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Miami Herald
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
5 years later, Minneapolis remembers George Floyd
MINNEAPOLIS - Sunday marks five years since George Floyd was pinned by his neck and killed by police in the streets of Minneapolis, sparking a historic wave of calls to action to end police brutality and racial injustice. Since Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020, by Minneapolis police, observers have trekked to the city every year on the anniversary of his death to pay their respects and celebrate his legacy. "It's sad that an event like this had to happen for the community to come together," Eric Coleman, who served as part of a security team Sunday, said as he sat near a huge raised fist that's become synonymous with George Floyd Square. "But in the end, that's what you really want." Coleman said the day has waned in intensity since Floyd's death. But the anniversary's ability to bring residents together remains. Around 11:30 a.m., about 150 people wandered what is known as George Floyd Square, pausing at makeshift memorials. Visitors take in the sight of yellow roses lying on the mural painted on the spot that George Floyd was murdered five years ago at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune) On a weekend that is usually reserved for remembering fallen veterans, Floyd's presence can be felt throughout the Twin Cities - from author readings to prayer circles, concerts and more. On Sunday, there are several planned events to honor Floyd's life, with most of the major activities happening near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue where he was killed. Around 11 a.m., a few dozen people sat in folding chairs in a parking lot for a church service for Floyd held by Worldwide Outreach for Christ. The group was diverse - white and Black, with a Minneapolis Police Department officer sitting among those in the crowd. "I appreciate this day because the sacrifice [Floyd] made was one that enabled us to realize the needs in all our communities," Pastor Curtis Farrar said to the crowd. Other scheduled events include an evening gospel concert - featuring popular local choir the Sounds of Blackness - and a candlelight vigil. This year's theme for the annual Rise and Remember Festival that celebrates Floyd's life in George Floyd Square is "the people have spoken." "Now is the time for the people to rise up and continue the good work we started," Angela Harrelson, an aunt of Floyd and board co-chair of the Rise and Remember nonprofit, said in a statement. At nearby Phelps Field Park, a "Justice for George" exhibit showcased plywood murals from 2020. A few blocks from George Floyd Square, a few people walked by rows of cardboard headstones, each one emblazoned with the name of a Black person killed by police. The "Say Their Names" cemetery has stood since 2020, with the markers commemorating Laquan McDonald and Terence Crutcher and dozens more. Among those striding through the sprawling field was Roxanne Rawson, who moved to Iowa from the Twin Cities two years ago but returned to town for the anniversary. "I couldn't imagine being any place other than Minneapolis this weekend," said Rawson, who noted Floyd's death deepened her awareness of racial injustice. Rawson, who's white, snapped a picture with her phone of the placard commemorating Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man killed in 2022 by Minneapolis police. "Just seeing this, doesn't it overwhelm you?" Rawson said, gazing out at the rows of headstones. Floyd's death ignited a worldwide movement not only to make changes in policing but also to address systemic racial inequities in other areas of society. However, the commitment to that global movement's long-term legacy has been challenged. This year's milestone anniversary is marked by a stark contrast in the political atmosphere and societal acceptance of policing reforms, equity and racial justice work that had been widely called for in the aftermath of Floyd's death in 2020. On Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed to dismiss a consent decree agreement with Minneapolis that was supposed to entail sweeping reforms. There have also been rumors that President Donald Trump, who was the president when Floyd was killed, might pardon former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in Floyd's murder. Publicly, Trump has given no credence to the rumors. The Trump administration has also tried to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the country in the public and private sector. On Sunday morning outside what is now known as Unity Foods, Tom Johnson made his way through the flower-strewn memorial that marked where Floyd begged for air. Johnson, who lives in Golden Valley, said the current political "backlash," especially the Trump administration's campaign to dismantle diversity and equity initiatives, has cast a pall over the already somber day. Still, the 74-year-old said he hasn't lost hope that "a better society" will prevail. Visiting the square was a small way to push back against the presidential administration, Johnson said. "I don't know what to do. ... It's something," he said. For people who live nearby, Floyd's death has left a more complicated legacy. "People come here to pay respects, take pictures and leave," said 49-year-old Marquise Bowie, who lives two blocks away from the square. The people who live and work in the area "need more than just a celebration of a person," he said. "We need resources." Since 2020, Bowie said not much has changed. The community still badly needs more investment and the rate of Black homeownership remains low, he said. Meanwhile, many of the businesses that line the corridor haven't benefited from the droves of outsiders who visit the square. "I see our neighborhood just become a tourist spot without the financial benefits of tourism," he said. __________ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Woman arrested in Ernie Ortiz case gets probation
