Keeping The Sheeple Up To Date With Reality!!!
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Texas plumber sues dealership after his truck winds up in ISIS video He's seeking $1 million.
Texas plumber Mark Oberholtzer is suing the Houston car dealership that sold his pickup truck without first removing his business's decal for over $1 million—because the truck ended up in the hands of the Islamic State (ISIS).
After trading in his 2005 Ford F-250 truck to Charlie Thomas Ford in 2013, Oberholtzer had no idea it would wind up associated with the extremist organization. The vehicle's CARFAX history report shows the truck sold at a Texas auction on Nov. 11, 2013; then nearly one month later, it arrived in Mersin, Turkey, according to Oberholtzer's lawsuit.
From there, things only get more bizarre. On Dec. 15, 2014, Caleb Weiss, a contributor at the Long War Journal researching jihadist groups, tweeted a photo that clearly showed Oberholtzer's truck being used as an anti-aircraft vehicle in Syria. (The suit claims Weiss is a "member of Ansar al-Deen, a jihadist group operating near Aleppo in Syria.")
The truck prominently displays 'Mark-1 Plumbing' on its side, as well as Oberholtzer's business phone number.
Two days after the tweet, when the media got wind of the story, Oberholtzer claimed in his suit that he received more than 1,000 threatening phone calls from people who believed he was aiding and abetting terrorists. It didn't help that Stephen Colbert picked up on the story for the last episode of The Colbert Report, which was viewed by nearly 2.5 million people.
The threats and publicity forced Oberholtzer to shut down his business for seven days, and consult with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI about his personal safety, according to the suit. He claime that he has since started carrying a handgun for protection.
When Oberholtzer traded in his vehicle, he attempted to remove the decal, the lawsuit said; however, a salesman informed him that the dealership had a stronger solution that would prevent paint damage, and the staff would take care of it. Oberholtzer had no idea the truck "would be transferred in some fashion to international jihadists conducting warfare upon innocents in Syria," according to the suit.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Another Tamir Rice – Florida Cops Shoot 14-Year-Old Playing With Toy Gun
An African American boy was just shot by Florida police in Jacksonville, on Friday night. The police say he was holding a toy Airsoft gun – much like the case last year with 12-year-old Tamir Rice, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Police say that the boy suffered an injury to the leg, but he is expected to survive.
When asked if the child was actually violating any laws, the police told us that there were no crimes they could report at this time that he is being accused of.
Police sources say that they were called to a Jacksonville woman’s house just after 11 p.m.
They say that the woman claimed there was an “armed prowler” at her window, according to Tom Hackney of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Officer Josh Livingood says that he “approached the teen and told him to put his hands up.”
He claims – inexplicably – that the child then “pulled the gun”, which was actually a toy, and “pointed it,” according to Hackney.
Livingood then fired six shots at the boy. Thankfully, he missed all but one of those shots.
Livingood has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to police sources, pending an internal investigation that will no doubt clear him of any wrong-doing.
He has not been charged with any crime at this time, but neither has his victim.
“It”s a sad and unfortunate thing that it turns out that it was a BB gun, but it would be as equally sad and as equally unfortunate if that officer hesitated because he wasn’t sure it was a BB gun and I’m out here updating you on a dead police officer,” Hackney said to reporters last night.
The child has not been identified. Police claim he has “developmental and psychiatric disorders.”
We asked the Jacksonville police how they would have access to this sort of medical information. They had no comment.
“Why a 14-year-old would be roaming the streets, carrying what looks like a gun … there’s nothing good that’s going to come of that,” Hackney said – blaming the victim of trigger-happy police aggression.
Hackney admitted that the child had “no criminal history” but he said that he “has had multiple interactions” with the Jacksonville police. We asked again if this involved any criminal activity. The answer was no.
So in other words, the police are contorting half-truths to blame the victim of police violence and brutality.
Sheriff’s Deputies Fatally Shoot a BlackMan in Lynwood (Warning: Graphic Video)
A man appears to be walking away from sheriff's deputies as a barrage of bullets were fired at him, killing the man in Lynwood on Saturday, video provided to KTLA shows.
