Latest news with #WPD
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wichita police boost security as Riverfest kicks off downtown
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — As Riverfest prepares to welcome thousands downtown starting Friday, Wichita police are ramping up security to keep festivalgoers safe during the nine-day event. The Wichita Police Department says it will deploy a full range of resources, including its SWAT team, bomb squad, K-9 units, drones, mounted officers, and traffic patrols. Spotters will also monitor crowds from elevated positions, while drones will help track activity from above. 19-year-old charged with murder of pregnant Wichita woman 'We're going to have SWAT down there, we're going to have the bomb squad down there, K-9's, the drones, the mounted unit, traffic officers—so everything we can do to provide as much security as we can and to make everyone feel as safe and as comfortable as they can down there,' said WPD Lieutenant Stephanie Neal. Neal said officers are prepared for a variety of scenarios, including those that have become increasingly common at large gatherings worldwide. 'Given the climate and everything that's happening not only in the United States but across the world—where people are driving through crowds at events, there are active shooters at events—we try to plan as much as we can and as best as we can in the event any of those events would occur here,' she said. Police emphasize that public awareness remains key. 'If they do see something that makes them uncomfortable, that they think is suspicious… we encourage them to go report that to a police officer so we can address that,' Neal said. Riverfest attendees should expect to pass through metal detectors at the gates to both the main festival area and the carnival. No weapons or pocketknives will be allowed inside the event footprint, and backpacks and wagons will be subject to search. 'Keep your weapons at home… Don't leave any valuables in your car, especially not in plain sight,' Neal warned. Many of the officers working at Riverfest are doing so on an off-duty, overtime basis, paid for by the festival. Neal noted this helps maintain regular police coverage for the rest of the city during the event. 'So officers sign up and they get assigned to those positions… We try not to pull from any on-duty officers because we don't want to use resources that should go to the rest of the community,' she said. Neal had one final message for festivalgoers: 'Just have fun and stay safe out there.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Feds are reversing many investigations into police, but Worcester remains for now
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on May 21 it would close investigations into and retract the Biden administration's findings of constitutional violations of five police departments. One department not included in the announcement was the Worcester Police Department (WPD), which was subject to a DOJ investigation beginning in 2022. A report covering the investigation revealed that officers engaged in acts of excessive force and engaged in unwanted sexual contact with women during undercover operations A spokesperson for Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista told MassLive there have been no discussions between the DOJ and the city about the investigation since January. Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty also confirmed the DOJ had not reached out to his office. Petty told MassLive on Wednesday that the City Council is waiting for a status report from Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier about the department's progress in implementing recommendations from the report. The mayor acknowledged that tensions in the city have been high due to the police report and the arrest of a Brazilian mother of three on May 8 made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Worcester Police Officers arrived on the scene following the arrest of a Brazilian mother of three children to 'keep the peace,' according to one officer who was at the scene. The officers arrested the 17-year-old daughter of the mother and a school committee candidate, who was later disqualified from the ballot, on separate charges. Many Worcester residents have criticized the actions of the officers on May 8, with some accusing WPD of collaborating with ICE. Batista issued an executive order on May 16 stating that Worcester police would not inquire about a person's immigration status and further clarifying Worcester's policy on interaction with ICE. Petty said it is important for the community to come together. 'We will need to listen to the community's concerns and work collaboratively to get through these tough times together,' Petty said. 'I am hopeful that mending trust will be possible, but I know that it will take time.' The DOJ announced that it would retract its findings of constitutional violations in the police departments of Phoenix, Arizona; Trenton, New Jersey; Memphis, Tennessee; Mount Vernon, New York; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The department also announced the constitutional violation findings of the Louisiana State Police would also be retracted. All of these findings were from investigations released under former President Joe Biden's administration. The findings of the investigation into the WPD remain intact, according to a spokesperson for Leah Foley, the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. 