Channel 9 reporter shot by police with rubber bullet amid LA protests
Channel 9 reporter Lauren Tomasi was shot by police with a rubber bullet while reporting on protests in Los Angeles.
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News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Bi-curious, cuck': Ex's brutal view of Diddy
An ex girlfriend of Sean 'Diddy' Combs has told a New York jury the star described himself as polyamorous and into 'voyeurism' as he liked to watch his partner sleep with other men. But she thought of the star more as a 'cuck' and someone potentially with repressed bisexual leanings. Giving testimony anonymously in Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial on Tuesday, US time, 'Jane' also said that she loved the music mogul but he did at times beat her. Also on Tuesday his legal team scored a victory with a possible witness now not allowed to take the stand. Combs has denied all the charges against him. Jane, who dated Combs up until his 2024 arrest is the second witness at the musician's trial to give evidence while keeping their identity secret. This is usually because of the sensitivity and personal nature of the evidence they are giving. Earlier, his ex-staff member 'Mia' also gave evidence alleging Combs raped and physically abused her. ' I would use the word cuck' Jane told the jury on Tuesday that Combs had told her he was into 'voyeurism' to explain why he enjoyed watching his female partner sleeping with male sex workers, reported the New York Post. But 'I would use the word cuck for him, more so,' she said. Jane explained that she had looked into the term, derived from 'cuckold,' which means a man who has an unfaithful wife. 'I was just trying to deep-dive all the reasons why [cucks] derived so much pleasure watching their woman be with other men'. She added that cucks 'could also have a lot of bi-curiosity that they're too ashamed to experience themselves, so they use the woman to venture out in this curiosity instead of actually doing the act themselves'. Polyamory Combs' lawyer Teny Geragos asked Jane 'What term did he use?' to describe his sexual proclivities. 'Polyamorous,' Jane responded. At first she said, she didn't mind as she assumed polyamory would mean all his partners would be treated 'evenly'. But Combs began to frustrate her when appeared to favour one woman and that 'looked like a monogamous relationship', she said. Another ex, Cassie Ventura, had earlier said at the trial that drug-fuelled sex sessions where she would have sex with male escorts were called 'freak offs'. But by the time Jane took part in them they were called 'hotel nights'. Teny Geragos, a lawyer for Combs asked Jane if she tried to be sexy for the Bad Boy Records founder during their 'hotel nights'. 'I don't think I tried, I think I did, and I was,' Jane responded. 'Because you're a beautiful woman,' Mr Geragos said. 'Thank you,' Jane replied. 'Do you love him?' Jane was also asked by the defence if 'you love him currently' referring to Combs. 'Yes,' said Jane. Previously, Jane had said Combs choked, kicked and punched her and then expected her to have sex with a male escort the same night. Before the forced sex-session, the mogul pressured Jane to take an ecstasy pill, saying, 'take this f***ing pill, you're not gonna ruin my f***ing night' and then told her to start having sex with the sex worker, despite her objections. The alleged incident was claimed to have taken place on June 18, 2024. That was a few months after Combs' homes were raided by federal officers in March and a few months before he was ultimately arrested in September for allegedly coercing women to have sex with male sex workers. On Tuesday, Combs' defence team scored a small legal victory when the judge overseeing the trial said prosecutors could not call a psychologist back to the stand. Dr Dawn Hughes testified earlier in the trial for the government. The defence team had hoped to bring back Dr Hughes to explain why domestic violence victims stay with their abusers. She could have helped blunt the defence argument that many of Combs' accusers could not have been fearful of the star because they remained either in a romantic or work relationship with him after his alleged attacks.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
How to tell law enforcement apart from soldiers inside the LA protests
Local law enforcement is now on the ground in Los Angeles, as well as state and federal troops, as the city braces for fresh waves of demonstrations against immigration enforcement. The unrest in the United States' second largest city was sparked after agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, made arrests related to alleged illegal immigrants. Local law enforcement, the California National Guard, and US Marines, who arrived in the greater LA area overnight, are now trying to manage the demonstrations. But if you're watching the protests happen in real time, how do you tell which is which? ABC NEWS Verify spoke with Brendan Kearney, a retired colonel in the US Marine Corps, who has decades of experience working with law enforcement, and military forces, in the US, and around the world. The two largest local agencies on the ground are the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). Colonel Kearney said the LAPD will usually wear a variation of a blue uniform, and those from the LASD traditionally wear green. "The police normally wear blue. The sheriff in the tradition of California is in green uniforms," he said. "Then you will have the California Highway Patrol, which is anything from blue to