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Retired Philly Officer Dies From Gunshot Wound to Torso

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A bullet killed a retired Philadelphia police officer over the weekend.

The medical examiner in southern Virginia ruled that someone killed Officer Virginia Hill by shooting her in the torso.

Someone discovered Hill – a 25-year Philadelphia police veteran -- unresponsive inside her home in the Walnut Hills Estates neighborhood of Suffolk, Virginia early Saturday morning.

The 69-year-old died a short time later from her undisclosed injuries, according to Suffolk police.

Suffolk is located a short distance west of Norfolk in southern Virginia.

Hill was an honored member of the Philadelphia Police Department. She began her career in law enforcement at a transit officer in 1977. She later joined the Philadelphia police department’s Juvenile Aid Division in 1981. In January 2002, her work with children’s cases earned her Officer of the Month distinction from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Police in Virginia asked anyone with information on Hill’s murder to call the tip line at 1-888-Lock-U-Up or submit a tip online.


Bricks Tumble Down as Car Smashes Into Bank

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A car slammed into the front door of a South Philadelphia credit union Tuesday morning.

The silver sedan crashed into the front of the Police and Fire Federal Credit Union – Stadium Branch along the 3300 block of S Broad Street around 11:15 a.m.

No injuries were reported.

The force of the crash caused a column of bricks from the PFFCU to fall onto the hood of the car – breaking the windshield.

The cause of the crash wasn't immediately clear.



Photo Credit: SkyForce10

Chickie's & Pete's Robbery was an Inside Job: UDPD

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An inside job -- that's what Upper Darby Police are calling Sunday's armed robbery of Chickie's & Pete's in Drexel Hill.

"These guys knew what they were doing," Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said in a news conference Tuesday. "They didn't waste anytime. They got in, they got out."

Now police are looking for the two armed men they say stormed into Chickie's & Pete's at 5035 Township Line just before 10 Sunday morning and forced employees into the walk-in freezer before making their way into an office where the on-duty manager was working. There, they threw roughly16,000 in cash into a brown plastic bag. They also took two rings off the manager's fingers and her wallet, according to Chitwood. 

Surveillance video inside the restaurant shows the masked men -- one of whom was wearing a Chickie's & Pete's sweatshirt -- force four employees into the freezer at gunpoint.

Video captured outside the sports bar shows an idle car just outside the front door. Investigators believe the suspects jumped into the vehicle -- either white or grey and driven by a third man -- after the robbery.

Owner Pete Ciarrocchi is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the men.

"We are seeking the public’s help to bring those responsible to justice,” Ciarrocchi said in a news release. “This was a robbery where the perpetrators literally stole the manager’s engagement ring right off her finger, and then locked four of our employees in a freezer, potentially jeopardizing their lives. We are cooperating with the Upper Darby Police, and in discussions with Superintendent Michael Chitwood, we decided that the reward might help police in their efforts to identify and arrest the perpetrators.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Upper Darby Police.



Photo Credit: Police

Judge Rules Against Former Mob Boss

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A Philadelphia Judge ruled that former mob boss Joey Merlino will have a hearing to decide if his parole should be revoked, despite the fact that it was allegedly violated in the Sunshine State.

Life Means Death for Thousands of Pa. Prisoners

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Death in prison is not rare.

In Pennsylvania, one in 10 inmates is sentenced to life in prison. Because state law gives them no possibility of parole, nearly all of more than 5,300 inmates serving life terms will eventually die inside prison walls.

"They have no choice but to age and die in place,” said Julia Hall, a criminal justice professor and gerontologist at Drexel University.

In the Laurel Highlands prison, seven rooms are the final stop for some of the state’s sickest and oldest inmates. With breathing tubes and IVs, the mostly gray-haired inmates wait for their bodies to fail.

When their vital signs slip and they struggle for breath, other inmates hold vigil so they won’t die alone.

Sometimes death is sudden. Other times, volunteers like Christian, a 32-year-old inmate from Philadelphia, watch as life slowly slips away.

"They get to the point that they can’t talk no more,” he said. “That last breath of air they’re taking — and you’re really there holding their hands.”

Christian, along with four other inmate volunteers, was describing his work at the hospice unit at State Correctional Institution – Laurel Highlands, a former state mental hospital that was converted in 1996 to a prison hospital for male inmates.