The shooting occurred around 11:10 a.m. at the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The man died at the scene.
Deputies first responded to several calls reporting a person -- described as a black man wearing a checkered shirt -- was seen with a gun near Magnolia and Alpine avenues, Lt. Eddie Hernandez with the sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
Additional callers told officials the man was moving eastbound on Magnolia, toward Long Beach Boulevard, a block away from the initial report.
At one point, the man was said to be actively shooting, according to Hernandez. It was not known where he was allegedly shooting, or if one or more witnesses reported this detail.
Responding deputies gave the man "several commands" to drop the gun.
"We have witnesses that say that the suspect turned, pointed the gun at the deputies, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred," Hernandez said.
Investigators had yet to speak to the deputies involved, he added.
A person who wished to remain anonymous sent KTLA a 29-second video Saturday afternoon that apparently captured some of fatal incident.
In it, a sheriff's deputy follows a man who appears to be walking away from the official and next to an Arco gas station.
At least a dozen gunshots can then be heard being fired, and the man falls to the ground.
Officials investigate a deadly shooting in Lynwood on Dec. 12, 2015. Two sheriff's deputies opened fire on a man they say was armed with a gun. (Credit: KTLA)
Once on the ground, the camera panned to focus solely on the man, who crawls next to the gas station and away from the gunfire.
After a pause in audible gunfire, at least a dozen additional shots are heard.
The camera then panned back to two deputies, who both had arms raised and were pointing guns in the man's direction.
At least one of the deputies then fired additional shots before the video ends.
It was not clear from the video if both deputies had fired their weapon, but when slowed down, more than 30 shots can be heard.
Hernandez could only confirm multiple shots were fired.
Investigators were aware of at least one video that recorded the fatal incident.
“My understanding is the suspect does, is in one of the frames, but it’s not very clear what the suspect’s actions are,” Hernandez said. “The video is just one piece of evidence that’s going to be examined as a part of a comprehensive, protracted, long investigation, and that’ll be analyzed against the physical evidence, the witness statements and the deputies’ statements.”
The video appeared to be filmed from a restaurant across the street from the Arco. In the unedited version, people can be heard cursing, talking about the incident unfolding in front of them, and asking if real bullets or beanbag rounds were being fired.
In addition to the people heard in the recording, three vehicles were seen inside the gas station parking lot at the time of the shooting, although it was not known if anyone was inside. Investigators were speaking to five witnesses as of Saturday afternoon, Hernandez said.
When asked if the man who deputies killed had a real gun, Hernandez said it appeared to be a .45-caliber handgun and that two "real bullets" were located that appeared to match the weapon.
The deputies involved were only described as two men who worked at the sheriff's Century Station.
Neither were injured during the altercation, said Lt. Allen with the sheriff's Century Station.
Dozens of people gathered, several apparently angry, after video emerged showing deputies fatally shooting a man in Lynwood on Dec. 12, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)
Hours after the shooting, more than a dozen people had gathered at the crime scene and several appeared angry and were yelling at sheriff's deputies who were standing behind police tape.
Their investigation was expected to take several months, Hernandez said.
In accordance with protocol, multiple agencies were involved in the investigation, and included the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, and sheriff's Homicide Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau, according to a department news release.
The Sheriff's Department planned to hold a press conference Sunday morning to discuss the shooting and video.
"In this modern age of cellphone video and instant analysis on the Internet, I would ask that we keep in mind that a thorough and comprehensive investigation is detailed and time intensive," Sheriff Jim McDonnell stated in a news release.
Anyone with information about the incident was asked to contact the Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tippers were asked to contact "Crime Stoppers" by dialing 800-222-8477, texting the letters TIPLA plus the tip to 274637, or visit the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Ex-Cop Daniel Holtzclaw Found Guilty on 18 of 36 Charges of Raping, Assaulting 13 Women
After deliberating for more than 45 hours over four days, an Oklahoma City jury has found ex-police officer Daniel Holtzclaw guilty on 18 of the 36 charges he faced for allegedly assaulting at least 13 black women. He faces up to 263 years in prison.
