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Lawsuit filed against Independence officers in shooting that killed mother, infant daughter
Lawsuit filed against Independence officers in shooting that killed mother, infant daughter

Yahoo

time14 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Lawsuit filed against Independence officers in shooting that killed mother, infant daughter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The , a woman who was killed in an Independence police shooting last November alongside her infant daughter, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Jackson County against the officers who were involved. An attorney for Tom and Lynn Pike, along with Mitchell Holder, Jr., filed suit on Thursday against Independence police officers Jordan White and Chad Cox for the Nov. 7, 2024, shooting. The lawsuit claims that on the afternoon of Pike's death, just before 1:45 p.m., both officers were called to the on reports of a domestic disturbance. Kansas City Fire Department responds to 23 water rescues during overnight storms When the officers arrived, Holder's mother told police that Maria had hit her while she tried to see her granddaughter. Officers then went inside the apartment building and talked with Holder in the doorway of their unit. Holder told police that before they arrived, his mother had allegedly 'unlawfully' entered their apartment through a sliding glass door. After his mother entered, Holder claimed he asked her to leave, but she refused, forcing he and Pike to physically force her out of their apartment. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege the officers disregarded Holder's story and made the 'unlawful decision' to arrest Pike and remove their nearly 3-month-old daughter, Destinii Hope, from their custody. The lawsuit states officers knew Pike struggled with mental health issues, specifically but proceeded to try to remove the baby. Previously released bodycam footage showed Pike shaking her head in response to officer's questions while holding the baby, but not speaking. 'Both officers recognized Maria (Pike) suffered from some type of mental illness, and knew from their training and experience that forcibly removing [Destinii] from Maria's arms would likely escalate into violence, resulting in harm to Maria and [Destinii], unless the officers took some appropriate measures to avoid such harm,' the lawsuit said. When Pike refused to hand over her baby, the lawsuit claims the officers chose to take action and tried to remove Destinii from her arms. The lawsuit alleges officers then 'prepared' for an altercation with Maria, anticipating that someone could get hurt, and 'physically closed in' on her and her daughter. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Bodycam footage showed Officer White backing into a closet as Pike grabbed a knife from a bedside table, and approached White. He then shot Pike, who was also holding Destinii. . The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office declined to criminally charge both officers in March 2025, citing use of force laws in Missouri. Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said the officer's use of deadly force fell within the protection of the law. Pike's family and Holder are suing for compensatory damages, punitive damages, prejudgment and post-judgment interest as provided by law and equity, court costs and other further relief that may be necessary. On Thursday, FOX4 reached out to Independence Police for comment. A spokesperson said the police department does not comment on pending litigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Tesla heads to Miami court for wrongful death trial involving Autopilot system
Tesla heads to Miami court for wrongful death trial involving Autopilot system

CBS News

time4 days ago

  • Automotive
  • CBS News

Tesla heads to Miami court for wrongful death trial involving Autopilot system

Tesla heads to federal court in Miami on Monday to defend its Autopilot system in a wrongful death case involving the death of a 22-year-old college student. The fatal crash took place in April 2019, when a Model S Tesla equipped with the Autopilot technology struck a parked vehicle in Key Largo, Florida, killing one woman and gravely injuring a man. The lawsuit, originally filed in April 23, 2021, in the 11th Judicial Court of Florida in Miami-Dade County, marks the first wrongful death case against Tesla to make it to trial. The plaintiffs, Dillon Angulo, and the family of Naibel Benavides Leo, who was killed in the accident, are requesting punitive damages and compensation for medical costs and other expenses. The trial will be a major test for the EV maker which has had to contend with slumping sales and a hit to its stock price after CEO Elon Musk took on a central role within the Trump Administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has since stepped back from leading DOGE, although earlier this month after renewing a squabble with President Trump over the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, he floated launching a third party, dubbed the "America Party" — a move experts say could further imperil the billionaire's company's future. Tesla is also in the midst of rolling out its self-driving Robotaxis, which were part of a pilot in Austin Texas last month. The lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case did not respond to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment. Autopilot's reputation at stake According to recent court filings connected to the case, Tesla-owner George McGee had the Autopilot function of his 2019 Tesla Model S activated as he was driving on two-lane rural road in Key Largo on April 25, 2019. McGee dropped his phone as he was approaching an intersection, and lost sight of the road as he bent down to pick it up, court documents state. In that moment, McGee's car allegedly plowed through the T-shaped intersection at over 60 miles per hour failing to break before crashing into the side of Chevrolet Tahoe truck parked on the side of the road, killing Naibel Benavides Leon, 22, and seriously injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo who were standing by the truck, which was owned by Angulo. At issue is whether the car's Autopilot system was defective and contributed to the death of Benavides. In a court filing, Todd Poses, one of the plaintiff's lawyer claims that design defects in the car's Autopilot system failed to detect obstacles, such as the profile of the Chevy Tahoe, resulting in the death of Benavides. In its Motion for Summary Judgement, filed on June 26, Tesla argues that the Autopilot feature "did not make the car 'self-driving'" and that McGee was aware "was high aware that it was still [his] responsibility to operate the vehicle safely even with Autopilot activate." "The evidence clearly shows that this crash had nothing to do with Tesla's Autopilot technology. Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cell phones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver. To his credit, he took responsibility for his actions because he was searching for his dropped cell phone while also pressing the accelerator, speeding and overriding the car's system at the time of the crash. In 2019 when this occurred, no crash avoidance technology existed that could have prevented this tragic accident," Tesla said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. Trial Details The trial begins July 14. Mary Cummings, a George Mason University professor and expert on advanced driver-assistance systems is likely to testify at the trial, documents from the lawsuit's docket indicate. McGee, the driver of the car, is also expected to testify.

