Several hundred people marched through the streets of Philadelphia Monday night protesting a Missouri grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown.
First assembling in Dilworth Park adjacent to City Hall, a few handfuls of demonstrators listened to St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Bob McColloch announce the decision not to charge Wilson through megaphones held up to smartphone speakers.
The news immediately angered the group, an audible gasp moving through the crowd, as the news became public. Shortly after, the protesters made their way into the streets and spent five hours letting their fellow citizens know they were not happy with the grand jury's decision.
"No Justice. No Peace. No Racist Police." the protesters chanted as police officers, some on bikes, others on foot and more in cars and SUVs, followed them. Others yelled "Hands Up. Don't Shoot." as they held both arms in the air.
The group grew larger as it made several loops through Center City, Chinatown, Rittenhouse, Queen Village and Penn's Landing. They were loud in speak, but remained peaceful in actions.
"We continue to live in a racist America," a pastor said to the crowd on one of many stops during the march.
"We come together tonight to become a new force in this country," the man went on. "There is strength in numbers. I cannot do it alone."
Tensions between the protesters and police did grow somewhat as the demonstrations wore on.
Chants along South Street turned profane for a time as people shouted "F--- the Police."
When the crowd tried several times to enter Interstates 95 and 676 in Old City, officers were forced to hold a strong line on at least three highway on-ramps. The protests forced police to shut down parts of the highways as a result. One man was also taken into custody after he got into a traffic lane on I-95, police said. A bike officer eventually pulled him away. A second man was taken into custody after he tried to get on the highway, according to officials.
By 1 a.m. Tuesday, the demonstrators made their way back to City Hall where they held a moment of silence for Brown and made an announcement to assemble again at 5 p.m.
Here's a look at local reaction on social media to the demonstrations and the decision:
The demonstrators began assembling around 8 p.m. Monday, some four hours after dozens of Philadelphia Police officers staged in at least two areas of the city anticipating demonstrations following the decision.
Wilson, a 28-year-old white man, shot 18-year-old black teen Brown on Aug. 9 following an altercation. Police later said Brown, who was unarmed, was a suspect in a strong arm robbery and that Wilson was acting in self-defense. The teen's death sparked violent riots in the St. Louis, Missouri suburb and has reignited a national debate on race.
Philadelphia Police spokesman Lt. John Stanford said safety of the public is paramount.
"The men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department will work to ensure that citizens can express their First Amendment right in a safe manner as well as protect property and minimize any disruption to the residents here in Philadelphia," he said.
Police did not report any injuries.
A Nor'easter expected to drop snow on much of the area on Thanksgiving Eve, one of the busiest travel days of the year, is moving towards our region. The wet weather will move in quickly and possibly be heavy at times.
Rain should begin to fall on much of the area around 4 a.m. Wednesday starting in South Jersey and Delaware before spreading north and turning to snow. By 6 a.m. snow should be falling north and west of Philadelphia, according to NBC10 First Alert Weather chief meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz.
"North and west it's practically all snow," said Glenn.
By 11 a.m. snow should develop along the I-95 Corridor -- possibly falling quickly as wet, heavy snow.
That wet, heavy snow should cling to tree branches, leaves and power lines leading to the possibility of power outages in some areas, said Glenn.
Snow is a good bet for a large portion of the area, said Glenn. The only place that might not see any snow is extreme South Jersey, but even there the rain could turn to snow after nightfall.
"Early season storms can bring a lot of precipitation in a short time," said Glenn. "So amounts could vary even more than our forecast suggests.
Before moving out late Wednesday, the system could drop up to 1 foot of snow in the Poconos and up to 5 inches in the immediate Philadelphia suburbs, said Glenn.
The expectation is that the storm will move out quickly toward the northeast around 8 p.m.
By midday Tuesday, the National Weather Service posted a Winter Storm Warning starting Wednesday morning for upper Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties as well as all of Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties and the Poconos. A Winter Storm Advisory is in effect starting Wednesday morning for the southern and eastern parts of Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties as well as Philadelphia.
You wouldn't think snow is possible as temps hovered in the high 50s with no precipitation during the day Tuesday but come Wednesday morning there will be big changes as the system moves in from the south.
The storm will begin as rain before the morning rush Wednesday then change to mainly snow north and west of Philadelphia -- the line could be along the I-95 Corridor.
