Boston Activists Condemn Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association “Officer of the Year” award

Boston Activists Condemn Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association

“Officer of the Year” award to Officer Aaron Hess
controversial police shooter of Danroy “DJ” Henry

CONTACT:
Jamarhl Crawford
Blackstonian.com
617-297-7721

APRIL 15, 2011

FOR IMEMDIATE RELEASE

Boston, MA – Local activists are seething with rage following the reported decision to “honor” Officer Aaron Hess with the “Officer of the Year” award by the Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association.  The timing of this award is insensitive and offensive, particularly in light of the questionable circumstances in the Danroy “DJ” Henry, jr. case and the fact that the case has been turned over to the Department of Justice and is currently under investigation.  This move by the Pleasantville Police Union is indicative of the contempt that many Police Unions across the country display in regards to the African-American and Latino community.  In order to witness the vile and venomous sentiments espoused by Police Unions across the country, one only need look at the various law enforcement chatrooms across the country to hear the echoes of tea party patriot militias and neo-nazis. 

Here in Boston, the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association in their Union newspaper called a 16 yr old boy a “scumbag” after the infamous youtube video of him being beaten while arrested at Roxbury Community College.  In Cambridge, after the “Skip Gates” incident, Officer James Crowley was awarded by the Cambridge Police Department. While these cases did not share the same tragic results, the message is the same. It is a message of self-righteousness and entitlement. It shows a total lack of respect for the loss of life of people of color and exemplifies an “Above the Law” attitude.  What we find most offensive, it is taunting and cruel to the family.  We should all be concerned when public servants show this type of disdain for a significant portion of the public they are dutifully sworn to serve. 

We join to publically condemn the decision of the Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association and  President Matthew Listwan to bestow Officer Aaron Hess with the “Officer of the Year” award. 

We further condemn the bad judgment displayed by Officer Aaron Hess in accepting the award after this controversial case and during an ongoing US Justice Department investigation. 

We also condemn the actions of Officer Hess on Oct. 17 which resulted in the tragic death of Danroy “DJ” Henry, jr.  It is our belief after reviewing all available facts that the statements of the witnesses are closer to the true sequence of events and we do not agree with the grand jury’s decision to dismiss Hess’ indictment on criminal charges in the case. 

Police Unions are fierce defenders of the fallen in their ranks. They rally around deceased officers families and fundraise and brow beat anyone who doesn’t share their sense of loss and respect. If there were a case in which an officer was killed by a young black man, even if the officer had been shown to be a “dirty cop” and trying to unlawfully kill the young man, and subsequently the Black community held a celebration and awarded this young man, we could expect protest from every officer in the country. Police would view such a display as a public slap in the face and the ultimate gesture of disrespect.

“The type of rhetoric spewed by many Police Unions, is indicative of a mentality that is then displayed on the job in many cases. This type of event and the attitudes, actions and comments of some officers is simply another means to administer Police Brutality… psychologically.”
- Jamarhl Crawford, Blackstonian.com

Regardless of the PPBA’s stated intentions to “not offend” and “not garner media attention” they knew exactly what they were doing. They knew the implications of such an award and they knew the potential to inflame and infuriate the public. They knew that the timing of this award was completely inappropriate and with all that knowledge they did it anyway with forethought and wickedly malicious intent. 

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READ MORE - Boston Activists Condemn Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association “Officer of the Year” award

DJ Henry’s family files federal suit against N.Y. cop

DJ Henry’s family files federal suit against N.Y. cop

By Laura Crimaldi  |   Wednesday, April 20, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

The family of a Pace University football player from Easton who was fatally shot last fall by New York cops today is filing a wrongful death suit in federal court.

Angella and Danroy Henry Sr. are meeting with reporters at noon to discuss the legal action against a cop who shot at Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr. and the village that employs him.

“While we recognize both the broader efforts to distort the truth and conspire in secret to deny our family and those following, a complete picture of the events leading to our son’s death, we are choosing to sharpen our focus on those most responsible for his death,” the couple said in a statement released by their attorney. “We are not oblivious to the reality that several people participated in the inhumane treatment of our son, allowing him to die without regard for basic human dignities handcuffed alone on the ground.”

The suit names Officer Aaron Hess and the Village of Pleasantville, N.Y., according to a copy of the complaint provided by Henry family lawyer Michael Sussman. The suit will be filed this afternoon in federal court in New York, Sussman said. The complaint does not disclose the amount of money the family is seeking in damages.

Henry, 20, was fatally shot on Oct. 17, 2010, outside a bar after, according to police, he ignored instructions to stop his vehicle. Hess, who fired at Henry four times, was honored earlier this month as an “officer of the year” by the Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association. The honor outraged Henry’s family.