Marine hopeful found dead on roadside after holiday party may have been 'beat to death,' lawsuit claims
Marine hopeful found dead on roadside after holiday party may have been 'beat to death,' lawsuit claims

Yahoo

time5 days ago

  • Yahoo

Marine hopeful found dead on roadside after holiday party may have been 'beat to death,' lawsuit claims

A Marine hopeful from Oklahoma who was found dead and naked on the side of a road in 2023 may have been beaten to death, a new wrongful death lawsuit states. Noah Presgrove, 19, had attended a multi-day Labor Day party with friends that weekend before his body was found off U.S. Highway 81 in Terral on Sept. 4, 2023. Officials found teeth, a necklace and basketball shorts next to Presgrove's lifeless body. While authorities initially speculated that Presgrove may have been struck by a car after the party, the lawsuit filed on June 23 seeking at least $75,000 in damages alleges that the 19-year-old's death "was not caused by being hit with a motor vehicle." Fox News Digital reached out to the plaintiff's attorney for comment. Family Of Oklahoma Teen Noah Presgrove Speaks Out 2 Years After Mysterious Death Presgrove had attended the Labor Day party that weekend, which allegedly involved underage drinking, hosted by defendants Avery Howard, Carter Combs, and Logan Jernigan, according to the lawsuit. Read On The Fox News App The party took place on a property owned by defendant Johnnie Trout Wilcoxson Jr. in a trailer owned by defendant Stevie Howard, the complaint states. Some of the defendants did not have legal representation listed at the time of publication, and none of the defendants had responded to the lawsuit at the time of publication. Andrew Benedict, an Oklahoma-based attorney representing Wilcoxson and Howard, has not responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. Oklahoma Authorities 'Hesitant' To Rule Teen's Death A Homicide, Famed Pathologist Suggests The complaint alleges that defendant Jack Newton, despite being under 21, purchased the alcohol from Napoli's convenience store, operated by Val Petrol, LLC. Fox News Digital reached out to Val Petrol, LLC for comment. Oklahoma Teen Military Hopeful's Family 'Can't Imagine' He Was Murdered, Offers Theory About His Last Hours Presgove's blood alcohol level was about twice the legal limit at the time of his death. Presgrove had apparently been drinking at a house party where he was involved in a rollover incident while riding an ATV that Newton apparently permitted Presgrove to ride even though he was intoxicated at the time, according to the medical examiner's full report, upon further investigation. "The highway was poorly lit at night. There were no vehicle parts or debris observed on the scene. Further investigation revealed that the decedent was at a house party and drinking on September 3, 2023," the full report reads, in part. "Then he rode an ATV ranger vehicle with several men that had a roll over incident. … The decedent left the house party and was not found until the morning of September 4, 2023, on the side of the highway." An investigation also revealed that Presgrove had returned to the party after the ATV incident. He was last seen in a "verbal argument" with Howard and Newton around 3:41 a.m. on Sept. 4, the lawsuit states. The medical examiner ruled Presgrove's cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities. Cause Of Death Determined For Oklahoma Teen Military Hopeful Found On Side Of Road "Decedent was beat to death by one or more of the defendants," the complaint says, though it does not include factual allegations demonstrating that Presgrove was beaten to death, adding that "two or more defendants engaged in a civil conspiracy to beat [Presgrove]." Third Teen Death In National Forest Raises Alarm As Two High Schoolers Found Shot During Camping Trip The lawsuit accuses the defendants of duty of care violations, civil conspiracy, negligence and recklessness in connection with Presgrove's death. Presgrove had graduated from high school three months early with plans to enlist in the military alongside his cousin. Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this article source: Marine hopeful found dead on roadside after holiday party may have been 'beat to death,' lawsuit claims

