Stupid people of the week

Seattle mayor rejects locking up repeat criminals during tense debate: ‘Maybe they’re hungry’

Seattle Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell said during a mayoral debate Thursday night he has “no desire” to put repeat criminal defenders in jail, and he doesn’t know how to answer the question on whether the city is “too lax” on repeat offenders.

“So, let me make something very clear. I was the one that sponsored the ‘Ban the Box’ legislation when everyone opposed it because the criminal system has had a disparate impact on Black and Brown communities, let me lead with that,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a mayoral debate Thursday night when asked a follow-up question about repeat offenders in the city.

Harrell’s “Ban the Box” proposal in 2013 prevented employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal history on applications up front.

Harrell then said, “When this person is committing six or seven crimes, I don’t know his or her story. Maybe they were abused as a child. Maybe they’re hungry. But my remedy is to find their life story to see how we can help. First, I have no desire to put them in jail, but I need to protect you, and that’s the calibration that we have.

“I put police officers on the stand. I’ve cross-examined them. So, whether they commit seven or eight crimes, to me, is not the issue. The issue is, why are they committing these crimes? And so we have a health-based strategy.”

Repeat offenders have been a part of the national conversation with respect to crimes in recent weeks after several high-profile murders carried out by suspects with lengthy criminal records, including in North Carolina where Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on a train by a suspect with a long history of arrests going back more than a decade, including charges of felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats.

Earlier this year in South Carolina, 22-year-old Logan Federico was robbed and executed during a home invasion by a suspect who had 39 charges on his record.

Harrell was asked by a debate moderator if the city is “too lax” on repeat offenders who are “driving” most of the crime in the city. The mayor responded by calling it an “interesting question.”

“I don’t know how to answer that question. ‘Too lax,’ I don’t know how you gauge that.”

Harrell explained that he knows it’s “necessary” to “catch criminals in the act doing bad things” and talked about the need for more police officers” along with “constitutional arrests.”

“I’m not going to give an opinion on the attitude of my officers. I look at them, and I tell them this is my vision. George Floyd was murdered, purely and simply, and I need you to recruit culturally competent officers, and we created the CARE Department, which is an unarmed response, the largest city in the country to do this. So, whether they’re lax or not for me, all due respect, is not the question. It’s are they effective? And they are very effective. I just need to get my numbers up because the defund movement demoralized the police department.”

A spokesperson for the mayor defended the debate remarks, saying Harrell “believes people need to be held accountable for their actions – full stop.”

“Since day one, he’s been very vocal about arresting criminals and the data supporting arrests under his administration is clear. In June, Seattle Police arrested 14 of the most prolific drug dealers – seizing $3 million worth of drugs, enough to kill every person in Seattle twice,” the spokesperson continued.

The spokesperson went on to slam his far-left opponent for “advocating for cutting the police budget by 50% and reducing officer staffing to levels not seen in decades, he has worked to restore police staffing. ”

“The mayor also believes in a holistic approach that connects people with the services and treatment needed to effectively reduce recidivism,” the spokesperson concluded. “These two strategies are not at odds – and it’s why in Seattle homicides are down 40%, as well as significant decreases in gun violence, violent crime, and property crime.”

Seattle Red talk show host Jason Rantz, who first posted about Harrell’s debate response, told Fox News Digital that the mayor’s “governing philosophy” was on display.

“Harrell says he has ‘no desire’ to jail an eight-time criminal. Well, the feeling’s mutual, because criminals in Seattle clearly have no desire to stop offending,” Rantz said.

“This is what happens when your mayor governs like a progressive therapist instead of a leader. And this wasn’t a gaffe. It’s his governing philosophy to protect repeat offenders and abandon public safety. If you’re a law-abiding Seattleite, Harrell made it clear that we’re on our own.”

Harrell, who received criticism on social media for his comments, is running for re-election in a November election where he faces off against longtime progressive activist Katie Wilson, who has faced criticism from the mayor for past calls to lower police staffing.

Widely known for her role in helping establish and continuing to lead the left-wing Transit Riders Union, Wilson champions progressive positions such as minimum wage increases, better access to public transit and affordable housing. She has also pledged to “Trump-proof” Seattle and has been likened to New York City’s Zohran Mamdani by political pundits.

