A former Pennsylvania mayor who was acquitted of murder in the killing of a Black woman during racial unrest in 1969 died early Thursday, about a month after being diagnosed with cancer. Former York Mayor Charlie Robertson quit a re-election bid before his 2002 trial on charges that as a patrolman on the city force, […]
Category: Afro Briefs
Posted inAfro Briefs
Florida to Execute First White Man Convicted of Killing a Black Man
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The drug etomidate has never before been used in any U.S. execution, but the state of Florida hopes that won’t result in the state’s first execution in more than 18 months being halted by the nation’s highest court Thursday. If his final appeals are denied by the U.S. Supreme Court, Mark […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Maine Governor: I was Threatened after Confederate-9/11 Comparison
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage says he received death threats after comparing the removal of Confederate statues to the removal of a 9/11 memorial. FILE – In this Wednesday, March 8, 2017, file photo, Maine Gov. Paul LePage speaks at a town hall meeting, in Yarmouth, Maine. LePage says taking down statues […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Jones County N.C.: Settlement Could Help Black Candidates for All White County Commission
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A rural North Carolina county could elect Black candidates to serve on its governing board for the first time in more than 20 years, because of a court settlement reached this week in a voting rights lawsuit. A national civil rights organization sued in February on behalf of Black voters who […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Man Exonerated after 25 Years Seeks Millions from Detroit
DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit man who served 25 years in prison for murder based on sham evidence has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $100 million. FILE – In this June 1, 2017 file photo, Desmond Ricks listens to a judge during a hearing in Detroit. Ricks, who served 25 years in prison for […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Missouri Governor Halts Man’s Execution after DNA Questions
LOUIS (AP) — Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on Tuesday halted the scheduled execution of condemned inmate Marcellus Williams after DNA testing raised questions about whether he actually killed. Just hours before Williams was to be put to death, the Republican governor said in an email that he was issuing a stay of execution. Williams was […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Missouri Prepares to Execute a Black Man
LOUIS (AP) — Attorneys for a Missouri inmate scheduled for execution Tuesday warn that the state is preparing to execute a potentially innocent man. Marcellus Williams, 48, was convicted of fatally stabbing former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Lisha Gayle during a 1998 robbery at her home in the suburb of University City. If his death […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Anger over Rally Violence Boils over in Charlottesville
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Anger boiled over at the first Charlottesville City Council meeting since a white nationalist rally in the city descended into violent chaos, with some residents screaming and cursing at councilors Monday night and calling for their resignations. Scores of people packed the council’s chambers, and The Daily Progress reported Mayor Mike […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Man Who Shot Judge was Father of Player Convicted of Rape
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A man who shot and wounded a judge outside a county courthouse before being gunned down by a probation officer was the father of a high school football player who was convicted of rape in 2013, authorities said Monday. This undated still image from video provided by WTOV-TV in Steubenville, Ohio, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Officials: Slain Florida Officers Didn’t Have Chance to Return Fire
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — A police officer in Florida died from his injuries Saturday, a day after his colleague was killed when a suspect fired at them during a scuffle while they were on patrol. The suspect was later arrested at a bar. Sgt. Sam Howard died Saturday afternoon at a hospital where he had […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Ex-Vanderbilt Football Player Gets Minimum 15 Years for Rape
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Vanderbilt University football player received the minimum sentence of 15 years in prison on Friday for the dorm room rape of an unconscious female student. Brandon Banks was convicted of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery in the 2013 rape, which a teammate recorded and shared with friends in […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Fire Chief Placed on Leave Amid Racial Insensitivity Probe
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut fire chief has been placed on paid leave after an investigation faulted him for racial insensitivity and concluded minority firefighters have a reason to perceive racial bias in the department. This August 2017 photo released by the city of New Britain, Conn., shows a display of portraits of […]