Tiger Woods' girlfriend Lindsey Vonn, shows she's a good sport, by posing with some of Tiger's most dedicated fans.
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| (lindseyvonn/Instagram) |
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| These Tiger Woods fans put the fan back in fanatic. (Barry Svrluga/Twitter) |
21 July 2013
Grown Men Dressed As Tigers, Follow Tiger Woods Around
20 July 2013
Mississippi State Trooper Gets 33 Months Federal Prison Time, Kicked, Stomped Woman
Christopher G. Hughes has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison.Per indictment, Hughes transported a woman to the jail and then, “acting under color of law,” threw her onto the concrete floor, stomped her head against the floor and kicked her “without legal justification,” injuring her and depriving her of her constitutional rights to freedom from excessive force and from unreasonable searches and seizures.
Without a plea deal, Hughes faced up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
There will be a full profile of Trooper Hughes in the next update of The National Law Enforcement Officers Hall Of Shame (LEOHOS)
Drunken, Shirtless, Off Duty Cop, Points Gun At Store Clerk
A Tucson police officer was fired from the department Tuesday after being arrested for pulling a gun on a convenience store clerk. Read more...
Want 'Time Off Purgatory?' Follow The Pope On Twitter
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| The very sociable Pope Francis, has embraced social media and has millions of followers on Twitter. |
UPDATED: "You Are A Disgusting Creep!" -- C.D. Witherspoon Attacks The Toilet Bomber
Disturbing Incident Caught On Tape
By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.
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| Why is this man so angry? |
In his description of the MUST SEE VIDEO (scroll to bottom), Davis states: "I am a Professional Protester. He got mad for no reason at all. He broke my TOILET and he gonna pay for it. Federal violations threatening and
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| Duane "Shorty" Davis rarely sits still. |
Police was my witness. He needs a TIME out and a MENTAL HEALTH evaluation..anger management or something."
The Baltimore Spectator contacted Witherspoon for comment, the following was his statement via email:
"Shorty's activities are very suspicious and are of a cointelpro and deliberately agitational nature.
He captures footage of activist activities without permission or authorization, and with no accountability. Via social media he notoriously alerts the police and government officials of activist activities.
Many of us have long thought he is [a] government informant, and agent provocateur.
Who pays him to perform his duties? And what does he do with the footage he captures? If the activist community is never able to prove with certainty that Shorty is an agent, we will always have our suspicions and history will reveal the truth.
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Community activist, independent journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur is used to not being welcomed in public places.
Email MacArthurMedia@gmail.com, @BaltoSpectator on twitter, Spreaker web radio, BlogTalk Radio, Baltimore Spectator on Facebook,YouTube channel
Better Police/Community Relations? Jack Young Responds
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Potential candidate for vacant Baltimore Police Training
Academy commander position.
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For the last month, we've seen repeated cries and pleadings from police and city officials for increased "cooperation from the community." They say police desperately need our help in fighting out-of-control crime in Baltimore. To that, our response has been cooperation is indeed needed, but we must see the police extend a hand to the community as well.
Courtesy and professionalism, in our experience, is something sorely lacking among Baltimore Police.
We asked Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young for input. Originally published on North Baltimore Patch, here's how it went:
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Publisher A.F. James MacArthur, a "serious threat to
public safety."
(Larry "Celebrity Cab Driver" Wallace/Baltimore Spectator)
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Dear President Young;
With the continued call for increased community cooperation with the police, what is being done by you and your colleagues to ensure people of protection when doing this?
Also, there's a well known, well deserved reputation in the community, that the police don't really care about us, and view [all] us (black men) as criminal suspects.
When they respond to a scene, they're often rude and condescending to all present, including potential vital witnesses. I've heard no elected official address working with the department to improve community relations from their end.
It's a two way street sir. If citizens are being called to cooperate, the police must be required to operate at a higher level of professionalism.
Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young's response:
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| Jack Young gets it. |
I for years have stressed to the leaders of BPD [Baltimore Police Department] the importance of customer service. And my very first conversation with Commissioner Batts centered on the absolute need to incorporate better customer service training into the teaching at the Academy.
I have also told Commissioner Batts that I'm willing to address recruits personally and implore them to become great communicators. I know that the majority of our officers are hard-working, great individuals.
But I've also witnessed officers being rude first-hand. I had a personal experience with this during a traffic stop years ago. I get it. It's something I talk about all the time. And whenever I encounter a police officer I make sure to let him/her know that treating people with respect (whether you think they're criminal or not) is a necessary part of their job.
19 July 2013
Police Kill Man During Traffic Stop -- Official Account Disputed
By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.