“The PBA’s choice to celebrate our son’s death was a poor one and further energizes our fight for truth and answers to simple but relevant questions,” the couple’s statement said.

Hess was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by a New York grand jury in February.

The federal Department of Justice is also reviewing the shooting.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1332114

READ MORE - DJ Henry’s family files federal suit against N.Y. cop

SHOT BY THE POLICE: BOSTON & BEYOND

LOCAL COP SHOOTINGS

This list is a compilation of cases from Boston, Cambridge, Framingham and the Cape. Each incident is the responsibility of that Police Department, but still is indicative of a Statewide and Nationwide epidemic of People of Color being killed by Police.

BPD Killed 5 people in 1988 alone. 4 out of 5 were Black
BPD Killed 6 Between 1995 and Nov. 2000
BPD Killed 8 Between Nov. 2000 and Sep 2002
BPD Killed 2 Between June 2004 and July 2004
BPD Killed 3 from 2005 to present
All Victims were Black, Latino and Cape Verdean

BPD now has a regulation that expressly forbids firing at a vehicle, unless the occupant first displays a weapon. Former commissioner Paul Evans put that rule on the books in 2002, to mollify a public aghast at eight fatal civilian shootings by Boston police officers in a 23-month stretch, culminating in Eveline Barros Cepeda (a 20 yr. old Mother) being shot unarmed in the back of a car. The BPD has a pattern of determining that these shootings are "justifiable" and The Boston Globe stated that the shooting of Willie Murray, jr. 2/12/02 is the first time since 1991 that a Boston Police officer faced criminal charges in a fatal shooting, the city later paid $75,000 settlement (6/29/07).

January 11, 2011 Eurie Stamps, Sr., 68 yrs. old Retired 68-year-old bus MBTA mechanic was shot by a Framingham police officer during a drug raid at his home. According to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office it was an accident. The actions of Officer Paul Duncan ‘‘do not rise to the level of criminal conduct,’’ and ‘‘do not support a criminal charge,’’ the DA said. More coverage of Eurie Stamps, Sr. shooting and death

April 3, 2010 Manuel "Junior" DaVeiga, 19 yrs. old 19 yrs. old Shot by BPD in Dorchester, investigation ongoing, Suffolk DA and BPD say he shot himself in the head which was the fatal and final shot. More information coming soon. RIP Manuel July 3, 1990 - April 3, 2010 *Questions are now arising as to Mental Health Issues More coverage of Manuel "Junior" DaVeiga shooting and death

August 11, 2009 (Dartmouth, MA) Joseph M. Ramos, jr. Born May, 5, 1967, Joseph M. Ramos, jr. was killed by Dartmouth Police on Aug. 11, 2009. He was shot by Officer Jared White after becoming disoriented and wandering through his neighborhood asking for help. Joseph suffered from a dehabilitating disease which make the police version of events impossible. Joseph’s Civil Rights were violated and he was wrongfully killed by the Police. If Joseph was not a Man of Color, he would be alive today. More coverage of Joseph M. Ramos Murder

November 21, 2007 Marquis Barker 38 yr old Father of Five, Suffolk County Jail Officer - Nashua 18 yrs. Killed Wed. Nov. 21st, 2007 by Boston Police at Walgreen's on Corner of Norfolk & Morton St. *Mental Health Issues **5th Fatal Shooting since 2002 More Coverage of Marquis Barker's Murder

October 3, 2005 Stanley Seney 28 yrs Old. Killed Oct. 3 2005 in the Theatre District

July 2, 2004 Luis Gonzalez, 57 years old More Coverage of Luis Gonzalez's Murder Gonzalez, 57, who weighed no more than 110 pounds, was fatally shot inside the Tremont Street apartment he shared with his mentally retarded sister by two cops as he approached them with a knife. Neighbors said they told police the Puerto Rican native was mentally ill before they entered his apartment. *Mentally Ill Person **Dirty Cop Keeler Involved

June 27, 2004 Bert W. Bowen 40 yrs. old killed in Roxbury: Brookford/Blue Hill Ave The June 27 shooting angered the community because Bowen, 40, was shot three times (once in the back of the head) while fleeing after a traffic stop, and because some witnesses said he was unarmed. After an "investigation" the government determined this murder was "justifiable" Officers James Sheehan (3 Shots), Brian Smigielski (4 shots) More Coverage of Bert Bowen's Murder

September 25, 2002 Eveline Barros-Cepeda Eveline Barros-Cepeda was shot to death by a Boston Police Officer. She was riding in the back seat of a car that police tried to stop after it ran a stoplight. The car allegedly struck Boston Police Officer Michael Paillat prompting his partner Officer Thomas Taylor Jr. to fire five shots into the car as it sped away.

