Ron T. Ennis/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT via Getty Images TCU Student Found Dead After Being Accused Of Hazing A Texas Christian University student who had been accused of hazing has reportedly committed suicide. Officials found 19-year-old Andrew Walker of Westford, Massachusetts dead on the ground after he appeared to have jumped from the fourth floor of an apartment complex on the TCU campus. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner reported that the student appeared to have committed suicide and died from “blunt force trauma from a fall,” Fox News reported . Before this incident, police arrested Walker, along with another student named Christopher Thorne Barksdale, last month on charges of hazing students in the Kappa Sigma fraternity. A pledge was taken to a local hospital after being forced to drink large quantities of alcohol in the process. TCU officials suspended the fraternity following the incident. In addition to the hazing charge, Walker also faced a court appearance later this month for a DWI arrest, according to reports from the Dallas Morning News . University officials commented on the incident in a written statement, saying the following: “Texas Christian University is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our students, Andrew Walker. We are a small campus community and a death among our Horned Frog family wounds us all. We send our heartfelt thoughts, prayers and condolences to the family in this difficult time. Counselors and university ministers stand ready to assist students, faculty and staff who need support in the days and weeks ahead.”
T he family of the Black man who was killed by a police officer in his own Dallas apartment last month still has plans to sue the city, according to a new report. Botham Jean ’s family announced their intentions earlier this month to sue Dallas for civil rights violations, but the lawsuit was seemingly in limbo last week after Jean’s mother said some questions she had were being answered by officials. Lawyers representing the family revealed details of the pending lawsuit on Monday, showing exactly what Jean’s parents were hoping to accomplish with it. “Jean’s parents say they want their lawsuit to not just focus on how their son died, but to change how police officers are trained about when to fire their weapons,” the Dallas Morning News reported Monday afternoon. Are police departments really investigating the cops who killed Botham Jean and O'Shae Terry? A pattern emerges… https://t.co/ytvCIdZylc pic.twitter.com/weG5wpTOU9 — NewsOne (@newsone) October 10, 2018 Part of the lawsuit will also focus on what Jean’s family has described as incompetence on the part of law enforcement, including Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson , who reportedly assured the family that the case was progressing. Johnson, who was appointed DA nearly two years ago, was running to be elected to the post next month and has at times seemed more concerned with her campaign than Jean’s killing. “The Jeans also fault [Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé] Hall for turning over the case to the Rangers and say Dallas police should have kept investigating,” Dallas Morning News also reported. “Hall has said she turned over the case in an effort to be more transparent.” However, Hall, at one point in the weeks after the shooting, told reporters that she was “prohibited” from firing Amber Guyger , the officer who killed Jean. Less than a week later, Guyger was fired. There’s also the issue of the criminal charge Guyger was facing. She was charged with manslaughter , but that could be changed to murder depending on what a grand jury decides. However, it was unclear when, or if, a grand jury would ever convene. It’s been nearly seven weeks since Guyger entered Jean’s apartment and killed him on Sept. 6, implausibly confusing her rental unit for his and purportedly suspecting he was an intruder in her home. Local law enforcement has been accused of helping Guyger coverup her crime , allowing her to avoid criminal charges and remain free nearly three days following the shooting before she turned herself in and was arrested. She was finally fired nearly three weeks after she killed Jean. Her toxicology report has also not been released even though she reportedly submitted to a test the night of the shooting. Where is Amber Guyger’s toxicology report? Questions about Botham Jean’s killer mount as she is given plenty of time to prepare her defense. https://t.co/XykjC85iuy pic.twitter.com/KHQVQkzet2 — NewsOne (@newsone) October 8, 2018 Jean family attorney Lee Merritt told journalist Jordan Chariton last week that Guyger was also given time to delete all of her social media accounts, except for her Pinterest account which “bragged about being violent, being short tempered. She bragged about use of force and she spoke out adamantly against things like kneeling [during the anthem] and said the NFL died of ‘Colin’ [Kaeprnick] cancer.” SEE ALSO: Dallas DA Accused Of Bungling Botham Jean Case Gets Major Endorsement For Election Where Is Amber Guyger’s Toxicology Report? Questions About Botham Jean’s Killer Mount [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3827246″ overlay=”true”]