The peak of the storm will hit midday with a mix of heavy rain and snow for most of the area. the wet weather could even start as snow the further west and north you get, said Glenn.
That quick changeover midday could cause schools to dismiss early or possibly not open at all if snow begins early enough.
Even though the ground is warm, snow could stick to roadways as temps drop quickly causing snowflakes to drop onto snowflakes. There is also the possibility of power outages as heavy, wet snow could accumulate on trees, causing them to fall on power lines.
Estimated Snow Totals & Timeline
North & West
Northern and western suburbs - 5 to 8 inches of snow
Poconos - 8 to 12 inches of snow.
4 to 8 a.m. - rain quickly changing to snow
8 a.m. to noon - snow, heavy at times, with slushy accumulation
Noon to 4 p.m. - snow continues, temperatures drop
4 to 8 p.m. - snow tapers off, then ends
Philadelphia & I-95 Corridor
3 to 5 inches of snow expected
4 to 8 a.m. - rainy, cold
8 to 11 a.m - rain changing to snow
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. - possibly heavy, wet snow or a wintry mix, slushy conditions
4 to 8 p.m. - snow ending west to east
South Jersey & Delaware
1 to 3 inches of snow
Less than 1 inch at the Jersey Shore
4 to 10 a.m. - rain, heavy at times
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - rain, heavy at times
4 to 8 p.m. - brief change to snow mainly in New Jersey
8 to 9 p.m. - precipitation ending
Glenn warned drivers traveling Wednesday to be careful.
"I don't expect any ice of any significance," Glenn said. "Early season storms and late season storms can sometimes change from heavy rain to snow in a matter of minutes. People need to be alert and monitor any changes."
PennDOT is already prepared for the storm with 444 road crews on hand throughout the region. PECO also added extra staff to respond to power outages. Road crews plan to get started early Wednesday morning before the rain changes over to snow. Utility companies are also monitoring outages and will respond as they happen.
AMTRAK and SEPTA officials also told NBC10 they will have extra trains running as a record number of riders are expected. At Philadelphia International, American, US Air and Delta Airlines waived booking fees in anticipation of the storm, causing more travelers to fly out Tuesday night.
Check with NBC10.com for the latest weather updates.
With the Ferguson decision still fresh in their minds, protesters in Philadelphia held a second round of demonstrations on Tuesday as they rallied for justice on behalf of dead teen Michael Brown.
The first protest took place at noon in front of the Byrne Federal Courthouse along Independence Mall. A handful of men and women held signs reading "Outraged! Where is our Justice?" and "Don't Shop Black Friday" -- referencing a movement to boycott the yearly holiday shopping rush.
Federal law enforcement watched the demonstration from a nearby roof, watching the group from behind binoculars.
Tuesday afternoon, three groups — the Uhuru Movement, POWER and Temple University-based People Utilizing their Real Power or PURP — met outside Philadelphia City Hall to protest against the grand jury's decision, police brutality and racism.
Philadelphia Police estimated that some 100 people assembled in Dilworth Park around 3 p.m., but the numbers quickly continued to grow.
A short time later, protesters spilled into the streets, walking around City Hall before marching north on Broad Street. Some people held their hands up in the air and chanted "Hands Up. Don't Shoot."
They ended up at Temple University, some 2 miles away, where a rally took place. By then the group had grown to about 500 people, a police spokesperson tells NBC10.
Traffic on Broad Street was diverted from Poplar Street to Cecil B. Moore Avenue during the protest.
The crowd left Temple just after 5 p.m. and began weaving its way through North Philadelphia -- heading towards Center City.
A crowd of 400 to 500 people later gathered outside of the Philadelphia Police 9th District headquarters on 21st and Hamilton streets where two men who allegedly tried to walk onto the highway overnight were being held. One of the men was later released after being charged with disorderly conduct.
The crowd left the area around 9 p.m. and marched southbound on 21st Street toward the parkway. During the march, the protesters demanded that police officers, including those in our area, start wearing body cameras to record their actions on the job.
"I know there are a lot of difficult logistics involved in that but it seems like a great step in the right direction of accountability," said Stephen Metzger of West Philadelphia.
The march mirrored last night's demonstrations in the hours after the grand jury's decision was made public.