There's been another "in-custody death" of a citizen at the hands of the Baltimore Police Department. If you're unfamiliar, that's what they seem to call it when cops kill an unarmed person. Last time this happened, the independent Office of The Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be homicide. Remember Anthony Anderson?
“...they beat this man to death...”
Of course, Anderson's death being ruled a homicide was an inconvenient fact for Baltimore's State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein. After sitting on his hands for a few months, likely waiting for public uproar to die down, he decided there was no need to charge officers responsible for the killing of this unarmed man.Never mind the worse offense committed by Anderson the day he died, was trying to run away from police. Apparently this is now a capital crime, punishable by immediate on-sight, summary execution.
Like Thursday's incident, which happened around 8 p.m. in the area of the 1300 block of Kitmore Road, police initially claimed Anderson may have had drugs on him (always a good reason to kill a suspect). They even alleged Anderson swallowed the drugs in an attempt to hide evidence. Eventually, the autopsy found no drugs in Mr. Anderson's system, the police department quietly backed away from this false accusation on a dead man.
Conflicting Reports
On Thursday's incident, police say the yet-to-be-identified man killed, was in a car pulled over for a traffic stop. There were suspected drugs in the car. At some point police attempted to arrest the man. He resisted arrest, and according to Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez, at some point he suffered from “medical distress.”
Numerous eye witnesses told reporters a very different sounding story (listen to audio from one eye witness). They claim the man offered no resistance at all and was kicked, stomped, pepper sprayed and beaten to death.
At this point, considering their poor track record and numerous occurrences of Baltimore Police issuing false reports and generally misleading the public, our bet is with the witnesses on this one.
We're told internal affairs and the homicide investigation unit are on the case.
Thankfully this incident has already garnered significant outrage on social media and is also getting lots of coverage by local news outlets. Heightened public attention and scrutiny should help ensure a full, fair and thorough investigation. We'll see what happens.
This is an early version a commentary of a current news item. Story may be edited and or updated later.
Stand Your Ground: Indiana Law Lets Citizens Shoot Police
State law allows residents to use deadly force in response to the "unlawful intrusion" by a "public servant" to protect themselves and others, or their property. Talk about supporting and defending the Constitution.
Passed over a year ago, in 2012. Most of the country missed the controversial measure going into effect. With renewed attention and debate surrounding so-called "stand your ground" laws, this one will certainly be a topic of much discussion.
Related articles
COPPING A FEEL! Balt. County Cop Caught Masturbating On Job, Videotaped Self
NAME: Aaron Z. Pross
Age: 29
Rank: Officer
Agency: Baltimore County Police Department
Ignored 911 calls, including shooting, while video taping self masturbating in police car.
Took more than 120 images & 20 videos engaging in sexual acts with himself.
Images of handcuffed, naked woman on police car, showing her participating in sexual activity found on phone.
Sent explicit video to 16-year-old girl, her father contacted police.
Pleaded guilty, given 18-month suspended sentence, three years unsupervised probation, no jail time.
HOS STATUS: Inducted 17 July 2013
Read court documents detailing charges.
18 July 2013
Beating A Dead Horse "For Trayvon" Pt. 1
Controversy continues over motive of Patterson Park beating
By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.
In an interview with WMAR ABC 2's Brian Kuebler, Baltimore Police Detective Angela Carter-Watson said, "our investigation is basically saying that there is no Trayvon connection. This incident is again, an isolated incident."
Four days after first appearing on The Baltimore Spectator, three days after The Baltimore Sun reported it, and pretended not to have first heard of it from us, George reluctantly relents that the "for Trayvon" claim could be bogus.
If this whole episode was good for nothing else, at least it showed us what "real reporting" ought to look like.
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Involved in media since 1991, community activist, independent journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur has grown used to getting no respect.
Email MacArthurMedia@gmail.com, @BaltoSpectator on twitter, Spreaker web radio, BlogTalk Radio, Baltimore Spectator on Facebook,YouTube channel
By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.
Have you had enough of George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin yet?
On Sunday when I wrote about a group of Baltimore teenagers who beat up a man in Patterson Park, I really didn't feel like doing another story about the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman trial aftermath. Not because I though there weren't important lessons to be learned, or meaningful discussions to be had. Because there actually are. But since virtually a million outlets already had stories about the case, out of respect to my readers, I figured I'd back off a bit.
After all, you didn't come here to read stuff stuff you can easily read anywhere else.
