Speak Up! Memphis

MPD Officer Charged in Murder of Woman Found in Car at Memphis Gas Station

smyers — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:04:00 GMT

(Booking Photo: Chancy Jones)

MEMPHIS, TN –Memphis police announced, during a news conference, that an MPD officer has been arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder in the death of a woman who was found inside a car at a Memphis gas station.

According to Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin, Officer Chancy Jones was in a sexual relationship with the victim, Phyllis Malone, over a period of weeks. Director Godwin says Jones was married and had two children. At some point Jones’ relationship with Malone became troubled and the two agreed to meet at a gas station in the 1700 block of Whitten Road, where the murder happened, said Godwin. Malone’s body was found, slumped over the wheel of a car at the Shell gas station in Northeast Memphis, by a Wonder Bread delivery driver, Tuesday, September 9, 2008, around 5:40 a.m.

Director Godwin says an investigation led detectives to Officer Jones as a suspect in the shooting. Investigators say Jones still went to work after the shooting for his shift at the Raines Station precinct and was later arrested.

Eyewitness News Everywhere looked into Officer Jones’ Personnel File at the Memphis Police Department and discovered that Jones appears to have been a model police officer. There was no disciplinary record for Jones, but there were many commendations and comments of praise within his file.

Man Arrested in Shooting of Car Burglary Suspect in West Memphis

smyers — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:02:00 GMT

WEST MEMPHIS, AR – Police say a man suspected of breaking into a car was shot while running away from the scene.

According to West Memphis Police Capitan Donald Oakes, it happened around 12:30 a.m., Wednesday, September 10, 2008, in the 800 block of North 14th Street. Capitan Oaks says officers were called to the scene about a man who was breaking into a car in the area. When police arrived, they found 22 year-old Gary Weathersby lying in a backyard with a gunshot wound to the back, said Oaks.

Investigators say the owner of the car, Tony Boyce, told them he caught Weathersby breaking the window of his car, that was parked in the carport at his home. Boyce told police that he fired two rounds from his 9mm handgun as Weathersby ran away.

Wheatersby was taken to the Med, where he remains in serious condition.

Tony Boyce has been charged with Battery in the First Degree. The case is now in the hands of the Crittenden County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Police Capitan Donald Oaks says, “Arkansas law is very clear on the rules that apply when using force to protect property, and addresses the issue in Arkansas Statute 5-2-609.”

Arkansas Statute 5-2-609:

5-2-609. Use of physical force in defense of property.
A person is justified in using nondeadly physical force upon another person when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes the use of nondeadly physical force is necessary to prevent or terminate the other person's:

(1) Commission or attempted commission of theft or criminal mischief; or

(2) Subsequent flight from the commission or attempted commission of theft or criminal mischief.

Family: Grandmother Died Because of 911 Mistake

smyers — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:15:00 GMT

MEMPHIS, TN - A Memphis family says 79 year-old Tina French didn't have to die and blames the Memphis Fire Department.

French wore an emergency alert alarm around her neck, because of a life threatening illness. On March 25, 2008, French was having breathing problems and pulled the alarm. Her granddaughter Keva Thomas says ADT, the company that monitored the alarm, called Memphis fire dispatch. Dispatch records show the call was placed to the City of Memphis.

Jeffrey Rosenblum, the family’s attorney, says "On the night in question, at 1:19 a.m., the grandmother pushes the Life Alert button and ADT does what they are supposed to do."
Rosenblum adds although the Memphis Fire Department got the call, something went wrong.

"The City of Memphis has not been able to tell us what happened. And if that’s the case we'll assume they received a 911 call, they ignored a 911 call and a women is dead as a result," said Rosenblum.

Thomas says her grandmother was a loving, caring woman who wanted to live on her own. French had a life threatening disease called COPD, which caused her lungs to fill with fluid, said her granddaughter. She says her grandmother had used her life alert button at least 2 times previously.

Thomas says her grandmother died waiting for the ambulance that never came. “When we went around the back to look in, my grandmother was sitting on the couch. She was sitting there like she was waiting. She had a tissue in her hand… she was already gone,” said Thomas. She went on to say, “It was a let down for her. She thought they were coming."

Thomas says, when she found her grandmother’s body, she called 911 at 2:59 a.m. The ambulance arrived in just a few minutes, but by that time it was too late.

The Memphis Fire Department is not commenting.

