ABC News reports that approximately 50 police officers resigned en masse from the Portland Police Bureau’s Rapid Response Team this week after a member of the team was indicted by a grand jury for excessive use of force during an August 2020 protest in the city. Officer Corey Budsworth was indicted Tuesday on an assault charge for allegedly striking a woman in the head with a baton during the protest. The resignations represent the entire membership of the Rapid Response Team, which is a voluntary assignment that mostly involves crowd control duties. The team has been on duty frequently in recent months because of the extensive demonstrations in Portland following the murder of George Floyd. Keep reading for more news.
Christopher Tyner
Case Summaries: N.C. Court of Appeals (June 15, 2021)
This post summarizes published criminal decisions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on June 15, 2021. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable database of case summaries from 2008 to present.
News Roundup
The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that there has been recent controversy in Madison County following the sheriff’s office hiring a former Asheville police officer and the adoption of a politically charged resolution by county commissioners expressing support for law enforcement. Keep reading for more on this story and other news.
News Roundup
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden spoke at an event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, marking the 100th anniversary of a 1921 racist mob attack that left hundreds dead and the Black community of Greenwood destroyed but that was not widely known by the general public until recently. NPR notes that several documentary projects focusing on what is now known as the Tulsa Race Massacre are being released this month, including films from PBS and the History Channel. Keep reading for more news.
News Roundup
An attack in San Jose on Wednesday that left 10 people dead now is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the California Bay Area. The San Jose Mercury News reports that Samuel Cassidy fired nearly 40 rounds while killing coworkers at a Valley Transit Authority light rail facility. Keep reading for more news.
News Roundup
On Monday, District Attorney Andrew Womble announced his determination that the killing of Andrew Brown Jr. by Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputies during the service of search and arrest warrants at Brown’s home in Elizabeth City last month was justified by reasonable belief that deadly force was necessary due to Brown’s use of his vehicle as a weapon and means of escape. Keep reading for more on this story and other news.
Case Summaries: U.S. Supreme Court (May 17, 2021)
This post summarizes decisions released by the United States Supreme Court on May 17, 2021. As always, they will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable database of case summaries from 2008 to present.
News Roundup
Motorists across the state are scrambling to find gas after a cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline significantly reduced shipments of fuel throughout much of the east coast this week. The attack, which involved encrypting data on the company’s computer systems, is being blamed on a group called DarkSide that is thought to be based in Russia or Eastern Europe. The brazen international crime has caused a ripple effect of relatively minor local crime – as ABC 11 reports, two people have been charged with assault after fighting each other over spots in line at a station in Knightdale. Keep reading for more news.
News Roundup
This week Governor Roy Cooper appointed R. Andrew Murray, the former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, as the acting District Attorney for Prosecutorial District 42 following the removal of Greg Newman from office. Murray served as the District Attorney in Mecklenburg County prior to serving in the federal Western District. Keep reading for more on this story and other news.
News Roundup
Tragedy struck in Boone on Wednesday where two members of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office were killed during a welfare check at a home. Keep reading for more on this story and other news.