Latest news with #PullmanPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man who killed roommate convicted on lesser charge
Apr. 26—COLFAX — George Melvin Harris III was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting his Pullman roommate on College Hill in September 2021. The verdict was delivered Friday afternoon following a weeklong trial that began Monday at Colfax's Whitman County Superior Court. A jury of seven women and five men deliberated for around nine hours before returning with a guilty verdict. The Whitman County residents had the option of convicting Harris of first-degree manslaughter, but settled on a lesser charge. The judgment was emotionally received by Harris' family, who were shocked by the conviction. Harris approached the victim's parents with his sympathies and told them, "God bless you all." Harris shot and killed 23-year-old Liban Barre, and allegedly injured former Washington State University football player Brandon Gray, during a party on NE Lybecker Road in Pullman. Harris claims he fired his Glock 19 in self defense after being attacked by several men, one possessing a toy gun mistaken for a real one at night. The case launched a yearslong Pullman Police Department investigation that was completed in June. Gray's refusal to cooperate with law enforcement was cited as delaying the charging of Harris until last summer. Witness testimonies from Wednesday recounted the phrase "you're going to die now" bellowed from a group of men in the street shortly before a series of gunshots. The moments following were filled with chaos, as hundreds began to scatter from the party. Neuropsychologist Thomas Farrer testified in court Thursday that Harris suffered from a "traumatic brain injury" caused by a blow to the head. His determination was made from reviewing a Pullman Regional Hospital emergency room visit report days after the incident. Whitman County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau said while Harris had a right to defend himself, his use of the firearm was reckless.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Harris trial boils down to 8 seconds
Apr. 25—COLFAX — The 2021 College Hill shooting case isn't a matter of whether suspect George Melvin Harris III had the right to defend himself, but if his use of force justified the death of 23-year-old Liban Barre. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau and Public Defender Steve Martonick relayed versions of this in their closing arguments Thursday during Harris' trial at Whitman County Superior Court in Colfax. A jury of 12 Whitman County residents, two serving as alternate jurors, began deliberations after the attorneys' statements. The weeklong trial, which began Monday, will resume Friday morning with the possibility of reaching a verdict on Harris' pending first-degree manslaughter charges. Harris is accused of fatally shooting his Pullman roommate, Barre, and injuring Brandon Gray in September 2021. Harris claims he was attacked during a party on Pullman's Northeast Lybecker Road and fired his Glock 19 in self defense. The case launched a yearslong Pullman Police Department investigation into the matter, which was completed in June. Gray's uncooperativeness with authorities was cited as preventing prosecutors from charging Harris until last summer. LeBeau and Martonick said it is an undeniable fact that Harris was ambushed by several men, one possessing a Airsoft BB gun that could easily be mistaken as a real firearm. Witness testimonies from Wednesday recalled a group of men in the direction of shouts exclaiming "you're going to die now" heard shortly before seeing muzzle flashes. Neuropsychologist Thomas Farrer and neurologist Seth Stankus confirmed in court Thursday that Harris suffered from a "traumatic brain injury" from being struck in the head. The two derived their conclusion from reviewing a Pullman Regional Hospital emergency room visit report days after the incident, along with reviewing on-scene police body camera footage. LeBeau said Harris was well in his right to pull out a handgun and defend himself. However, LeBeau disagrees with how Harris chose to use the weapon — what he described as shooting in the darkness toward a crowd of people. King County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Matt Lacy, who performed Barre's autopsy, testified Wednesday that eight gunshot wounds entered from the backside of his body. LeBeau said Harris' time to act had passed as he chose to shoot at his assaulters who were running away. He claimed Harris used more force than what was necessary by recklessly discharging his firearm 21 times.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington State University instructor arrested for alleged assault of student with Trump hat
