Brother of Real Housewives star fatally shot by police
Bodycam footage reveals the harrowing moment the the brother of Real Housewives of Orange County star Lydia McLaughlin was shot by an officer after he was stopped for running a red light on his motorcycle on April 17. An altercation broke out, during which police say Geoffrey Stirling removed the officer's Taser and pointed it at him after which the officer can be heard shouting "Drop it!" and opening fire.
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Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Inside the Kabera police shooting: Dozens of bullets; Pools of blood; And a cop who shot another cop
By the time Erixon Kabera collapsed on his back, the fifth-floor apartment hallway looked like a war zone. More than two dozen bullets had been fired, all from police-issued pistols, according to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Walls and doors down the entire length of the narrow 47-metre hallway were pocked with holes. On the floor, blood pooled and streaked near spent magazines, cartridge cases, police equipment and bullet fragments. The chilling scene was outlined in an SIU report last week that cleared both officers of wrongdoing in Kabera's shooting death. Despite those findings, the conduct of the involved officers is again under investigation as Hamilton police launch a parallel probe of the incident — the findings of which will be made public. Under the province's revamped Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA), in effect since April 2024, police services in Ontario must probe SIU-investigated incidents and submit a report to their police board within 90 days of the watchdog's decision. The board is mandated to then publish the findings on its website. Previous legislation didn't require Ontario police boards to publish internal investigations into officer conduct. Hamilton police spokesperson Jackie Penman said the professional development division is handling the probe. Among its duties, according to the CSPA, is to investigate member conduct and policing in the incident, as well as the 'procedures established by the chief of police as they relate to the incident.' Police responded to the highrise at 1964 Main St. W. on Nov. 9, 2024, after a fifth-floor resident called to report a man banging on her door and holding what appeared to be a black handgun. As the two officers spoke to the resident, the SIU said Kabera exited his apartment and raised what was later confirmed to be a replica handgun. Chaos ensued. The SIU said one officer fired up to eight rounds, while the other, mistakenly thinking his colleague's gunfire came from Kabera, unloaded six to eight. Both fell during the incident, as Kabera walked toward them. Two attempts to deploy a conducted energy weapon (Taser) failed, according to the watchdog. As Kabera continued striding forward, an officer reloaded another magazine and fired eight more shots, the SIU said. Kabera, a 43-year-old father of two, then collapsed. In his report, SIU director Joseph Martino ruled the force used by officers was 'reasonable' given Kabera was brandishing what they 'honestly believed' was a real gun. 'Though mistaken, their misapprehension was a reasonable one.' The replica gun SIU says Erixon Kabera pointed at police before he was fatally shot. All told, upward of 24 shots were fired in three different intervals. One officer accidentally shot the other in the head, luckily only grazing them. Kabera was hit eight times — including in the neck, back, hip, arm, stomach and chest. He died in hospital just after midnight Nov. 10. A couple days later, close friend Andy Ganza went to see Kabera's apartment. 'I didn't really understand what I was looking at. It was like a war zone,' he said of the narrow hallway and his friend's unit, which the SIU noted had its door open during the gunfire. 'Looking at all the bullet holes, the projectiles all over the place … you just think, what happened here? It's incomprehensible.' For months, Kabera's family sought answers as to why the man they knew as a kind and active member of the local Rwandan community was killed. Despite the SIU report, they still have questions. Ganza said among them are 'why the (police) response was so heavy-handed?' The SIU found Kabera walked toward the officers while raising a replica handgun that looked real. Erixon Kabera was killed when he was shot by Hamilton police at his Main Street West apartment. 'At which point do they notice that he's not firing anything? They think it's a real gun, but it's not firing anything,' Ganza said, later arguing police have layers of protections like bulletproof vests and real guns. 'I'm not saying they would be out of danger if this was a real gun, but they have some measures there to protect themselves. I just don't know why it went from zero to a hundred so fast.' In a statement shared by law firm Falconers LLP, Kabera's family said they are reviewing the report and considering legal options. A GoFundMe launched by Ganza in November has raised nearly $53,000 for legal fees. Ganza said the family is holding a rally in the city hall forecourt June 19 to mourn Kabera's death and renew calls for justice. 'We're not out to get police — they're not our enemies. We're looking for answers and accountability,' Ganza said over a call Thursday. 'That's all we want, and that's what we should expect from our police force.' Hamilton police said after the SIU report that it remains committed to meeting with Kabera's family and the Rwandan community to 'find a path forward whenever (they're) ready,' 'As a service, we recognize the profound impact this incident has had on Erixon's family, the broader community and our members.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
8 hours ago
Federal judge recuses himself days before sentencing Memphis officers accused in Tyre Nichols' death
