Latest news with #JohnLau
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- General
- Borneo Post
The fellowship of good neighbours
The host, John Lau (seated centre), with his neighbours at the gathering. I HAVE lived within a small and close neighbourhood in the Kuching City limits since the day I was born, which makes me the longest inhabitant for more than seven decades there—and so has my younger brother Edric. The road on which I still stay on today was named after my grandfather Ong Kwan Hin, who had, in 1956, decided to sub-divide it into 14 lots in order for his children to inherit their own properties. They were to do with their inheritance in whatsoever way that they had wished. My father Ong Kee Bian, No. 6 in the family, decided to build his own house, and in 1958, we moved in there. I was then eight years old. Prior to this, we had stayed within Grandpa Ong's homestead, which was smack right in the 'heart' of the entire estate of seven acres. Today, these 14 lots have mostly been sold outside the family—only four lots remain with the Ongs. Of the total, only 10 lots are occupied. Last Saturday, our neighbour Dato Seri John KS Lau had hosted a first-time get-together for all those in the entire neighbourhood. It was a pot-luck sort of affair, which commenced at 4.30pm and finished by 7.30pm. Thirty-nine of us had turned up. The youngest among the guests was almost three years old, a smart handsome boy named Liam whose grandfather Andy Kho is a local personality; and the eldest was an 80-plus Foochow lady named Christina, whom I had first met 55 years ago in Sibu. Christina's older brother Kung Chiew Tung was my co-worker and best friend in Sibu during my Borneo Company days there in 1970 to 1973. She now stays with her niece Datin Seri Ivy, who is John Lau's wife. It was such an enriching, enjoyable and exciting party. Although we're all neighbours staying within a community with just 400m of a 'no through road', which one could easily complete walking within a four-minute stroll, for many, it was the first time meeting each other face-to-face, and being 'introduced' to one another. We have had a 'Neighbourhood Watch WhatsApp Group' for some time now which we set up on Oct 10, 2015, and had only communicated among us via this group so far. Our neighbourhood, from the time when I was born in 1950 until today, has evolved beyond imagination. When I was a boy, Grandpa Ong's was the dominant house on top of the hill overlooking a vast orchard of fruit trees, small streams and jungle foliage. His vast wooden mansion had housed three of his sons and two of his daughters and many grandchildren, some of whom were sent by his other children for 'board and discipline' as and when needed. Right behind his house on an elevated slope was built a row of four wooden single-storey Chinese-styled longhouse that was rented out to different families. One of the families was the original 'Ah Poo Chek', famous for his 'kachang puteh' stall at the entrance of Rex Cinema in downtown Temple Street between 1946 and the 1970s. Facing Grandpa Ong's house at the T-junction of the road was a small Buddhist temple, which was occupied by a devout lady medium and her staff. This was the early beginning of what would eventually become the Sarawak H'ng Nam Siang T'ng Temple at Jalan Sekama today. On festive days, hordes of devotees, followers and their children would be seen to worship and pay their respects. Joss sticks smoke and burnt paper offerings were common. As a kid, I would often play outside in the compound trying to befriend some of these youngsters. One of the first lots to be sold outside the family (four lots were eventually allotted to be sold in order to finance the construction of the road itself) was built in 1957—it was to the Lim family. Today, the Wrights occupy it. Erwin, Alice and Melanie Wright have been neighbours of mine for more than 45 years, making them the family outside the Ongs to have dwelled in that neighbourhood the longest. They had acquired the property from Vincent Teo in the 1980s. Up on the hill on the southernmost part of the old estate was a house built by Dr Wee Kang Kee's father, and it had its own access via Crookshank Road instead of going through Ong Kwan Hin Road. It has since been sold to the neighbourhood's newest inhabitants, the Chin/Manyin family. We are a very diverse and multiracial community; in fact, there's a history of a microcosm of Sarawak society within the neighbourhood. Grandpa Ong had purchased this estate in the 1930s from a rather well-off trader of Indian descent, who had reared cows in the estate. Grandpa was to set up a Sarawak poultry farm in the early years, farming chicken for their eggs—probably a good reason why I have a lifelong love for them! Today, my neighbours include the Chinese of Hokkien, Foochow, Hakka, and Teochew groups; the Malay and the Melanau, the Bidayuh, the Indians, and the Eurasians. At some point during the history of the road, the dwellers had included the Iban, the English, the Danish, Australians, New Zealanders, Dutch, Indonesians and Norwegians. Rather amazing, isn't it? Within the larger circle of Sarawak's housing estate communities, I have heard of and read in the news in recent years of those living in 'enclosed neighbourhoods' forming what is termed 'Neighbourhood Watch'. There were some who had organised formal meetings to set up committees to be in charge of such organisations. Others were more informal and 'makeshift', loosely formed to just help in time of need. It is always a good thing for people who share common spaces and areas of