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Boulder County to pay ex-inmate $2.55 million to settle claims of excessive force, indifference to psychiatric needs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

Ryan Partridge, a former inmate at the Boulder County jail, has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit against former Sheriff Joe Pelle and Boulder County for a total of $2.55 million, according to Partridge’s attorney.Two settlements have been reached by Partridge and the county. The first is for $325,000 for a jail employee’s repetitive use of excessive force on Partridge and the second for $2.225 million for the jail employee’s deliberate indifference to Partridge’s serious psychiatric needs, attorney David Lane said.Partridge filed a federal court complaint in 2017 claiming that jail staff acted “willfully” and with “deliberate indifference” in not treating Partridge for psychosis. The complaint states that Partridge attempted suicide multiple times while in the jail and suffered from multiple self-inflicted injuries, including permanent blindness from attempts to gouge out his eyes and broken teeth from banging his head on a toilet.“I hope the people of Boulder wake up to the f...

Man fatally shot by Denver police in Valverde neighborhood is identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

A domestic violence suspect who was shot and killed by Denver police has been identified.Brandon Cole, 36, was taken to Denver Health Medical Center after being shot Saturday in the 2300 block of West Cedar Avenue, according to the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner. Cole died of a gunshot wound and his manner death is a homicide.The shooting happened just before 8 p.m. Saturday after people called 911 to report a man assaulting a woman and a child in the area, police said earlier. The woman was pushed out of a wheelchair and when officers arrived they found her on the ground and a man, now identified as Cole, nearby.Cole approached officers in a “very aggressive manner,” DPD Chief Ron Thomas said at a Saturday night news conference. A Taser was used on Cole, but it did not stop his advance, and he was shot by a second officer.Cole was not armed at the time of the incident. A police shooting investigation is ongoing. 

Firefighters back off growing fires in dangerous dead forests north of Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

Firefighters have backed off for now as two lightning-sparked wildfires north of Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado expand, burning across more than 1,416 acres Wednesday morning amid dry and fuel-loaded conditions that U.S. Forest Service officials called highly favorable to flames.The wet spring led to the growth of exceptionally thick grasses that now leads to flare-ups.The 1,133-acre Quartz Ridge fire was burning deep inside the South San Juan Wilderness – about 13 miles northeast of Pagosa Springs, according to the latest data on a federal fire information website and U.S. Forest Service officials.The 283-acre Bear Creek fire was burning 23 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs, west of the Weminuche Valley, and nearly doubled in size overnight.Federal land managers have declared a full suppression approach to both fires, even though the national policy calls for letting fires in remote forests burn when that can be done safely — in order to let forests benefit ecologica...

Czech Republic Forced to Provide Unlimited Cost Undertaking in USD 730 Million Proceedings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

Following a decades-long attempt to dodge its payment obligations, a recent hearing in London has forced the Czech Republic to provide an unlimited cost undertaking to Lichtenstein company Diag Human and its owner Josef Stava.The ongoing legal battle has unearthed allegations of corruption and misconduct within the Czech government and called into question the integrity of its public services.Diag Human and Mr Stava originally sought £4 million in security for their legal costs. However, in the end, the Court did not need to order security because the Czech Republic offered to provide an unlimited undertaking to pay Diag Human and Mr Stava's costs (potentially millions of pounds) if it loses the case. This huge concession by the Czech Republic was made during the hearing in the Commercial Court in London, after the Judge pressed the Czech Republic’s lawyer to explain why it had never said it would pay the costs of the proceedings in London if it lost the case. The Judge said th...

Malta has a Soft Spot for Russian Money

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

A fish rots from the head. The same can be said for the island nation of Malta. The country’s seedy political underbelly was thrown into the international spotlight in 2017 when journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia met her demise at the hands of criminals. Lengthy investigations revealed the murderers’ connections went right to the highest level of the Maltese state. - writes Andrew Hackney of INTERNATIONAL POLICY DIGESTThe collapse of that corrupt government has birthed another, except that now instead of simply being a haven for criminals, Malta has become a chink in Europe’s united front against the Vladimir Putin regime.Malta’s golden passport scheme has been a window for Russian dirty money and influence to pour into Europe since 2014. The scheme has been used prolifically by wealthy Russians, many with connections to the Kremlin. At €900,000 a pop, it has been a good source of revenue for Malta’s government, with the wife of Prime Minister Robert Abela even profiting from the pr...