Marine hopeful found dead on roadside after holiday party may have been 'beat to death,' lawsuit claims
Marine hopeful found dead on roadside after holiday party may have been 'beat to death,' lawsuit claims

Fox News

time5 days ago

  • Fox News

Marine hopeful found dead on roadside after holiday party may have been 'beat to death,' lawsuit claims

A Marine hopeful from Oklahoma who was found dead and naked on the side of a road in 2023 may have been beaten to death, a new wrongful death lawsuit states. Noah Presgrove, 19, had attended a multi-day Labor Day party with friends that weekend before his body was found off U.S. Highway 81 in Terral on Sept. 4, 2023. Officials found teeth, a necklace and basketball shorts next to Presgrove's lifeless body. While authorities initially speculated that Presgrove may have been struck by a car after the party, the lawsuit filed on June 23 seeking at least $75,000 in damages alleges that the 19-year-old's death "was not caused by being hit with a motor vehicle." Fox News Digital reached out to the plaintiff's attorney for comment. Presgrove had attended the Labor Day party that weekend, which allegedly involved underage drinking, hosted by defendants Avery Howard, Carter Combs, and Logan Jernigan, according to the lawsuit. The party took place on a property owned by defendant Johnnie Trout Wilcoxson Jr. in a trailer owned by defendant Stevie Howard, the complaint states. Some of the defendants did not have legal representation listed at the time of publication, and none of the defendants had responded to the lawsuit at the time of publication. Andrew Benedict, an Oklahoma-based attorney representing Wilcoxson and Howard, has not responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. The complaint alleges that defendant Jack Newton, despite being under 21, purchased the alcohol from Napoli's convenience store, operated by Val Petrol, LLC. Fox News Digital reached out to Val Petrol, LLC for comment. Presgove's blood alcohol level was about twice the legal limit at the time of his death. "Either intentionally or accidentally, the defendants killed the decedent." Presgrove had apparently been drinking at a house party where he was involved in a rollover incident while riding an ATV that Newton apparently permitted Presgrove to ride even though he was intoxicated at the time, according to the medical examiner's full report, upon further investigation. "The highway was poorly lit at night. There were no vehicle parts or debris observed on the scene. Further investigation revealed that the decedent was at a house party and drinking on September 3, 2023," the full report reads, in part. "Then he rode an ATV ranger vehicle with several men that had a roll over incident. … The decedent left the house party and was not found until the morning of September 4, 2023, on the side of the highway." An investigation also revealed that Presgrove had returned to the party after the ATV incident. He was last seen in a "verbal argument" with Howard and Newton around 3:41 a.m. on Sept. 4, the lawsuit states. The medical examiner ruled Presgrove's cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities. "Decedent was beat to death by one or more of the defendants," the complaint says, though it does not include factual allegations demonstrating that Presgrove was beaten to death, adding that "two or more defendants engaged in a civil conspiracy to beat [Presgrove]." The lawsuit accuses the defendants of duty of care violations, civil conspiracy, negligence and recklessness in connection with Presgrove's death. Presgrove had graduated from high school three months early with plans to enlist in the military alongside his cousin.

Karen Read lands lucrative book deal while witnesses face continued harassment after acquittal
Karen Read lands lucrative book deal while witnesses face continued harassment after acquittal

Fox News

time5 days ago

  • Fox News

Karen Read lands lucrative book deal while witnesses face continued harassment after acquittal