grey uniforms. "To add complexity to this, we can have local jurisdictions that are adjacent to both Los Angeles County and Los Angeles … that will show up in uniforms that could defy colour description right now — but usually those will be in smaller numbers, and a little bit in the background," he said. Colonel Kearney said to try and look for prominently displayed badges, camera devices, and shields — which are usually transparent, and should say "police". "The military personnel that you may eventually see will not have those type of differentiators on them," he said. Video and images have flooded the internet of some local law enforcement officers holding so-called less lethal weapons systems. These weapons can shoot kinetic-impact projectiles – which can include so-called "rubber bullets". "We've tried to make things very simple as years have gone by through some sad experience," Colonel Kearney said. "Most of the time, you'll find that these weapon systems, the less lethal systems, have all got different highlighted colours on the barrels, have got highlighted colours throughout the system itself. "It's all designed for the purpose of easy identification for the use of the item at the time," he said. In a video, which has been widely shared, 9News US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a so-called rubber bullet likely by an LAPD officer. Frame-by-frame analysis shows the officer in a blue uniform, carrying an item labelled police, and holding a less lethal weapon — which is mostly black with a small green highlight. The video shows the officer turning to aim and firing in the reporter's direction before she yells out in pain. She later said on X she was "a bit sore" but "OK". US Northern Command on June 9 said approximately 1,700 soldiers from the California National Guard were in the greater Los Angeles area. "National Guard in American history goes back to the American Revolution," Colonel Kearney said. "Each state and territory of the United States has an obligation to maintain a quasi-military force, or military force. "These guys are professionals. In a state like California, you have not only infantry, a ground-related National Guard, but you also have an air-related National Guard," he said. He said they are usually controlled by the state's governor — which is the leader of a state in the US — and are mostly seen in the aftermath of events like natural disasters. "Here's the qualifier … the president of the United States has the option of going ahead and federalising. "Once he does that, the governor has no say," he said. Colonel Kearney said to identify the National Guard, look for camouflage clothing, a name tag, and in California, sometimes a grizzly bear patch on one shoulder. "We call it golden bear, although, it's not gold — it's the grizzly bear that used to live here … but normally they wear that type of identification," he said. He said the other shoulder will usually have a patch featuring a unit insignia, and the soldier may be carrying a shield, and in some cases a weapon. "It would not surprise me at all if the National Guard personnel out there have all been issued a small amount, five to 10 rounds of ammunition — that would only be used under very significant circumstances," he said. Colonel Kearney added that he had not seen any published "rules of engagement" for the National Guard deployed in LA, and that some local police units may be wearing similar camouflage fatigues. Hundreds of members of the United States Marine Corps — a highly skilled branch of the US military — have been deployed to LA from the nearby Twentynine Palms base. The US Northern Command said the soldiers will "seamlessly integrate" with already active soldiers to protect federal property and personnel. This is significant — the military is rarely used for direct police action within the US. The last notable deployment was under George HW Bush during the LA race riots 30 years ago. "Marines were used specifically in counter sniper operations where unfortunately, some of the rioters were taking shots at police and Marines and other law enforcement personnel up there," Colonel Kearney, who was stationed in Japan at the time, said. The military has been deployed domestically for major disasters like Hurricane Katrina, and after the September 11 attacks. He said the marines in LA now will be seen in "very tight formations" working "in the background", wearing green or desert camouflage. "They normally will only have a couple of law enforcement personnel at the far left or the far right of their formation, where the National Guard likes to have the law enforcement embedded with them," Colonel Kearney said. "They'll have three things on the uniform that make them readily identifiable. "Over their right breast, they will have their name. Over their left breast, there will be a scripture that says, "US Marines". And there will be an eagle, globe, and anchor (official emblem) emblazoned on their left-breast pocket." He added the marines will likely be armed and deployed in regular tactical gear — though they have been trained in, and could use, less lethal weapons systems. Colonel Kearney said there may be other US agencies on the ground in LA — and the uniforms of all may vary. For example, ICE agents may be in plain clothes, but "they'll always have some type of identification on, and oftentimes, it'll be on the flak jacket", or a tactical vest which provides some protection from projectiles. He said an LAPD officer could also be part of a team that wears camouflage — like a member of the National Guard or the Marines.
