Crime

ABC News reports: The U.S. Olympic Committee Thursday night apologized to Brazil for the “distracting ordeal” stemming from what Brazilian authorities call a fabricated claim of a gunpoint robbery by a group of swimmers in Rio de Janeiro. “The behavior of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA or the conduct of the …

The Washington Post reports: The Justice Department plans to end its use of private prisons after officials concluded the facilities are both less safe and less effective at providing correctional services than those run by the government. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates announced the decision on Thursday in a memo that instructs officials to either decline to renew the contracts …

His husband tried to stop the murder, but the police did nothing. There’s a lot to this story. Via Talking Points Memo: In a bizarre twist, the husband of the Tulsa, Oklahoma man suspected of fatally shooting his Lebanese neighbor on Friday night was apparently friendly with the victim and tried to warn him that his partner was armed and …

The Boston Globe reports: A Brazil police official said US swimmer Ryan Lochte fabricated his robbery claim and that US Olympic swimmers were involved in a rowdy gas station confrontation. The official, who has direct knowledge of the investigation, spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about an ongoing probe. He said that around …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Three days after claiming that he and his teammates were robbed at gunpoint, American swimmer Ryan Lochte has tempered his initial, dramatic description of the alleged incident. The 12-time Olympic medalist said earlier this week that one of the robbers pressed a gun to his head. On Wednesday night, he told NBC News the robber …

So this really did just happen in Florida. It’s always Florida: A 19-year-old student fatally stabbed a couple in their garage in Florida Monday night and was biting the dead man’s face when officers subdued him, authorities said Tuesday. Police believe Florida State University student Austin Harrouff attacked the couple at random shortly before 9:20 p.m. using “weapons of opportunity,” …

USA Today reports: Police investigating reports that American swimmer Ryan Lochte and three of his teammates were robbed at gunpoint in a taxi so far have found little evidence supporting the account, and say the swimmers were unable to provide key details in police interviews. A police official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that police cannot …

NBC News reports: U.S. Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen were robbed at gunpoint while in Rio de Janeiro overnight Saturday, NBC News has confirmed. Following conflicting reports — including the IOC denying any incident took place — Lochte himself confirmed with TODAY’s Billy Bush that he and the other swimmers were robbed at gunpoint. …

The Associated Press: A 95-year-old Catholic priest admitted to sexually abusing boys decades ago on Guam. He said he confessed his sins to other priests on the island at the time but none told him to specifically stop. Instead, the Rev. Louis Brouillard said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Saturday morning that the other priests told …

Last month I reported that a Trump supporter named Michael Strickland had been arrested after brandishing a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon. Yesterday a grand jury returned a 21-count indictment against Strickland, including ten felony counts. Oregon Live reports: Each unlawful use of a weapon charge accuses Strickland of attempting to use, and possessing with intent to …

NBC News reports: The mayor of Fairfax City, Virginia, was arrested early Friday after police say he tried to give methamphetamine to undercover detectives in exchange for sex. Mayor Richard “Scott” Silverthorne, 50, was arrested at a nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel as part of a sting operation, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release. He was charged …

In a press conference that aired live this afternoon, investigators revealed that the primary weapon used in yesterday’s ambush attack on Baton Rouge police was an IWI Tavor SAR 5.56 rifle. The weapon sells for about $1800 and according to review sites it will “readily convert” to accept AR-15 magazines, some of which hold 100 rounds. The NRA is surely …

From the Los Angeles Times: Los Angeles police are investigating after Playboy model Dani Mathers apologized for taking a photo of a woman in a locker room shower at an LA Fitness exercise center and posted it on Snapchat with disparaging comments about the woman’s body. LAPD Capt. Andrew Neiman said the department received a report of “illegal distribution” of …

Alaska Dispatch News reports: Track Palin, the son of former Gov. Sarah Palin, has entered a plea agreement with the state in a special court for veterans after his January arrest for allegedly punching a woman in the face at the family’s Wasilla home. Kevin Fitzgerald, Track Palin’s attorney, said Friday his client had opted into Anchorage Veterans Court — …

The Washington Post reports: A truck rammed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French Riviera city of Nice on Thursday night, killing at least 84 people in an apparent terrorist attack in which the driver also opened fire on revelers before being shot dead by police. The truck struck the crowd after a fireworks display for the French …

Little Green Footballs blogger Charles Johnson tonight directed his Twitter followers to the website of Alaska’s judicial system, which shows that Track Palin has been “remanded into custody” on the three charges that resulted from his drunken attack on his girlfriend in January. Those three charges are Class A misdemeanors and at this writing there’s no news account on why …

From the Detroit Free Press: A viral video of a man shouting slurs and pointing a gun at another man he believed was gay as he exited a convenience store on Detroit’s west side has sparked outrage and is being investigated by police, an official confirmed Wednesday. “We are aware of it,” said Detroit Police Sgt. Michael Woody. “It was …

From Philadelphia Magazine: Kathryn Knott is now a free woman. On Tuesday morning, Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Roxanne Covington heard Knott’s motion for parole. “Miss Knott has been an exemplary inmate,” argued Center City attorney William Brennan, Knott’s lawyer. “She completed anger management in a timely, quick fashion. And she elected not to appeal. That speaks volumes to her …

The Arizona Republic reports: Chris Simcox, the former leader of the Minuteman border vigilante group, was sentenced to 19.5 years in prison Monday, bringing an end to a sex-abuse case involving two girls under 10. A Maricopa County Superior Court jury found Simcox, 55, guilty last month of two counts of child molestation and one count of furnishing obscene material …

Raw Story reports: Michael Strickland, the right-wing agitator and Trump supporter seen in this video brandishing a gun at a peaceful Black Lives Matter rally, has been charged with two class A felonies after being arrested and initially released Friday morning on his own recognizance without bail. At his arraignment today at the Multnomah County Courthouse in downtown Portland Strickland …