logo
Memorial held at federal courthouse for fallen US Deputy Marshal Thomas Weeks

Memorial held at federal courthouse for fallen US Deputy Marshal Thomas Weeks

Yahoo29-04-2025

One year ago, four men got ready for work like many of us, but they didn't make it home.
Those men were Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer, U.S. Deputy Marshal Thomas Weeks, and Task Force Officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliot.
Marking one year since the deadliest attack on police in Charlotte's history
On Tuesday, a memorial for Weeks was unveiled during a private ceremony at the federal courthouse.
And while it was a somber day, Goetz said there were a lot of smiles because that is what his family wanted.
Weeks' wife, Kelly, said the ceremony was for their family, as well as law enforcement officers who are now a part of her extended family.
Kelly said she chose to hold the ceremony at 2 p.m. because that is when she received the call about her husband one year ago.
She said there was no other place she'd rather be or people she'd rather be with other than the ones who were in the room with her.
During the ceremony, Kelly was given what she said might be her most cherished gift, her husband's badge that he was wearing during the incident.
'One question I had for many days was, 'Where is Tommy's badge?' I needed the one he'd slam on my desk, telling me he was going to quit,' Kelly explained.
'For the western to want to be able to hear in here the shouts, the clapping, and the celebration, because that's what this is, a celebration. I want Tommy to be able to hear it. I want that big smile that he had to go so far up his cheeks that it crosses his ears. He deserves it all. All the fallen deserve it,' said U.S. Marshal Terry J. Burgin.
THE STORIES:
4 officers killed, 4 shot during east Charlotte standoff
US Marshals set up sniper inside neighbor's home during SWAT situation
'I was trapped too': Neighbor captures video of shots fired during standoff in east Charlotte
'Astronomical': Investigators to watch many hours of footage from east Charlotte ambush
9 Investigates: East Charlotte Shooting Timeline
CMPD: 'No friendly fire' or 'sympathetic gunfire' during deadly police shootout
Week's office was inside the federal courthouse, which is why the ceremony centered around him.
Another memorial for Task Force Officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliot was held in Raleigh on Tuesday as well.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department honored Officer Joshua Eyer at a Tunnel to Towers fundraiser over the weekend.
VIDEO: Wives of fallen officers find strength after east Charlotte ambush

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

R. Kelly's Attorneys File for Immediate Release From Custody, Alleging Officials Solicited Inmate to Murder Him
R. Kelly's Attorneys File for Immediate Release From Custody, Alleging Officials Solicited Inmate to Murder Him

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

R. Kelly's Attorneys File for Immediate Release From Custody, Alleging Officials Solicited Inmate to Murder Him

R. Kelly's legal team has filed an emergency motion seeking his immediate release from federal custody to home detention, claiming that his life is in danger and accusing the government of misconduct. In Tuesday's filing, reviewed by Variety, Kelly's attorneys claim that they have explicit evidence that officials solicited an inmate to murder him while in custody at a federal penitentiary in North Carolina, where he's serving a 30-year sentence. More from Variety 'SNL' Star Michael Che Drinks on Air After Trump Victory, Shouts Out R. Kelly: 'If White People Can Elect Their Felon, I Can Dance to Mine' Lifetime Finds Success With True, Sensitive Stories That Become Watercooler Sensations R. Kelly and Universal Music Must Pay Over Half-Million Dollars in Music Royalties to Victims, Judge Rules His counsel provided a sworn declaration from Mikeal Glenn Stine, a terminally ill inmate, who stated that officials offered him freedom in his final days in exchange for Kelly's murder. Stine claimed that he was told Kelly and his attorneys were planning to expose damaging information, as the filing alleges that officials violated attorney-client privilege by intercepting personal correspondence. Stine stated that officials told him he would be charged with Kelly's murder, but that evidence would be mishandled and there would be no conviction. Stine, a leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, arrived at Kelly's unit this past March, and though he was prepared to kill him, he had a change of heart and instead told Kelly that Bureau of Prisons officials directed him to carry out his murder. Kelly's counsel alleges that in June, they learned of a second member of the Aryan Brotherhood who was directed by officials to kill both Kelly and Stine. They claim that Kelly is in danger as he remains in custody with other members of the Brotherhood. 'The threat to Mr. Kelly's life continues each day that no action is taken,' reads the filing. 'More A.B. members are accumulating at his facility. More than one has already been approached about carrying out his murder. One of them will surely do what Mr. Stine has not, thereby burying the truth about what happened in this case along with Robert Kelly.' Kelly's attorney, Beau B. Brindley, is asking the judge to release him to home detention on a temporary furlough. Variety has reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago for comment. The singer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was initially convicted of nine counts of a superseding indictment in Sept. 2021. He was charged with violating the Mann Act and racketeering that involved the sexual exploitation of children. The following June, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In Feb. 2023, Kelly was separately sentenced to 20 years in prison for child sex crimes, with the judge ruling that all but one year would be served concurrently with his previous 30-year sentence. This past February, an appeals court upheld Kelly's racketeering and sex trafficking convictions as well as his 30-year prison sentence. The court rejected his claims that trial evidence was inadequate and that the trial judge made improper rulings. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week

Woman jailed for sharing baby monkey torture videos
Woman jailed for sharing baby monkey torture videos