July 15, 2002 Daniel Furtado 59 yrs old (Cambridge, MA) On July 15, 2002 Cambridge Police broke down the door of Daniel Furtado, and shot him dead in his home. He was accused of cutting a cable TV wire, a misdemeanor. Police had no warrant, nor a court order to enter his home. * 8 Man Swat Team 3-4 rounds More Coverage of Daniel Furtado's Murder *Mentally Ill Person

July 2, 2002 LaVeta Jackson, 36 yrs old On July 2, 2002 Boston Police shot and killed LaVeta Jackson in her home. She suffered from a psychiatric illness. *3 Cops 15-20 rounds *Mentally Ill Person

May 2002 Nelson Santiago In May 2002, two officers shot and killed Nelson Santiago after he allegedly rammed a stolen car into their cruiser in Roxbury.

February 12, 2002 Willie L. Murray jr.  37 yrs old killed in Roxbury, Crawford St. February 12th, 2002 by BPD officer Shawn West (Black Cop) According to the Boston Globe, "For the first time in more than a decade, a Boston police officer could face criminal charges after using deadly force in a fatal shooting. Police and Suffolk County prosecutors said yesterday they will convene a grand jury to investigate the death of Willie L. Murray Jr." A man sitting in the front seat beside Willie Murray Jr. when he was shot described the terrifying moment. He said he watched as West shoved the barrel of his gun in the crack of Murray's opened window, ordered him to open the door. Murray was shot after his foot slipped off the brake and the car rolled forward. The grand jury probe was a rare move that may put the case into the hands of a civilian jury. The Boston Globe stated that this is the first time since 1991 that a Boston Police officer will face criminal charges in a fatal shooting. UPDATE: 6/29/07 Five years after Willie L. Murray Jr. was shot to death by a Boston police officer (Black Cop Shawn West) after a traffic stop in Roxbury, the city agreed yesterday to pay $75,000 to settle a wrongful death suit that was about to go to trial in federal court.

July 15, 2001 Rene Romain  19 yrs old killed in Mattapan July 15, 2001 A Boston Globe article reported that a the mother of a Mattapan teenager, after seeing the medical report on her son, claims he was shot in the back last summer without justification by Boston police. Carline Seide-Murphy said the Boston Police first reported that her son suffered a fatal wound to the abdomen. The medical report said her 19-year-old son, Rene Romain, was shot in the back July 15 at the Mattapan Square T station. The police said Romain had threatened two officers with a knife

May 29, 2001 Jose Pineda

December 27, 2000 Ricky Bodden, 29 Shot in the back of the neck by officer Kyle Wilcox on Dec. 27 in a Roxbury park. Boston Municipal Police officer fired at 29-year-old Ricky Bodden of Dorchester. The shooting occurred after Bodden allegedly ran when the officer tried to question him outside a Dorchester park. The force patrols city-owned buildings.

November 27, 2000 Carlos M. Garcia

March 24, 1994 Rev. Accelyne Williams, 75 years old Acting on a wrong address from a bad tip by an informant, the police conducted a no-knock raid on Retired Methodist minister Accelyne Williams' Boston, MA apartment. The door was battered down and Williams was chased around his home by a SWAT police team looking for drugs and guns. Williams was tackled to the floor and his hands tied behind his back. Williams collapsed and died of a heart attack at the age of 75. No guns or drugs were found, as it was soon discovered they raided the wrong apartment!

January 31, 1988 Donald Johnson killed in Jamaica Plain Donald Johnson (shooting victim) was shot dead by police while he was driving a stolen bus. Boston Police shot and killed five suspects of non-violent crimes in 1988; he adds that four of those five suspects were African American. **5th killing in 1988 4 out of 5 dead were blacks

1981 Levi Hart 14 yrs old killed in Roxbury 1981 by BPD Officer Richard Borque Levi Hart, a 14-year-old African American youth from Roxbury, Mass., was killed in a police chase. (Hart, and two other Roxbury youths had stolen and car. When the officers caught up to them, Hart was shot, arguably by Richard Bourque in an act of police brutality.)