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (KSNW) — A woman arrested in connection with the death of Garden City businessman Ernie Ortiz has been sentenced to probation. In September 2019, Ortiz, 69, was found fatally wounded outside El Conquistador, a restaurant he owned for 39 years. Police believe he was shot during a robbery as he closed the business for the night. He died at the hospital. In September 2023, U.S. Marshals arrested Samantha Jo Smith in South Carolina. She was brought back to Kansas, where she was charged with murder and aggravated robbery. Last November, those charges were dropped, and Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery. County Attorney Susan Richmeier said in a statement that the reduced charge 'took into consideration all facts and circumstances known by law enforcement and the Finney County Attorney's Office at the time of plea.' Yes, that text you received saying you're getting money from DOGE is scam This week, Smith was back in court for her sentencing. According to the Justice for Ernie Ortiz Facebook page, the Ortiz family filled the courtroom and provided victim impact statements. In the end, District Judge Rebecca Faurot sentenced Smith to two years of probation and payment of almost $5,900 in fees. The Ortiz family made sure the case got statewide attention. The relatives became the first family to partner with Crime Stoppers of Garden City for a reward going to a specific case. The family opened a GoFundMe account through the Justice for Ernie Ortiz Facebook page to raise funds for the reward. Then, in 2022, Ortiz's murder was selected for the Kansas Cold Case Playing Cards program. The decks of cards featuring unsolved murders were being distributed in Kansas jails and prisons in hopes that inmates might share information pertinent to the cases. In January 2023, the reward for information in the Ortiz case jumped to $21,500. After the murder charge was dropped against Smith in November, KSN contacted the Garden City Police Department. A spokesperson said the Ortiz murder case remains open and active. 'Ernie Ortiz was a well-known and beloved citizen of Garden City, and his death not only affected his family and loved ones but also the community,' police said. 'For over five years, the Garden City Police Department has worked tirelessly to find answers and help provide a sense of closure to Mr. Ortiz's family while bringing those responsible for his death to justice.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
05-03-2025
- CBC
Court appearance delayed for husband of homicide victim Trina Hunt
More than two dozen "Justice for Trina Hunt" supporters rallied in front of Port Coquitlam provincial court Wednesday morning where the first appearance of her husband, Iain Hunt, was delayed until next month. Hunt is charged with indignity to human remains in the unsolved homicide of his wife. The date of his alleged offence is Jan 16, 2021, two days before police say he reported her missing from their Port Moody home. Rally organizers say they remain hopeful that investigators will uncover enough evidence to lay a murder charge. "I don't want to say too much and get myself into trouble," said Stephanie Ibbott, who is married to Trina Hunt's cousin. "Connect all the dots, and they are only pointing in one direction." Trina Hunt's remains were found near Hope, 150 kilometres east of Vancouver, in March 2021. The Integrated Homicide Investigations Team (IHIT) has confirmed her death was a homicide but have not revealed how investigators reached that conclusion. In an email, the B.C. Prosecution Service said Iain Hunt's legal counsel requested the adjournment that resulted in Wednesday's court appearance being cancelled. His next appearance is scheduled for April 23. Rally participants chanted, "Justice for Trina and for all women." A number told CBC they were there to speak out against domestic violence. "It's time that our justice system stands behind these women," said Brenda Green. Ibbott has been a driving force in the Justice for Trina Hunt campaign, which is offering $50,000 for information that leads to a murder charge. "I think that a lot is going to be uncovered in this trial," she said. "Trina was family, and we want to see this through to the end." Before Trina Hunt's remains were identified, supporters organized extensive searches involving hundreds of people in the woods and forests around her home. The campaign also distributed lawn signs, posters, and stickers to raise public awareness of the case and generate tips. A charge of indignity to human remains "occurs when a person neglects to perform their legal duty to bury a dead human body, or if a person interferes in an improper, indecent or undignified way with a dead human body or human remains," according to police.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How murder victim Amie Harwick "testified" at her alleged killer's trial
