Reporter Andrew Knapp attended the first pre-trial hearing today.  He filed the following reports:

UPDATE: Defense argued that Walter Scott got on Slager during a struggle and pummeled him. Attorney Andy Savage said Michael Slager looks forward to clearing his name. Prosecutor Scarlett Wilson, though, said Slager became executioner and planted evidence, lying to make it look like self-defense.
UPDATE: Michael Slager bond hearing is over. No decision by the judge in impassioned, emotional three-hour hearing for Michael Slager, the former North Charleston policeman charged with murder in Walter Scott’s shooting death. (more…)

Activist Judge Barry Williams gave activist Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby a big assist in her goal to convict six Baltimore police officers.  Williams ruled against a venue change motion while saying there’s no evidence they will be unable to seat an impartial jury.
The pre-trial hearings continue this afternoon.

(Via Baltimore Sun) A Baltimore Circuit Court judge ruled Thursday morning that the trials of six police officers charged in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray will stay in Baltimore, saying the defense had failed to prove that the officers cannot receive a fair trial in the city.

“The citizens of Baltimore are not monolithic,” Judge Barry Williams said in his ruling. “They think for themselves.”

(more…)

Keep in mind:  ♦ no wrongdoing has ever been found;  ♦ Marilyn Mosby’s private attorney is the same attorney as Freddie Gray’s family;  ♦ The Gray family never filed a lawsuit, so this is not a “settlement” per se’;  ♦ The possibility of any police wrongful conduct being found during trial is quite probably nil; ♦ The maximum payout under Maryland state law, if lawsuit filed – and if police misconduct could be identified, would have been $400k.

UPDATE:  The nine-page agreement, obtained Wednesday by The Baltimore Sun, shows that Gray’s mother, Gloria Darden, will receive $5.36 million. Gray’s father, Freddie Gray Sr., will receive $640,000. The remainder, $400,000, will be paid to the “Estate of Freddie Gray Jr.”
The city agrees to pay $1.8 million within 15 days, to be divided proportionately among the parities, according to the document. Another $1 million must be paid by Nov. 1.
The remaining $3.6 million will be paid out in the next fiscal year. (link)
(more…)

Officer Michael Slager has been in jail since April charged with murder.  The first judicial hearing for Officer Slager, and the possibility for bond, will take place this Thursday.

Today media reports begin to surface from attorney Andy Savage which glean a considerable similarity in defense to our initial research discoveries:

• Walter Scott was “on top” of Slager during the initial struggle. (link) [we first discovered this in our initial research]
• Walter Scott’s DNA is on the tazer Officer Slager deployed. (link) [this was anticipated as a result of the visible struggle identified ]
• During the struggle Officer Slager was “tazed” twice by Scott using his own weapon (link) [our research previously identified this distinct probability]
• Walter Scott was “fleeing” Officer Slager due to outstanding warrant (child support)
• A strong possibility exists that a weapon was on the scene between the originating point of the initial chase to the final disposition where the video of the lengthy struggle begins. (link)

Here is the current media release containing defense attorney Savage comments. (more…)

Martin O’Malley was the Mayor of Baltimore from 1999 – 2007.  State Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in an interview this weekend the current explosive murder rate within Baltimore is his fault.
(Via Breitbart)  […]  During the taping of the local show “Square Off,” Maryland Shock Trauma physician-in-chief Dr. Thomas Scalea said the worsening violence in the city “seems temporally related to the riots.”
But Mosby completely disagreed with that assessment. “I think the violence was already going up. When you look at January, it was already like 28 murders,” she said.
Mosby claimed that O’Malley’s “zero tolerance” policies led to a climate of mistrust between residents and the police force and despite that O’Malley hasn’t headed the city for eight years, those sour feelings have somehow fueled the city’s violence this year. (more…)

This is a follow-up to this story.

ABILENE, TX – Police have arrested and charged two people suspected of killing an Abilene police officer.
Phillip Walter, 29, and Violetta Walter, 30, were linked to stolen property taken from officer Don Allen’s home.
Shortly after 6 p.m., the Texas Rangers and officers with APD arrested the couple at a south Abilene apartment complex with arrest warrants obtained by the Texas Rangers. Both suspects were charged with first-degree felony murder, which carries confinement from 5-99 years, or life in prison.
Their bond has been set at $500,000 each. (more…)

Unlike many municipalities the Detroit Metropolitan Police Chief has been very proactive within the community supporting gun rights and citizens self-defense second amendment rights.
Last night, two more robbery suspects picked the wrong victim – and the police are righteously non-sympathetic toward the robbers:

“Criminals beware, if you’re going to play that game, people are defending themselves.” ~ Police Captain Darrin Szilagy

DETROIT – An attempted robbery went bad for two suspects as their intended victim shot them both.

Numerous reports are surfacing that a Texas police officer was murdered in his home on Monday.  However, there are disputed rumors and sketchy claims about motive and intents surrounding the homicide.   Evaluate cautiously.
(Via Breitbart) – An Abilene, Texas, police officer who was found dead in his home on Monday is now suspected to have been murdered, according to authorities. Officials appear to be holding information about the officer’s death close to the vest.
After finding Abilene Police Officer Don Allen dead in his home on Monday, investigators are now saying it appears his death is a homicide, according to a report by CBS News. It is not believed; however, that he was targeted simply for being a police officer. (more…)

Sketchy details so far.  A gunman in/around Millis Massachusetts opened fire on a police cruiser.  The police car caught fire, exploded. Report officer shot at 3 times.  Cruiser crashed. No details on the officer’s condition. Suspect: white male in maroon pick-up truck.

UPDATE: As of 3:30 p.m., a SWAT Team was also setting up on Forest Road.  Wrentham has two officers on the scene and Chief James Anderson said a search is in progress for two suspects on foot in the woods in the Forest Road area, near Birch and Village streets.  (link)
MILLIS, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) – Mass. State Police are responding to Millis to after reports of shots fired at a cruiser Wednesday.  State police on scene in Millis after a cruiser was struck. State police tweeted saying that their Air Wing is also responding.

Source tells #FOX25 a #Millis officer checked on disabled vehicle when he was shot at 3 times. Police searching Millis, Medfield, Norfolk

— Boston 25 News (@boston25) September 2, 2015

Police say the suspect who shot @MillisPolice cruiser is white man, driving dark colored, possibly maroon, pickup #FOX25

— Boston 25 News (@boston25) September 2, 2015

(more…)

Mosby is a very lucky State Attorney. Maryland state law prohibits cameras and recording devices in court rooms. Her ineptitude, and the weakness behind the false construct of her case, will be masked without sunlight. Unfortunately, we are going to have to rely on reporters and media accounts for details.

Update 6:00pm – SEPARATE TRIALS – A judge on Wednesday ordered that six Baltimore Police officers charged in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray be tried separately.
The ruling was one of three that Judge Barry Williams handed down during the first pre-trial motions hearing in the case. Williams earlier denied defense motions to dismiss charges against the officers and to recuse State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby’s office from the case.
Prosecutors sought to have the six officers tried in groups, while defense attorneys had argued their clients should be tried separately.  Williams said trying the officers together would not be “in the interest of justice.”  (link) (more…)