January 1975 James Bowden In January 1975 two white undercover Boston police officers gunned down an innocent black man at the Mission Hill housing project, and then were accused along with other Boston police in a bungled scheme to cover it up. While on stakeout on a suspected getaway car used in an armed robbery, the two gunned down a black man who entered the car. The two claimed the man had a gun and they shot in self-defense. Police investigation decided it was a rightful shooting. The man's widow knew her husband would not be carrying a weapon and became determined to prove her husband's innocence. Attorney Lawrence O'Donnell of Boston, a former officer himself, conducted a three-year investigation on behalf of the widow, Patricia Bowden, which prompted two federal juries to agree in a historic verdict that the death of James Bowden "was malicious, willful, wanton or reckless," and the result was a landmark legal decision which included a settlement of $843,000 for Bowden's widow and two children. In more than 100 years, no one had won such a judgment against any police department. Former Boston Phoenix reporter Dave O'Brian was on assignment to write a feature story about Boston's Tactical Patrol Force, O'Brian was in the back seat of the police cruiser along with a news photographer. When the shooting occurred, he was crouched on the floor in fear. His role became crucial, though, because his notes about what happened in the aftermath contradicted police. Looking for a tall, thin man, the police stake out the wrong car, then shoot a man who's 5 feet 4 and weighs 180 pounds and who's never been accused of a crime. Their versions in court contradict those of eyewitnesses, and also one another. A gun is planted at the scene to incriminate Bowden, but it's the wrong type. Crucial tape recordings from the dispatcher's office are missing. The police arrest O'Donnell's son on a trumped-up charge, and beat him.

READ MORE - SHOT BY THE POLICE: BOSTON & BEYOND

Dorchester teen slain in broad daylight

Dorchester teen slain in broad daylight

By Christine McConville and Colneth Smiley Jr.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Dorchester teenager Kris McKinney was gunned down yesterday in broad daylight just around the corner from his family’s home, according to Hub investigators who have launched a manhunt for the cold-blooded killers.

“He is well-known to police,” Boston police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said last night about McKinney. “Detectives are still trying to determine facts and circumstances.”

Stunned neighbors said McKinney, 18, was standing with a group of other young men, including his brother, at the corner of Whitman Street and Norfolk Avenue shortly after 3 p.m. when a car approached them.


McKinney was blasted twice, first in the head and then in the leg, as he tried to flee up Whitman Street, bystanders said.

He was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

“I just lost my son,” an anguished woman screamed at police when she came upon the crime scene at about 5 p.m.

As horrified friends and neighbors looked on, the woman, whom the Herald was unable to identify, grabbed onto a nearby mailbox to steady herself and repeated, “I just lost my son . . . He’s gone.”

Neighbors said McKinney had just been released from a youth lockup only a few days ago.

But they also portrayed him as a kindhearted neighbor who befriended little kids and shoveled neighbors’ walks after snowstorms.

“Yeah, he’s been in trouble,” one man said, “but he’s just a kid.”

Rattled residents said they regard Whitman Street — a dead-end block off bustling Norfolk Street, hard by Codman Square — as a haven from surrounding hot spots of crime.

“There’s a crime watch over here, so (the shooting) is uncommon,” a Whitman Street resident told the Herald.

But yesterday afternoon, while the neighborhood kids came home from school and the adults returned from work, Boston police and their dogs searched the area for stray bullets and clues.

READ MORE - Dorchester teen slain in broad daylight

Danroy Henry’s mother ‘thrilled’ about dropped charges

Danroy Henry’s mother ‘thrilled’ about dropped charges
By Ira Kantor  |   Friday, March 25, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

Photo by Stuart Cahill

The mother of a Pace University football player from Easton shot and killed by police outside a New York state bar welcomed the news yesterday that a judge has dropped criminal charges against four of her son’s teammates caught in the chaos of the Oct. 17 shooting.

“Clearly, we’re thrilled. We knew all along these young men were innocent and their full desire was to save our son’s life,” said Angella Henry, mother of Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr., who added that the “victory for the young men is just a step forward for us to both accountability and penalty in getting justice for our son.”

Attorney Bonita Zelman, who represents Joseph Garcia of Floral Park, N.Y., Joseph Romanick of Slidell, La., Yves Delpeche of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Daniel Parker of Lauderhill, Fla., is now planning to sue the county of Westchester, the town of Mount Pleasant and the village of Pleasantville, all of which had officers at the scene.

Zelman said he is seeking “seven figures for each of these victims,” alleging brutality, false arrest, violation of civil, constitutional and human rights, and malicious prosecution. Zelman claims video and photographic evidence proves police brut-ality as the players tried to save Henry.

“The only people out of control by way of this evidence are the police,” Zelman said. “We’re going to make a loud outcry to acts of brutality made against them. . . . Before I’m done, every cop that laid a hand on these innocent students will be brought to justice.”

Each of the players was charged with criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest or obstruction. A grand jury last month declined to indict the officer who shot Henry.

Spokeswoman for Westchester county Donna Greene and the town of Mount Plesant declined to comment. A message left with the village of Pleasantville was not returned.

Michael Hagan, president of the Westchester police union, called the claims “rid-iculous” and said the lawsuit was a “shameless attempt to have the taxpayers . . . reward them for their illegal activity.”

Westchester District Attor- ney Janet DiFiore said the charges were dismissed “in the interest of justice.”

Michael Sussman, an attorney representing Henry’s parents, who plan to file a lawsuit next month, said the charges should never have been brought. “They tried to save DJ’s life,” Sussman said.

“I think (the charges) were brought as some kind of contrivance to begin with.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1325931

READ MORE - Danroy Henry’s mother ‘thrilled’ about dropped charges

Victim's mother confronts defendant in Harvard dorm murder case

Victim's mother confronts defendant in Harvard dorm murder case

Justin Cosby
Posted by Martin Finucane March 24, 2011 01:38 PM
By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

WOBURN – For the first time since her only son was shot inside a Harvard University dorm, Denise Cosby today spoke directly to one of the men allegedly responsible for ending the life of her youngest child.

Denise Cosby was the mother of Justin D. Cosby, a Cambridge man who authorities have said was a drug dealer with customers on the Cambridge campus of the world-famous college.
“Today I sit here and look into the face of what is supposed to be a man,’’ Cosby said in a stern voice. “You are a fool.’’

Cosby directed her cold anger and sharp words towards Jason Aquino, one of three New York City men who came to Cambridge on May 18, 2009, intent on robbing Justin Cosby of marijuana and cash.

Instead, Cosby was shot while all four men were inside the J entry of Harvard’s Kirkland House residential building.

FULL STORY HERE
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/03/victims_mother.html?p1=Local_Links

READ MORE - Victim's mother confronts defendant in Harvard dorm murder case

Charges dropped against football players in Danroy Henry case

Charges dropped against football players in Danroy Henry case

By Associated Press  |   Thursday, March 24, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

VALHALLA, N.Y. - A judge has dropped all charges against four New York college football players who were arrested after a teammate was killed by a police officer.

The action was taken Thursday by a town judge in New York. The players’ lawyer said a lawsuit is planned.

The four Pace University students were arrested Oct. 17 in the chaos that followed the shooting of 20-year-old Danroy Henry, of Easton, Mass., outside a bar in Thornwood, N.Y.

Last month, a grand jury declined to indict the officer who shot Henry. Two weeks ago, prosecutors moved to dismiss various charges of disorderly conduct, obstruction and criminal mischief against the teammates.

The players expressed relief. One of them, Joseph Romanick, of Slidell, La., noted that nothing can bring back their friend.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1325727

READ MORE - Charges dropped against football players in Danroy Henry case

DA: Framingham drug raid shooting death an ‘accident’

DA: Framingham drug raid shooting death an ‘accident’

By Associated Press  |   Wednesday, March 9, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

FRAMINGHAM -- A Framingham police officer who shot and killed a 68-year-old man during an early morning drug raid will not face criminal charges.

The Middlesex district attorney’s office says officer Paul Duncan stumbled and accidentally fired his rifle, hitting Eurie Stamps as he lay on the floor on his stomach with his hands up.

Authorities said Wednesday that an investigation shows Duncan lost his balance while preparing to handcuff Stamps and check him for weapons after members of the SWAT team entered the Fountain Street home just after midnight on Jan. 5.

Prosecutors say Duncan’s actions "do not rise to the level of criminal conduct, and the shooting death of Eurie Stamps was an accident."

The raid led to the arrest of two men who have pleaded not guilty to charges including cocaine possession.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1322208

READ MORE - DA: Framingham drug raid shooting death an ‘accident’

Will Boston's rap scene teach through tragedy? Rest in Power

Will Boston's rap scene teach through tragedy?
Rest in Power

By CHRIS FARAONE  |  March 9, 2011

Excerpt from Article, quote from Blackstonian Publisher/Editor Jamarhl Crawford

"What I hope happens is that people now work for peace," says Jamarhl Crawford, an anti-violence activist who also raps as UNO the Prophet. "With that said, what I believe will happen is that people will just party and bullshit, drink some Henny, go to the gravestone, and get weeded. I don't know when we're going to collectively grow the fuck up and come together and have a real conversation, but I do know that we have an opportunity right now to build something that can really save some of these kids out here."