The Australian
6 hours ago
- The Australian
The White House marching orders that sparked the LA migrant crackdown
Even with the high-profile arrests of suspects by masked immigration agents and the plane loads of migrants swiftly ferried out of the US, President Trump was falling short of the number of daily deportations carried out by the Biden administration in its final year. So in late May, Stephen Miller, a top White House aide and the architect of the president's immigration agenda, addressed a meeting at the headquarters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE. The message was clear: The president, who promised to deport millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, wasn't pleased. The agency had better step it up. Gang members and violent criminals, what Trump called the 'worst of the worst,' weren't the sole target of deportations. Federal agents needed to 'just go out there and arrest illegal aliens,' Miller told top ICE officials, who had come from across the US, according to people familiar with the meeting. Agents didn't need to develop target lists of immigrants suspected of being in the US illegally, a longstanding practice, Miller said. Instead, he directed them to target Home Depot, where day laborers typically gather for hire, or 7-Eleven convenience stores. Miller bet that he and a handful of agents could go out on the streets of Washington, D.C., and arrest 30 people right away. 'Who here thinks they can do it?' Miller said, asking for a show of hands. ICE agents appeared to follow Miller's tip and conducted an immigration sweep Friday at the Home Depot in the predominantly Latino neighborhood of Westlake in Los Angeles, helping set off a weekend of protests around Los Angeles County, including at the federal detention center in the city's downtown. On Saturday, Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to Southern California, despite objections by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Protesters hold up a sign near police in riot gear outside the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Santa Ana, California. Picture: AFP Law-enforcement officers used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang stun grenades against increasingly unruly crowds. Demonstrators threw tree branches, scooters, fireworks and debris from a freeway overpass onto police vehicles below. The unrest continued Monday and roughly 700 Marines were dispatched to protect federal property and personnel. 'To do this in militaristic gear in L.A. is intended to notch up the image of deportations being in high gear,' said Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute. 'But the actual deportations are paltry compared with the imagery.' Since Miller's meeting with ICE officials, daily arrests have risen, according to ICE officials. There are no written directives, but officers have been told to 'do what you need to do' to make more arrests, according to current and former ICE officials familiar with the directives. The administration's immigration enforcement is a sharp break with past government practices, according to attorneys, immigration advocates and officials from previous administrations. Federal agents make warrantless arrests. Masked agents take people into custody without identifying themselves. Plainclothes agents in at least a dozen cities have arrested migrants who showed up to their court hearings. And across the US, people suspected of being in the country illegally are disappearing into the federal detention system without notice to families or lawyers, according to attorneys, witnesses and officials. In Coral Springs, Fla., at least eight agents in tactical gear, shields and rifles surrounded a home with guns raised to arrest a father with no criminal history. In Irvine, Calif., ICE agents drove a phalanx of military vehicles in the Orange County suburb to arrest a person, though not for illegal immigration. They were seeking a resident's son who had allegedly posted fliers alerting neighbors to the presence of ICE agents. The raid alarmed the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an organization that defends free speech, which requested a copy of the warrant. 'Criticism of government officials is core protected speech, and to criticize them you have every right to identify them,' said Aaron Terr, the group's director of public advocacy. The Trump administration defends its tactics for arrests, including many documented in cellphone videos and posted on social media. ICE officers have been donning protective gear and concealing their faces because of threats, said Tom Homan, the White House border czar. 'They're simply trying to enforce the law, and they're trying to protect themselves,' he said. 'Keeping President Trump's promise to deport illegal aliens is something the administration takes seriously,' said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman. Breaking glass The Trump administration hopes news reports and other publicity about its tough enforcement actions will prompt immigrants who are in the country illegally to leave the US voluntarily. Migrants have been offered a $1,000 payment if they document their departures. On social media, regional ICE offices post photos of immigrants taken into custody along with photos of burly ICE agents, their faces masked or blurred or their backs turned. 'Over the past 100 days, ICE and our partners have accomplished some amazing feats,' the ICE office in Houston posted on X. The Border Patrol's El Centro sector in Southern California posted photos of a broken car window on Facebook: The caption said, 'This illegal alien is listing his accomplishments for the past week: Refused to open window during an immigration inspection; Got his window shattered for an extraction.' An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent patrols the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building Picture: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/AFP Alfredo 'Lelo' Juarez Zeferino, a Washington state farmworkers union organizer, was another ICE target. Agents in an unmarked car stopped him as he was driving his wife to her job at a tulip farm. The agents, who didn't show badges or identification, smashed in his window and pulled him from the car, according to Familias Unidas por la Justica, a farmworker union. ICE has stopped regularly publishing arrest data, and has been accused of overstating the numbers. The Trump administration arrested