Protest updates: Woman charged in arson of Wendy's; Trump vows order to protect targeted statues; FBI says no hate crime in NASCAR
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President Donald Trump was in Arizona on Tuesday for his second political rally in four days. Before leaving Washington, D.C., he vowed to issue an executive order protecting statues after protesters Monday tried to remove an Andrew Jackson statue near the White House.
A woman in Atlanta was charged with arson related to the burning of the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was killed by police. A private funeral for Brooks was held earlier Tuesday at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Family attorney L. Chris Stewart announced last week that Tyler Perry would be paying for the funeral costs.
The FBI announced the results of its investigation into the noose found in the garage of NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, saying no federal crime was committed. Evidence showed the garage pull-down rope had been in the stall since last fall.
A closer look at some recent developments:
The FBI concluded its investigation into a noose found in the garage stall of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. at Talladega Superspeedway. The agency said the rope had been in the stall since at least October 2019 and was not a hate crime. Wallace is the only full-time Black driver in NASCAR’s elite Cup series.
Atlanta police officer Devin Brosnan, the second officer at the scene when Rayshard Brooks died who faces three charges, said Monday that he wasn't trying to hurt Brooks. "I didn’t do anything wrong," he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The city of Fort Bragg in Northern California, named after a Confederate general, is considering changing its name.
What we're reading: These teens grew up in the shadow of Tamir Rice’s death. Ahead of what would have been Tamir's 18th birthday on June 25, the USA TODAY Network talked to 31 teenagers about growing up Black in America. These are their stories.
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Associate of Rayshard Brooks arrested arson of Wendy's in Atlanta
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 29-year-old woman in connection with an arson fire at the Atlanta restaurant where Rayshard Brooks was killed by police, and the suspect reportedly knew Brooks before his death.
In Twitter posts Tuesday, a sheriff’s spokesperson said deputies had “just apprehended Wendy’s arson suspect Natalie White,” and that she was “in custody at the Fulton County Jail.”
White’s attorney, Drew Findling, told CNN his client was associated with Brooks, but declined to elaborate. Findling said White did not start the June 13 fire.
Brooks was shot in the Wendy’s parking lot June 12 after he scuffled with officers, grabbed one of their Tasers and tried to run away.
Video of the shooting added to nationwide outrage over police use of force against Blacks, prompting demonstrations at the restaurant which was torched the next evening.
-- Joel Shannon
Minneapolis police chief says George Floyd's death was 'murder'
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo says the death of George Floyd was ‘murder’ and the officer who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck knew what he was doing because he had been trained on the dangers of positional asphyxia.
According to the Associated Press, Arradondo’s comments Tuesday may have been the first in which he used the term, "murder," to describe the incident.
Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 while he was handcuffed and face-down on pavement, with Officer Derek Chauvin pressing a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The homicide, captured on video, set off nationwide protests over police abuses — especially against African Americans.
In an email to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Arradondo issued a statement Monday: “Mr. George Floyd’s tragic death was not due to a lack of training…The officers knew what was happening – one intentionally caused it and the others failed to prevent it. This was murder…"
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder; three other officers face charges of aiding and abetting.
-- AP and Dennis Wagner
Tucson mayor decries video of person killed in police custody
The mayor of Tucson, Arizona, canceled a City Council meeting and expressed outrage Tuesday after being shown video of a civilian death in police custody.
In a written statement quoted by the Arizona Daily Star, Mayor Regina Romero said she was “anguished and deeply troubled” by the incident, which was so disturbing it would be improper to carry on business as usual.
Tucson police are expected to hold a press briefing Wednesday on the incident, which had not previously been disclosed; Romero declined to identify the victim out of respect for the family’s wishes.
The internal investigation comes amid nationwide protests over police brutality and misconduct, especially against minorities. Romero vowed to impose reforms.
-- AP and Dennis Wagner
Louisville police chief fires officer in Breonna Taylor death
A Louisville Metro Police officer involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor officially has been fired.