On Sunday when I wrote about a group of Baltimore teenagers who beat up a man in Patterson Park, I really didn't feel like doing another story about the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman trial aftermath. Not because I though there weren't important lessons to be learned, or meaningful discussions to be had. Because there actually are. But since virtually a million outlets already had stories about the case, out of respect to my readers, I figured I'd back off a bit.
After all, you didn't come here to read stuff stuff you can easily read anywhere else.
Open Source Intelligence
v. re·port·ed, re·port·ing, re·ports v.tr.1. To write or provide an account or summation of for publication or broadcast: report the news. 2. To relate or tell about; present: report one's findings. See Synonyms at describe.
3. To carry back and repeat to another: reported the rumor of a strike.
On Sunday night, a reader made me aware of a "reported" assault on a Hispanic man. The incident was supposedly in retaliation for the controversial Florida verdict. The initial claim was a group of Black teens in jumped the man, and as they beat him down, they told him "this is for Trayvon [Martin]."
After doing basic research a brief was filed. I attempted to outline, what seemed at the time, to be a pretty shocking story. In a city with hundreds of murders and shootings per year, for an assault to be considered newsworthy, there has to be something a bit unusual or different about it. A group of gang bangers delivering a racially motivated beating definitely fit this criteria.
Within 24 hours the story was seen by thousands of people from around the world. In fact, it quickly became the most read Baltimore Spectator piece, in a long, long time.
But it seemed as if the media might have missed it. A whole day passed before The Baltimore Sun decided to even acknowledge the incident having taken place. In their original article, crime reporter Justin George fills in many of the details missing from my initial account.
Eventually the story gained the attention of national media. But was it because it was first reported here on this blog? Not hardly. George's story quickly went viral, and he eventually wound up on national TV discussing it. It's too bad we've since learned the primary thrust of his story appears to be totally incorrect. But well get back to that later.
On Twitter, I expressed disappointment. George should have at least acknowledged that the story was first reported here. But according to reporter Carrie Wells, -- not the pretend TV detective -- of The Baltimore Sun, putting a story on an internationally recognized blog like The Baltimore Spectator, is not real 'reporting.'
After doing basic research a brief was filed. I attempted to outline, what seemed at the time, to be a pretty shocking story. In a city with hundreds of murders and shootings per year, for an assault to be considered newsworthy, there has to be something a bit unusual or different about it. A group of gang bangers delivering a racially motivated beating definitely fit this criteria.
Within 24 hours the story was seen by thousands of people from around the world. In fact, it quickly became the most read Baltimore Spectator piece, in a long, long time.
But it seemed as if the media might have missed it. A whole day passed before The Baltimore Sun decided to even acknowledge the incident having taken place. In their original article, crime reporter Justin George fills in many of the details missing from my initial account.
Eventually the story gained the attention of national media. But was it because it was first reported here on this blog? Not hardly. George's story quickly went viral, and he eventually wound up on national TV discussing it. It's too bad we've since learned the primary thrust of his story appears to be totally incorrect. But well get back to that later.
On Twitter, I expressed disappointment. George should have at least acknowledged that the story was first reported here. But according to reporter Carrie Wells, -- not the pretend TV detective -- of The Baltimore Sun, putting a story on an internationally recognized blog like The Baltimore Spectator, is not real 'reporting.'
Or is it?
Although now a well known reporter for a major metropolitan daily newspaper, Ms. Wells was once a novice journalist. Back when Wells was a journalism student at University of Maryland, and her current audience had no clue who she was, I actually followed a bit of her work.
Her zeal and excitement towards journalism encouraged me about the future of the craft. At a time when I'd just about lost all faith in the direction the press was going, Wells made me think there was hope.
It's kind of funny, but apparently as a student, Wells was well aware of my non-reporting at The Baltimore Spectator, as well.
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| The Baltimore Spectator, breaking news & first to cover stuff since 2009. Even novices noticed. |
Riding High On The Horse
At first, when none of mainstream media picked up, or even seemed to have an interest in the story, I honestly was a bit surprised. If for nothing else, the story (or what seemed to be the story), had all the appearances of the kind of sensational fodder media thrives on. But this would soon change.
Sun staffers gabbed with great glee and excitement about all the sudden attention "their story" gathered. First The Drudge Report picked it up, then George even got to be a guest on Fox news.
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| Baltimore Sun reporter Justin George, spreading truth to the masses. |
But as Baltimore Sun staff reveled in the recognition received for such a captivating story, their reported version of events began to slowly unravel.
Four days after first appearing on The Baltimore Spectator, three days after The Baltimore Sun reported it, and pretended not to have first heard of it from us, George reluctantly relents that the "for Trayvon" claim could be bogus.