roughly 66,500 migrants living in the US illegally and deported nearly 66,000 in its first 100 days, a higher pace of arrests compared with 2024, and a slightly slower pace for deportations. Earlier this year, ICE officials set daily arrest quotas and deputized agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law-enforcement agencies. ICE officials eliminated a Biden-era policy that blocked officers from arresting people without proof of legal residency who happened to be in the vicinity of targeted suspects. Raids at schools, churches and hospitals are now allowed. In February, two agents wearing tactical gear entered El Potro's Mexican Cafe and Cantina in Liberty, Mo., while another guarded the front door, according to a lawsuit filed in the US District Court in Chicago. In all, more than 10 agents participated. The ICE agents said they were looking for someone, but didn't say who, or provide a photograph, according to the lawsuit. Agents arrested 12 restaurant employees. The suit against the government alleges that the arrests were made without a warrant or probable cause that the workers would flee. In a court filing, much of which was redacted, the government said the arrests 'were supported by documented, probable cause determinations.' One problem for the administration was that ICE had only about 5,000 officers ready and trained to make arrests, according to an agency official. As ICE officers face more threats, they form ever-larger teams to conduct arrests, officials said. Larger teams means ICE can be in fewer places. Officials from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security have made clear there will be consequences for not hitting arrest targets. Top officials at DHS have pushed out one acting ICE director and are threatening a second. Late last month, the top ICE official overseeing arrests and deportations, Kenneth Genalo, resigned rather than fire deputies for poor performance, said people familiar with the matter. One reason deportations haven't picked up might be that ICE operations have received so much attention, prompting migrants to be more cautious, according to agents and leaders. Last kiss On a recent morning, half a dozen SUVs waited in the dark of a suburban neighborhood in San Antonio. Agents joked over the radio about how easy they were to spot: They had struggled to turn off their automatic headlights, and two neighbors drove around the block, peering into the agents' windows before returning to their driveways. Minutes later, their target, a Cuban father who worked at a local candy factory, began loading two young children into a red SUV. The agents initially planned to follow and arrest him after he had dropped the children at school. Instead, they decided to arrest him immediately because the children's mother was also in the car. With lights flashing, the SUVs converged on the car. The man stepped from the driver's seat with his hands up while the woman in the passenger seat scolded the agents for arresting him in front of the children. She asked if she could give her husband a kiss before they took him. None of the agents responded. The agents next tailed a yellow pickup through a taqueria restaurant drive-through line before arresting the driver. They let him go when he showed a Global Entry card proving he was a US citizen. Agents said they may have confused the man with his son. Elsewhere, Americans detained by ICE have said they were held for hours or longer before being allowed to prove their citizenship. Courthouse arrests have become a nationwide strategy, according to DHS officials and lawyers. They allow ICE to boost arrest numbers with fewer resources. It also puts migrants in a corner: Should they risk arrest by following the legal process and appearing in court? At a court in Phoenix last month, attorney Isaac Ortega said prosecutors requested dismissals for a string of cases, including that of his client, a Venezuelan man who had entered the US legally under a Biden administration program terminated by Trump. A Dominican man, left on the ground, and an activist are detained by plain clothes officers with ICE after an immigration hearing inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York. Picture: AP /Yuki Iwamura After the man left the hearing room, agents arrested him. They refused to identify themselves, answer questions or show a warrant. 'It was completely out of the norm,' Ortega said. Other lawyers say clients have been denied access to legal counsel. Luis Campos, a Tucson-based attorney, said a Border Patrol agent physically blocked him from seeing a woman on the maternity ward who had just given birth. The woman and her family had requested that she have counsel, Campos said. ICE said all laws and procedures were followed. In some jurisdictions, agents said their supervisors have allowed them to more frequently seek criminal warrants to arrest targets. Administrative warrants are typically used for illegal immigration, which is a civil, not a criminal, violation. Criminal warrants allow agents to break down doors and forcibly enter homes. Maksim Zaitsev, a 36-year-old Russian citizen with a pending asylum case, said he was beaten by ICE agents after calling for his wife when the agents arrested him during an immigration check-in at an ICE office. 'It was like I was in a washing machine,' Zaitsev said in an interview from a detention facility in Adelanto, Calif. Photographs in court filings show Zaitsev with bruises and scabs on his face. Zaitsev was charged for biting an officer, but a federal judge dismissed the assault case, citing government misconduct. Zaitsev said it was self-defense. 'We came to the United States for protection because of what we encountered in Russia,' he said. 'It seems that we are encountering here what we fled.' Videos shared on social media show plainclothes men, one masked, arresting people at a courthouse in Albemarle County, Va., without identifying themselves or their agency. That prompted James Hingeley, the county's elected commonwealth attorney, to launch an investigation. ICE said in a statement that the arrest was a lawful operation by its agency and bystanders who attempted to intervene would be prosecuted. Hingeley said arrests by officers who don't identify themselves pose a threat to the people being taken into custody, as well as to bystanders. 'If you operate as if you're a street gang,' he said, 'you create a danger to yourself and the public.' Read related topics: Donald Trump