Officer Brett Hankison is accused of “blindly” shooting 10 rounds into an apartment on March 13 as he and others were executing a no-knock search warrant. Taylor, a 26-year-old ER technician, was killed while her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, exchanged fire with police thinking they were home invaders.
In a letter to Hankison on Friday, interim Chief Robert Schroeder said the officer displayed "extreme indifference to the value of human life" adding, "I find your conduct a shock to the conscience."
Hankison may appeal the decision to the Police Merit Board in writing within 10 days.
Sam Aguiar, an attorney for Taylor’s family, said Hankison's termination is “another good, small step," but there will be no satisfaction until all responsible for her death are charged criminally.
-- Darcy Costello and Tessa Duvall, Courier-Journal
Next: What to expect in Brett Harkison case after shooting of Breonna Taylor
FBI: Noose found in Bubba Wallace's stall was not a crime
The noose found Sunday in motorsports celebrity Bubba Wallace’s garage at Talladega Superspeedway was not a race-baiting symbol aimed at NASCAR’s only Black driver, but had been in the stall for months.
That was the finding of an FBI investigation by 15 agents who, after reviewing video and conducting interviews, concluded no federal hate crime had occurred.
Instead, agents and federal prosecutors said the noose — used to pull down a garage door — had been in place at least since October 2019, and Wallace was only given that stall a week ago. They determined that no one could have known in advance of the assignment.
NASCAR president Steve Phelps pledged in a teleconference with reporters Tuesday afternoon to continue its own investigation into how and why rope in the garage was made into a noose.
Wallace’s outspoken activism about racial justice recently led NASCAR to ban confederate flags at its races, prompting a backlash from some fans and concerns that Wallace was a target of retaliation when the knotted rope was found.
-- Michelle R. Martinelli
More: Another apparent noose found at Sonoma Raceway
Georgia governor set to sign hate crime bill in wake of Arbery slaying
A new hate crime measure was headed to the Georgia governor’s desk Tuesday, weeks after Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery was shot by white men in what some have described as a modern-day lynching.
The bill would enhance penalties for crimes motivated by a victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender or disability. Because legislation is not retroactive, the father and son charged with Arbery's murder won't be subject to added penalties if convicted.
Gov. Brian Kemp’s office issued a statement announcing he intends to sign the measure, removing Georgia from a small list of states without hate-crime provisions.
Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, lauded the decision in a statement through the Georgia NAACP Tuesday, saying, "My family thanks everyone for not letting my son's death be in vain.”
-- Grace Hauck
President warns D.C. protesters of prison terms and 'serious force'
President Trump warned protesters in the nation's capital that federal prosecutors will push for severe prison sentences if they topple or vandalize monuments, and they will face “serious force” if they try to establish an autonomous zone near the White House.
Trump's comments and tweets responded to a failed effort Monday by demonstrators to take down a statue of Andrew Jackson, and thwarted attempts to create an encampment dubbed “BHAZ,” for Black House Autonomous Zone.
In a tweet, Trump vowed “there will never be an ‘Autonomous Zone’ in Washington, D.C... If they try they will be met with serious force!”
Trump said that he plans to issue an executive order to protect statues and other historical monuments from destruction by “hoodlums” and “anarchists.” Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn before departing for Arizona that the order would include "long-term jail sentences."
The Veterans Memorial Preservation Act, a federal law passed in 2003, already makes it a crime to destroy or attempt to destroy a plaque, monument or statue "commemorating the service" of anyone who served in the armed forces. The law carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Trump’s remarks came a day after protesters tried to tear down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park just across the street from the White House. Jackson's legacy includes the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that ripped Native Americans from their lands and led to thousands of deaths. He opposed the abolitionist movement.