!!!WARNING, EXPLICIT LANGUAGE!!! Click Here to listen to the 911 Calls

Student Slaps Teacher at Raleigh-Egypt High School in Memphis

smyers — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:40:00 GMT

MEMPHIS, TN – Police say a 15 year-old girl slapped a teacher for taking a phone away from her at Raleigh-Egypt High School.

According to Memphis Police Detective Monique Martin, the incident happened around 10:20 a.m., Tuesday, September 02, 2008.

Martin says a student was talking on a telephone that was in the classroom, when the teacher told her to stop using it. The teacher tried to take the phone away from the 15 year-old girl after she refused to put it down, said Detective Martin. Police say that is when the girl slapped the teacher.

Martin says the teacher was taken to the hospital, but there is no word on the extent of any injuries.

The student was arrested for simple assault and taken to Juvenile Court, said Martin.

Eyewitness News Everywhere uncovered more disciplinary problems at Raleigh-Egypt, including students ditching school and trespassing on the property of neighbors. Phyllis Givens's backyard fence borders the school and she claims students have torn it down to create an escape route for skipping class. She says the students smoke marijuana, fight and rummage through her property and the school does nothing to stop it.

An Eyewitness news crew saw at least half a dozen students skip school Tuesday. An MCS spokesman says some of the students may have been leaving for authorized activities off campus.

Father Charged with Rape of 8 Day-Old Baby in Arkansas

smyers — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:35:00 GMT

(Booking Photo: Reginald Davis)

FORREST CITY, AR – Police say a Forrest City, Arkansas man has been charged with raping his 8 day-old baby.

According to a police report, officers were called to the Forrest City Medical Center, September 1, 2008, about a baby that had been sexually assaulted. Forrest City police say the baby also had a skull fracture and had to be transferred to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock because of the severity of the injuries.

Investigators say the father attacked the infant during a visit at her 15 year-old mother's house. Police say other people were at the home at the time of the assault.

Police say Davis had no criminal record since turning 18, but could not say whether Davis had a juvy wrap-sheet. The information could not be released under Arkansas state law, said investigators.

Police say the infant’s father, 18 year-old Reginald Davis, has been charged with Rape and Second-Degree Battery. The case is still under investigation and it is unknown if any other arrests will be made, said Forrest City Police.

Teen Battles Confederate Flag Ban at Tennessee School

smyers — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:59:00 GMT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A Tennessee teenager says a school dress code banning the Confederate flag violates his free speech rights.

Tommy DeFoe wore his Confederate flag belt buckle today as he argued his case before a federal court jury in Knoxville.

The lanky 18 year-old says he's fighting for his heritage and his rights as a Southerner and an American. DeFoe says his great-great uncle served in the Confederate army and "died for the South" in the Civil War.

Anderson County school officials suspended DeFoe more than 40 times before he received his certificate of completion from the county vocational school last fall.

DeFoe's lawyers claim the issue is whether the school system can ban the Confederate flag, a symbol of racism to some, if it causes no substantial disruption. But county officials say they fear racial tension and violence if DeFoe continues to wear his Confederate flag shirts and belt buckle to class.

Go home or go to jail! Helena-West Helena Implements Curfew for All Ages

smyers — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:51:00 GMT

Helena-West Helena, AR - Go home or go to jail! Those are the only two options for people living in one Mid-South neighborhood. The mayor of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas has issued a mandatory curfew. The curfew is in place for an area he refers to as a "hot spot" for crime. It applies to anyone, any age, and any time of day.

According to Mayor James Valley, this move is in the best interest of the city. Valley said, "This curfew is for all people...everyone is subject to be stopped - almost like marshal law.” And that's exactly what some are calling it. The mayor has issued a curfew for a neighborhood that extends about a mile - not too far from city hall. If you're caught outside without a good enough excuse, you're going to jail.

"It's zero tolerance, you're going to jail," said Mayor Valley.

It's an idea that's okay with resident Martha Coleman. "You never know where a bullet is going to go, who's house it's going to hit and sleeping on the floor because you don't know where a bullet is going to go. It might be in my house or my neighbor’s home, so I commend the police department," said Coleman.

But others say instead of addressing the problem, this will make things worse. Instead of "Home Sweet Home," the past 24 hours have been a nightmare said one resident.