Armaan Singh Sarai Locked Up For 3 Days After Bully Accuses Him Of Bomb Threat A 12-year-old Indian boy was locked up for 3 days after a bully at his school accused him of making a bomb to blow up the campus according to International Business Times reports: A Sikh 12-year-old spent about three days in a juvenile detention center this week after police arrested him at school in what some are comparing to the case of “clock kid” Ahmed Mohamed. Armaan Singh Sarai, a 7th-grader in Arlington, Texas, was accused of making a terrorist threat, though his family and the police were still arguing over on the circumstances days later, the Dallas Morning News reported. The Arlington Independent School District alerted the local police department Dec. 11 after Armaan allegedly threatened to blow up his junior high school using a bomb in his backpack. Officers searched his bag but found no explosives, the Arlington Voice reported. Though Armaan said he was just kidding, the police arrested him. “Unfortunately, when things like this occur, we do take this very seriously,” Lt. Christopher Cook told the local NBC affiliate. “Whether it’s written or spoken, when it crosses the line and causes this type of alarm, this panic in the community, that’s when it really rises into this terroristic threat statute that’s on the books.” Armaan went to juvenile detention. The school district said it notified his parents where he was, but the family said they panicked when he went missing. That wasn’t the only part of the story they were fighting over. In a viral Facebook post Tuesday, Armaan’s cousin Ginee Haer wrote that “a bully in his class thought it would be funny to accuse him of having a bomb” and “without any questioning, interrogation or notification to his parents, called the police.” Discuss. Facebook
Police Fatally Shoot Homeowner After He Shoots Intruder A Texas man who shot and killed a burglar who attempted to rob his home is now dead after police fatally shot him when arriving to scene and “not realizing” that the gun-wielding man was defending his home. via Fox News A Texas homeowner was shot dead by police after he shot and killed a career criminal who broke into his home Thursday night, authorities say. The Dallas Morning News reports police did not realize 57-year-old William Keith Hall was defending his home when they arrived, and that Hall ignored the officers’ repeated demands he drop his weapon. Maj. Jeff Cotner tells the paper Hall pointed a pistol at police officers and witnesses on the scene, and that he had plenty of time to “de-escalate the situation.” “He was given plenty of notice, and he didn’t choose a path other than to confront officers,” Cotner said. Hall also allegedly pointed his gun at a contractor working on a house nearby who called 911 after hearing the shots. The caller, later identified as David Humphrey, told authorities Hall was yelling at witnesses to get away from the man who allegedly broke into his home, identified as 30-year-old Jerry Wayne Hale, after he shot him. Humphrey said Hall tried to fire at the witnesses but his gun was apparently jammed. The Dallas Morning News reports Hale had been arrested 14 times since 2000, and that his girlfriend told authorities he had gone to Hall’s home to burglarize it. Another day, another group of police men who “mistakenly” killed somebody and try to justify it. SMH. Continue reading →
He’s almost better known as the father of Willow and Jaden Smith these days than as a movie star himself, but Will Smith is known as something else today: A birthday boy! The new 45-year old continues to battle against divorce rumors, insisting all is fine between him and wife Jada. He was also responsible for After Earth this summer, a film dubbed the worst in cinematic history by some critics. Let’s not remind him of that on his big day. Let’s simply raise a glass instead and toast the A-lister and former Oscar nominee. Submit your very best birthday wishes on September 25 for this star and the following ones as well: Catherine Zeta-Jones (44) Scottie Pippen (48) Michael Douglas (69) Barbara Walters (84)
A 430-pound gorilla named Patrick is on the move from Dallas to South Carolina. But he isn’t taking a vacation to check out the sights. Deputy Dallas Zoo Director Lynn Kramer says the animal was neglected by his mother and raised by humans – and, as a result, has had difficulty bonding with other members of his species. Especially, the females. Sexist Gorilla Sent to South Carolina “We’ve made a colossal effort to work with him,” Kramer told The Dallas Morning News . “He’s definitely a staff favorite and he would have been a successful leader for a troupe here. But it was not to be.” Patrick has reportedly treated women worse than Joe Francis , nipping at them and “exerting dominance” when placed in their vicinity, according to the zoo’s latest posting on Facebook. The females “became so stressed that they couldn’t eat,” the zoo sadly explained. Due to his behavior, Patrick will live in his own enclosure at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. “Patrick isn’t going away for “therapy” and he’s not “antisocial,” the zoo said in a statement. “He is simply socialized more to people than to gorillas, so he prefers to be alone. This carefully planned move has been years in the making, involving gorilla experts from across the nation, and is the best move for him and for our Zoo.”
Skeptical GOP Advocate Unable To Live On Average Allotment Of Food Stamps Last week, we reported on a GOP advocate who enrolled to temporarily live on food-stamp benefits for one week to prove his point that decreasing the current average allotment of food stamps given to recipients in the program wouldn’t leave them hungry if they’d spend wisely and not “intentionally” buy expensive items. Well, it looks like his words have come back bite him in the azz, as he recently found himself having to come out of pocket after his allotment of food stamps ran out. via Think Progress An aide to Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) failed the so-called “SNAP Challenge” last week, just days after accusing Democrats of “intentionally buying overpriced food and shopping at high-priced chains.” The aide, Donny Ferguson, accepted the challenge in response to dozens of Democrats who lived off the program for a week to draw attention to the inadequacy of the average benefit of $4.50 per day. In a press release issued by Stockman’s office, Ferguson initially bragged that he “was able to buy enough food to eat well for a week on just $27.58, almost four dollars less than the $31.50 “SNAP Challenge” figure.” The list, which is posted on Stockman’s website, included prepared foods like red beans and rice, peanut butter, and even popsicles, but no vegetables. “That is my diet for the week and I’m not eating outside of it. Feeling great and I’ve gained two pounds,” Ferguson told ThinkProgress on Wednesday, adding,”Reality has a way of mocking liberalism.” But days later, it seems that the challenges of living on just a little more than $31.50 a week caught up with Ferguson. The Dallas Morning News reported on Monday that the communications aide had to buy additional food after embarking on an unexpected trip. Since he was unable to carry his canned purchases onto the plane, “Ferguson limited himself to $9 in meals while traveling” and ended up “going about 14 percent over budget.” As the paper notes, “While it could be assumed most SNAP recipients don’t have to worry about flying and carry-on charges, unexpected changes in plans can happen to anyone. Someone who relied on the program might not have had the cash to buy additional food if they faced a similar situation.” While it may or may not be true that the average person enrolled in the program doesn’t normally incur traveling expenses, this just goes to show that there are plenty of other unforeseen situations that could arise and deplete the average allotment to the point where it’s not enough. Sounds like the GOP goon-squad just got a taste of their own medicine! Continue reading →
All the Big 12-2 Conference news that is and isn’t fit to read… And some other stuff. “I’ve always thought the sign of a great program is consistency,” Barnes said. “I tell our team every year: ‘Our goal is to get to the NCAA tournament.’ The more you get there, eventually it’s going to click for you.” [ Yahoo Sports ] Texas isn’t a big enough name for you? [ Dallas Morning News ] “We knew we were… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Burnt Orange Nation Discovery Date : 16/03/2011 21:31 Number of articles : 2
‘JFK is one of my heroes,’ says singer, who will be fined for nude shoot in Dallas. By Joel Hanek Erykah Badu in “Window Seat” Photo: Universal Motown Soon after learning that she will be charged with disorderly conduct for the nude shoot of her new music video, “Window Seat” — for which she faces a fine up to $500 — Erykah Badu appeared on the “The Wanda Sykes” show on Saturday. In her first interview about the video, the singer denied that she intended the clip to dishonor the late President John F. Kennedy. “My point was grossly misunderstood all over America,” she said of the video, which she made at Dealey Plaza, where JFK was assassinated in 1963. “JFK is one of my heroes, one of the nation’s heroes. … John F. Kennedy was a revolutionary; he was not afraid to butt heads with America, and I was not afraid to show America my butt-naked truth.” Erykah Badu’s ‘Window Seat’: Shot By Shot Sykes showed her own, less successful version of the video, “Middle Seat,” to an amused Badu, who also performed her single live (albeit fully clothed). MTV News recently spoke with Coodie and Chike of Creative Control, the directors of “Window Seat,” who said Badu fully understood the possible repercussions of not only filming without a proper permit, but also of the public nudity. “We had bail money and everything,” Coodie said. “I think she really wanted to get arrested and even make a bigger message.” According to the The Dallas Morning News, an official from the Dallas police department said the Grammy winner’s citation is a misdemeanor that’s the equivalent of a traffic ticket. Deputy Police Chief Mike Genovesi told the paper that a witness had come forward and claimed to have seen Badu strip on the street. “The witness had two small children with her and was offended,” he said. On her site , Badu recently released a second version of the video, titled “Window Seat (Reexamined),” shows the original footage in reverse. Her album, New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, was released last week. Related Photos The Evolution Of: Erykah Badu Erykah Badu’s ‘Window Seat’ Bystanders Erykah Badu’s ‘Window Seat’: Shot By Shot Related Artists Erykah Badu
