New York police defuse Times Square bomb
New York police are investigating a failed terror attack in Times Square after defusing an “amateurish” but potentially powerful car bomb last night.
Thousands of tourists were evacuated from the square and the surrounding streets as officers moved in to dismantle the device, which was discovered in a smoking vehicle at around 6.30pm (22.30 GMT) yesterday.
“We are very lucky. Thanks to alert New Yorkers and professional police officers, we avoided what could have been a very deadly event,” the city’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said. “It certainly could have exploded and had a pretty big fire and a decent amount of explosive impact.”
The homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, said officials were treating the incident as a potential terrorist attack.
Police removed three propane tanks, consumer-grade fireworks, two full 19-litre petrol containers, and two clocks with batteries, electrical wire and other components, said commissioner Raymond Kelly.
Officers are reviewing surveillance footage and seeking further video footage from office buildings that were not open at the time.
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GMSP: Chambers honors Officer Coffelt, retired K9 partner Jack
Santa Paula Police Officer John Coffelt and his recently retired K-9 partner Jack were honored as the Chamber of Commerce Public Safety Officer of the Month at the April Good Morning Santa Paula.
The Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event, hosted by E. J. Harrison & Sons, was held at Logsdon’s at the Santa Paula Airport.
Police Chief Steve MacKinnon said the previous chamber honor was awarded to Sergeant Ryan Smith and his K-9 Rex, who also retired in February. “It’s an honor to recognize John and Jack today,” and Coffelt is “just around the corner of 15 years service to the community” as an SPPD officer.
Coffelt serves with the SPPD Special Response Team (SRT), and “as a training officer he goes out with new officers just out of the academy” to help them apply their formal training to “the street…. One of the most significant things” about Coffelt’s SPPD career is “about half of those 15 years he has had a partner, a best friend during the day who he even takes home at night. What’s worse,” joked MacKinnon, “when he retires he stays home with you for the rest of his life!”
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Rochester police officer’s friends join him in fight of his life
William “Billy” Lawler has relied on fellow police officers to help him catch killers, drug dealers and child abusers for 30 years.
Today, the one-time Rochester homicide and narcotics investigator needs partners in a fight far more personal.
Lawler, 53, who lives in Victor with his wife, Molly, and two daughters, Maggie and Brigid, was told by a neurologist last year that he has the genetic code in his DNA for Huntington’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure and little treatment. Early on, the disease affects muscle coordination and some cognitive functions. It eventually is fatal.
For now, Lawler, an avid runner, says his work in the department’s Major Crimes Unit, his daily activity and his running regimen have stayed the same.
“I still run eight miles with a smile on my face, loving every minute of it, rain, snow, I love it,” said Lawler, who ran his first marathon in Buffalo in 2000 with Molly and has run 10 marathons since.
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Stabbing suspect found in Port-A-Potty
A man suspected in a stabbing was found inside the toilet in a Port-A-Potty on Friday.
Snohomish County sheriff’s spokesman Rebecca Hover said the man was found just hours after the stabbing at a condo in the 14200 block of 69th Drive SE.
Deputies responded to the condo at approximately 3 p.m. and found a man who had been stabbed in the stomach lying on the driveway.
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PA Troopers honor fallen comrades
A service Friday to honor slain state troopers was especially meaningful for those in the Bethlehem barracks because one of the fallen began his career there.
Each year, the ceremony memorializes troopers across the state killed in the line of duty. This year’s ceremony included recognition of Trooper Joshua Miller, who was stationed in Bethlehem in 2003 before moving to the Swiftwater barracks.
The newly named Bethlehem commander, Capt. William A. Teper Jr., said he fought back tears while speaking about Miller, 34, whom Teper described as ”the best of the best.”
Miller was not only dedicated to his rising law enforcement career, but also to his three daughters and wife, Teper said.
”[Miller] was one of those guys who touched a lot of people when he was here,” said Teper, who was named Bethlehem commander in April. ”He was very close to our hearts.”
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“Medically” Quadriplegic Officer Walks Again
A Chicago Policer officer and Army reservist who had his legs crushed during a mortar attack about a year ago has done what doctors said he would never do again: walk.
Pedro Medina stepped off a Southwest flight from Tampa on Friday and entered the Midway Airport terminal to the applause of fellow officers, gathered military and the public.
“It’s overwhelming,” the smiling soldier said, “thank you for all of this.”
Medina’s sister, Delilah, greeted him with a bunch of balloons. She never thought she would see the day when would walk again.
“It’s just beautiful,” she sobbed. “It’s really amazing.”
Medina’s legs were crushed when an aircraft hangar collapsed on him during a mortar attack in Afghanistan. He has spent the last 11 months in rehab, working toward the day he could return to his family and friends in Chicago.
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Lewes policeman to be honored on fallen officer memorial Monday, May 3
A 38-year old Lewes Police officer named Charles W. Futcher crashed his patrol car onto the steps of Groome Methodist Church during a high-speed chase on Savannah Road in August of 1939. Futcher was treated at nearby Beebe Hospital, released the same day and sent home to recover. One week later, however, Dr. Leland Fox pronounced Futcher dead from a heart attack.
Summoned by Futcher’s wife, Frances Graves Futcher, to the family’s Savannah Road home, Fox was unable to revive her husband. Following an autopsy later that evening at Melson Funeral Home, across the street from Groome Church and Beebe Hospital, Dr. Fox reported that a traumatic contusion to the chest as a result of the auto accident contributed to Futcher’s death. He noted on the certificate of death that Futcher was a constable and that his injury was from “an accident in the line of duty.”
Lewes Police Officer Bruce Ritter stumbled across this previously buried piece of Lewes history after he came home from his first military deployment to Iraq a few years back. “I was going through some history materials with Hazel Brittingham one day. Her husband, Emory, used to be chief of police in Lewes. She pointed out a picture in her files of Charles Futcher and told me some of the story. I knew we didn’t have his picture on the wall at the station and it got me thinking. I contacted Ron Hagan at Troop 7 and he put me in touch with the state Fraternal Order of Police.”