inhabitation to come together to at least get to know each other, and to help out if and when the necessity arises. I feel that it's something that we all should be a part of no matter where we live, and how big or small our neighbourhood community is. Finally, I'd like to make my own personal observations as to what constitutes being a 'good neighbour': Friendliness: A good neighbour will always try to be friendly, available and approachable. This will help whenever you may need any assistance. Quietness: In the most basic sense, not playing loud music, or having the television on, or making unnecessary noise frequently. Respect: This includes accepting each other's profession, privacy, religion and personal choices without any bias. Maturity: As adults and being reasonable people, not to be oversensitive or take matters to heart over small irritants from time to time, as issues can be resolved by communicating each other's frustrations. Helpfulness: A willingness to lend a helping hand, maybe over a pet, or to collect a package in your absence, or to call you if they spot an intruder. Trustworthiness: A neighbour who can be trusted upon to help keep an eye on your house, your pet, property or the surroundings in your absence. Tidiness: It's a neighbour's responsibility to keep their surroundings clean, dispose of trash and keep a litter-free lawn, garden or driveway. Besides, it also gives the neighbourhood a well-kept appearance and increases the value of the property prices. It is indeed a blessing to live in such a pleasant, and outstanding neighbourhood like mine, and I wouldn't think of ever living anywhere else. May God continue to bless all of us who are living here, and I pray that you too are living in a nice and uplifting neighbourhood, wherever you may be. * The opinions expressed in this article are the columnist's own and do not reflect the view of the newspaper. Kuching neighbours Sarawak
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Titusville PD releases edited bodycam video in deadly shooting, drawing criticism
The Brief Titusville police released a video statement with some officer-worn body camera footage from a controversial officer-involved shooting of 25-year-old Trimarea Charles. The police chief narrated most of the video and shared about ten seconds of the full shooting at the end of the pre-recorded statement. Community members say the information doesn't give them clarity in the shooting that happened in February. TITUSVILLE, Fla. - A heavily edited body camera video released by the Titusville Police Department is drawing criticism from community members and renewed demands for transparency more than four months after the deadly police shooting of 25-year-old Trimarea Charles. What we know Titusville Police released an 18-minute pre-recorded video on Friday that included only five seconds of unedited body camera footage from a fatal officer-involved shooting of 25-year-old Trimarea Charles that occurred more than four months ago. The remainder of the footage was slowed down and narrated by Police Chief John Lau. The State Attorney's Office ruled the shooting justified earlier in the week. The shooting happened back on Feb. 7. Since then, tensions have been escalating at city council meetings where family members and concerned citizens have been demanding transparency in the ongoing Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation. The state attorney cleared the officers this week of any wrongdoing, and the police chief released a new statement on Friday. Community members say they wanted to see the entirety of the police and civilian interaction from that night and not edited versions of what happened. The community is still demanding answers and accountability from the police department. The chief was not available for interviews on Friday. What we don't know We don't know when TPD will release the raw footage. FOX 35 has submitted several records requests from the night of the shooting. It's unclear what the victim's mom was shown when police shared video from the incident with her on Thursday. The backstory The shooting happened more than 100 days ago, sparking ongoing community protests and repeated calls for transparency. Tensions between local officials and residents have escalated as the police department delayed the release of any footage, prompting suspicion and frustration from the victim's family and supporters. What they're saying The footage, released Friday, was part of an 18-minute pre-recorded video featuring Police Chief John Lau. Only about five seconds of unedited body camera video was shown. Critics took issue with the chief's tone during the video, in which he directly called out those who have protested at city council meetings. "What we seen was a movie production, so this is the confusing part," said James Saunders, a friend of Samantha Charles, who is the mother of Trimarea Charles. "There's a family that's grieving. There's a community that's grieving. Don't push blame on others," said Lance Fisher, former deputy police chief for Palm Bay, who is a strong advocate of accountability and transparency with police now. "They have been screaming from the mountains that our officers did not act appropriately," said Titusville police chief, John Lau, who has been critical of people speaking out at city council meetings before the video and investigation were complete. The family's lawyer, Natalie Jackson, Co-Director of Litigation at Ben Crump Law, also released a statement following the video release: "This has always been about transparency and accountability. When you keep a grieving family in the dark for months, it creates suspicion. It erodes trust. It forces them to mourn without answers. And if police believed the video supported the officers' actions, then why the delay? Holding back footage makes it look like departments only released it when it suits their narrative. That's not justice — that's PR." What's next FOX 35 News has requested the raw, unedited footage from the night of the shooting and is still waiting for its release. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Titusville Police Department, Natalie Jackson, Co-Director of Litigation at Ben Crump Law, Lance Fisher, former deputy police chief for Palm Bay, and James Saunders, a friend of Samantha Charles.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