The facility has had a full-time hospice service for two years with room for seven inmates at a time. Previously, the hospital had a less formal system where the nursing staff tried to make inmates comfortable as they neared death.

PublicSource was granted access in August under an agreement that the last names of inmates would not be used.

Life means life

Only Florida has more inmates serving life without parole than Pennsylvania, according to a nationwide ranking of 2012 numbers by the Sentencing Project in Washington, D.C.

State law mandates life in prison for defendants convicted of first and second-degree murder.
Accomplices to murder are treated the same as a killer, even if they themselves did not cause the death. First-degree murderers can also be sentenced to death.

Repeat violent offenders can also be sentenced to life under Pennsylvania’s three-strikes law, and other inmates serve de-facto life sentences with minimums so lengthy that they will almost certainly die before release.

From 2009 through 2013, 144 lifers died in Pennsylvania, according to state statistics. Over the same period, only four inmates had life sentences commuted by the governor after unanimous recommendation by the Board of Pardons.

Since 2010, just six inmates have been granted compassionate release, which is available to inmates nearing death who meet strict criteria, according to the Department of Corrections.

‘Nobody dies alone’

At SCI – Laurel Highlands, volunteers like Christian visit patients several hours each week, playing games, helping them write letters and sometimes just keeping them company.

"Those guys need help. They don’t have no family coming to visit,” said Elvis, an inmate volunteer from Venango County.

In the seven rooms for dedicated hospice care referred to as cubes, the focus is on reducing pain, providing comfort and helping them reach out to family members.

The program is based in part on a hospice unit in California where Laurel Highlands’ former superintendent sent Annette Kowalewski, a corrections healthcare administrator, and Paula Sroka, a quality improvement nurse.

In August, the hospice rooms were full until a 68-year-old inmate died after declining treatment for liver disease and lung cancer.

Medical staff are responsible for all the patients’ health care, while inmates provide companionship and physical help such as lifting patients out of bed.

Terminal illness strikes young inmates too, and a life term is not a prerequisite to dying in prison.
Special arrangements are made so family members can visit — sometimes for hours at a time — and the prison ensures that they’ll have access when the patient is dying.

If family doesn’t come, the inmates are there.
“Nobody dies alone,” Kowalewski said. “That’s our primary concern.”

Care across the state?

Christopher Oppman, director of the Bureau of Health Care Services for the Department of Corrections, said the state has adequate resources to ensure prisoners can get hospice care in infirmaries across the prison system.

But dedicated rooms for hospice care are less common outside of Laurel Highlands, so inmates at many facilities die in open wards.

"We would not be able to operate hospice on the scale that Laurel Highlands would,” Oppman said.

Staff at some facilities lack expertise in pain and symptom management, said Phyllis Taylor, a nurse and hospice expert who has previously worked as a consultant for the department.

In other words, not every prison gives the same quality of care.

"Some of the places maybe,” she said, “but not across the board.”

Taylor assisted researchers from Penn State University in a pilot program with the department to improve end-of-life care at six prisons that have high populations of aging inmates or lifers.

Staff at those prisons received specialized training to improve and standardize end-of-life care.

Currently, the corrections department is establishing best practices for prison hospice care statewide, Oppman said.

Paying until death

In Pennsylvania, inmates are classified as geriatric at 55. Common health problems are diabetes, cancer, liver disease and heart problems. Kowalewski said that an inmate who is 40 might look several decades older.

Of the roughly 5,300 geriatric inmates in Pennsylvania prisons, about 1,500 are serving life terms.
Because parole is not possible for lifers, Hall argues that the state is committed to a geriatric prison system

You’re going to keep paying until they die,” she said.

The state spent more than $35,000 for each inmate in the 2012-’13 fiscal year. The state does not keep numbers on the specific cost for inmates over 55, but costs increase as more medical care is needed.

The prison system is among the most expensive institutions in Pennsylvania, costing the state more than $2 billion this fiscal year.

At the end of September, 19 of the state’s 26 correctional institutions were at or above capacity, according to the most recent population numbers available.

Laurel Highlands, which was at 99.4 percent of capacity, costs $75 million to operate for the year.