Woman dead after vehicle crashes into Mission Hills car dealership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

A woman was killed and two other people were injured after an SUV crashed into the enclosed service area of a car dealership in Mission Hills Wednesday morning, officials said.The crash occurred around 9:10 a.m. at 11041 N. Sepulveda Blvd., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. A preliminary investigation revealed the driver accidentally hit the accelerator and plowed through the building, Los Angeles Police Detective Lisset Fuentes said. The driver struck two workers and a patron before her vehicle eventually stopped in the customer reception area of the Toyota dealership.Witnesses described a patron being stuck under the vehicle after being dragged about 20 feet. She was freed by bystanders, including an off-duty nurse who started CPR. The aftermath of a deadly crash at a Mission Hills car dealership is seen on Aug. 9, 2023. (KTLA) A witness shared video of the aftermath of a deadly crash at a Mission Hills car dealership on Aug. 9, 2023. Firefighters and LAPD officers re...

Burger King to introduce its version of snack wraps

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

A variation of snack wraps, a popular discontinued item from McDonald’s, will soon be available at Burger King. The company has rebranded its Royal Crispy Chicken sandwiches into wraps, slated to debut on Aug. 14 at participating restaurants nationwide. Burger King brings back fan-favorite item for limited time The new BK Royal Crispy Wraps come in three flavors, classic, spicy and honey mustard, and cost $2.99, according to a news release.Burger King has rebranded its Royal Crispy Chicken sandwiches into wraps, slated to debut on Aug. 14 at participating restaurants nationwide. (Business Wire) “The BK Royal Crispy Wraps offer our guests an all-new way to enjoy our BK Royal Crispy Chicken without sacrificing quality ingredients, bold flavors, and the choice to have it your way.” Pat O’Toole, chief marketing officer for Burger King North America, said in a statement.Designed to be either a snack or an addition to a meal, the new wraps each come with crispy chicken, a tomato slice a...

Video shows wild scene at Americana as 30-plus thieves ransack Yves Saint Laurent store

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify the source of the reward money.A group of brazen thieves robbed the Yves Saint Laurent store at the Americana at Brand in Glendale Tuesday afternoon.Video of the incident showed multiple people in dark clothes, hoods and masks running into and then quickly out of the YSL store at the upscale shopping center just before 5 p.m.The Glendale Police Department said there were at least 30 people involved, and they got away with about $300,000 in merchandise. At least one of the culprits was halted by someone who appears to be an Amazon delivery driver, but that thief was able to get free and jumped into an already-moving red sedan to make their getaway.Shoppers filmed the scene, with at least one person telling the delivery person to stop scuffling with the thief, as it was "not worth" the risk of getting struck by a fleeing vehicle.Sgt. Victor Jackson confirmed that advice to KTLA."Our community is very protective of this city, and we unde...

BART crossbow-wielder pleads no contest to criminal threat charge, sentenced to one year in jail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

DALY CITY — A crossbow-wielding man that told BART workers he’d kill them on a train in May pleaded no contest to a felony charge in court Tuesday and was sentenced to one year in a county jail, according to prosecutors.Daniel Ray Baxter, a 42-year-old San Leandro resident, was on a train at the Daly City station on May 24 when two BART employees entered the car. Baxter, who had a crossbow loaded with an arrow, was shouting at himself, according to the employees, before turning to them. He then aimed the crossbow at one of them and shouted “I’ll kill you.”Taking the threat seriously, the employees barricaded themselves in the train’s operator cab and called police, prosecutors said. Upon police arrival, Baxter was found on the floor of one of the cars and told officers that he was the one they wanted.“The victims here, the two BART people, they fully believed he was serious about what he was going to do,” San Mateo County District Attorney S...

Gov. DeSantis suspends another Democratic prosecutor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:48 GMT

By Brendan Farrington and Freida Frisaro | Associated PressTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday suspended the top prosecutor in Orlando, again wielding his executive power over local government in taking on a contentious issue in the 2024 presidential race.It’s the second time DeSantis, a Republican, has removed a Democratic state attorney and follows an investigation that began when a teenager was charged with fatally shooting a television reporter and a 9-year-old girl.“It is my duty as Governor to ensure that the laws enacted by our duly elected Legislature are followed,” DeSantis said during a news conference in Tallahassee announcing the suspension of State Attorney Monique Worrell of the 9th Judicial Circuit, which serves Orange and Osceola counties.Worrell vowed to seek reelection next year and said her removal was political and not about her performance. She also suggested DeSantis’ timing was to distract from a stagnant pre...