New details released in deadly Titusville officer-involved shooting
The Brief New details have been released by the Titusville Police Department about the officer-involved shooting that left 26-year-old Tri-Marea Rayquan Charles dead. Titusville Police Chief John Lau provided new details via a pre-recorded statement posted to Facebook. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has launched a criminal investigation into the officer-involved shooting. ORLANDO, Fla. - New details have been released by the Titusville Police Department about the officer-involved shooting that left one man dead on Friday. Officials identified the victim as 26-year-old Tri-Marea Rayquan Charles. His death has sparked questions and concerns from his family and the community. What we know Titusville Police Chief John Lau provided these new details via a pre-recorded statement posted to Facebook Thursday. Chief Lau said he was releasing more details to combat "misinformation" spreading on social media. Police had released very few details before Thursday. Initially, Titusville Police stated that officers arrived at the scene of a "suspicious incident" at 9:15 p.m. Feb. 7 in the area of Robbins Avenue in Titusville. Officers encountered an individual who was armed with a handgun, which led to shots being fired, according to a Titusville police spokesperson. RELATED: 1 dead following officer-involved shooting in Titusville, officials say In the video released Thursday by the Titusville Police Department, Chief Lau stated that officers responded to the home following external complaints and shots-fired calls. As officers arrived on scene, one officer witnessed someone attempting to exit the home out of a back window and moments later Charles appeared at the front door. He allegedly attempted to jump over other people trying to exit the home and then tripped, causing a gun to fall out of his waistband. The officer that was located near the front door immediately yelled "He has a gun" several times, according to Chief Lau. Charles allegedly "rushed" at the officer, causing him to take a step back. Charles then picked up the gun that had fallen from his waistband and shots were fired by police, the chief said. "This incident is truly a tragedy. Anytime we deal with the loss of life, it is tragic for the family, community and our law enforcement officers", Chief Lau said. What they're saying On Tuesday, a city council meeting was shut down due to protesters calling for Titusville Police Chief Lau to be fired. "Fire that narcissist called Chief John Lau," said Robin Dennis, a protester who made public comments at the city council meeting. The victim's mom also attended the meeting, begging for answers. "I haven't seen my son body at all since he been murdered by TPD, no answers," said Samantha Charles. RELATED: Protestors shut down Titusville City Council meeting, after officer-involved shooting kills man The mayor of Titusville is standing behind the police chief and says he has full faith in John Lau. Mayor Andrew Connors does not support removing him from his position, despite people asking for that at the heated city meeting. "Titusville has been through this before, and he has been utmost transparent," stated Mayor Connors. Samantha Charles, mother of Tri-Marea Rayquan Charles, said she doesn't understand what happened, because her son was "not that type of kid." She said she feels pain and hurt, and she wants justice for her son. "He's lovable, respectable, and he (didn't) bother (anybody)," she said. The backstory Police Chief Lau provided a history of the address, 490 South Robbins Avenue, stating that the location dealt with an increase for calls of service over the past year. Calls included drug sales, fights, stolen vehicles and shots-fired calls. The home has also been a subject of many complaints from residents in the neighborhood. Complaints which include statements of people bringing assault-type rifles in and out of the home. According to Chief Lau, approximately 10 to 20 shots-fired calls at the home were responded to by police in the two weeks prior to the officer-involved shooting. A search warrant for drugs and firearms was served at the home on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. 16 individuals were detained in the 900 square foot home. Drugs and one firearm were seized during the search. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is going to investigate the officer-involved shooting, which is standard procedure. Titusville will then open its own internal investigation. Both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is also standard procedure. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source The information in this article comes from previous reporting done by the FOX 35 News staff and the Titusville Police Department.
