Jury in murder trial of Chicago policeman to begin second day of deliberations

A second day of deliberations will begin on Friday in the murder trial of a white Chicago police officer who killed a black teenager in 2014 in a hail of bullets, a case that has put the city's large African-American community on edge. Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke watches the prosecution's closing statements during his trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., October 4, 2018.

Rep. Steny Hoyer: Mass shootings should be met with action, not moments of silence

U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer , D-District 5, visited The Capital to discuss gun violence issues and his advocating for universal background checks and stronger laws - commonly called red flag laws - that allow police to seize weapons from potentially dangerous people. His visit Monday follows the three-month anniversary of The Capital shooting.

‘My focus was just on that knife’: Chicago police officer who killed teen testifies

The Chicago Police officer who shot and killed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014 became emotional when he took the stand in his own defense Tuesday, wiping away tears as he recalled details from the fatal shooting. Jason Van Dyke, 40, testified about the crucial moments of the Oct. 20, 2014, encounter with McDonald, telling defense attorney Randy Rueckert that he believed the 17-year-old was coming towards him with a knife in his hand.

Dealing with #MeToo: Pretend to care before ignoring the woman

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is the victim of a "drive-by shooting" and that he wants to "listen to the lady" - an accomplished research psychologist who says the future judge sexually assaulted her when they were in high school - and then "bring this to a close." Sen. John Cornyn is already attacking Christine Blasey Ford 's credibility, complaining about "gaps" in her recollection of an event she says has traumatized her for decades.

Appeals court says teenage killer should get parole chance

North Carolina appeals judges say a prisoner convicted of first-degree murder must have the chance to be released one day since he committed the crimes at age 17. A state Court of Appeals panel said Tuesday that Montrez Benjamin Williams must be resentenced to life in prison with the possibility for parole for a pair of 2008 shooting deaths. Williams initially was sentenced to life without parole, but U.S. Supreme Court decisions declared such mandatory sentences cruel and unusual punishments that could be handed down in part when determined that the youth's rehabilitation was impossible.

Mom of alleged MS-13 victim killed by SUV at girla s memorial

A grieving New York mother recognized by President Donald Trump at the State of the Union in his campaign against deadly MS-13 gang violence was struck by an SUV and killed at her slain daughter's memorial site Friday after a heated confrontation with the driver. Evelyn Rodriguez was hit around 4 p.m. in Brentwood, near where her 16-year-old daughter Kayla Cuevas' body was found beaten and slashed two years ago to the day, police said.

Mom of alleged MS-13 victim killed by SUV at girl’s memorial

In this Monday, April 24, 2017 file photo, Evelyn Rodriguez, whose teen-aged daughter was brutally slain by MS-13 gang members in 2016, listens during a news conference by Suffolk County officials in Hauppauge, N.Y. Rodriguez recognized by President Donald Trump at the State of the Union after MS-13 gang members allegedly killed her daughter was struck and killed Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 by a car at the girl's memorial.

Mom of alleged MS-13 victim killed by SUV at girl’s memorial Source: AP

A grieving New York mother recognized by President Donald Trump at the State of the Union in his campaign against deadly MS-13 gang violence was struck by an SUV and killed at her slain daughter's memorial site Friday after a heated confrontation with the driver. Evelyn Rodriguez was hit around 4 p.m. in Brentwood, near where her 16-year-old daughter Kayla Cuevas' body was found beaten and slashed two years ago to the day, police said.

Man convicted of killing Nantucket woman seeks new trial

A Centerville man convicted in 2015 of killing his 23-year-old pregnant girlfriend is seeking a new trial on the grounds that the cellphone location data used to convict him was obtained illegally. Quoizel Wilson initially appealed his conviction a week after a Barnstable Superior Court jury found him guilty in May 2015 of first-degree murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and improper disposal of a body in the death of Trudie Hall of Nantucket.

Blame-game rages after gun violence in Chicago kills nearly a dozen people

At least 11 people were shot to death and about 70 wounded in a weekend burst of violence in Chicago that instantly became a political issue when President Donald Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, blamed the carnage on longtime Democratic rule in the city. Police on Monday attributed the dozens of shootings to gangs, the illegal flow of guns and sweltering August heat that drew more people outside.

At least 72 shot, 13 killed in Chicago over violent summer weekend,…

CHICAGO At least 72 people were shot, including 12 fatally, over the weekend in Chicago, another eruption of violence in a city that has struggled with murders and shootings in recent years even as the national homicide rate hovers near historic lows. Police investigated a 13th murder the slaying of 32-year-old woman who was found dead around 9 p.m. Sunday in a bathtub with her hands and feet bound.

Chicago violence surges: At least 71 shot, 11 killed over the weekend

At least 71 people were shot, including 10 fatally, over the weekend in Chicago, marking a chilling spasm of violence for a city that has struggled with murders and shootings in recent years even as the national homicide rate hovers near historic lows. Police are also investigating an eleventh murder- a 32-year-old woman who was found dead around 9 p.m. Sunday in a bathtub with her hands and feet bound.

Rudy Giuliani tweets about Chicago gun violence, praises Garry…

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Aug. 5, 2018, in a tweet that Chicago's former top cop, Garry McCarthy, could reduce the city's murder rate if elected as mayor. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Aug. 5, 2018, in a tweet that Chicago's former top cop, Garry McCarthy, could reduce the city's murder rate if elected as mayor.

Nebraska death row inmate’s latest appeal rejected

The Nebraska Supreme Court has rejected the latest appeal of a Texas man on Nebraska's death row for killing two Grand Island men in 2007. Marco Torres Jr., formerly of Pasadena, Texas, had sought post-conviction relief after being sentenced to death for two counts of first-degree murder and other counts in the robbery and shooting deaths of 48-year-old Timothy Donohue and 60-year-old Edward Hall.

Capital Gazette shooting suspect Jarrod Ramos scheduled to appear in court Monday

Jarrod Ramos, the man accused of killing five people at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Maryland last month, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Monday. Last week, a grand jury indicted Ramos on 23 charges, including five counts of murder in the deaths of Gerald Fischman, the newspaper's editorial page editor; Rob Hiaasen, an assistant editor and columnist; John McNamara, a sports writer; Rebecca Ann Smith, a sales assistant; and Wendi Winters, a community correspondent.

Ted Cruz on Alex Jones’s Facebook ban: “Who the hell made…

Am no fan of Jones - among other things he has a habit of repeatedly slandering my Dad by falsely and absurdly accusing him of killing JFK - but who the hell made Facebook the arbiter of political speech? Free speech includes views you disagree with. #1A https://t.co/RC5v4SHaiI I demand the right to enter the Cruz residence and insult his family repeatedly, with no way for him to make me leave.

Defense: If FBI agent had fired, he wouldna t have missed

FBI special agent W. Joseph Astarita is one of the FBI's best shooters, and he knows when to shoot and when not to shoot, his defense attorney told jurors Wednesday. Standing within easy striking distance of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, a militia leader who had come close to killing his fellow agent, Astarita decided to hold fire, the attorney, Robert Cary, said during his opening statement in a case that has become an unlikely footnote to the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in early 2016.