Resident Richard Robinson refers to it as, "jail - you can't come out your own home, you can't go to the store without being harassed by police." While Robinson applauds the city's efforts he says the police department is handling this the wrong way. “When police tell you, you can't come outside and you are on your own property, I think that's marshal law and it can only be enforced by the National Guard - That's my opinion," said Robinson

But after several rapes, robberies and shootings, Mayor James Valley says he's exhausted all possibilities. And he says this is the best move to turn around what some are calling a rough area.

Mayor Valley said, "This turf belongs to taxpaying citizens, not to hustlers and drug dealers...We are going to pop them in the head."

The residents of this neighborhood aren't the only ones in uproar. Eyewitness News Everywhere has learned that the American Civil Liberties Union has sent a letter to the mayor claiming his curfew is a violation of the 1st, 4th and 14th amendments.

Police: Father Beat 2 Year-Old Daughter to Death over Potty Training

smyers — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:24:00 GMT

(Booking Photo: D’Andre Blake)

MEMPHIS, TN – Police say a 2 year-old girl was beaten to death by her father over a potty training issue.

According to Major Joe Scott with the Memphis Police Department, officers were called to the 1200 block of Turkey Run around 6:19 p.m., July 28, 2008, about a child in distress. Scott says when the officers arrived on the scene the child had already been taken to Le Bonhuer Children’s Medical Center, where she died.

During the investigation, detectives discovered that 20 year-old D’Andre Blake, the child’s father, had hit the 2 year-old girl several times over a potty training issue. Police say the child died from injures sustained from blunt force trauma.

Blake was arrested on the scene and has been charged with First Degree Murder in Perpetration of an Aggravated Child Abuse.

Police say, at the time of this arrest, Blake was out on a $20,000 bond for a Second Degree Murder charge for an incident that happened in February of 2006.

Brian Teigland Passes Away at 53

smyers — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:21:00 GMT

(Brian Teigland 1955-2008)

MEMPHIS, TN - One of the Memphis area’s best known television news personalities died suddenly this morning. Brian Teigland, Chief Meteorologist for ABC24 and CW30’s Eyewitness News Everywhere, became ill at his home. Paramedics from the Memphis Fire Department worked to keep Teigland alive and took him to Germanton Methodist Hospital where he later died.

Teigland was a mainstay in Memphis television since the early 80’s. He was a weathercaster at WREG-TV for several years, before moving to Detroit to continue his career. He had been at ABC24 and CW30 for many years. Teigland was known by the staff of Eyewitness News Everywhere as a loving father to his children and a compassionate and caring friend to his coworkers.

“Brian was one of a rare breed in our industry. He cared more about others than himself. He was a loved and respected father to his children, a loving and loved husband, and a caring and compassionate friend to all those about whom he cared. It is hard to describe the incredible feeling of loss we have inside our newsroom today, because it isn’t just about losing a co-worker. It’s about losing someone we loved who was in the prime of his life. To say that we will miss Brian, more for what he did off the air than what he did on it, does not do justice to the grief and pain we all feel right now. There will be a huge void on our newscasts when it’s time for weather. There is an even bigger void in our hearts. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Eyewitness News Everywhere family go out to Brian’s loving wife Cindy, their children, and his extended family. I hope the entire Memphis area will offer the same,” said Eyewitness News Everywhere News Director Jim Turpin.

Funeral arrangements are pending. The staff of Eyewitness News Everywhere asks for your thoughts and prayers for the Teigland family, and for his extended family at work. Teigland will be greatly missed by all of those who knew and loved him.

Brian was 53.

Update: Elderly Woman Stabbed in Face with Fork, Man Arrested

smyers — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:31:00 GMT

(Booking Photo: Marvin L. Sturdivant)

MEMPHIS, TN – Police say a man has been arrested in the case of an elderly woman who was stabbed in the face with a fork, during a robbery.

According to investigators, it happened at St. Peters Manor at 108 Auburndale around 6:56 p.m., July 19, 2008. Police say the victim told detectives that a tall man wearing a purple jersey walked into her apartment, through an unlocked door, and yelled “where is the money?” Investigators say the man then stabbed the elderly woman with a fork.

Detectives say 48 year-old Marvin L. Sturdivant has been arrested in connection with this case and have charged him with criminal attempted robbery and aggravated burglary.

_________

Woman Hit by Stray Bullet While Watching TV

smyers — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:15:00 GMT

Booking Photo: Shanta McKinney (Covingtion Police)

COVINGTON, TN – Police say a 60 year-old Tennessee woman was hit in the leg by a stray bullet while she was watching TV.

According to Covington Police, the shooting happened around 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 23, 2008, on Rose Street in Covington, Tennessee.