Mark Bergstrom, executive director of the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, compared parts of the facility to a nursing home.

"When you see someone who’s on oxygen or in very poor health, we’re spending a lot of money to have that person in a prison,” Bergstrom said.

The state acknowledges that the risk of reoffending drops off with age.

The department’s 2013 recidivism report said released inmates under 21 are more than twice as likely to reoffend within three years as inmates over 50. Age has a “strong negative correlation” on recidivism, the report said.

Few ways out

Rather than paying costs indefinitely, Hall advocates for more compassionate release, criticizing a system with requirements so strict that it’s almost never used.

Politicians, she said, consider compassionate release “going easy” on offenders guilty of heinous crimes.

"It’s such a joke,” Hall said.

The state’s compassionate release rules were updated as part of a broader prison reform in 2008.

Under the law, a sentencing judge has the power to release inmates only if they are near death, have a nursing or hospice facility that will take them and have shown that their needs aren’t met in prison.

Rarely do inmates qualify.

Taylor, who has assisted prisoners seeking compassionate release, said an inmate needs to be immobile and essentially “on death’s doorstep” before a discharge is considered.

Victims and prosecutors get to weigh in, and the risk to public safety is considered.

"If they’re lifers, it doesn’t happen,” Taylor said. “That’s been my experience.”

For others, paperwork may take so long that an inmate dies before a decision is made.

Taylor said the state needs a method to evaluate whether inmates should be released if they are many years into a life term and have demonstrated that they’re not a threat.

Movement to change sentencing laws for lifers has been slow, Bergstrom said, though interest in Harrisburg is greater now than 10 years ago.

But lawmakers knew about the issue then.

In 2002, a Senate resolution directed the Joint State Government Commission to form a bipartisan task force and advisory committee to study the state’s handling of geriatric and seriously-ill prisoners. The group delivered a report in 2005 about the high-cost of an aging prison population and offered potential fixes, including the possibility of parole for lifers.

Hall, who was a member of the committee, said lawmakers ignored their suggestions and made compassionate release more difficult, not less.

In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life sentences without parole are unconstitutional for juveniles. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided that ruling does not apply to inmates already serving time, and the federal Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.

However, Bergstrom said the Supreme Court ruling might give inmates already sentenced to life as juveniles traction with the state Board of Pardons.

Decades ago, commutations were common, meaning inmates serving life without parole would be given a lesser sentence by the governor. In the 1970s, for instance, Gov. Milton Shapp commuted 251 life sentences.

But commutations have become rare since, and under a 1997 amendment to the state constitution, the state’s Board of Pardons must unanimously recommend commutation before the governor can act.

Since the rule change, Gov. Mark Schweiker commuted one sentence and Gov. Ed Rendell commuted five.

Gov. Tom Corbett has commuted none.

The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Don’t want him to go’

With few ways out, sick inmates live their last days in facilities like Laurel Highlands.

The prison looks like a hospital, but with razor wire out front and vertical bars in the hallways. Patients sit in wheelchairs, breathing bottled oxygen and numbly stare into the distance.

Watching prisoners die has given the inmate volunteers perspective on their own lives and made them think about what it would mean to live the rest of their days — and die — in prison.

"I don’t think that people on the outside really understand what it’s like for a person to die in prison,” said Travis, a volunteer who was at Laurel Highlands and is now out on parole.

Among the men in hospice care at Laurel Highlands is a 96-year-old inmate named Simon — the oldest inmate in the Pennsylvania prison system.

He’s built relationships with the volunteers, and they’ve watched his health slip as he moved into hospice care.

"I don’t want him to go,” Elvis said. “He’s like a grandpa to me.”

Reach Jeffrey Benzing at 412-315-0265 or at jbenzing@publicsource.org. Follow him on Twitter @jabenzing.



Photo Credit: Illustration by Anita Dufalla | PublicSource.org

Weapons of War in Your Neighborhood

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The NBC10 Investigators found weapons of war in the hands of police departments across the Delaware Valley as local governments take advantage of a free Department of Defense [DoD] program to unload more than $5 billion worth of surplus military equipment.

We found local police departments armed with equipment including tanks, mine-resistant vehicles, and automatic weapons.

