Kim Hall, 45, a longtime district resident who has three children in the DC public school system, told CNN at the backpack event in Anacostia. 'To me, it actually makes the street more safe, because a lot of the crime that goes on, especially over there in southwest and southeast, is happening while the kids are going to school or they're coming out of school.' 'If the police is around, there won't be so much of the gun violence,' she added. Anthony Motley, 76, a DC resident who has 10 grandchildren in the school system, told CNN that young people are 'the future, and we need to protect the future. So, whatever we need to do to protect our future, I'm for that.' Others CNN spoke with, including Sharelle Stagg, a DC resident and educator in the public school system, aren't convinced that increased patrols and law enforcement are going to help their children. 'I'm not certain this is the best strategy, especially when you think about just the way that it was rolled out and kind of presented to communities,' Stag said. Tahir Duckett, executive director of the Center for Innovations in Community Safety at Georgetown Law School, agrees that Trump deploying National Guard troops to DC could make violence worse, not better. 'When you have these major shows of force, and you have people who feel like the police aren't actually part of the community, but are more of an occupying force, then you tend to see people not want to cooperate with the police,' he said, which 'can lead to increased crime rates.' Youth advocates also told CNN they are young Black and Brown men will be the most impacted by the larger law enforcement presence. Black children make up more than half of DC's youth population, according to census data. 'I've been brought up into the community where we've seen this often. So it might look different to some other people, but not me, not the community that I come from, and our communities have been targeted for years,' Carlos Wilson, who works with Alliance of Concerned Men, a group that helps inner-city youth and hosted the back to school event in southeast DC, told CNN. He argued that Trump could use the funding for more resources to help young people in this city instead of on an increased law enforcement presence. 'That's what's gonna make it better, more programs, more opportunities for the younger folks. I think that's what's gonna make our community better. Not police presence. We need resources. We need help, not people coming in.'