FULL STORY HERE:
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/116862-will-bostons-rap-scene-teach-through-tragedy

READ MORE - Will Boston's rap scene teach through tragedy? Rest in Power

Roxbury bar faces more punishment for role in October murder

Roxbury bar faces more punishment for role in October murder

By adamg - 3/8/11 - 8:03 pm
Universal Hub

Four months after the city licensing office lambasted the Breezeway on Blue Hill Avenue as a menace to the public, the Boston Licensing Board gets its chance on Thursday.

The licensing board, which oversees liquor licenses, decides then what action, if any, to take against the bar for a double shooting that left one man dead outside its entrance on Oct. 23.

FULL STORY HERE
http://www.universalhub.com/2011/roxbury-bar-faces-more-punishment-role-october-mur

READ MORE - Roxbury bar faces more punishment for role in October murder

Framingham officer won't face charges in fatal shooting of 68-year-old man, DA says

Framingham officer won't face charges in fatal shooting of 68-year-old man, DA says
Posted by Your Town March 9, 2011 04:45 PM
By Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff

The death of a retired 68-year-old bus MBTA mechanic who was shot by a Framingham police officer during a drug raid at his home was an accident, according to a statement today from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

The actions of Officer Paul Duncan ‘‘do not rise to the level of criminal conduct,’’ and ‘‘do not support a criminal charge,’’ the statement said.

FULL STORY HERE
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/framingham/2011/03/framingham_officer_wont_face_c.html?p1=Local_Links

READ MORE - Framingham officer won't face charges in fatal shooting of 68-year-old man, DA says

Man shot dead in Theater District

Man shot dead in Theater District

By Marie Szaniszlo  |   Wednesday, March 2, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

At least one person is expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court today after one man was fatally shot and another was injured early this morning in the Theater District, authorities said.

The shootings occurred shortly after 2 a.m. outside the Millennium Day Care Center at 285 Tremont St. and a parking garage at 274 Tremont St., across the street from the Caprice Restaurant and Lounge, authorities said.

Both victims were rushed to the hospital, where one was pronounced dead, police said. The other has non-life-threatening injuries.

At least one person was arrested in connection with the shootings, authorities said.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1320480

READ MORE - Man shot dead in Theater District

Galpal charged in fatal stab claims self-defense

Galpal charged in fatal stab claims self-defense
By Natalie Sherman  |   Tuesday, March 1, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

Photo by Donald Rockhead

A 23-year-old man was stabbed to death by accident when he ran into a knife his girlfriend had grabbed in self-defense, she is contending.

Police found Lancelot Reid stabbed to death shortly after 10 a.m. Friday, after rushing to an apartment in the Franklin Field Housing Development after a 911 call.

Girlfriend Cherry Clinton, 29, allegedly admitted to the stabbing at the scene, but said she grabbed the knife in self-defense because Reid had assaulted her earlier in the day, according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office.

But prosecutors said there’s little chance the blade plunged accidentally into Reid’s chest. A knife could not make it through several layers of clothing and into a heart without force being used, Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum said at Clinton’s arraignment yesterday — her 29th birthday — in Dorchester District Court.

A not guilty plea to the murder charge was entered on Clinton’s behalf.

Neighbors told the Herald last week that they regularly heard the couple fighting.

At least five people have died from domestic violence so far this year, Toni Troop, a spokeswoman for the victim’s advocacy program Jane Doe Inc., told the Herald last week.

Of those, two of the alleged perpetrators are women who said they were acting in self-defense, Troop said.

Clinton’s lawyer, John Cunha, did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.

Judge Kenneth Desmond ordered Clinton held without bail. She is due back in court March 31.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1320125

READ MORE - Galpal charged in fatal stab claims self-defense

Man in fatal police shoot identified

Man in fatal police shoot identified

By Herald wire services  |   Thursday, February 24, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

A man killed in Ashby by a state police trooper conducting drug surveillance Tuesday has been identified as Roger Reyes Padilla of Fitchburg, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.

Padilla, 21, allegedly tried to run down the trooper after the officer ordered him repeatedly to get out of his car, the DA’s office said. The trooper fatally shot Padilla to avoid being hit, officials said.

Authorities discovered drugs at the scene, the DA’s office said, adding the investigation into the shooting is ongoing and further details, including the name of the officer involved, will be released upon its completion.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1319009

READ MORE - Man in fatal police shoot identified

Professor dead in Newton blaze

Professor dead in Newton blaze

By Jessica Heslam  |   Tuesday, February 22, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage
Photo by Ted Fitzgerald

A former award-winning WGBH producer and beloved Bunker Hill Community College professor battling brain cancer perished in a fire early yesterday at her Newton home, her grieving family said.