'As it currently stands, nothing has changed with the status of the findings report,' the spokesperson said. The spokesperson did not provide further explanation as to why Worcester's findings would not be rescinded. Additionally, the DOJ revealed its plans to reverse its proposed consent decrees for the police departments in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Louisville, Kentucky. 'Over-broad police consent decrees divest local control of policing from communities where it belongs, turning that power over to unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats, often with an anti-police agenda,' Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a press release. 'Today, we are ending the Biden Civil Rights Division's failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments with factually unjustified consent decrees.' The findings of the DOJ report into the WPD found that officers engaged in acts of excessive force, including using stun guns, deploying police dogs and striking people in the head without justification. Worcester police's enforcement of activities also disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic people, the report reads. Additionally, the report found that multiple women told the department investigators that the department's police officers engaged in unwanted sexual acts with them during undercover operations, took advantage of them sexually in vulnerable situations and threatened arrest if they did not perform sex acts. The DOJ report featured 19 recommendations for changes it believes WPD should install to remedy its excessive force and inappropriate sexual conduct problems. These suggestions include improving the department's use of force and escalation standards to 'a complete prohibition on engaging in sexual contact for law enforcement purposes.' The findings of the DOJ report have led some Worcester residents to demand more oversight of the department—namely, through the creation of a civilian review board. In a communication to the City Council on March 4, Batista wrote that, following discussions with the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, the bureau would conduct an independent review and create a research report on civilian review boards. A report on the topic is expected to be unveiled in late spring. During a city council meeting in March, the council inquired with Police Chief Saucier about specific details in the DOJ report and the revisions to police policies made in the wake of the report's release. Some of these changes include prohibiting the deployment of police dogs at mass gatherings or riot scenes and requiring that WPD officers can only conduct enforcement without having a subject of an investigation enter a vehicle. Despite these changes, the police department has criticized the report, saying in an April 16 press release that it was filled with 'mistakes and mischaracterizations.' Worcester's police unions have also slammed the report. The Patrol Officers' Union, New England Police Benevolent Association Local 911, which represents Worcester's police patrol officers, stated that the report 'relies heavily on anecdotal accounts from individuals who are not named and who have had negative experiences with the WPD.' 'The experiences of these women are important and should be investigated,' the union said. 'The DOJ report, however, simply relies on the narrative provided apparently without any investigation of countervailing evidence. The DOJ referenced how the WPD took action in the past when it was brought to their attention that an officer had allegedly committed a sex crime. The WPD took immediate action and conducted a criminal investigation that resulted in a felony conviction.' Gunshot grazed head of 21-year-old in Worcester Child dies after reportedly falling out of window in Central Mass. Here's which Mass. beaches are closed on Memorial Day Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jill Sobule death investigation underway to determine if singer died before fire broke out
An investigation has been launched to determine if singer Jill Sobule passed away before the house fire that took her life. The '90s icon — known for her 1995 anthem 'I Kissed a Girl' — failed to escape the blaze that broke out at her friend's home in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Thursday. She was 66. Now, investigators are looking into whether she was still alive when the house went up in flames. Sobule's body is being tested for drugs, alcohol and carbon monoxide poisoning to determine when and how she passed away, a Ramsey County representative in Minnesota told TMZ. The Ramsey Medical Examiner also confirmed that an investigation into the cause and manner of her death is underway. 'WPD can confirm the victim of the fire yesterday morning was Jill Sobule,' WPD patrol commander Tom Ehrenberg told The Post on Friday. He also revealed investigators are looking into how the fire started. 