If this whole episode was good for nothing else, at least it showed us what "real reporting" ought to look like.
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Involved in media since 1991, community activist, independent journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur has grown used to getting no respect.
Email MacArthurMedia@gmail.com, @BaltoSpectator on twitter, Spreaker web radio, BlogTalk Radio, Baltimore Spectator on Facebook,YouTube channel
17 July 2013
COCKED AND LOCKED - Baltimore Police Open For Business?
Public Invitation Runs Contrary To Reality
By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.
Is it too much to expect accurate information from the official Twitter account, of the 8th largest police department in the country? When dealing with the Baltimore Police Department, I learned a long time ago to be careful in taking them at their word.
Anyone who's ever had the unfortunate experience of seeking help at one of Baltimore's police stations could tell you how uninviting they are. From hidden rear entrances (many front door are condemned), to unstaffed desks, the decrepit, run down appearances are not exactly a comforting sight for a citizen in distress. And that's before you have to deal with the cops themselves!
Batts And The Bishop
Baltimore mega-church, New Psalmist Baptist, led by Bishop Walter S. Thomas Sr., decided they'd had enough of this embarrassment. Details aren't clear, but apparently they provided private funding and or other support, to renovate and reopen the front entrance of the police department's Northwestern District station.
With great fanfare and upbeat announcements echoed by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the general public was invited to come on down to check it out. In the spirit of hard-core investigative journalism and bringing you "Truth To The Masses," The Baltimore Spectator decided to check out the spectacle, so you wouldn't have to. What we discovered might surprise you.
In the graphic below, a friendly, open invitation is extended to the general public via twitter at 12:54 p.m. Less than an hour later when we showed up, apparently someone must have seen us coming, because the doors were definitely locked. A lone detective could be seen in the video, briefly peering through the large front window, that would be the only welcome or acknowledge we got. There was no inquiry of "may I help you?" No one asked, "is there something we can do for you?" Nope, not here.
The Baltimore Police Department was asked for clarification via Twitter (same venue as the invitation), but as of this writing (3:25 p.m.), there's been no response.
It should be pointed out, this incident is not the first time conflicting messages were delivered to the public by the police. We've had plenty experiences before.
Remember, if you're having an emergency, DO NOT go to your nearest neighborhood police station. That is, unless you don't mind being left on the outside looking in.
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Community activist, independent journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur is used to not being welcomed in public places.
Email MacArthurMedia@gmail.com, @BaltoSpectator on twitter, Spreaker web radio, BlogTalk Radio, Baltimore Spectator on Facebook,YouTube channel
Anyone who's ever had the unfortunate experience of seeking help at one of Baltimore's police stations could tell you how uninviting they are. From hidden rear entrances (many front door are condemned), to unstaffed desks, the decrepit, run down appearances are not exactly a comforting sight for a citizen in distress. And that's before you have to deal with the cops themselves!
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| So a Bishop and a Police Chief walk into a bar... (A.F. James MacArthur, Baltimore Spectator) |
Baltimore mega-church, New Psalmist Baptist, led by Bishop Walter S. Thomas Sr., decided they'd had enough of this embarrassment. Details aren't clear, but apparently they provided private funding and or other support, to renovate and reopen the front entrance of the police department's Northwestern District station.
With great fanfare and upbeat announcements echoed by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the general public was invited to come on down to check it out. In the spirit of hard-core investigative journalism and bringing you "Truth To The Masses," The Baltimore Spectator decided to check out the spectacle, so you wouldn't have to. What we discovered might surprise you.
In the graphic below, a friendly, open invitation is extended to the general public via twitter at 12:54 p.m. Less than an hour later when we showed up, apparently someone must have seen us coming, because the doors were definitely locked. A lone detective could be seen in the video, briefly peering through the large front window, that would be the only welcome or acknowledge we got. There was no inquiry of "may I help you?" No one asked, "is there something we can do for you?" Nope, not here.
The Baltimore Police Department was asked for clarification via Twitter (same venue as the invitation), but as of this writing (3:25 p.m.), there's been no response.
It should be pointed out, this incident is not the first time conflicting messages were delivered to the public by the police. We've had plenty experiences before.
Remember, if you're having an emergency, DO NOT go to your nearest neighborhood police station. That is, unless you don't mind being left on the outside looking in.
--------------------------------------------------
Community activist, independent journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur is used to not being welcomed in public places.
Email MacArthurMedia@gmail.com, @BaltoSpectator on twitter, Spreaker web radio, BlogTalk Radio, Baltimore Spectator on Facebook,YouTube channel
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