Latest news with #Perez
Boston Globe
37 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
‘We'll help you': Body camera video raises questions about Providence police cooperation with ICE
But in the video released Tuesday night, Providence officers appear to be helping ICE after taking the report of the car crash, including by asking a landlord if she can hand over her keys so ICE doesn't have to break down any doors in her home. A Providence police sergeant is also seen on the video looking at photos of the suspect with ICE, helping them determine if he saw the person through a window. Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up 'What is this, if it's not cooperation?' said City Council President Rachel Miller, who, along with other councilors, has asked for an external review. 'Even the perception in the community that Providence police is working with ICE is damaging to overall community safety.' Advertisement When the suspect comes out of the house later, Lieutenant William Brown tells an ICE agent: 'I want your people grabbing him,' adding: 'We'll help you.' The Providence External Review Authority, a civilian panel that oversees the police, plans to review the incident, executive director Ferenc Karoly said. He said he wants to review all of the videos, which have not yet been released. Advertisement 'The PPD supervisor telling ICE, 'we'll help you' isn't a great initial indicator that they did not help ICE with their operation,' Karoly said. A large swath of the 30-minute video is silent while officers are talking to ICE agents, and only one video has been released so far, from a camera worn by Sergeant Peter Salmons. Additional videos from other officers' are being reviewed and will be released, spokesperson Josh Estrella said. Steven Brown, the executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, noted 'This is precisely the time that the public needs to hear what's being said, if in fact the police are not assisting ICE,' he said. Brown said police should not have stuck around after investigating the car crash. 'By hanging around, Providence police became inextricably involved in the arrest,' Brown said. Perez told the Globe Wednesday he is reviewing whether Salmons violated the body-worn camera policy by muting his camera, but he said he has already determined that officers did not violate the policy that bars cooperation with ICE. 'We understand how certain actions in the video may be interpreted, but it's important to clarify the role of our officers,' Perez said in a statement. 'At no point did they assist in the enforcement efforts of federal laws.' ICE was seeking to detain Ivan Mendoza Meza, who spokesperson James Covington said is in the country illegally and was previously deported to Mexico back in 2019. Advertisement Mendoza Meza is awaiting trial on felony drug charges in Providence from 2023, where he is accused of being a 'key member' of a fentanyl trafficking organization that was being run out of a basement of a Plainfield Street restaurant. ICE says he's a member of the MS-13 gang in Honduras. City ordinance and Providence police policy prohibits officers from helping with civil immigration enforcement, regardless of the reason ICE wants to deport someone, unless there is a criminal warrant issued for a person in Providence police custody. No criminal warrant was issued in this case, Perez said, only an administrative detainer. In the video released Tuesday night, officers on scene initially are taking down the report of a car crash. Sergeant Salmons walks up to an ICE agent and asks, 'what do you guys need from us?' The agent says the man they are looking for is in the basement of a home. He fled from a Toyota pickup truck after the collision with ICE. The video is then muted for 11 minutes, during which time officers are standing around and talking to ICE agents. Later, when audio resumes, officers tape off a section of the neighborhood and are telling neighbors, some of whom are swearing and calling them 'pigs,' to stand behind the tape. Officers say in the video that ICE is waiting to get a warrant so they can go into the Alverson Street house where the suspect is hiding. Around 11:20 a.m., Salmons is seen knocking on the door of the house and speaking to the landlord to ask if anyone needs help evacuating. She says she and her children are trying to go to church. Advertisement 'My concern is separate from everybody else,' Salmons tells her. 'I just want to make sure there's no people in this apartment building or this house that might get hurt if it turns violent.' He then asks her if she can hand over her keys, so that ICE does not have to break down any doors to get the suspect. She agrees. When he returns to where the ICE agents are standing in the backyard, Salmons relays that he saw a Hispanic man in a third floor window. ICE then shows him photos of Mendoza Meza, and they discuss whether he might be the person Salmons saw in the window. The ICE agents previously thought he was in the basement. Ultimately, ICE did not have to raid the home; Mendoza Meza came outside, and was met with both Providence officers and ICE agents on the stoop. He was put in handcuffs by ICE agents, and Providence officers walked next to the agents as he was led into the ICE vehicle. In an interview Wednesday, Perez denied that the Providence police actions constituted cooperation. 'The goal was never to assist,' Perez said. 'It was to minimize harm, avoid escalations and protect bystanders and neighbors.' He noted that in other cities, including Worcester, Mass., Perez said if Mendoza Meza had not come out voluntarily, ICE was preparing to call a SWAT tactical team to go get him inside the house. The landlord also appeared unwilling to talk to ICE, but spoke to the Providence officers. Advertisement 'The context of our officers' presence was critical for de-escalation, not enforcement,' Perez said. 