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Woman jailed for sharing baby monkey torture videos

A Scottish mother-of-two involved in a global monkey torture network has been jailed for more than two years. Natalie Herron, 39, from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, joined online chat groups which encouraged torture of macaques by offenders based in Indonesia. Airdrie Sheriff Court heard how she became a group administrator for the network, which was exposed by a BBC investigation, and shared hundreds of images and videos of the abuse. The group paid for baby long-tailed macaques to be taken from their mothers in Indonesia before they were tortured and killed. WARNING: This article contains distressing details of animal torture. The acts of cruelty included crucifixion, machete attacks and one video that showed a baby monkey being dipped in boiling oil. The court heard how Herron had made contact online with Michael Macartney, the US-based ringleader of the network who used the alias "The Torture King". Global monkey torture ring exposed by BBC This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad. Investigators from the National Crime Agency alerted Police Scotland and a raid on Herron's home in 2022 discovered an iPhone with 1,084 images and videos of monkey torture. Investigators discovered 4,000 messages on a WhatsApp group which had been sent by Herron discussing torture and hatred of the animals. Messages included one that said: "I am shocked how easily the drill went through the skull, it was like butter." Another message read: "Trying to find a video where they will kill the mum and the babies watch." Herron was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. She had earlier admitted two charges of possessing and distributing obscene material, namely videos depicting animal torture, between October 2021 and September 2022 at her home address. She admitted a further charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by sending messages to various online and social media groups which described and promoted animal torture. The court was told she made payments to Macartney but she claimed it was not for the videos but to "help him". Members of the online group, who claimed they were angered at the monkeys destroying land in Indonesia, voted on proposed methods of torture. Nicky Matteo, defending, said: "In all the years I have been practising I have not seen a case like this. It has not been a pleasant experience. "She [Herron] has had horrific problems in life and she built up a connection with other group members. "She was trying to ingratiate herself with other members, it was a false sense of escapism. "She is no longer the person that was responsible for sending those messages. She recognises the severity of it." Sentencing Herron, Sheriff Derek Livingston said: "The fact you not only joined these groups but then helped to facilitate them only helped to increase the animals' suffering." The BBC investigation uncovered the network that began life on YouTube before it moved to private groups on the messaging app Telegram. Macartney, 51, was jailed last year after pleading guilty in the US state of Virginia to conspiracy to create and distribute animal cruelty videos. He was sentenced to three years and four months in jail. A month later, Adriana Orme, 56, from Upton-upon-Severn, and Holly Le Gresley, 37, from Kidderminster, were jailed after admitting being part of the global network. Police Scotland officers said it was one of the most horrific cases they had dealt with and the material was like nothing they had seen before. Det Sgt Karen Murray said: "This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK. "Thanks to the work of these organisations, Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals." She added: "This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable." Det Insp Mark Harrison, from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling. "The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others." Procurator fiscal Faye Cook said: "The videos and images that Natalie Herron bought and shared online are horrendous. "These animals were shown to be suffering extreme pain. This has been a distressing case for the prosecution team and police, but we have held Natalie Herron accountable. "Individuals involved in the distribution of graphic and obscene online content depicting violent torture should be forewarned that this behaviour is not only repellent, but is against the law and will be prosecuted." Anyone who has any concerns around such behaviour is asked to contact Police Scotland. US ringleader in global monkey torture network sent to jail Women jailed over sadistic monkey torture videos

Former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher charged with child sex crimes; law firms represent multiple victims across states
Former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher charged with child sex crimes; law firms represent multiple victims across states

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher charged with child sex crimes; law firms represent multiple victims across states

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A former middle school principal now facing serious child sex abuse charges in Missouri once worked for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. According to law enforcement and legal representatives, Cedric Gerald, 48, who most recently served as a principal at Westview Middle School in the Riverview Gardens School District in St. Louis County, has been charged with multiple crimes, including sexual trafficking of a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, and possession of child pornography. Medic: 12 injured in reported assault at southwest Charlotte McDonald's At least four Westview Middle students have come forward, alleging Gerald engaged in inappropriate and illegal behavior, including explicit FaceTime calls, sexual contact at school, and harassment. St. Louis County Police said Gerald admitted to several of the accusations. Before working in Missouri, Gerald spent at least 16 years with CMS as a teacher and literacy coach. He later held positions in other districts in North Carolina and Missouri. In response to questions about Gerald's history, CMS issued this statement: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools follows standard hiring procedures. Positions are posted, interviews are conducted, and recommendations to hire are made. All new hires go through a criminal background check, drug test, and fingerprints through the Standard Bureau of Investigation. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Two law firms, identified as Simon Law and the O'Brien Law Firm, are now representing at least six victims from multiple school districts. They're encouraging others who may have been harmed, including outside Missouri, to come forward. 'We have information that his abuse spans more than one school district,' Boyd said in a written statement, released on Tuesday. 'That's why we are investigating Riverview Gardens School District's practices, and how they failed to take proactive and reactive measures to protect students.' City of York official on administrative leave, police lieutenant resigns after allegedly throwing eggs at vehicles and children Investigators believe Gerald's abuse could span several years and multiple states. Anyone with information is urged to contact St. Louis County Police at 314-615-5400. Queen City News has contacted CMS for more details about Gerald's time in the district and whether any concerns were raised during his 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store