A review of data obtained by NBC10's Mitch Blacher shows the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has received close to 34,000 pieces of surplus military equipment from the DoD since 2012. Of that, 1,972 items are classified as tactical equipment -- tanks, ambulances, mine-resistant vehicles, night goggles and automatic weapons -- acquired between December of 1994 and July 2, 2014. The bulk is general equipment such as binoculars, accessories for weapons, computers, sleeping bags and power tools, amassed between January of 2011 and June of this year.  It's all military grade gear made for the battlefield.

In New Britain Township, Bucks County, which has a population of 11,000 according to the 2010 census, the police force now maintains a mine-resistant vehicle worth $733,000 according to the government. Taxpayers had to pony up $6,000 in shipping fees to get the vehicle. Police Chief Robert Scafidi admits it's difficult to make the case that New Britain needs a vehicle able to withstand a high-powered explosion, but "I think on a regional basis you have to share and you have to have assets."

Twenty minutes away in Warwick Township, Police Chief Mark Goldberg runs a force that would have access to the mine-resistant vehicle.

"Certainly not every day and it won't be in any of our communities every day, but I can tell you twice in the last four years there were days when it was needed."

One of those days was Father's Day 2012 in Doylestown. Officers were ambushed during a domestic dispute and police used an armored car to evacuate civilians.

The state records show Philadelphia's police department had an armored truck and 255 automatic assault rifles. The department did not respond to our repeated requests to see the equipment, but did say the automatic weapons have been converted to semiautomatics. A spokesman said the department no longer has the armored truck, however, they were not able to tell us what happened to the truck or where it is now.

Mary Catherine Roper, a senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] in Philadelphia, challenges the need for local governments to be armed like the military. The ACLU has written a report claiming "American policing has become unnecessarily and dangerously militarized ... with almost no public discussion or oversight."

"They're accountable to the public and we're supposed to be able to ask them what they're doing and why," Roper said. "My children are out on those streets. I don't want them facing the potential of military weapons in the hand of people who do not have military training."

New Britain does have one person trained to drive the mine-resistant vehicle — the township's maintenance supervisor.

The State of New Jersey has amassed close to 15,600 pieces of equipment from the military surplus program. Close to 2,000 items are tactical equipment, which local law organizations began receiving in 1994. New Jersey State Police would not reveal which local agencies took tactical gear from the DoD program, citing security concerns.

Since the summer of 1993, the State of Delaware has been given more than 536 pieces of tactical military equipment and in the last three years, more than 23,000 general supply items from the Department of Defense. The NBC10 Investigators found Delaware state police turned down requests for mine-resistant and armored vehicles. Records show state police have accepted only non-tactical equipment like medical kits and sleeping bags.



Photo Credit: NBC10
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Dirt Bikes Travel Through Philly in Honor of Slain Rider

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Dirt bike and ATV riders traveled through the streets of Philadelphia in honor of a popular figure in the dirt bike riding community who was shot and killed last week.

A funeral was held Tuesday morning for Kyrell Tyler, who was found shot to death inside a car on October 14. He was 23-years-old. 

Tyler, also known as Dirt Bike Rell, was a popular figure in Philadelphia’s dirt bike riding community. Several videos of Tyler performing stunts on his dirt bike were posted on YouTube. He also had an extensive following on social media websites such as Instagram and Vine.

After Tyler's funeral, dirt bike and ATV riders traveled through various parts of the city to pay homage. Hundreds of riders weaved in and out of traffic while revving their engines and popping wheelies. Traffic on Broad Street was backed up earlier Tuesday due to the caravan.

"It wasn't like we were trying to disrupt traffic or anything like that," said Banshee Pooch, a friend of Tyler's. "We were just trying to show some love to someone we lost. That's all." 

Both dirt bikes and ATVs are illegal on city streets. For years, police have tried to crack down on city dirt bike riders but are not allowed to pursue them due to a department policy which makes it illegal to chase a vehicle that's only committing a moving violation. Many drivers told NBC10 they believe the riders are a dangerous nuisance.

"They cut in and out of lanes," said Michelle Bridges. "I don't think it's safe. You shouldn't be riding on the streets. It puts other people at danger and at risk."

Police told NBC10 they gave the riders a break at the start of the tribute because they knew they were mourning their friend. As the hours passed however and the bikers continued riding, police were forced to crack down. Dozens of officers, including those with the off-road motorcycle patrol were called in.

"We are doing a little bit of a push to get these riders off of the street," said Philadelphia Police Lieutenant John Stanford. "To make sure we ensure the safety of those who are commuting in the city." 

None of the ATV or dirt bike riders were arrested. An arrest also has not been made in Tyler's murder.

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in his death. If you have any information, please call Philadelphia Police.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Layoffs Strike Franconia Twp. Police

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A Montgomery County Police Department is about to lose roughly half of its officers. NBC10's Deanna Durante is in Franconia Township where this is all happening.

Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Burglar Strikes Delaware Businesses

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Investigators are looking into at least 5 through-the-roof burglaries in the last 5 weeks. NBC10's Tim Furlong is in Dover, DE with more on these business break-ins.

Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Man Struck, Killed by Car in Pennsauken Twp.

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A man was struck and killed by a vehicle Tuesday night in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey.

The unidentified man was walking on NJ 73 and Remington Avenue when he was struck by a vehicle passing by.

The man later died from his injuries. He has not yet been identified.

The vehicle involved in the crash remained at the scene. No charges have been filed.

Route 73 is currently closed at the scene of the crash as police investigate.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Former North Wildwood Mayor Bill Henfey Dies at 65

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Friends and family are mourning former North Wildwood Mayor Bill Henfey.

North Wildwood officials announced Henfey passed away Tuesday morning while surrounded by friends and family. He was 65-years-old.

Henfey was the mayor of North Wildwood from 2006 to 2013. He also served as the city’s councilman from 1994 to 2005.

According to North Wildwood officials, Henfey had a significant impact on the city’s infrastructure during his time as mayor. Since 2006, the city has completed over 75 infrastructure projects, including street reconstruction, a sea wall, and beach replenishment.

In addition to his political career, Henfey also served as a patrolman for the North Wildwood Police Department for nine years as well as a detective.

North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello ordered all flags in the city be flown at half-mast in honor of Henfey.

A funeral service for Henfey will be held Friday October 24 at 8:30 a.m. at St. Ann’s Church on Atlantic Avenue in Wildwood followed by a mass at 11 a.m.

Henfey is survived by his wife, a son, daughter, two granddaughters and one grandson.
 



Photo Credit: NBC40.net

AC Woman Missing, Boyfriend Found Dead

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The disappearance of a South Jersey woman and the apparent suicide of her boyfriend have sparked fears from police and the community that foul play was involved.

Sapphire Wiggins, 23, of Atlantic City was reported missing Sunday. Her sister told police she had not heard from her since last Wednesday. According to police, Wiggins’ car is still parked outside her apartment on North New York Avenue and several attempts to reach her on her cellphone have been unsuccessful.

Wiggins’ boyfriend, 50-year-old Kevin Shelton, was found dead in Runnemede, Camden County Saturday after committing suicide, according to investigators.

Sources told NBC10 investigators are trying to determine if there’s a connection between Shelton’s death and Wiggins’ disappearance. The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office is also assisting in the investigation.

Wiggins is described as a black female standing 5-foot-1 and weighing 110 pounds. She also has several tattoos, including an “S” on her left wrist, a picture of a puzzle on her right wrist, the name “Jamil” on her chest and a “K” for Kevin on her ring finger.

If you have any information on Wiggins’ whereabouts, please call the Atlantic City Police Department at (609) 347-5766, or text anonymously to TIP411, beginning with the text "ACPD."
 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

SUV Crashes Into Center City Storefront

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A driver is recovering after he or she crashed an SUV into a Center City storefront. 

The unidentified victim was driving an SUV Tuesday night when he or she somehow lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a store front on 9th and Chestnut streets.

The victim was taken to Jefferson Hospital where he or she is in stable condition.

Officials have not yet revealed whether anyone inside the store was injured.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Rocky the Bobcat Escapes From NJ Home -- Again

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A pet bobcat has escaped from its Jersey Shore home for at least the third time this year, a little more than a month after a state judge told its owner the feline would be removed from her home permanently if it got out again.

Authorities were notified around 9 a.m. Tuesday that the bobcat, named Rocky, escaped from Ginny Fine's home. The 38-pound cat was last seen running into the woods near Matilda Drive and Newell Avenue in Stafford Township, and Fine was issued another summons over the escape. She is now due in court for the latest charge on December 5.

Rocky was taken to the Popcorn Park Zoo in July after he escaped from his owner's Stafford Township, N.J. home the month before. Fine was warned she might lose custody of the cat because it had run away multiple times from his outdoor enclosure in the woman's yard.

In one escape, the partially-declawed feline was missing for days, leaving neighbors concerned.

A judge ordered Rocky to undergo DNA testing to determine if he was a full-blooded bobcat, which are illegal to have as pets in the Garden State. Fine said he is a hybrid. The test came back inconclusive. 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Robbery Leads to Chase, Shooting: Police

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A man is in the hospital while another is on the loose after an alleged robbery led to a wild chase and shooting in Upper Darby.

The ordeal began when the unidentified suspects robbed a pharmacy near Baltimore Pike in Clifton Tuesday night, according to investigators. As they fled the scene in their vehicle, responding officers chased after them.

The driver then lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a pizza shop at Long Lane and Bradford Road. The two men then got out of the vehicle and fled on foot down Shirley Road.

“We saw some guy hop out of his car, run left, and then 30 cop cars zoomed by,” said Dimitrius Evangelopoulos, one of the witnesses.

A pursuing officer opened fire, striking one of the suspects in the leg.

“I just heard three or four shots,” said Monica Wilson, another witness. “That’s what I heard.”

The suspect was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he is currently in stable condition. The second suspect remains at large however.

“We’ve got a very, very good description,” said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. “Apparently they left ID in the car so we’re working on that.”
 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Workers Remove Mike Brown Mural After Urging From Police

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As the shooting death of Mike Brown and subsequent protests remain a topic of debate across the country, Trenton is now at the center of controversy after city workers removed a mural dedicated to the slain Missouri teen.

Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri last August. The 18-year-old was unarmed at the time.

The shooting sparked weeks of unrest and protests in the St. Louis suburb as well as a national conversation on racial profiling. It also inspired numerous artistic tributes to the late teen, including a mural of Brown on the corner of North Broad and East Hanover streets in Trenton, New Jersey. The mural, created October 12 by local artist Will “Kasso” Condry, included the words, “Sagging pants is not probable cause.”

“The intent was to get a reaction,” Condry said. “It was to get a conversation started, not to further divide us.”

Trenton Police felt differently however. Claiming they were uncomfortable with the message the mural was sending, the officers urged the Trenton Downtown Association to take it down.

TDA Executive Director Christian Martin told the Trentonian he liked the mural but believed it was not at an ideal location. According to Martin, the corner of North Broad and East Hanover is a known drug area. Martin also claimed that while TDA authorized the mural to go up, they didn’t know what the content would be and the owner of the property never gave Condry permission to create it. Condry claimed the mural was sanctioned however.

Condry told the Trentonian a Trenton Police officer contacted him on Facebook Thursday and meant to have a conversation with him about the mural, but they were never able to schedule a meeting. Condry also claimed he received a call from Martin the next day asking him to take the mural down but he refused.

The Trentonian reports another TDA employee called Condry Saturday, telling him police would file charges against him since he didn’t have permission to create the mural. Yet once again, Condry stood behind his work and refused to take it down.

Condry then used social media to inform his friends and followers of the pressure he was receiving to take the mural down. Caitlyn Fair, a local spoken word artist, created a petition in support of the mural on Change.org that received around 200 signatures.

“I was troubled by the fact that there was no conversation between all these organizations that are espousing to have the same goal in mind regarding what the purpose of the mural was,” Fair said.

Yet despite the support, city workers arrived at the location Monday with graffiti blasters and removed the mural.

Condry told NBC10 he was trying to create a dialogue rather than criticize law enforcement. Trenton Police told NBC10 however they felt the image of Brown was a distraction that undermined the relationship between police and the community. Yet even though the mural is gone, Condry believes it did its job.

"We’ve got to bring all these different sides together to talk about it and work through it creatively,” he said.