'They sought to maintain calm and reduce tensions.' 'That does not equate to assistance in their operations,' he said. 'This idea of us retreating from a call is unrealistic.' Perez said the lieutenant's offer to 'help' ICE when Mendoza Meza left the house was in reference to crowd control, not helping take him into custody. This was the first time officers have been in this position during an immigration enforcement event since he's been chief, Perez said. Officers had to make split-second decisions, and he said it had a 'positive outcome.' In addition to the police policy prohibiting cooperation with ICE, the rules are enshrined in an ordinance called the Providence Community-Police Relations Act. Miller said the video appears to violate the ordinance, 'and it undermines trust and safety of our community.' She said if residents think Providence police cooperates with ICE, they'll be hesitant to call police when a crime is committed. 'I'm an immigrant myself, I understand the worries,' Perez said. 'We're not immigration officers, and we'll continue to follow our policy. Steph Machado can be reached at
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Roc Nation asks court to hold CEO's daughter in contempt over social media threats
Roc Nation is urging a Florida court to hold Demoree Hadley, daughter of Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, in contempt for violating a special court order tied to an ongoing legal battle. The motion follows an explosive online interview that allegedly led to thousands of threats targeting Perez and her legal team. Hadley filed a lawsuit in May 2025, accusing her mother and Roc Nation of orchestrating an involuntary psychiatric commitment under Florida's Baker and Marchman Acts. In response, Roc Nation obtained a court order restricting public comments from Hadley and her husband. Despite the gag order, Hadley appeared in an interview with YouTuber Tasha K. The video, later posted to Instagram, reportedly violated the court's order. Hadley claimed the video was automatically posted when Tasha K added her as a collaborator, and that she removed it promptly. Roc Nation rejected the explanation, insisting the post was deliberate and meant to stir public opinion. 'The video created a firestorm,' Roc Nation stated in court filings, adding that Perez and her attorneys have received thousands of threatening messages since the interview's release. The company contends that the couple's social media activity has led to a hostile environment, making it unsafe for multiple defendants and their legal counsel. Nicki Minaj has also entered the conversation, publicly supporting Hadley and accusing Roc Nation of employing similar tactics against her. Roc Nation is now asking the court to hold Hadley in contempt, which could lead to legal sanctions. The court has yet to rule on the request.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC veteran Jairzinho Rozenstruik to fight for Dirty Boxing heavyweight title
Jairzinho Rozenstruik is set to fight for gold in the first title fight for Dirty Boxing Championship. The former UFC heavyweight contender has been paired against Rob Perez in a heavyweight title fight that's set to headline Dirty Boxing Championship 3 on Aug. 29 in Miami. The news was announced by the promotion on Tuesday. Advertisement Both Rozenstruik and Perez are coming off wins on the same fight card, Dirty Boxing Championship 2 – which went down last month in Miami. In his promotional debut and first fight since getting released from the UFC, Rozenstruik, 37, defeated Victor Cardoso by second-round TKO. Rozenstruik is a combat sports veteran, having had a lengthy career in kickboxing and MMA. He competed in the UFC for six years, headlining six events and picking up eight stoppage wins. His UFC release caught many by surprise, as he was on a two-fight winning streak before losing to top contender Sergei Pavlovich by decision in February. Perez, 32, stopped MMA veteran Alex Nicholson at Dirty Boxing Championship 2. Unlike Rozenstruik, that was Perez's third appearance with Dirty Boxing Championship. Perez has competed in bareknuckle boxing, regular boxing, and even Power Slap. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC veteran booked to fight for Dirty Boxing heavyweight title
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC veteran Jairzinho Rozenstruik to fight for Dirty Boxing heavyweight title
Jairzinho Rozenstruik to fight for gold at Dirty Boxing Championship Jairzinho Rozenstruik is set to fight for gold in the first title fight for Dirty Boxing Championship. The former UFC heavyweight contender has been paired against Rob Perez in a heavyweight title fight that's set to headline Dirty Boxing Championship 3 on Aug. 29 in Miami. The news was announced by the promotion on Tuesday. Both Rozenstruik and Perez are coming off wins on the same fight card, Dirty Boxing Championship 2 – which went down last month in Miami. In his promotional debut and first fight since getting released from the UFC, Rozenstruik, 37, defeated Victor Cardoso by second-round TKO. Rozenstruik is a combat sports veteran, having had a lengthy career in kickboxing and MMA. He competed in the UFC for six years, headlining six events and picking up eight stoppage wins. His UFC release caught many by surprise, as he was on a two-fight winning streak before losing to top contender Sergei Pavlovich by decision in February. Perez, 32, stopped MMA veteran Alex Nicholson at Dirty Boxing Championship 2. Unlike Rozenstruik, that was Perez's third appearance with Dirty Boxing Championship. Perez has competed in bareknuckle boxing, regular boxing, and even Power Slap.
Scientific American
a day ago
- Health
- Scientific American
Gene-Swaps Could Let Influenza Jump Species
Influenza viruses are shifty entities. They accumulate small genetic changes on a regular basis, necessitating yearly updates to the flu vaccines because the prior year's strain may not look much like the following year's. But they can also make sudden leaps by incurring big genetic changes that may allow them to jump from one animal species to another or to humans. A seemingly ingenious and sneaky way for viruses to make these leaps is by swapping genetic material with other flu strains. Called reassortment, this exchange happens when a person or animal is infected with two types of flu virus at the same time. While replicating inside the host cell, the viruses can grab bits of each other's genetic code and incorporate them into their own gene sequences. Reassortment is much less common than small mutations that change the flu year to year, but it's important: at least three of the last four human flu pandemics have involved reassortment. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. 'Reassortment has played a major, major role in the emergence of pandemic influenza,' says Daniel Perez, a professor of poultry medicine at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, who studies how flu moves between species. The past century saw four flu pandemics. The first was the notorious 1918 Great Influenza, which killed around 50 million people. The second was in 1957, when a new flu killed between one million and four million people worldwide. In 1968 another new flu emerged, killing another one million to four million people. Finally, in 2009, a novel swine flu appeared, killing between 151,000 and 575,000 people that year. Flu viruses are categorized by two types of proteins on their surfaces, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). These proteins each have multiple subtypes, which is why you'll see labels such as H1N1 or H5N1. The H refers to the HA protein type, and the N refers to the type of NA protein. The Great Influenza that swept the globe during World War I was an H1N1 flu that likely emerged in Kansas. Its descendants circulated in both humans and pigs until 1957, when it was suddenly replaced in humans by an H2N2 flu. This new virus first popped up in southern China. Its main genetic backbone belonged to the 1918 flu, Perez says, but it had acquired three new gene sequences from an avian flu, swapping its HA and NA proteins for new subtypes. For reasons not completely understood, this new H2N2 wiped out H1N1 in humans for decades—H1N1 wouldn't be seen again in people until 1977. The 1968 pandemic was another reassortment event. This time, the H2N2 that was circulating in humans swapped genes with an H3N2 avian influenza, probably somewhere in China. (The first identified outbreak was in Hong Kong.) Then came the 2009 pandemic, a true 'globalized pandemic,' Perez says. In the early 2000s there had been a few sporadic human infections in the U.S. with so-called triple-reassorted flu viruses that contained genes from human, avian and swine influenzas. These cases were rare and mostly in people who worked on pig farms; these viruses didn't transmit from human to human. That changed in 2009 when the triple-reassorted viruses picked up new genes from a Eurasian swine flu. 'It's a perfect example of globalization,' Perez says, 'because the virus contains not only gene segments from an avian flu, from a swine flu [and] from a human flu but also from very different geographical locations.' The reassortment of flu viruses that infect different species fortunately happens relatively infrequently, says Charlotte Kristensen, a postdoctoral researcher in veterinary clinical microbiology at the University of Copenhagen. 'It has to be two different viruses infecting the same host cell, and the reassortment has to be successful. And it's not always like the gene segments are compatible,' she says. Such reassortment happens all the time between avian flu strains that infect birds, says Yuan Liang, also a University of Copenhagen veterinary clinical microbiology postdoctoral researcher. 'Especially since 2020, there have been a lot of new variants emerging because of reassortments' in birds, Liang says. The various strains of H5N1 circulating now in wild birds, domestic poultry and dairy cows have yet to cause a pandemic in people. It's hard to say whether the virus will stay mostly in animals or whether we're now in a period like the one before the 2009 flu pandemic, when farmworkers occasionally came down with a reassorted virus that would later gain the gene sequences it needed to spread from person to person. No one expect H5N1 to take hold in dairy cattle, Liang says, so the question now is what new, unexpected step this virus might take. 'This whole situation really highlights how little we know and how complex it is,' Kristensen says.