When asked about her plan for addressing repeat offenders, Wilson touted the city’s “diversion” program “where if someone is arrested they have the opportunity instead of going through that booking and jail process to be diverted” into case management processes for drug treatment and shelter.

Source; Fox News

1 dead in shooting at apartment complex near Lake Overholser

One person is dead after a shooting at an apartment complex on the border of Oklahoma City and Yukon on Wednesday afternoon.

The shooting took place in the area of U.S. 66 and North Sara Road, at The Whitehorse Apartments, according to police. KOCO 5 confirmed one person died in the shooting.

Oklahoma City Police Department officials told KOCO 5 that initial reports indicated that an off-duty deputy was following a vehicle that was suspected have been used to impersonate an officer.

“We encountered an individual that we believed to be the person impersonating a police officer. During a conversation with this person, who was armed, he drew a pistol, and Yukon PD, Police Department and the Oklahoma highway Patrol trooper discharged their weapons, in defense of themselves and others, and the suspect is deceased,” said Lt. Mark Southall, with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Law enforcement officials from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Yukon Police Department responded to the scene.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is the lead agency on the case.

Source; KOCO

San Francisco vigilantes spraying OD antidote Narcan into unsuspecting homeless people

Self-styled street vigilantes are reportedly roaming around San Francisco spraying the anti-overdose drug Narcan into the noses of unsuspecting homeless people – before posting video of their attacks online to brag on social media.

The disturbing tactic designed to chase homeless people off the sidewalk has left fentanyl users in San Francisco writhing in sudden withdrawal after being hit with the overdose-reversal spray — despite not overdosing at all, according to an ABC7 report.

One victim, 43-year-old Nestor Garcia, told the San Francisco Standard that a stranger shoved the plastic nozzle of Narcan up his nose this summer in UN Plaza, triggering violent sickness and leaving him vomiting on the pavement.

Garcia hadn’t slept in days when he began nodding off on his bicycle in UN Plaza, his feet slipping from the pedals as he slumped over the handlebars in a fentanyl-induced haze.

He admits he was in rough shape, but insists he was still conscious when a man shoved Narcan into his nose, shocking his body into violent withdrawal before ordering him not to sleep there.

“He knew I was still awake — he had bad intentions for sure,” Garcia told the Standard.

The jolt left Garcia flailing, puking and drenched in sweat as his body went into sudden opioid withdrawal.

“It felt like a bad dream,” he said.

Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, is a fast-acting medication that reverses opioid overdoses by blocking opioids from brain receptors and restoring normal breathing.

It is safe for anyone to use, commonly delivered as a nasal spray, and has little to no effect on people who do not have opioids in their system.

However, in those dependent on opioids, Narcan can trigger sudden and severe withdrawal symptoms such as vomiting, sweating and agitation.

Once dosed, users also report soaring anxiety, wild swings in body temperature and an urgent craving for their next hit.

The drug’s effects last about an hour, during which users are unable to get high — a period many describe as unbearable.

San Francisco has recorded more than 3,500 fatal overdoses in the past four years, according to the city’s Department of Public Health.

To fight the crisis, officials have distributed more than half a million doses of Narcan citywide since 2021.

But the life-saving drug is now being improperly used by residents seeking to get the homeless off city streets.

Six drug users told the Standard they had been startled awake in recent months by strangers either spraying Narcan into their noses or threatening to do so.

“They’re using it like a weapon,” said Kenneth Byrd, who is homeless and addicted to fentanyl.

“People are going around doing it just for kicks,” Byrd said. “It’s f—ked up.”

“I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy,” said Henry Jones, a homeless man who said he was jolted awake this year by someone spraying Narcan into his nose.

“I’ve been shot seven times, and being Narcan’d like that was worse,” Jones said.

Word of the attacks has spread fear through San Francisco’s homeless community, even as online commenters cheer the tactic as vigilante justice.

A viral Instagram video, viewed more than 4 million times since July 9, shows a man brandishing Narcan to force a drug user off a Tenderloin sidewalk. The clip is captioned “best way to get somebody up in San Francisco.”

“Here, hand me the Narcan, he needs the Narcan, give him the Narcan,” the cameraman shouts as he confronts a man slumped on drugs. The user springs to his feet and walks away.

“Yeah, you better get your ass up,” the cameraman yells. “You ain’t about to die out here.”