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The federal judge presiding over the case against five former Memphis officers convicted in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols recused himself Friday, just days before he was supposed to hand down sentences for the men. U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris issued a one-sentence order saying he was recusing himself and "returns the matter to the Clerk for reassignment to another United States District Judge for all further proceedings.' He offered no further explanation. Norris' clerk did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the U.S. Attorney's Office declined comment Friday. Norris had overseen the case since federal indictments were issued in September 2023. He accepted guilty pleas from two of the officers and presided over the trial for the other three officers in October. Four of the five officers had been scheduled to be sentenced next week and the fifth on June 23. U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman was added to the case late Friday, court records showed. It was not immediately clear how the change in judges would affect the timing of the sentencings. Several motions had been filed under seal in recent days. It was not clear if any of those asked for Norris to step away from the case. It is unusual for a judge to recuse themself from a case between the trial and sentencing. The officers yanked Nichols from his car, then pepper-sprayed and hit the 29-year-old Black man with a Taser. Nichols fled, and when the five officers, who are also Black, caught up with him, they punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. Nichols called out for his mother during the beating, which took place just steps from his home. Nichols died Jan. 10, 2023, three days later. Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries — video that prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis. The beating also sparked nationwide protests and prompted renewed calls for police reform. The five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were fired from the police force and indicted in state and federal court. Bean, Haley and Smith were found guilty in federal court in October of obstruction of justice through witness tampering related to an attempt to cover up the beating. The officers failed to say that they or their colleagues punched and kicked Nichols and broke Memphis Police Department rules when they did not include complete and accurate statements about what type of force they used. Bean and Smith were acquitted of more serious civil rights charges by the federal jury. Haley was found guilty of violating Nichols' civil rights by causing bodily injury and showing deliberate indifference to medical needs. He was also convicted of conspiracy to witness tamper. Bean and Smith were scheduled to be sentenced on Monday. Haley's sentencing was scheduled for Tuesday, and Martin was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday. Mills' sentencing was set for June 23. Martin Zummach, Smith's lawyer, referred questions on Norris' recusal to the district court and the U.S. Attorney's Office on Friday. Bean, Haley and Smith were acquitted in May of all state charges, including second-degree murder. The jury for the state trial was chosen in majority-white Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, after Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the case be heard from people outside of Shelby County, which includes the majority-Black Memphis. The officers' lawyers had argued that intense publicity made seating a fair jury difficult. Martin and Mills pleaded guilty in federal court last year to violating Nichols' civil rights by causing death and conspiracy to witness tamper. They did not stand trial in federal court with their former colleagues. Martin and Mills also avoided the trial in state court after reaching agreements to plead guilty there. Both Martin and Mills testified in the federal trial, and Mills also took the stand in the state trial. The officers were part of a crime suppression team called the Scorpion Unit that was disbanded weeks after Nichols died. The team targeted illegal drugs and guns, and violent offenders, and sometimes used force against unarmed people. In December, the U.S. Justice Department said a 17-month investigation showed the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people. The investigation also found that the Memphis Police Department conducts unlawful stops, searches, and arrests. In May, the Trump administration announced it was retracting the findings of Justice Department civil rights investigations of police departments, including Memphis, that were issued under the Biden administration. The city has hired a former federal judge and created a task force to address police department reforms. The task force has not announced any recommendations. Nichols' family is suing the five officers, the city of Memphis and the police chief for $550 million. A trial has been scheduled in that case next year. Norris is the judge presiding over that case too. Court records in the lawsuit did not show any order of recusal Friday.
CBS News
12 hours ago
- CBS News
Miami Beach foot pursuit ends with suspect struck by police SUV, video shows
A surveillance video obtained by CBS News Miami shows a man being struck by a Miami Beach police SUV and tackled during an arrest Friday morning, following a reported disturbance near Collins Avenue. The video, recorded around 7 a.m. near 9th Street and Collins Avenue, shows Jeremy Stafford, 30, running from Miami Beach police. As he steps off the sidewalk into the street, he is struck by a marked police vehicle. The footage shows Stafford losing his balance from the impact and falling to the ground. He is then seen attempting to get up—his shorts falling down in the process—before being tackled to the ground by an officer. Additional officers are seen quickly joining in the arrest. Police say man was intoxicated and combative According to a statement from the Miami Beach Police Department, officers had responded to a violent disturbance near the 800 block of Collins Avenue and encountered Stafford, who they said appeared "highly intoxicated," displayed "aggressive behavior" and refused to follow commands. Police said that when officers attempted to arrest him, Stafford "assumed a combative stance and fled on foot." Authorities said a department-issued Taser was deployed but was ineffective. Stafford then ran into oncoming traffic and collided with the marked police SUV, according to the statement. Despite the impact, police said he continued to resist arrest until he was taken into custody. Facing multiple charges According to police records, Stafford was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, resisting arrest without violence and consuming alcohol in public. Bond amounts range from $150 to $2,500, with one bond listed as "to be set." Police also confirmed that Stafford is a suspect in an ongoing sexual battery investigation.