Hundreds of people poured into the streets in Center City last night after Missouri officials announced a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson for fatally shooting the unarmed 18-year-old in August.
The groups marched through the streets, with a heavy police presence in tow, chanting their message of "No Justice. No Peace. No Racist Police." While loud and long — lasting some five hours — the demonstrations were mostly without issue. The only exception came late Monday when the group tried to walk onto Interstates 95 and 676 to block traffic. Police, instead, blocked them on the highway ramps.
Two people were taken into custody for running past officers on a ramp, but overall the city's top cop was happy with how the demonstrations took place.
"I think Philadelphians showed a lot of people just how you can get your point across without resorting to violence," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter echoed the commissioner's sentiments, but he had strong words for how Missouri officials released the information last night.
"Why would you make that kind of announcement in darkness now knowing at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon that a decision is coming at 9 o'clock at night?" Nutter asked. "I just think that's bad strategy and tactics."
Here's photos and videos posted by demonstrators:
A New Jersey lawmaker has introduced a bill that would make it a crime to lie to someone in order to have sex with them.
NJ.com reports that Assemblyman Troy Singleton of Burlington proposed a "sexual assault by fraud" bill that would make it a sex crime if someone tells a lie or claims to be someone else in order to get sexual consent.
The bill would treat sex assault by fraud the same as forceable sexual assault, with a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars for a conviction.
“Fraud invalidates any semblance of consent just as forcible sexual contact does,” Singleton told NJ.com. “This legislation is designed to provide our state's judiciary with another tool to assess situations where this occurs and potentially provide a legal remedy to those circumstances.”
Prosecutors tried to charge the boyfriend with a sex crime but a grand jury wouldn’t indict him on the charge.
Singleton said that five states -- Alabama, California, Colorado, Montana and Tennessee -- have laws on the books that are similar to his bill.
Criminal defense attorney Alan Zegas told NJ.com he thinks the bill is far too broad and wouldn’t stand up to a constitutional challenge.
“What if a man were to say to a woman ‘I love you’ and engage in sex and he really didn't love her? It could be as simple as that,” Zegas said. “The definition is so broad that it doesn't put the citizens of the state on fair notice of what it is that constitutes the crime.”
Police released photos Tuesday that show the bear that killed a 22-year-old Rutgers student who had been hiking with friends in a New Jersey nature preserve two months ago.
Authorities believe the photos of the bear were captured right before the Sept. 21 attack on Darsh Patel. Patel had gone hiking in the Apshawa Preserve with four friends when they encountered the bear, according to authorities. The group ran in different directions and noticed Patel was missing when they regrouped.
Recordings of the 911 calls captured Patel's friends' panic.
"Hey, hello, I'm on Macopin Road, it's 81 Macopin Rd., I believe I'm in West Milford or somewhere around there," said a friend in the first 911 call. "We were hiking and we saw a bear, and we all started running and it started chasing us."
"Two of us are OK, one other person (unintelligible), but two are really close, and I'm scared out of my mind for them. I want to go back, but I'm hurt and I don't know what to do," the caller said.
West Milford police and other officers responded, and found Patel's body a short time after they arrived. Officials said Patel had bite and claw marks on his body that indicated he'd been attacked by the bear. His cellphone, which was located nearby, had a puncture mark on the screen.
The bear was stalking Patel's body and would not leave the area even after officers tried to scare it away by making loud noises and throwing sticks and stones, and it eventually was killed with two rifle blasts. Authorities said it was 4 years old. A necropsy determined it was not rabid.
Test results released by the state Department of Environmental Protection revealed human blood was found on the bear's front paws, and bits of human tissue, hair and clothing were found in its stomach, according to the report from the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife.
State and local officials have stressed that bear attacks are rare even in a region of the state that may have as many as 2,400 bruins in its dense forests. They said the attack was the first fatal bear-human encounter on record in New Jersey.
A car caught fire next to a tractor-trailer along a busy Pennsylvania roadway Tuesday afternoon as drivers tried to get an early start on Thanksgiving travel.
The accident happened around 4:30 p.m. in the northbound lanes of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 476) just north of the Mid-County tolls in Montgomery County.
The car fire sent black smoke into the air. It’s unclear if the big rig was involved in the incident.
