Feds open civil rights probe of Memphis PD over Black man who died after traffic stop – National & International News – THU 19Jan2023

Feds open civil rights probe of Tyre Nichols case.

Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter in film set shooting.

Peru: Deadly protests continue over president’s ouster last month.

NATIONAL NEWS

Feds open civil rights probe of Tyre Nichols case

Yesterday, Kevin G. Ritz, US Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced that his office has launched a federal civil rights investigation of the death of Tyre Nichols, 29, of Memphis.

Memphis police attempted to arrest Tyre Nichols, 29, on Jan. 7 following a traffic stop. This lead to two “confrontations” that landed Nichols in the hospital. Nichols died three days later on Jan. 10. A statement from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Nichols’ had “succumbed to his injuries”, but did not describe these injuries or how they occurred.

Nichols’ family claims Memphis PD beat him so badly that he was “unrecognizable” and spent his final days on dialysis. Photos released by the family show Nichols lying in his hospital bed with a bruised and swollen face and breathing support. Nichols’ family have retained the services of civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them. 

Family and community members attended a vigil and protests to demand greater accountability for the officers involved. TBI opened a use-of-force probe of Memphis PD immediately after the incident. Memphis PD has also initiated an internal investigation against the officers for violation of department policy. Details about the incident remain unclear and Nichols’ family are demanding the immediate release of the police bodycam footage. Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells also wants the officers to be charged with murder.

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Alec Baldwin to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in film set shooting

New Mexico authorities announced today that they plan to charge Alec Baldwin and others with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. Formal charges are expected at the end of this month.

Baldwin and the crew were in the state in 2021 filming “Rust,” a Western, of which Baldwin was one of the producers. In between takes, Baldwin was practicing firing a Colt .45 revolver, believing it was loaded with blanks. But one of the rounds was live. It struck Hutchins, killing her outright, and also injured director Joel Souza, who recovered. 

The film’s first assistant director David Halls already agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon. Baldwin and the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, now each face two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The first count is involuntary manslaughter, implying “underlying negligence”. The second count, involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, implies “more than simple negligence involved in a death,” the officials explained. Each count is a fourth-degree felony that can carry sentences up to 18 months in jail. However, if Baldwin or Gutierrez-Reed are found guilty of the second count, the involvement of a firearm in Hutchins’ death could increase the sentence to up to 5 years.

Last year, Hutchins’ family sued the “Rust” producers, including Baldwin, for wrongful death. The case was settled out of court in October. It’s unclear how the live round came to be in Baldwin’s gun. Coverage since the shooting has revealed a reckless attitude to safety on set. “If any one of these three people — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls — had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple,” prosecutors said.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Peru: Deadly protests continue over president’s ouster last month

In December, Peru’s elected President Pedro Castillo was arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress to call for snap elections. This was the climax of a standoff between Castillo, a progressive leftist, and a conservative Congress who obstructed his rule for his entire 17 months in office. Congress attempted three different times to impeach Castillo on vague and unsubstantiated charges.

Following Castillo’s arrest, his Vice President Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency. However, it appears the Cabinet (all conservatives appointed by Castillo in hopes of appeasing his opponents in Congress) is actually running the country. Castillo’s supporters, many of them poor indigenous people living in remote mountain regions, have staged mass protests calling on Boluarte to step down and call immediate elections. At least 50 protesters have been killed by security forces since Castillo’s ouster.

Despite the bloodshed, Boluarte refuses to step down. She has proposed new elections to take place in 2024, but this has not appeased the protesters. Boluarte faces opposition to snap elections from members of Congress who don’t want to give up their seats.

The protest movement is now entering a new stage as Andean protesters are marching on the capital in Lima. More and bloodier showdowns with police are likely once they reach Lima.

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