– Michael Collins and Courtney Subramanian
MLK daughter at Brooks' funeral: 'We cannot stop our cry for justice'
Family and friends gathered Tuesday to remember Rayshard Brooks in a private funeral service, one day after hundreds of mourners passed through Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church to pay tribute in a public viewing.
The daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. denounced structural racism and urged Americans to redouble efforts for justice for Brooks, who was killed June 12 by police in Atlanta.
“If we miss this moment, we will find ourselves returning again and again to a pathway of chaos and self-destruction,” said the Rev. Bernice King. “…We cannot stop our cry for justice and our fight for freedom.”
King was among numerous speakers eulogizing Brooks, the father of four, who died hours after celebrating his daughter’s eighth birthday. The shooting came amid a nationwide uprising over police abuses triggered by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, eulogized Brooks. Gospel singers Smokie Norful, Tamela Mann and Kurt Carr performed at the Atlanta burial. A jumbotron aired the funeral from outside the bell tower and a livestream was offered online for those around the country who wished to view the service.
Brooks, who was killed when fleeing from police the night of his daughter's eighth birthday celebration, was remembered by loved ones as a "girl dad," being a father of three young girls and one stepson.
-- Lorenzo Reyes and David Heath
University of Cincinnati will remove Marge Schott's name from stadium
Marge Schott's name will no longer be displayed on the University of Cincinnati's baseball stadium.
Acting on a recommendation by school president Neville G. Pinto, the Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to remove the name of the late Cincinnati Reds owner from the university's baseball stadium.
"Marge Schott’s record of racism and bigotry stands at stark odds with our University’s core commitment to dignity, equity and inclusion,” said Pinto in a release.
The decision comes after a petition created by former University of Cincinnati baseball player Jordan Ramey asked the university to change the baseball stadium from Marge Schott Stadium to a new name, citing Schott’s history of racially insensitive conduct and anti-Semitism.
– Keith Jenkins, Cincinnati Enquirer
Poll: Nearly all in US back criminal justice changes
Most Americans say at least some changes are needed to the criminal justice system, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Almost a third of Americans say "a complete overhaul" of the criminal justice system is needed, while 40% say it needs "major changes" and 25% say it needs "minor changes."
The poll also found that Americans overwhelmingly want clear standards on when police officers may use force and consequences for officers who do so excessively. Among the other measures many support: requiring officers to wear body cameras and requiring officers to report misconduct by their peers. There was strong support for penalizing officers who engage in racially biased policing
Soldier leaked information to neo-Nazi group in plot to attack US soldiers
A U.S. Army soldier passed on sensitive information to a white supremacy group to orchestrate a deadly attack on his unit overseas, the Justice Department said in an indictment unsealed Monday.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Ethan Melzer, using encrypted applications, sent messages to members of a neo-Nazi group called Order of the Nine Angles or O9A shortly after learning of his unit's deployment overseas. Melzer leaked information about the unit's location, movements, security and the number of soldiers to facilitate what he and his co-conspirators referred to as a "jihadi attack," prosecutors alleged.
Melzer, 22, of Louisville, Ky., has been charged with conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring and attempting to murder military service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder and maim in a foreign country. He joined the Army in 2018 and joined O9A the following year, authorities said.
– Kristine Phillips
Baltimore restaurant apologizes to Black woman, son after denying them service over clothes
A Baltimore restaurant owner that has repeatedly come under fire for its dress code policy has apologized to a Black woman and her son for denying them service for wearing clothing that did not adhere to their dress code.
Marcia Grant was repeatedly told by a manager that she and her son, Dallas, were unable to eat at Ouzo Bay in a video she recorded and posted on social media Monday.
In the video, her son was seen wearing sneakers, gym shorts and an Air Jordan T-shirt. Another child, recorded eating outside, was wearing similar apparel. That child was white.
Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns Ouzo Bay and other restaurants in the area, called the incident “incredibly disturbing” and has put the manager involved on “indefinite leave.” Atlas will also not require anyone under the age of 12 to follow dress code at its restaurants.