Police say the accused shooter, Shanta McKinney, had been in a fight with another man over a woman. According to investigators, McKinney started shooting at the man when he saw him in a car that was driving through the neighborhood.

Detectives say one of the bullets went through the wall of 60 year-old Ernestine Jones’ home, hitting her in the leg. Jones is a school teacher at Crestview Middle School in Covington, according to police. Investigators say Jones’ injury was not life threatening.

Police say McKinney has been charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. More charges are pending in this case, according to investigators.

_______

Related Links

Teen Crashes Stolen Jeep Into Shelby County Squad Car

smyers — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:13:00 GMT

Memphis, TN -- A 17 year-old boy led Shelby County deputies on a chase through Hickory Hill and Germantown neighborhoods. In the end, officers say the teenager rammed his stolen Jeep into a deputy's squad car three different times.

Investigators say it all started at a Texaco gas station on Raines and Riverdale around 12:30, Thursday, July 24, 2008. A deputy says he saw three guys acting suspicious in a Jeep at the gas station. He looked up their license plate number and saw that the Jeep they were in was stolen.

The three guys took off. The deputy wasn’t far behind them and tried to pull them over, but before he could, two of the guys inside the Jeep jumped out and took off on foot. Shelby County officers are still looking for them.

The 17 year-old kept driving and deputies say he lead them on a chase through neighborhoods for 30 minutes. They say the chase reached speeds of 50 mph. Officers say the teen was driving over some people’s lawns and slammed the stolen jeep into a deputy's car before the chase was over.

Investigators say the Deputy was not injured during the chase.

Officers say the kid will be charged with three counts of aggravated assault, one count reckless endangerment, theft of property, evading arrest, and a long list of traffic violations.

Officers say it’s a good thing that this chase happened in the early morning hours because hardly anyone was on the road. They also say that this is the second time this week that a teen is accused of crashing their car into a Shelby County squad car.

__________

Golf Course Worker's Body Found under Vehicle

smyers — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:10:00 GMT

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - State workplace safety officials are investigating the death of a golf course worker in Jackson.

On Tuesday, the body of 62 year-old Vincent DeGaetano was found under a cart at Jones Creek Golf Course.

Police said it appeared the vehicle had flipped, pinning DeGaetano under it.

The course is owned by the city but operated by a private firm, Golf Links LLC, for which the victim worked.

Betty DeGaetano said her husband was laid off as a truck driver last fall and went to work at the golf course in May.

TBI Most Wanted: Memphis Man added to List, Reward Offered

smyers — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:08:00 GMT

(Booking Photo: Earnest Haleem Smith)

MEMPHIS, TN – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has added a Memphis man to its Top Ten Most Wanted list.

Investigators say 32 year-old Ernest Haleem Smith is wanted by the Memphis Police Department for Criminal Attempt to Commit First Degree Murder. According to the TBI, Smith threw boiling water on his girlfriend and then beat her in the head with the pot on December 20, 2006. Detectives say the woman was badly burned on her face, chest and legs.

TBI officials say Smith has a lengthy criminal past that includes drug charges, assault, burglary, larceny and failure to appear.

Investigators say Smith is an African-American man with brown eyes and black hair. Smith is 6’1”, weighing around 230 pounds. Detectives say Smith has a scar on his left hand.

The TBI says Earnest Smith should be approach with caution and urges anyone who might see him to call the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that will lead to Smith’s capture.

Pittsburgh Cancer Center Warns of Cell Phone Risks

smyers — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:06:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.

The warning from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, is contrary to numerous studies that don't find a link between cancer and cell phone use, and a public lack of worry by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Herberman is basing his alarm on early unpublished data. He says it takes too long to get answers from science and he believes people should take action now — especially when it comes to children.

"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.

No other major academic cancer research institutions have sounded such an alarm about cell phone use. But Herberman's advice is sure to raise concern among many cell phone users and especially parents.

In the memo he sent to about 3,000 faculty and staff Wednesday, he says children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing.

Adults should keep the phone away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset, he says. He even warns against using cell phones in public places like a bus because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields.

The issue that concerns some scientists — though nowhere near a consensus — is electromagnetic radiation, especially its possible effects on children. It is not a major topic in conferences of brain specialists.

A 2008 University of Utah analysis looked at nine studies — including some Herberman cites — with thousands of brain tumor patients and concludes "we found no overall increased risk of brain tumors among cellular phone users. The potential elevated risk of brain tumors after long-term cellular phone use awaits confirmation by future studies."