A Washington State University instructor was arrested in February after he allegedly assaulted a student wearing a red "Take America Back" hat from President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, according to a police report obtained by Fox News Digital. Patrick Mahoney, who is an instructor at the school, was walking past Jay Sani, a student at the university, just before 11 p.m. on Feb. 28 when he allegedly grabbed Sani's hat and threw it into the roadway, the Pullman Police Department incident report said. Mahoney then told Sani, "Go get it, b----," according to the report. Sani told officers that he was walking to a restaurant just off campus grounds to return a food order that had been prepared incorrectly when he encountered Mahoney. Subway Rider's Tumble Caught On Camera After Failed Attempt To Snatch Maga Hat Off Man's Head: 'Instant Karma' Sani said that when he tried to defend himself, a second man, later identified as Gerald Hoff, "grabbed Sani and took him to the ground." Read On The Fox News App Sani accused Mahoney of grabbing his head and slamming it into the ground. He also said that he suffered a laceration to his elbow and bruises. The police report stated that Mahoney later told officers that he had punched Sani in his jaw while he was on the ground. Hoff said he punched Sani in the leg with a closed fist. Witnesses told police that they saw one man shove another man wearing a Trump hat and throw his food into his face before shoving him to the ground. Pullman police officers who spoke with Sani following the incident immediately began investigating. The officers quickly located both Mahoney and Hoff in downtown Pullman. The report states that Mahoney told officers that he saw "ol'boy," referring to Sani, walking around. "I've seen this guy, f------, on campus before," Mahoney told officers, without mentioning Sani by name. "I know he's like f------ Right Wing dude. He's got a f------, like, Make America Great Again hat." Texas Man 'Mad' At Trump Arrested, Accused Of Assaulting Fellow Passenger On Flight To Dc "You know, you're f------ wearing that hat, you wanted someone to f------ look at it, right," Mahoney told officers, according to the report. Mahoney continued: "You wanna wear the hat, hey, there's gonna be a price to pay". When Sani initially reported the alleged assault to officers, he said that he understood that the red Trump hats "incite certain feelings in people," the report said. The officer responded to Sani, saying "that he should be free to wear what he wanted." Mahoney told officers that the way he acted toward Sani "was the same way that people come up to him and mess with him about his political beliefs," the police report stated. When an officer asked Mahoney if Sani had done that before the altercation, Mahoney said "no." Mahoney and Hoff were both arrested and charged with 4th degree assault. The men were later released. Mahoney is a WSU instructor and a PhD student in the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, the Daily Evergreen reported. The outlet said that Mahoney was suspended and removed from all classes he previously taught at the university. A university spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement that after the police department's investigation into the matter, the staff member was fired. A second individual involved, a graduate student serving as a teaching assistant, was relieved of all teaching responsibilities. The university did not provide the name of the staff member or graduate student. The spokesperson said no further details regarding the matter will be disclosed in compliance with federal privacy laws. Fox News Digital reached out to an email address listed for Mahoney, but did not immediately hear back. Click To Get The Fox News App Sani wrote in a Facebook post in March that he wanted to share his story because of "how toxic the left has gotten." "To make it clear, I hate to say this, but i'm [sic] brown, but forget it," he wrote. "I'm an engineering student that wants to get the degree, and move on. So what if I like someone that you don't like. We have the 1st amendment, and its [sic] not okay that just because you don't like that person, I should be attacked for it. You had a chance in November to oust him, but you didn't."Original article source: Washington State University instructor arrested for alleged assault of student with Trump hat
Fox News
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Washington State University instructor arrested for alleged assault of student with Trump hat
A Washington State University instructor was arrested in February after he allegedly assaulted a student wearing a red "Take America Back" hat from President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, according to a police report obtained by Fox News Digital. Patrick Mahoney, who is an instructor at the school, was walking past Jay Sani, a student at the university, just before 11 p.m. on Feb. 28 when he allegedly grabbed Sani's hat and threw it into the roadway, the Pullman Police Department incident report said. Mahoney then told Sani, "Go get it, b----," according to the report. Sani told officers that he was walking to a restaurant just off campus grounds to return a food order that had been prepared incorrectly when he encountered Mahoney. Sani said that when he tried to defend himself, a second man, later identified as Gerald Hoff, "grabbed Sani and took him to the ground." Sani accused Mahoney of grabbing his head and slamming