Beth Deare, a 63-year-old grandmother of three, had survived throat cancer but was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, said family friend Ronald Mitchell of Roxbury.

Deare, a former producer for the public affairs TV program “Say Brother,” now “Basic Black” on WGBH, was undergoing weekly cancer treatments and was on leave from the college, Mitchell said.

In a statement, Deare’s brother and sister said they were devastated.

“We take comfort in knowing that the cancer she fought will no longer consume her and that her vast family and extended family — including students, and friends around the world — will keep her in love and prayer,” the siblings said.

The family said Deare’s “life was full with incredible highs, ranging from her loving daughter and three grandchildren to her many awards and accolades for her acclaimed work in television and film, including 13 Emmys and a Peabody.”

Deare had worked as a producer on “Say Brother” in the 1980s, said WGBH spokeswoman Jeanne Hopkins. “We’re very saddened. It’s such a loss. She really was a very talented producer,” Hopkins said.

In a statement, Bunker Hill spokeswoman Colleen Roach said the entire college was mourning Deare’s tragic death.

“She had worked for more than 15 years in the College’s English Department and was a very passionate and engaging professor who was greatly admired by her students,’’ the statement said.

Deare’s producer credits also include “Midnight Ramble,” a film about the history of black filmmaking, said Mitchell, who said Deare also worked as a host on “Say Brother.”

Fire Marshal Stephen Coan told the Herald the cause of the Waverly Avenue blaze is still under investigation.

Colneth Smiley Jr. contributed to this report.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1318483

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Friends recall Medford shooting victim Man a longtime member of Hub hip-hop scene

Friends recall Medford shooting victim
Man a longtime member of Hub hip-hop scene

By Stewart Bishop
Globe Correspondent / February 21, 2011

As authorities continued to investigate the Friday night shootings in Medford that left one man dead and his father wounded, friends remembered John Hatch as a compassionate family man and longtime member of the Boston hip-hop scene.

Hatch, 36, was fatally shot at his Jerome Street home in West Medford on Friday night in an attack that also wounded his father.

Jessica Venezia Pastore, a spokeswoman for Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. said yesterday there was an ongoing investigation into the slaying, but declined to say if investigators were pursing a suspect in the case or provide further details about the shootings.

A musician, Hatch was a founding member of the Boston group Mikst Nutz, which came to prominence in the local hip-hop community during the mid 1990s.

Yesterday, Hatch’s friend and fellow Mikst Nutz member, Osamah Orlebar of Roxbury, said he couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt Hatch.

FULL STORY HERE
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/02/21/friends_recall_medford_shooting_victim/

READ MORE - Friends recall Medford shooting victim Man a longtime member of Hub hip-hop scene

Son killed, father hurt in Medford double shooting

Blackstonian Editor's Note:
R.I.P. To Boston Hip-Hop Legend Johnny Hatch from the Group Mikst Nutz. Love from all your Family and Friends. Speedy Recovery to Johnny's Father. Stay tuned to Blackstonian for News/Updates on Memorial and Tribute. Salute. PEACE.


Son killed, father hurt in Medford double shooting

By Associated Press  |   Saturday, February 19, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

MEDFORD - One man is dead and his father is wounded after a double shooting in Medford.

Authorities say Medford police responded to a call reporting shots fired and found 36-year-old John Hatch and his father suffering from gunshot wounds.

Both men were taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford, where Hatch died.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s office said Hatch’s father, whose name was not released, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and is expected to survive.

Police are investigating and authorities say they don’t believe the shooting was random.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1317977

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3rd suspect in Mattapan slays pleads not guilty

3rd suspect in Mattapan slays pleads not guilty

SEEKING JUSTICE: Family and friends of the victims of the Mattapan massacre wait for proceedings to begin in the arraignment of Edward Washington, who pleaded not guilty yesterday.
By Marie Szaniszlo  |   Thursday, January 20, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage
Photo by Ted Fitzgerald

The last of three suspects to be indicted in connection with the Mattapan executions of four people, including a mother and her toddler, was ordered held without bail yesterday.

His voice barely audible, Edward Washington, 31, of Dorchester pleaded not guilty to each of four counts of murder in the Sept. 28 shooting deaths of Eyanna Flonory, 21, of Dorchester; her 2-year-old son, Amanihotep Smith; Simba Martin, 21, of Dorchester; and LeVaughn Washum-Garrison, 22, of Roslindale.

Washington also pleaded not guilty to armed assault with intent to murder and aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for the shooting of a fifth victim — 32-year-old Marcus Hurd, who was paralyzed from the shoulders down — as well as to armed home invasion, armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm as a Level III career criminal.