'The Ramsey County Medical Examiner did not finalize the cause of death. The fire itself, including the cause, is still under active investigation, which is standing operating procedure.' The Post has reached out to the Ramsey County rep, the police department and the coroner for comment. Sobule was reportedly staying with her pals when the unidentified couple's house caught ablaze, Craig Grossman, the singer's rep told TMZ. Woodbury Public Safety authorities were called to the scene at around 5:30 a.m. for the report of an active house fire. 'Upon arrival, responders observed the house fully engulfed in flames. The homeowners reported one person was possibly still inside the home. Woodbury firefighters began actively fighting the fire while also searching for the missing person. Tragically, the missing female, in her 60s, was located deceased inside the home,' the Woodbury Police Department . The friends believed she ran out of the home with them; however, once they were safely outside, they discovered the gut-wrenching truth. Sobule was still inside the house, and the fire was too intense for them to rescue her. Photos show the aftermath of the fatal inferno and the damage it caused to the outside of the property. The couple has no idea what caused their property to catch on fire, with Grossman telling TMZ that none of the trio smoked and Sobule did not use drugs. Her friends aren't just in mourning. The pair reportedly have survivor's guilt. The Denver native first broke out on the scene 30 years ago with 'I Kissed a Girl,' which is widely considered the first openly gay-themed tune to break into the Billboard Top 20. However, Sobule found worldwide success with her song 'Supermodel,' which was featured in Alicia Silverstone's breakout movie 'Clueless' (1995). Millennials will remember the tune during the scene when Silverstone's character Cher and Dionne (Stacey Dash) give their new friend, transfer student Tai (Brittany Murphy), a makeover. Sobule was also behind the autobiographical Drama Desk-nominated musical 'F–k 7th Grade.' The project is approaching its 30-year anniversary, and the original cast recording is set to be released in June alongside a reissue of Sobule's self-titled album, featuring her two best hits, 'I Kissed a Girl' and 'Supermodel.' During Sobule's career, she had 12 albums and even created the theme song for Nickelodeon's 'Unfabulous.' Several of the singer's colleagues addressed her death, with her manager, John Porter, telling The Post, 'Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture. I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.' Her booking agent, Ken Hertz, added that 'Jill wasn't just a client. She was family to us. 'She showed up for every birth, every birthday, and every holiday. She performed at our daughter's wedding, and I was her 'tech' when she performed by Zoom from our living room (while living with us) during the pandemic.' Sobule was scheduled to perform 'Jill Sobule presents: Songs From F–k 7th Grade & More' tonight in Denver, Colorado. In the wake of her shocking death, the event has been canceled. An informal gathering will now take place in her honor, per the theater's website. Sobule is survived by her brother, James, sister-in-law, Mary, and two nephews. A formal memorial celebrating her life will reportedly happen later this summer.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman killed in Sunday shooting was pregnant, Wichita police say; man arrested
Police have identified a 20-year-old woman who died Sunday morning after a shooting in central Wichita. Naomi Oglesby, of Wichita, who was pregnant, died at the hospital shortly after 5 a.m. Doctors were able to deliver her infant, who is currently receiving care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a local hospital, according to a Wichita police news release. A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, police said. Oglesby and the man knew each other, WPD spokesperson Rick Pena said in an email. Police were called at 4:28 a.m. to a report of a shooting in the 700 block of South Laura, near Kellogg and Washington. They found Oglesby, who had been shot. She was taken to a local hospital where she died, Pena added. This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call detectives at 316-268-4407 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man in critical condition after motorcycle crash
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A man is in critical condition after a motorcycle crash in south Wichita Thursday evening. It happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. near Harry Street and Wichita Street, near McLean and Broadway. According to the Wichita Police Department, the crash was between a pickup truck and a motorcycle. The motorcyclist was transported to an area hospital in 'a critical state,' but his current condition is unknown. 'We're still, obviously, investigating the cause of the accident,' WPD Sergeant Clayton Schuler said. 'We're getting the scene set up. We have detectives arriving on scene. Our CAT team's arriving to establish all that.' The driver of the pickup truck is cooperating with the police. 'We have a couple of witnesses who observed the accident, and we're also checking for any video in the area that may have caught it,' Schuler said. Police plan on having the area shut down for at least an hour or two, depending on the motorcyclists' condition. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