EXCLUSIVE IMAGES: Life is moving on for all the key players except John O'Keefe's family after a Massachusetts jury found his former girlfriend Karen Read not guilty of all homicide-related charges in his death outside a midnight house party during a blizzard on Jan. 29, 2022. O'Keefe's niece and nephew, who he took in after their parents died, are orphaned for a second time. Read has a book deal – and a TV series about her saga in the works. But she's also facing a wrongful death lawsuit, which requires a lesser standard of guilt to hold her liable. Her civil team filed a motion to dismiss earlier this week. An outside investigation by the FBI found no alternate suspects and dispelled allegations of corruption leveled at local and state police. But prosecutors and investigators who led the case are facing a reckoning. The Albert family, former owners of the property where Read and two other women found O'Keefe dead under a sheet of snow, just celebrated a wedding. Jennifer McCabe, a key witness in both of Read's trials and one of the women with Read that morning, is the new bride's aunt. At the wedding, attendees pitched in to hire private security after Read's supporters allegedly circulated the venue online. Local police made their presence known, too. A marked SUV was parked at the foot of the church steps. Kerry Roberts, a friend of O'Keefe's who was also present with McCabe and Read when they found his body, told Fox News Digital she is among the witnesses facing an ongoing harassment campaign, along with the Alberts, the McCabes and O'Keefe's immediate family. "I don't know why they're making Jen McCabe a villain," she said in a phone interview. "All she did was answer the same phone call I did. Karen called her. She didn't call Karen. It's so stupid and bizarre." The victim's mother, Peggy O'Keefe, is dealing with harassment of her own, including a woman seen dancing on video at the foot of her driveway after Read's acquittal. Roberts said the Norfolk District Attorney's Office told her to stop contacting their witness advocate after the trial, even as strangers continue to throw things at her house, call her family "murderers" in the supermarket and mock her children. "We put our a--es on the line for three and a half years, two trials, to help the state of Massachusetts, and you're not going to help us when we're being harassed?" she said. "It's not worth it to put my family through ever again, and not be protected at all. It's sick. It's absolutely sick." There's an ongoing witness intimidation case against Aidan Kearney, a Canton blogger who goes by the name Turtleboy, but while Roberts is not one of his alleged victims, she says she faces rude comments and other harassment from random members of the community. After baseball games, kids on the team opposing her son might tell him "Free Karen Read" while lining up to shake hands, she said. She filed a complaint against her mailman, who allegedly muttered a vulgarity into her doorbell camera when he saw a "Justice for John O'Keefe" sign at her house. Now someone else delivers her letters. "My message to people is don't ever be a witness," she said. "If this happens to you, you're not gonna be protected at all." Read's lead defense lawyer Alan Jackson returned to Los Angeles in time for the Fourth of July holiday, where he was seen cruising in a Shelby Cobra replica – powered by a 351 Stroker he described as "a fire-breathing dragon." "[It's] taking a while to come down," he told Fox News Digital. "But I'm slowly getting back into my rhythm." He already has another deadly crash case lined up – the defense of Fraser Bohm, a 22-year-old from Malibu facing four counts of murder in a high-speed wreck that killed four sorority girls from Pepperdine University in October 2023. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER Bohm is due back in court next month after Jackson asked for more time to prep a defense for his new client. Michael Proctor, a former homicide detective with the Massachusetts State Police, lost his job but may still resurface in the upcoming murder trial of Brian Walshe – who is accused of killing his wife Ana outside Boston. Her remains have not been found. Proctor worked that case, too, and Walshe's lawyers have argued his presence tainted the investigation. That trial is scheduled to kick off in October. State police fired Proctor after he sent lewd texts about Read to his friends – officially faulting him for sharing law enforcement sensitive information with civilians – and for drinking on the job. His former supervisor, Yuri Bukhenik, was also reassigned in the wake of Read's second trial out of the homicide unit in Norfolk County and to an administrative post in Boston, according to Boston 25. Read's defense alleged a cover-up by state and local police, alternately insinuating they got lazy in the investigation and failed to do a thorough job or outright framed her. Hank Brennan, the high-powered defense attorney hired as a special prosecutor to lead Read's second trial, reportedly raked in more than $550,000 for his work, according to the Boston Herald. That's a reasonable sum for a private lawyer, said retired Massachusetts judge and Boston College law professor Jack Lu, but also much more than a deputy district attorney on the state payroll would have made: "Probably $130,000 annually." Brennan put in long days and likely worked through weekends, while keeping his private practice open at the same time, he added. And while in a rare public statement he slammed the prevalence of witness intimidation and apologized for not securing a conviction, O'Keefe's supporters indicated they appreciate his work on the case. "The jury pool was completely tainted is all I can say," Roberts told Fox News Digital. "Hank did so much work. He was a genius. He really was. Nobody could've gotten it done. Which is wicked sad."

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