News

Ex-Officer Derek Chauvin, Convicted In The 2020 George Floyd Killing, Was Stabbed In Prison

Published

1 year ago

2023-11-26

Kiara Grace

According to a person familiar with the situation, another prisoner stabbed Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer found guilty of murdering George Floyd, on Friday at a federal prison in Arizona.

The incident took place at the Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, a medium-security prison with numerous security flaws and staffing shortages. The individual was not authorized to disclose the details of the attack publicly and talked to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

The Bureau of Prisons verified Friday that an inmate was assaulted at FCI Tucson at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time. The department said in a statement that responding workers confined the event and administered “life-saving measures” before transporting the inmate, who was not identified, to a hospital for additional care and evaluation.

According to the Bureau of Prisons, no personnel were wounded, and the FBI was alerted. Visitation at the prison, which houses approximately 380 convicts, has been suspended.

Messages were left with Chauvin’s lawyers and the FBI seeking comment.

The stabbing of Chauvin is the second high-profile attack on a federal prisoner in the previous five months. Larry Nassar, a notorious sports doctor, was stabbed by a fellow inmate in a federal prison in Florida in July.

It is also the second significant event at the Tucson federal prison in less than a year. An inmate at the facility’s low-security prison camp pulled out a gun and attempted to kill a visitor in the head in November 2022. The weapon, which the inmate should not have had, malfunctioned, but no one was injured.

Chauvin, 47, was transferred from a maximum-security Minnesota state prison to FCI Tucson in August 2022 to serve a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights as well as a 2212-year state term for second-degree murder.

Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s lawyer, had fought to keep him out of the general population and away from other offenders, anticipating that he would be a target. Chauvin was placed in solitary confinement in Minnesota “largely for his own protection,” Nelson stated in court papers last year.

Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction was denied by the United States Supreme Court last week. Separately, Chauvin is attempting to have his federal guilty plea overturned, saying that fresh evidence reveals he did not cause Floyd’s death.

Ex-Officer Derek Chauvin, Convicted In George Floyd’s Killing, Was Stabbed In Prison

Floyd, a Black man, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, a white man, placed a knee on his neck for 912 minutes on the street outside a convenience shop where Floyd was suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill.

A bystander video captured Floyd’s dying sobs of “I can’t breathe.” His death sparked worldwide protests, some of which became violent and compelled a national confrontation with police brutality and racism.

Three other former policemen who were present at the time of Floyd’s death received shorter state and federal penalties for their roles in his death.

Chauvin’s stabbing comes as the federal Bureau of Prisons has come under heightened criticism in recent years following the suicide of wealthy billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in a federal prison in 2019. After Nassar’s stabbing and “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski’s death at a federal medical center in June, it’s just another example of the agency’s inability to keep even its most high-profile offenders safe.

An ongoing AP investigation has revealed significant, previously unreported vulnerabilities within the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department’s largest law enforcement agency, with over 30,000 personnel, 158,000 inmates, and an annual budget of approximately $8 billion.

Ex-Officer Derek Chauvin, Convicted In George Floyd’s Killing, Was Stabbed In Prison

AP research has exposed extensive sexual abuse and other criminal behavior by staff, as well as dozens of escapes, chronic violence, deaths, and significant staffing shortages that have hampered responsiveness to emergencies such as inmate assaults and suicides.

Colette Peters, Director of the Bureau of Prisons, was appointed last year to overhaul the crisis-plagued organization. She promised to modernize employment methods and increase transparency while underlining that the agency aims “to make good neighbors, not good inmates.”

In September, Peters testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, touting her actions to improve troubled jails and beef up internal affairs investigations. She told a House Judiciary subcommittee earlier this month that recruiting had increased and new hires were outnumbering retirements and other exits.

However, Peters has infuriated MPs who claim she broke her vow to be truthful and upfront with them. Senators chastised her in September for making them wait more than a year for written answers and stating she couldn’t answer basic questions regarding agency operations, such as how many correctional officers are on duty.

source – (AP)

News

Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.

The Prime Minister dances.

This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.

Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf

— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

News

Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

Beluga Whales Dies at Canada’s Marineland

Outrage Erupts After 17th Beluga Whale Dies at Canada’s Marineland

News

Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
Numbers cannot be repeated
Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
Each play buys 3 lines
Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)