– Joshua Bote
Seattle mayor seeks peaceful shutdown of activists' ‘police-free zone’
Seattle officials have decided to dismantle a six-block “police-free zone” held by demonstrators in the heart of the city for more than two weeks.
In the aftermath of two shootings – one of them fatal – Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Monday that the so-called Capitol Hill Organized Protest will be displaced and police will return to a precinct house they abandoned.
Durkan declined to say exactly how the area will be cleared if occupants resist but stressed that a transition will be “peaceful and in the near future.”
Hundreds of demonstrators have occupied the area, sharing food, music and political activism but also causing damage and closing businesses. Now, said Durkan, “It’s time for people to go home.”
– Dennis Wagner
Iowa city unanimously approves racial profiling ban
After years of coordinated efforts by local organizers, the Des Moines City Council on Monday approved an anti-racial profiling ordinance that prohibits biased policing and says officers have a duty to intervene when witnessing “unreasonable force” by another officer.
The city council unanimously approved a second, then a final reading of the ordinance, which gained swift momentum after widespread protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. In a public forum, community members congratulated the persistence of a community alliance that has shaped the ordinance and thanked young Iowans who’ve organized in force to demand change at the local level.
“It is progress,” Iowa-Nebraska NAACP President Betty Andrews, who has led negotiations on behalf of the alliance, told the Des Moines Register. “It is not perfect, but we are working toward better and this is definitely a good step in that direction.”
– Shelby Fleig, Des Moines Register
Officer charged in Rayshard Brooks shooting: ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’
An Atlanta police officer facing criminal charges in connection with a June 12 fatal shooting outside a Wendy’s restaurant says he did nothing wrong and expects truth to prevail.
In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, officer Devin Brosnan said Rayshard Brooks, the 41-year-old Black man who was killed, had grabbed his Taser while being arrested. During a tussle, Brosnan said, he was shocked with the weapon and his head was slammed against the pavement.
As Brooks ran away with the Taser – a scene captured on video – he was pursued by a second officer, Garrett Rolf, who shot Brooks. Rolf faces 11 felony counts, including murder.
Brosnan, charged with placing his foot on Brooks’ back after the shooting, said he was disoriented and fearful until he realized the suspect was no longer a threat. “In no way, shape or form was I trying to hurt this man,” he told the Atlanta newspaper. “People will see this for what it is. They will understand I didn’t do anything wrong."
Northern California city named after Confederate general to consider name change
A Northern California city named after a Confederate general is considering changing its name as calls to take down Confederate monuments and statues nationwide continue.
The city of Fort Bragg is named after Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, who is accused of keeping more than 100 slaves. On Monday, the city council will discuss whether to add a local ballot measure for voters to decide on the name change in November.
In a memo, city staff told city council that they could also re-dedicate the city's name to a different Bragg, such as Britain’s William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg, the father-son team who won the 1915 Nobel Prize in physics.
In North Carolina, Bragg has one of the largest military installations in the world named after him. It's one of many bases across the country that Army officials have signaled to discuss scrapping the Confederates names.
Police cars vanish from Fortnite video game
In the virtual world, things can appear and disappear unexpectedly. Things like police cars. And that’s apparently what happened in the action video game “Fortnite,” which featured law enforcement vehicles as decorative props until a new version premiered last week.
According to the Wall Street Journal, patrol cars were removed not as a political statement, but out of sensitivity to the national controversy over law enforcement abuses.
The disappearance was first noted on social media, including Reddit, where one post exclaimed, “Yikes. The anti-cop sentiment is reaching everything” and another observed, “Fortnite has de-funded the police.”
More on protests
The statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in New York will be removed.
Defund the police? Some cities have already started and are investing in mental health instead
Art activism: Stories behind murals, street paintings and portraits created in protest
Contributing: Khrysgiana Pineda; The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump protects statues; Wendy's arson suspect arrested; FBI and NASCAR