No one was hurt.
Traffic was blocked as crews worked to clear the damaged car.
The death of the wife of the CEO of Cooper Hospital was ruled a homicide, according to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Inquirer reported Tuesday they obtained a copy of Joyce Sheridan's death certificate which listed her manner of death a homicide. They also reported her husband, John Sheridan, Jr.'s death certificate listed his manner of death as "pending investigation."
NBC10 reached out to Sheridan family representative Thomas Wilson. Wilson did not confirm a cause of death however.
John Sheridan, Jr., the head of Cooper University Health System, and his wife, Joyce, were found unresponsive in the bedroom of their Montgomery Township, N.J. home on Sept. 28. The 72-year-old husband was pronounced dead at the scene. Joyce, 69, was taken to a nearby hospital and later died.
Investigators had said the fire was deliberately set, but had not released an exact cause of death. Officials have said the public was not at risk. Prosecutors have also said the four sons are not suspects in their parents' deaths.
A family member, who was not named in the report, told the paper Joyce Sheridan was stabbed eight or more times in a violent attack.
John Sheridan, Jr. had "tentative" stab wounds on his side and an unspecified penetrating wound in his neck that may have hit his jugular vein, according to the report. He was found beneath an armoire that was doused with gas and set on fire, the paper reported.
Two knives were recovered at the scene — one in the bedroom and another in a different location on the property, the report stated.
The family member did not say who might have been behind the stabbing.
NBC10 reached out to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, but we have not received a response.
In a joint statement, the couple's four sons said they would not be commenting until the investigation is finished.
"From the beginning we have said that no one wants answers about our parents' deaths more than us. Real answers will only come after a full and thorough investigation," the statement read. "We do not condone releasing information in a piecemeal fashion because of frustration with the process, it is not helpful to getting to the truth about what happened to our parents. We are committed to getting to the truth and that means we will not comment while the investigation is ongoing."
The family has hired a private investigator to launch an independent probe into the deaths.
In case you were doubtful, there are still good people in the world. Just ask Anne Nicol, a 43-year-old single mother of two from Coatesville, who was the recipient of a stranger's kindness outside a Chester County grocery store.
Nicol was in the parking lot of the GIANT in Thorndale Tuesday morning when she noticed something was wrong with her truck.
"I was supposed to go to my kid's school and I was just going to run to the grocery store real quick," Nicol said. "I pulled in and the truck didn't sound right to me."
After turning off the engine and attempting to turn it back on, Nicol realized her truck's battery had died. Not knowing what to do, she called a friend who suggested she put up the hood of her car and hope that someone helped.
Within a minute, someone did -- and that someone was Jim Perkins, president of ACME. Yes, ACME, GIANT's competitor.
"I went into the store to do a competitive check, check the competition," Perkins told NBC10. "I came back out and saw a hood up and a lady by herself."
Perkins walked up to Nicol, introduced himself and handed her his business card. Nicol said Perkins' polite and direct demeanor, as well as his nice car which he pulled around, convinced her he was who he said he was.
"He immediately put his hand out, shook it and gave me his business card," Nicol said. "He was clean cut and looked me in my eye."
After checking under the hood, Perkins swung into action.
"He immediately jumped into action, locating jumper cables from a GIANT employee and jumping my truck," said Nicol.
But Perkins didn't stop there. He used his GPS to find the nearest auto parts store, Advanced Auto Parts, which was located across the street.
"I could tell that she needed more help than that so I asked her to just follow me into Advanced Auto Parts," Perkins said.
Perkins explained the situation to the auto store's employee, Mike, and both men went outside to access the truck, Nicol said.
"I thought Jim had left because he gave me his card with his cell phone number on the back," Nicol said. "I thanked him and gave him a hug."
To Nicol's surprise, Perkins reappeared moments later with a brand new set of jumper cables.
"Compliments of ACME," Perkins told Nicol. "You cant be out there without jumper cables."
Perkins then stayed with Nicol as the workers checked her car.
"She had some things to take care of so I just said, 'Let me just stay with you until we get it done,'" Perkins said.
Yet as kind as Perkins had been to her, Nicol was still shocked by what happened next. Perkins walked over to the service counter and tossed his credit card onto Mike's keyboard.