Acting Police Director Ernest Parrey told NBC10 he’s willing to follow Condry’s suggestion and have a conversation.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Man Caught With 'Ebola' Heroin at NJ Hotel: Police

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A man called "Hammer" sold "Ebola" out of a New Jersey hotel room, according to police.

Toms River Police arrested a 47-year-old New Jersey man Monday after finding more than 600 packets of heroin, many of them branded "Ebola," along with crack cocaine inside a room at the Ramada Inn along Route 9.

Toms River Police executed a search warrant on Barnabas “Hammer” Davis’ hotel room after the Lakewood Township Police Department's Street Crimes Unit tipped them off to alleged drug dealing out of rear suites at the hotel.

Investigators found 633 wax folds containing heroin and about 40 grams of crack cocaine in Davis’ possession, according to police.

Officials said the heroin had a variety of "trademark" stamps, including the brand name "Ebola."

Davis was charged with heroin and crack cocaine possession with the intent to distribute. He remained at Ocean County jail Wednesday, unable to post $300,000 bail.

Information on an attorney for Davis wasn't immediately available.

Investigators said the Ramada Inn staff was unaware of the drug dealing and fully cooperated with the investigation.



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

In Case You Missed It: Yesterday's Top Stories

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Didn't have a chance to catch the news? Here are yesterday's top stories.

Pennsylvania Justice Suspended Over Role in Porn Scandal
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is suspending one of its own members over his participation in a state government pornographic email scandal that involved employees of the attorney general's office.

SEPTA's Biggest Transit Union to Hold Strike Authorization Vote
Thousands of SEPTA riders could be left out in the cold if the largest SEPTA workers union authorizes a strike this weekend.

Pocono Area Schools Closed After Possible Trooper Ambush Suspect Sighting
Students in the Poconos mountains were told to stay home from school Tuesday after two possible sightings of suspected Pennsylvania trooper ambush shooter Eric Frein.

New Jersey Woman Wins $1 Million Lay's Potato Chip Flavor Contest
Frito-Lay says Wasabi Ginger won its contest that gives people a chance to create a new flavor, beating out the coffee-flavored chips and the two other finalists - Mango Salsa and Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese.

Chickie's & Pete's Robbery was an Inside Job: UDPD
An inside job -- that's what Upper Darby Police are calling Sunday's armed robbery of Chickie's & Pete's in Drexel Hill.

Nurse Tries to Save Her Daughter, a Young Mother, After South Jersey Hit-&-Run
A South Jersey nurse tried in vain to save her own daughter after a hit-and-run crash over the weekend.The scene played out in Pilesgrove, Salem County around 11:30 p.m. Friday, according to New Jersey State Police.

Man Dies in Violent Crash on City Avenue

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Authorities confirm one man died after a violent crash on City Avenue early Wednesday morning.

The 44-year-old driver was ejected from his vehicle around 4:30 a.m. after he lost control of his car, drove onto the City Avenue sidewalk between 54th and 59th streets and slammed into four trees, according to officials.

Medics rushed the victim to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

The force of the crash broke the man's vehicle into pieces, which were scattered on the road along with tree branches following the early morning accident.

Authorities blocked the Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township sides of the roadway between 54th and 59th streets while they investigated. That portion of the road remained closed more than three hours after the crash.

Stay with NBC10 for more on this developing story.

Commuters Rejoice: PATCO Track Back

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If you’re driving across the Ben Franklin Bridge, you’ll now see PATCO trains running on both sides.

Construction on the north side of the track started in the beginning of Aug. and was completed on time, according to PATCO.

Commuters can go back to their normal Monday through Friday schedules at least until December 4 when service will be reduced again to one track.

As of now a single-track schedule is still in effect for Saturdays and Sundays.

The construction is part of the two-year replacement project to update the system’s infrastructure that will cost a total of $103-million expected to be completed in early 2016.

Drivers on the bridge are also dealing with construction projects.

Friday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. lanes one and two of the westbound side of the bridge will be shut down for repaving and will reopen Sunday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. in time for the Monday morning commute.

This repaving work is the fourth and final phase of the pavement repair project according to the Delaware River Port Authority.

They say people who live near the bridge can expect a lot of noise but it’s important that the work be completed before winter weather begins.



Photo Credit: darthdoe/Instagram
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