"Tonight I felt very scared. ... It terrifies me that he's been obsessed with me for nine years, thinks about me every day." These are the words Amie Harwick, a successful family therapist in Hollywood, wrote in an email to herself after she ran into her ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse. A month later, she was dead. Prosecutors believe that a chance encounter at a red carpet event led Pursehouse to break into her home on Valentine's Day 2020. They say he attacked Harwick and dropped her from her third-floor balcony. She later died from her injuries in the hospital. Harwick was 38 years old. Pursehouse was arrested that same day. Correspondent Erin Moriarty has been covering this case since Harwick's murder on Feb. 15, 2020. Moriarty concludes her investigation in "Justice for Amie Harwick," reairing Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 on CBS and streaming on Paramount +. Pursehouse went on trial for murder in a Los Angeles courtroom in August 2023. "It became very clear to me that ... [Pursehouse's] obsession drove ... his intent to kill her," says Deputy District Attorney Catherine Mariano. Prosecutors believe that obsession with Harwick was ignited when Pursehouse saw her at an awards show on Jan. 16, 2020 - about a month before her death. He was working the event as a photographer. "Gareth came up behind me and started screaming, 'Why are you here, why are you here?'" wrote Harwick hours after that red carpet incident. "He was sobbing, his head was in his hands, he was hyperventilating, he was distorting his face up and shaking violently." In an exclusive interview with "48 Hours," Amie's mother, Penny Harwick, recalls Amie telling her about that night and that she hadn't seen Pursehouse in almost a decade. "He called her a bitch and … he told her she ruined his life," says Penny Harwick. "And she just told me how afraid she was. … And she said, 'Mom, I went into therapist mode. I just tried to calm him.'" After talking to Pursehouse for almost an hour, Amie Harwick left the event very worried and began looking into increased security measures, such as surveillance cameras, pepper spray, and sharing her location with her close friend, Robert Coshland. Coshland says sharing her phone's location was one of the few things Harwick felt she could do to feel safe. Harwick had received a restraining order against Pursehouse when they broke up years prior, but that had long expired. Though Harwick found Pursehouse's behavior at the awards show troubling, because he had not expressly threatened her, Coshland says she didn't think going to police would help. Still, he says, Harwick was very concerned. "That's when she said, 'Look, if something happens to me, he did it,'" recalls Coshland. It was Coshland who came across the email two months after his friend's death and shared it with investigators. During the prosecution's opening statements, Deputy District Attorney Victor Avila told the jury how Pursehouse had killed Harwick. "He strangled her … lifted her up over the balcony and dropped her to her death." During the defense's opening statement, Defense Attorney Evan Franzel told the jury that running into Harwick at that awards show had sent Pursehouse into "a deep debilitating depression" and the only way out of it was to talk to Amie on Valentine's Day 2020. "His only intention that night was to speak to her," said Franzel. Though the defense admitted to the jury that Pursehouse had broken into Harwick's home, it denied that he had intended to kill Harwick that night. Instead, Franzel told the jury that Pursehouse had planned to kill himself that night. During closing arguments, the defense presented a new theory of what happened in Harwick's home: that Harwick may have attacked Pursehouse. "We don't know who initiated the physical confrontation," said Defense Attorney Robin Bernstein-Lev. But during the state's closing arguments, it's Harwick who had the last word — that email she had written to herself about encountering Pursehouse. Before reading Harwick's email to the jurors, Mariano told them: "This email was written by Amie. Not only does it talk about her fear, but it talks about just how angry –not desperate – angry the defendant was." Reading excerpts from Amie's email, Mariano continued: "He couldn't stop obsessing over me. He recited text messages that I had sent … about nine years ago. Recited the date, who they were to, and exactly what they said word-for-word. I couldn't believe it. I was very scared. … I'm pretty nervous that I'm more on his radar now. … He's focused on harming me. I'm hoping that this interaction and listening and giving him time, may cause a neutralization in his anger towards me." The lead homicide detective on Harwick's case, Scott Masterson, now retired, said he had never seen anything like this before. "That's the closest we've ever had to a victim testifying in their murder. … I thought it was extremely devastating." But what would the jury think? President Trump wants to dismantle the Department of Education. Here's what would be impacted. Doctor calls Trump's vaccine order "theater" because no schools have COVID vaccine mandates Jannik Sinner gets 3-month ban for failing drug tests