"I got this," Perkins said. "Get her whatever she needs. Just make sure she's taken care of."
Knowing Nicol was short on cash, Perkins paid for the new battery she needed for her truck. Mike replaced the battery and she was on her way. Nicol told NBC10 Perkins' actions brought her to tears.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart," she said. "Kindness in humanity does prevail."
Perkins gave a simple explanation for his actions.
"I like to do good deeds when I can and she certainly looked like she could use the help," Perkins said. "So I stopped and helped her."
He also told NBC10 he hoped his good deed could inspire others during the Holiday season.
"If we find people in need, let's help each other out," he said. "It makes the world a better place."
Nicol told NBC10 she plans to take what Perkins did for her and "pay it forward" by doing a good deed for someone else.
"Jim is a true inspiration to all of us and I would only hope that his kindness will inspire others to just be kind," she said. "That's all we need to keep fostering in this crazy world today. Whether it's rioting in the streets, hunger, domestic violence, or just a simple broke single mom with a dead battery in the grocery store parking lot, just be kind to one another. Not just this season, but throughout the year. There is plenty of kindness in all of us to snuff out the negative and make things better for everyone."
A Center City attorney turned himself in Tuesday, accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl, repeatedly, in his office.
Brian Meehan's arrest came as part of a Philadelphia grand jury investigation which reveals the sex trafficking story of a Germantown teen. She was lured by a couple in her own neighborhood and sold for sex to more than 20 men a week, including Meehan, according to District Attorney Seth Williams..
"I believe there's a special place in hell for men like Brian Meehan," said Williams.
In March of 2012, the victim was recruited by the couple, a man and woman who admitted to investigators they were running a prostitution ring out of their home on W. Harvey Street with five girls. During the first week, the teen was given some money by the couple but the relationship quickly turned violent and threatening. According to the teen's grand jury testimony, the couple sexually assaulted, beat and threatened to kill her if she tried to leave.
The victim testified she was taken on "out-calls" to Meehan's office in One Penn Center at 16th and JFK Boulevard on numerous occasions. She said they had sex in a conference room with a couch and that Meehan often offered her alcohol, which he drank but she didn't.
According to the grand jury documents, during her visits, "Meehan often talked about his wife and three daughters and the trips they'd taken, even suggesting that she might accompany him for travel."
When investigators searched Meehan's office in October, they cut out portions of the couch and a chair where investigators said they used ultraviolent light to detect bodily fluids. He was fired from Bishop, Dorfman, Lazaroff & Meehan last month. The firm issued a statement Tuesday saying they were shocked, appalled and moved swiftly in terminating Meehan. "Our thoughts are with the victim. We will continue to do everything we can to cooperate with the investigation."
Court documents show hundreds of pornographic websites were found in the history on Meehan's cellphone. Close to three dozen included pornographic videos with "teen" in the title.
According to the victim, Meehan, 56, told her "he liked young girls and the youngest girl he had sex with for money was 12-years-old."
"Nothing is as devastating to a family or as destructive to a life in development of a child as being a victim of sex abuse," Williams said.
Detectives began investigating the victim's case in 2012 after the Germantown couple sold her to a Camden couple for $300. When she arrived at a Camden hospital complaining of severe vaginal pain and discomfort, she told a nurse she was being forced into prostitution. Before police arrived to question her, she left the hospital. When they tried to track her down, they realized hospital staff had been given a fake name.
After that, the 14-year-old was sent back to the Germantown couple, recruited by another pimp and taken to Georgia. She was there for approximately a year before Federal authorities identified her as a victim of sex trafficking and eventually contacted police in Philadelphia.
Meehan was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, promoting prostitution of a minor and related offenses.
The Germantown couple has also been arrested and charged with human trafficking, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corrupting the morals of a minor, indecent assault and promoting prostitution of a minor. Their names are not being released until the grand jury completes its investigation.
Several homeowners in Northeast Philadelphia woke up Wednesday to find their basements flooded after a water main broke overnight.
The 8-inch main broke near the intersection of Witler and Bowler streets in the Bustleton section of the city, spilling water into the street around 3:30 a.m., officials said.
No houses were evacuated, however water flooded basements and driveways -- inching above vehicle tires.
The rain is falling as a low pressure system heads this way that will turn moisture to snow.