it into the ground. He also said that he suffered a laceration to his elbow and bruises. The police report stated that Mahoney later told officers that he had punched Sani in his jaw while he was on the ground. Hoff said he punched Sani in the leg with a closed fist. Witnesses told police that they saw one man shove another man wearing a Trump hat and throw his food into his face before shoving him to the ground. Pullman police officers who spoke with Sani following the incident immediately began investigating. The officers quickly located both Mahoney and Hoff in downtown Pullman. The report states that Mahoney told officers that he saw "ol'boy," referring to Sani, walking around. "I've seen this guy, f------, on campus before," Mahoney told officers, without mentioning Sani by name. "I know he's like f------ Right Wing dude. He's got a f------, like, Make America Great Again hat." "You know, you're f------ wearing that hat, you wanted someone to f------ look at it, right," Mahoney told officers, according to the report. Mahoney continued: "You wanna wear the hat, hey, there's gonna be a price to pay". When Sani initially reported the alleged assault to officers, he said that he understood that the red Trump hats "incite certain feelings in people," the report said. The officer responded to Sani, saying "that he should be free to wear what he wanted." Mahoney told officers that the way he acted toward Sani "was the same way that people come up to him and mess with him about his political beliefs," the police report stated. When an officer asked Mahoney if Sani had done that before the altercation, Mahoney said "no." Mahoney and Hoff were both arrested and charged with 4th degree assault. The men were later released. Mahoney is a WSU instructor and a PhD student in the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, the Daily Evergreen reported. The outlet said that Mahoney was suspended and removed from all classes he previously taught at the university. The university did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Sani wrote in a Facebook post in March that he wanted to share his story because of "how toxic the left has gotten." "To make it clear, I hate to say this, but i'm [sic] brown, but forget it," he wrote. "I'm an engineering student that wants to get the degree, and move on. So what if I like someone that you don't like. We have the 1st amendment, and its [sic] not okay that just because you don't like that person, I should be attacked for it. You had a chance in November to oust him, but you didn't."
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aaron Breshears hired as new Pullman Police Department chief
Apr. 9—The Pullman Police Department is getting a new chief. Aaron Breshears, the department's former acting chief, was hired by the Pullman City Council during its regular meeting Tuesday night at Pullman City Hall. Breshears has served as acting chief since former Chief Jake Opgenorth was placed on leave in December during a Washington State Patrol investigation against Opgenorth. WSP hasn't released any details yet. Opgenorth handed in his letter of resignation in March. Pullman Mayor Francis Benjamin said he nominated Breshears for the permanent position because he has gone above and beyond during his 26 years of service, and is highly respected among officers. The Police Officers' Guild, composed of 43 employees at the department, wrote a letter to the city in support of Breshears. The group said it looks forward to the positive impact he will make at the agency, citing his commitment to ethics and integrity, and the thoughtful and balanced approach he brings to policing by valuing accountability. Breshears said he is both humbled and honored by the support he's received for the position. "It's a big responsibility and I acknowledge that," he said. "I think this is an opportunity as a police department to move beyond some of our troubles in our past ... this is one of the best police departments around." Breshears was the Pullman police's commander before being named acting chief. He joined the department as an officer in 1999. In addition to Breshears' appointment, councilors were presented with proposed regulations on short-term rentals, like Airbnbs. The planning commission has been working since 2023 to overhaul city zoning codes for the first time in more than two decades. Ariel Medeiros, the city's assistant planner, said nine public hearings have been held since 2024 to gather community feedback on the changes. The city currently requires short-term rental operators to obtain a conditional use permit from its hearing examiner. Documents attached to the meeting agenda show the altered code would create a new application process where owners would need to obtain a short-term rental permit from the city and register with the Washington Department of Revenue for a business license. The proposal comprises a host of safety requirements such as an emergency evacuation plan approved by the city, property inspections that must be passed by a city building official and an occupancy limit of 10 people per dwelling, according to the documents.
