Ex-Coweta County deputy charged for use of excessive force against an inmate
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested a former Coweta County deputy accused of assaulting an inmate.
The Coweta County Sheriff's Office asked the GBI in February to investigate Deputy Justin Alexander Woods for allegations that he used excessive force at the jail.
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An investigation found that Woods hit and used a Taser on the inmate during a fight. The GBI says the inmate was fully restrained at the time.
GBI agents arrested Woods on charges of battery, simple battery and violation of oath by public officer. Woods is no longer employed by the Coweta County Sheriff's Office, according to investigators.
Woods was booked into the Coweta County Jail on Friday.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Minnesota state lawmaker killed in ‘politically-motivated assassination,' massive manhunt for suspect underway, officials say
Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, were shot and killed early Saturday morning in 'what appears to be a politically-motivated assassination,' Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said at a news conference Saturday. Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also targeted by the same individual and each shot multiple times, Walz said. They have undergone surgery and are alive. 'The Hoffmans are out of surgery at this time and receiving care, and we are cautiously optimally optimistic, they will survive this assassination attempt,' the governor said. Both lawmakers are members of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. The suspect is at large and a massive manhunt is underway, officials said at the news conference. 'This is a very large scale search,' Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. 'We have detained several people and questioned them, but we do not have anybody in custody at this time.' Law enforcement was first called around 2:00 a.m. local time on Saturday with reports that someone had shot Hoffman and his wife. Police responded to their home and provided life-saving measures before the couple was transported to the hospital, according to Drew Evans, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent. Around 3:35 a.m., another call came in when officers were proactively checking on Hortman's home. When Brooklyn Park police officers arrived they noticed that there was a police vehicle in the driveway with emergency lights on and what appeared to be a police officer at the door, coming out of the house, officials said. That individual immediately fired a weapon at them, Evans said, and exchanged gunfire took place during which the suspect was able to escape. The Brooklyn Park Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety State Patrol and FBI, and BCA are now actively engaged in a manhunt for the suspect they believe is responsible for both shootings, Evans said. Authorities are searching for a male wearing a vest with Taser, a badge and other equipment similar to that of a police officer, according to Bruley. The suspect is on foot. 'If somebody comes to the door and they knock on the door claiming to be a police officer, please do a couple things: One, call 911 and confirm that the officer belongs there. If they are a police officer, dispatch will be able to confirm that that person is police officer,' Bruley said, addressing the community. 'Also, we informed all our officers in Brooklyn Park that they are not to approach anybody by themselves. They're approaching pairs, meaning two officers.' Walz has activated the State Emergency Operations Center and a cross-jurisdictional Joint Information Center has been established as the manhunt continues, according to the governor's spokesperson Teddy Tschann. 'Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon,' Walz said in a post on X. The Brooklyn Park Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order in a 3-mile radius of Edinburgh Golf Course Saturday morning, according to the City of Brooklyn Park. The governor said the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement are on the scene. 'This is a stunning act of violence. I'm thankful for all the law enforcement who are responding in real time,' U.S. Senator Klobuchar said in a post on X. 'My prayers are with the Hortman and Hoffman families. Both legislators are close friends and devoted to their families and public service.' Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, now the head of national gun violence prevention organization GIFFORDS, said in a statement on Saturday that she is 'horrified and heartbroken by last night's attack on two patriotic public servants.' 'My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well. An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself. Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for,' Giffords, who was one of 13 people wounded in an Arizona supermarket parking lot in 2011, added. This is a developing story and will be updated.
an hour ago
Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman killed, State Sen. John Hoffman in grave condition in 'targeted political violence'
A Minnesota state representative and her husband were shot and killed, and a state senator and his wife were shot and wounded in an "act of targeted political violence" at their homes early Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said. A manhunt is now underway for the gunman who was impersonating a police officer, authorities said. Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman are shown in these undated file House of Representatives | Minnesota Senate State Rep. Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband were shot and killed in what appears to be a "politically-motivated assassination," Walz said at a news conference. Hortman, formerly the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, "was a formidable public servant," the governor said of his friend. "She is irreplaceable." State Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife were both shot multiple times and underwent surgery, the governor said. "We're cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt," Walz said. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks at a press conference about the shooting of two state lawmakers, on June 14, Department of Public Safety The two shooting locations are a few miles away from each other in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, just north of Minneapolis. Hoffman and his wife were shot around 2 a.m. in Champlin, Superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Drew Evans said. After Hoffman was shot, officers were heading to pro-actively check on Hortman when they encountered the suspect at Hortman's home around 3:35 a.m., Evans said. Law enforcement officers including local police, sheriffs and the FBI, stage less than a mile from a shooting in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on June 14, 2025. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP The officers found a person who was dressed as a police officer -- wearing a vest and a badge, and with a Taser and other equipment -- at the door, coming out of Hortman's house, police said. The suspect fired at the officers; gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was able to escape and flee on foot, authorities said. The suspect's vehicle -- which looked like a police vehicle, including police lights -- was in Hortman's driveway, authorities said. Law enforcement officers including local police, sheriffs and the FBI, stage less than a mile from a shooting in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on June 14, 2025. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP A list of other possible targets was retrieved from the suspect's vehicle, authorities said. Police said the list had "many lawmakers," including the victims. Security resources have been dispatched to protect those people named on the list, authorities said. The gunman did say something to the victims, police said, but authorities did not reveal what that was. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting and said "such horrific violence will not be tolerated," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on social media. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she's closely monitoring the situation. "This horrific violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," she said in a statement. Two Minnesota state lawmakers were shot in apparent "targeted" incidents, officials House Speaker Mike Johnson also condemned the violence and said "every leader must unequivocally condemn it." Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, formerly the Minnesota Democratic party chair, said he's friends with both Hoffman and Hortman. "Speaker Hortman was a leader in every sense of the word -- from ushering in free lunch for our kids, to protecting women's rights and reproductive care, to standing up for Minnesota families," Martin said in a statement. "Melissa was also a close friend whom I've known since the very start of her political career. She was someone I personally relied on for advice, counsel, and friendship and I am beyond words. As I said many times when I introduced her at events, she is the very best Speaker of the House that Minnesota has ever had." "This senseless violence must end. These heinous murders are a reflection of the extremism and political violence that have been fomented in our country," Martin said. "Today, we recommit ourselves to fight harder for the values that Melissa and Mark embodied -- building a kinder, more just, and loving world. If this murderer thinks we will be silenced, he's wrong." Two Minnesota state lawmakers were shot in apparent "targeted" incidents, officials With the manhunt ongoing, police are urging community members to be cautious. Brooklyn Park is under a shelter in place order, officials said. Police warned, if an officer comes to your door, call 911 to confirm that the officer is supposed to be there. "Police are asking that no one open their door to a lone police officer," the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said. "Licensed officers are working in pairs." This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Hamilton Spectator
7 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 .