Studies last year in France and Norway concluded the same thing.

"If there is a risk from these products — and at this point we do not know that there is — it is probably very small," the Food and Drug Administration says on an agency Web site.

Still, Herberman cites a "growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer."

"Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use," he wrote in his memo.

A driving force behind the memo was Devra Lee Davis, the director of the university's center for environmental oncology.

"The question is do you want to play Russian roulette with your brain," she said in an interview from her cell phone while using the hands-free speaker phone as recommended. "I don't know that cell phones are dangerous. But I don't know that they are safe."

Of concern are the still unknown effects of more than a decade of cell phone use, with some studies raising alarms, said Davis, a former health adviser in the Clinton Administration.

She said 20 different groups have endorsed the advice the Pittsburgh cancer institute gave, and authorities in England, France and India have cautioned children's use of cell phones.

Herberman and Davis point to a massive ongoing research project known as Interphone, involving scientists in 13 nations, mostly in Europe. Results already published in peer-reviewed journals from this project aren't so alarming, but Herberman is citing work not yet published.

The published research focuses on more than 5,000 cases of brain tumors. The National Research Council in the U.S., which isn't participating in the Interphone project, reported in January that the brain tumor research had "selection bias." That means it relied on people with cancer to remember how often they used cell phones. It is not considered the most accurate research approach.

The largest published study, which appeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2006, tracked 420,000 Danish cell phone users, including thousands that had used the phones for more than 10 years. It found no increased risk of cancer among those using cell phones.

A French study based on Interphone research and published in 2007 concluded that regular cell phone users had "no significant increased risk" for three major types of nervous system tumors. It did note, however, that there was "the possibility of an increased risk among the heaviest users" for one type of brain tumor, but that needs to be verified in future research.

Earlier research also has found no connection.

Joshua E. Muscat of Penn State University, who has studied cancer and cell phones in other research projects partly funded by the cell phone industry, said there are at least a dozen studies that have found no cancer-cell phone link. He said a Swedish study cited by Herberman as support for his warning was biased and flawed.

"We certainly don't know of any mechanism by which radiofrequency exposure would cause a cancerous effect in cells. We just don't know this might possibly occur," Muscat said.

Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a type of radiation that is a form of electromagnetic radiation, according to the National Cancer Institute. Though studies are being done to see if there is a link between it and tumors of the brain and central nervous system, there is no definitive link between the two, the institute says on its Web site.

"By all means, if a person feels compelled that they should take precautions in reducing the amount of electromagnetic radio waves through their bodies, by all means they should do so," said Dan Catena, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society. "But at the same time, we have to remember there's no conclusive evidence that links cell phones to cancer, whether it's brain tumors or other forms of cancer."

Joe Farren, a spokesman for the CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group for the wireless industry, said the group believes there is a risk of misinforming the public if science isn't used as the ultimate guide on the issue.

"When you look at the overwhelming majority of studies that have been peer reviewed and published in scientific journals around the world, you'll find no relationship between wireless usage and adverse health affects," Farren said.

Frank Barnes, who chaired the January report from the National Research Council, said Wednesday that "the jury is out" on how hazardous long-term cell phone use might be.

Speaking from his cell phone, the professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder said he takes no special precautions in his own phone use. And he offered no specific advice to people worried about the matter.

It's up to each individual to decide what if anything to do. If people use a cell phone instead of having a land line, "that may very well be reasonable for them," he said.

Susan Juffe, a 58-year-old Pittsburgh special education teacher, heard about Herberman's cell phone advice on the radio earlier in the day.

"Now, I'm worried. It's scary," she said.

She says she'll think twice about allowing her 10-year-old daughter Jayne to use the cell phone.

"I don't want to get it (brain cancer) and I certainly don't want you to get it," she explained to her daughter.

Sara Loughran, a 24-year-old doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh, sat in a bus stop Wednesday chatting on her cell phone with her mother. She also had heard the news earlier in the day, but was not as concerned.

"I think if they gave me specific numbers and specific information and it was scary enough, I would be concerned," Loughran said, planning to call her mother again in a matter of minutes. "Without specific numbers, it's too vague to get me worked up."

___

On the Net:

Advice from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute:

http://www.environmentaloncology.org/node/201

Food and Drug Administration on cell phones: http://www.fda.gov/cellphones/qa.html

____