For each of the 36 counts, the jurors, who were all white, were tasked with both determining the verdict and, in the case of a guilty verdict, recommending a sentence.
Holtzclaw’s attorney argued that his victims weren’t credible, suggesting that the women (several of whom had previous drug and prostitution offenses) were less “perfect victims” and more “perfect accusers.”
The prosecution, meanwhile, argued that he’d used his badge to specifically exploit vulnerable women, including those who didn’t think they’d be believed because of their records.
Today is Daniel Holtzclaw’s 29th birthday. His charges, via the New York Daily News, included “first-degree rape, sexual battery, indecent exposure, stalking, forcible oral sodomy and burglary. He also faced second-degree rape by instrumentation and sexual battery charges.”
On the live stream from the courtroom, Holtzclaw shifted his weight back and forth nervously as the assembled waited for Judge Timothy Henderson to enter. As the verdict was read, Holtzclaw, then seated, rocked back and forth, openly sobbing. He continued to cry as he approached the bench.
All 13 women Holtzclaw was charged with assaulting testified in the trial. Their brutal, brave testimonies were reported in full on Buzzfeed. We’ll update this post as more information is made available.
#DanielHoltzclaw guilty sentences: 8 years + 5 + 5 + 20 + 16 + 30 + 8 + 8 + 5 + 16 + 16 + 30 + 30 + 8 + 12 + 30 + 8 + 8 = 263 years
Michael Eric Dyson: Hillary's White Privilege Will Make Her A Better President For Black Americans
Once a self-proclaimed Hillary Clinton skeptic, Michael Eric Dyson is now feeling optimistic about the the presidential candidate's ability to positively impact black America.
Dyson joined HuffPost Live on Tuesday and explained how white privilege will help Clinton further the interests of black Americans, should she win the presidency come 2016.
In "Yes She Can," Dyson's latest piece for The New Republic, the Georgetown professor details Clinton's journey on racial issues and predicts that, despite her husband's problematic legacy on race -- exemplified by his crime and welfare reform policies -- Clinton will have the chance to push change in ways that eluded Obama. Dyson argued that Clinton, free from the stigma of blackness and the potential for perceived bias, would be able to speak more freely on issues of race than Obama ever could.
"She won't have to make apologies in advance, a priori, [and say], 'It's not about black people...'" Dyson said. "Hillary Clinton doesn't bear that guilt, doesn't bear that consciousness, doesn't bear that kind of charge to be made: 'Hey, you're trying to hook up your people!' Well, black people are not her people, but she's able, as a result of white privilege, to speak to the interests of black people in ways that were denied to Barack Obama."
As Dyson explained, "sometimes President Obama didn't have permission to be black in public," which Dyson believes caused Obama's initial reticence to take a leadership role on race.
"I'm not suggesting that Barack Obama give the 'black power' sign and start quoting Kendrick Lamar, although I'd like to see him quote Kendrick Lamar," Dyson said. "He could say, 'I believe in targeted policy that directs its interests towards those who are most needy.' In this case, the most vulnerable happen to be African American people."
Dyson also compared Clinton to her Democratic competitor Bernie Sanders, whose legacy on civil rights issues and commitment to economic equality could make him a viable option for some black voters. Although Dyson admires the Vermont senator, he said he thinks Clinton has a better chance of making it all the way to the White House.
"I love Bernie Sanders. I admire him quite greatly, and I think he's an extraordinary politician. Whether or not he can win is another story. I think Hillary Clinton possesses enough of the cache that is critical. And at the end of the day, who is in the game?" he asked.
With Clinton leading in the polls amongst Democrats, progressives have an opportunity to mold her stance on race issues, he added.
"Should [Bernie] become a nominee, I think he would carry us forward in a powerful way," Dyson said. "I just simply believe that too much of the momentum has swung in the direction of Hillary Clinton, and the ability now to push her in a positive direction when it comes to race is something we should do."
Watch Michael Eric Dyson's full conversation with HuffPost Live here.
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