Defendant Kimani Washington and the alleged triggerman, Dwayne Moore, were each armed when Edward Washington drove them to Martin’s Sutton Street apartment to steal cash and drugs, said Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin.

When Hurd unexpectedly arrived, Kimani Washington ordered him and Martin to strip, Zabin said. The three defendants stole a safe, some cocaine and a large-screen television from the apartment, he said, and Kimani Washington left with the safe in Hurd’s car.

Edward Washington and Moore then marched all five victims up to Woolson Street, where Moore allegedly shot them, Zabin said.

Moore was ordered held without bail last week. Kimani Washington was held on $500,000 bail Tuesday.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1310735

READ MORE - 3rd suspect in Mattapan slays pleads not guilty

Lawyer: Airport to blame in North Carolina stowaway’s death

Lawyer: Airport to blame in North Carolina stowaway’s death

Family of Delvonte Tisdale
By O’Ryan Johnson  |   Wednesday, January 19, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

The family of a 16-year-old, who authorities said likely stowed away on an airplane and was crushed by landing gear before he plummeted to a Milton lawn, has hired a lawyer who said the teen should never have been able to slip into the airport undetected.

“It is now time this story be told and all facets of it explored, including the considerable ominous implications to our national security at large,” said lawyer Christopher Chestnut, who represents the family of Delvonte Tisdale. “Most importantly, we intend to seek justice for a child who ... should never have successfully gained access to that airplane. Had airport security been up to par, he would be alive and well with his family today.”

Meanwhile, freshman U.S. Rep. William R. Keating, (D-Quincy), called for a hearing into Tisdale’s death and other breaches of airport security in a letter to the Committee on Homeland Security.

“This incident brought up security concerns that an airport’s tarmac could be breached so easily,” Keating wrote. “We must ensure that our airport security is strengthened beyond its current state, not simply to protect against stowaways, but potential terrorists as well.”

Tisdale, a high school junior and member of the Junior ROTC, ran away from his family’s Charlotte home on Nov. 15 and managed to skirt security at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where he stowed away in the wheel well of a U.S. Airways flight bound for Boston, authorities said.

As that plane was approaching Logan International Airport, the pilot lowered the wheels and Tisdale’s mangled body plummeted into a posh Milton neighborhood where he was found dead, authorities said.

For days, investigators searched for cars spotted leaving the area at the time the body was discovered and tried to discover his identity. Once Tisdale was named, through a hand-written hall pass in his pocket, sleuths next tried to figure how a boy with no known links to the Hub ended up so badly beaten.

Eventually the investigation turned skyward and cops determined that a flight path lies directly over the spot where Tisdale’s body was found.

The case remains under investigation by Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey, who took office earlier this month had no comment.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1310501

READ MORE - Lawyer: Airport to blame in North Carolina stowaway’s death

Grisly details emerge at hearing for Mattapan massacre suspect

Grisly details emerge at hearing for Mattapan massacre suspect
By Ira Kantor  |   Wednesday, January 19, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

Photo by Ted Fitzgerald

One of the three Mattapan massacre defendants cold-bloodedly stripped the victims and robbed them at gunpoint — then drove away before the four were gunned down in the street, prosecutors said yesterday in their most detailed account yet of the mass murder.

Kimani Washington, 35, of Dorchester was ordered held on $500,000 bail after pleading not guilty to charges including home invasion, armed robbery and armed carjacking, said Suffolk DA spokesman Jake Wark.

Two other defendants, Washington’s cousin Edward Washington, 31, of Dorchester and Dwayne Moore, 33, of Mattapan, are charged with the first-degree murders of Eyanna Flonory and Simba Martin, both 21, of Dorchester, Flonory’s 2-year-old son, Amani Smith, and LeVaughn Washum-Garrison, 22, of Roslindale. Marcus Hurd, 32, of Dorchester was also shot and paralyzed from the shoulders down.

Prosecutors allege the three suspects set out to Martin’s Sutton Street apartment on Sept. 28 to rob him of cash and drugs. After Martin got into an SUV driven by Hurd, Washington, “armed with a gun,” approached them and “ordered them to take their clothes off,” said Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin.

The suspects then led both victims into Martin’s home — where they found Flonory, Smith and Washum-Garrison — and stole a safe, cocaine and a TV, loading them in the SUV, Zabin said. Kimani Washington then drove it away, Zabin said.

“The plan was to meet up later for the purpose of dividing up the proceeds,” Zabin said.

After Kimani Washington left, the four victims were executed.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1310474

READ MORE - Grisly details emerge at hearing for Mattapan massacre suspect