The video has racked up 190,000 likes and nearly 2,000 comments, with many praising the tactic.

“The new strategy for moving bums out of your way,” one wrote.

“Bro just solved the opiate crisis,” another said.

San Francisco is grappling with rampant open-air drug markets centered in areas like the Tenderloin, Sixth Street and near 16th & Mission, where drug use and dealing persist—especially at night—despite daytime crackdowns.

Public health and safety crises, including the fentanyl overdose epidemic and large numbers of people living unsheltered, worsen visible decay and public disturbance, according to locals.

Neighbors, business owners and long-time residents report being overwhelmed by open drug scenes, biohazards, encampments and what they describe as inadequate enforcement.

City officials have responded with mobile command units, increased police patrols, community ambassadors and plans for more treatment and interim housing beds, but many in affected communities say these efforts are patchy and slow.

Frustration has boiled over into “compassion fatigue” among residents who feel the crisis has spiraled beyond what current policies can control.

Health experts blasted the street misuse of Narcan. Dr. Ayesha Appa, an addiction specialist at UCSF, told the Standard it should be treated as assault and urged people to check for breathing before giving the drug.

“Using Narcan this way is not just mean-spirited, it’s cruel,” Appa said.

“When you send someone from a resting state to a heart rate of over 120, and say somebody has preexisting medical problems … it can be life-threatening.”

The Department of Public Health also denounced the practice.

“Individuals should administer naloxone if they recognize that someone is experiencing an overdose,” the agency told the Standard.

“However, misusing this essential tool to intentionally cause pain or distress is inhumane.”

Source; NY Post

Washington felon caught impersonating police officer at crime scene: ‘He’s got a firefighter helmet too’

This guy reminds me Jeremy DeWitte.

A Washington convicted felon is accused of impersonating a police officer when he arrived at various emergency calls and authorities discovered he had a “large amount of police equipment.”

Michael Scaletta-Teates responded to an active police scene in Bremerton, Wash. on Sept. 5, where he wore a dark uniform with a tactical vest that showcased a metallic Edmonds Police Department badge and “police” and “SWAT” patches, according to the Bremerton Police Department.

“I thought you were like one of our detectives at first,” a Bremerton Police officer told Scaletta-Teates, police body camera footage obtained by KOMO showed.

“I know some of the guys with the task force,” Scaletta-Teates told the officers during his arrest.

Scaletta-Teates responded to a trespassing call and a tip about a potential fire in a parking garage, according to the outlet.

Police quickly figured out that Scaletta-Teates, who drove an unmarked Ford Explorer with “activated blue lights,” did not have the extensive resume he claimed.

Scaletta-Teates claimed he moonlighted part-time as a security guard and was an officer with the Edmonds Police Department in Edmonds, Wash., roughly 35 miles away from Bremerton.

The felon introduced himself to the officers as “Mezzy Scaletta” and failed to provide his police commission card, an identification card given to law enforcement.

Officers called the Edmonds Police Department and discovered the staff did not know Scaletta-Teates and claimed that he was “never” on their payroll.

“Can we not do this in front of every- I mean, really?” Scaletta-Teates asked while being handcuffed and taken into custody.

Police on the scene looked inside the windows of the suspect’s truck and noticed that he may have been ready to impersonate other respectable jobs as well.

“He’s got a firefighter helmet too, he’s ready to do it all,” the cop quipped.

According to the bodycam footage, Scaletta-Teates told officers that he had retired from Baltimore Police after two decades and got a job in Washington.

The alleged officer impersonator was booked into the Kitsap County Jail and accused of 1st degree criminal impersonation and unlawful possession of a firearm.

In January 2016, Scaletta-Teates was found guilty of making a bomb threat during an incident in North Carolina, according to the Kitsap Sun. He served 185 days in prison.

Despite his felony, he worked as security for the Salvation Army before his arrest and he allegedly wasn’t easy to be around.

“He was intimidating last night,” a person at the shelter told KOMO News. “He told a couple of my friends to shut up and keep walking.”

Scaletta-Teates was filmed in a separate incident responding to an emergency police call at a 7-Eleven and allegedly told customers that he was a cop,” according to the outlet.

Source; NY Post

Code Blue Cam has the body cam videos, and it’s definitely worth a watch if you’ve got some time this morning!

 

Category: "Teh Stoopid", Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals