Baton Rouge news

• Autopsy says Baton Rouge shooter Gavin Long shot multiple times

  20-07-2016 22:22
  
  Officials have said a SWAT officer with the Baton Rouge Police Department killed Long.
  
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• Teen transported following shooting in Baker Wednesday night

  20-07-2016 21:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - Baker Police are investigating a shooting that sent a 17-year-old girl to the hospital Wednesday night.Investigators say the victim was shot while riding in a car on Baker Boulevard. Police believe the shots were fired from inside of the car. Detectives are questioning a person of interest at this time.Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Climate change illustrated in 5 charts

  20-07-2016 20:22
  
  Regardless whether you believe climate change is caused by human beings, numbers tell persuasive story of planet rapidly heating
  
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• 2 people shot on North 48th Wednesday night

  20-07-2016 19:22
  
  BATON ROUGE - A WBRZ crew is on the scene of a reported shooting near the intersection of North 48th St. and Gus Young Avenue.#BREAKING: Shooting at 48th and Gus Young. pic.twitter.com/x4sUEaz1X4— Brittany Weiss WBRZ (@MsBWeiss) July 21, 2016
  EMS is at the scene, and BRPD has the area taped off. News 2 has learned 2 people were shot. The condition of the victims is unclear at the time of this post.Mobile crime scene unit pulling up. pic.twitter.com/EJUvIYZLMc— Brittany Weiss
  
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• Free lunch for law enforcement after ambush shooting

  20-07-2016 18:53
  
  LIVINGSTON- One restaurant is going the extra mile with its gratitude for law enforcement.Wayne's Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que in Livingston is offering free meals to all cops this week. It's a response to Sundays shooting of three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers."You see such tragic losses amongst our police and you wonder: what can you do?" said Wayne Henderson, the restaurant's owner. "We pray for them and our hearts bleed for the families, but what can we do? A tiny bit of appreciatio
  
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• After Baton Rouge police shooting Gov. John Bel Edwards is right: We must do better

  20-07-2016 18:39
  
  Alton Sterling is dead. Three law enforcement officers -- Baton Rouge police officers Montrell Jackson and Matthew Gerald as well as East Baton Rouge sheriff's deputy Brad Garafola -- are also dead. Another deputy, Nicholas Tullier, is critically wounded and...
  
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• Smothers' murderer given life in prison instead of death penalty

  20-07-2016 18:34
  
  Baton Rouge - The legal maneuvering of the past 23 years has ended as 19th District Judge Richard Anderson complied with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling and re-sentenced convicted murderer Kevan Brumfield to life at Angola Prison.Brumfield was found guilty by a jury in 1995 for his part in the January 7, 1993  ambush robbery and murder of off-duty Baton Rouge police officer Betty Smothers.  After hearing emotional testimony from two of Smothers children, Anderson agreed "that t
  
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• Sen. Troy Brown to be reprimanded, but not asked to resign from Louisiana Legislature

  20-07-2016 18:25
  
  Brown will be removed from all Senate committee assignments until further notice.
  
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• Absent during protests, Baton Rouge mayor is more visible

  20-07-2016 18:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - After police killed a man outside a convenience store and protesters filled the streets, the first black mayor of the Louisiana capital was conspicuously missing.His absence was so glaring that demonstrators called for Kip Holden's resignation.But with the shooting deaths of three law enforcement officers on Sunday, Holden has become more visible. He's standing up for his police force and accepting condolences from mayors across the country, including the leaders of Orlando and Dal
  
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• Gunman's manifesto describe his actions

  20-07-2016 18:15
  
  BATON ROUGE - The man who killed three Louisiana law enforcement officers purportedly described his actions as a "necessary evil" in a self-described manifesto that an Ohio man says was emailed to him by the gunman less than an hour before the shootings.The three-page handwritten letter was signed by "Cosmo" - an alias used by Baton Rouge gunman Gavin Long. Photographs of it were attached to an email sent from an address that Long used.In the manifesto, Long said he expected people who
  
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• Many continue to attend city-wide memorials for slain officers

  20-07-2016 17:59
  
  BATON ROUGE – Several people continue to visit memorials around the city dedicated to the three fallen officers- Deputy Brad Garafola, Officer Matthew Gerald and Officer Montrell Jackson- involved in Sunday's shooting.
  Strangers are coming together and united by one message."The faces of the officers, I mean you don't have to know them to see that these are men, they're humans they have wives and children, it's a tragedy," Raquel McDavid, visitor of the B Quik memorial, said.Some praye
  
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• Security will be tight for fallen officers' funerals

  20-07-2016 17:48
  
  BATON ROUGE- Security will be extremely tight for the funerals of the fallen law enforcement officers, according to the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office and Louisiana State Police.People were especially concerned about paying respects to the fallen officers during funeral processions and having a large concentration of law enforcement in one spot."Every event will be safe," Trooper Bryan Lee said. "There will be law enforcement presence at each event. There's going to be plenty of police
  
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• St. George Fire Department hosts blood drive for officers

  20-07-2016 16:52
  
  BATON ROUGE – The St. George Fire Department hosted a blood drive on Wednesday in honor of the officers involved in Sunday's shooting.Robert Rainwater, of the St. George Fire Department, said that the department tries to pull together to help in any way when situations like what happened on Sunday occur."We have an inherently dangerous job, we prepare for situations like this, but we never expect them to happen to our family. When something like this happens, we all pull together, and
  
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• System wide technical issues ground Southwest flights

  20-07-2016 15:35
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Technical issues have Southwest Airlines flights grounded and long lines forming at airports throughout the country on Wednesday afternoon.The company tweeted just before 2 p.m. that they were aware of system wide issues and were working to get everything back online.Within an hour, the airline was on the receiving end of a whirlwind of stranded customer complaints as they issues kept all Southwest flights grounded.A Southwest director in Dallas said just before 3 p.m. that the sys
  
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• Miniature wall appears around Trump's Hollywood star

  20-07-2016 14:37
  
  LOS ANGELES - On the day Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination for president, a miniature wall appeared around the former reality TV host's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Tourists stopped Tuesday to snap photos of the 6-inch gray wall that was topped with razor wire and plastered with "keep out" signs. The tiny wall was gone by Wednesday morning.It was the work of an artist who calls himself Plastic Jesus, known for posting "No Trump Anytime" signs on street corners earlier this yea
  
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• Mayor Kip Holden qualifies for US House race

  20-07-2016 14:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - The mayor of Baton Rouge, whose city is embroiled in the aftermath of shootings and protests, has signed up to run for a congressional seat.Kip Holden, a Democrat who is term-limited as mayor, qualified Wednesday for the 2nd District race, challenging Democratic incumbent Cedric Richmond. The district is Louisiana's only majority black district, representing New Orleans up the Mississippi River to part of Baton Rouge.Holden didn't speak much about his congressional campaig
  
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• Governor's office to host blood drive for slain officers on Thursday

  20-07-2016 14:28
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards' office will be hosting a blood drive on Thursday in honor of the officers involved in Sunday's shooting on Airline Highway.The drive planned by the governor's office along with LifeShare Blood Centers, will be open to all state employees and members of the public. The governor will personally participate in the blood drive.
  "Our staff came to me and wanted to personally participate in the community's response to this very difficult time for our
  
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• 'Mistake' led to Trump speech kerfuffle

  20-07-2016 13:54
  
  CLEVELAND - A Trump Organization staff writer says she made a "mistake" in including passages from a Michelle Obama speech in Melania Trump's convention speech.Meredith McIver says she offered her resignation, but Donald Trump rejected it.McIver explained her role in the Trump plagiarism controversy in a statement issued Wednesday.McIver says Mrs. Trump read passages of Mrs. Obama's 2008 convention speech during the writing the process. She says her notes from that conversation made it
  
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• GOP delegate: Clinton should be shot for treason

  20-07-2016 13:52
  
  CLEVELAND - A prominent Donald Trump delegate from New Hampshire says Hillary Clinton should be "put in the firing line and shot for treason," over the Benghazi, Libya, attacks that killed four Americans.New Hampshire state Rep. Al Baldasaro appears frequently with Trump and serves as an adviser on veteran's issues. He made the remarks Tuesday when asked on a Boston radio program if Clinton was responsible for the Benghazi deaths.He says Clinton "is a disgrace for the lies she told thos
  
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• 17-year-old dead after shooting on Bradley Street

  20-07-2016 13:43
  
  BATON ROUGE – One 17-year-old is dead after a shooting that took place on Tuesday night around 9 p.m. on Bradley Street.
  The 17-year-old has been identified as Eddie Mason by police. According to BRPD, Mason was shot by someone in a passing vehicle while he was standing outside his home in the 4600 block of Bradley Street. Mason later died from injuries sustained during the shooting.There is no motive or suspects at the time of this post and the incident is currently being investigated
  
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• Man drowns at Jefferson Lake apartments

  20-07-2016 13:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - EBR Sheriff’s Office deputies say a man drowned in a lake near an apartment complex on Jefferson Highway.Deputies said they were dispatched to the location in reference to a drowning victim. Investigators learned that the victim was at the Jefferson Lakes apartment complex and allegedly wasn’t feeling well when he walked onto an island in a lake at the complex.The victim fell into the lake, panicked as he got further away from the bank and eventually disappeared
  
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• Man arrested for threatening St. Charles officers on social media

  20-07-2016 13:14
  
  HAHNVILLE- One man is behind bars Wednesday after investigators say he posted on social media threatening police officers.According to a WWLTV report, St. Charles Parish Sherrif's office charged Victor Pablo with terrorizing and threatening a public official. Deputies say Pablo posted a threat on social media, writing, "In uh lil while cops in St. Charles are goin to be next. I hope they kill every last 1 of them dirty b*tchez."The threat was posted online one day after three Baton Roug
  
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• Kansas City mayor says shooting not a planned ambush

  20-07-2016 12:45
  
  KANSAS CITY - The mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, says authorities don't believe the fatal shooting of an officer was part of a planned ambush, but someone trying to evade arrest.Mayor Mark Holland of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County also said during a Wednesday news conference that the community is still "healing and reeling" from the fatal shooting of a Kansas City, Kansas, officer in May, which was the first in the department in 19 years.Capt. Robert Melton was fatally shot T
  
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• State police: Woman shot by city police officer in Kentwood

  20-07-2016 12:42
  
  KENTWOOD - Louisiana State Police are investigating a shooting involving a Kentwood Police Department officer.Trooper Dustin Dwight says the officer shot a woman during an incident Tuesday night on Louisiana Highway 38.Dwight says the woman suffered non-life threating injuries.He says circumstances leading to the shooting are under investigation and have not been released. Kentwood is located in Tangipahoa Parish on Interstate 55 just south of the Mississippi state line.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Parents won't sue Disney over son's death by gator

  20-07-2016 12:39
  
  ORLANDO - The parents of a toddler killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World say they don't plan to sue the theme park resort over the death.Matt and Melissa Graves of Omaha, Nebraska, said in a statement Wednesday they want to focus on their family's future health.A family spokeswoman, Sara Brady, says she couldn't say whether a financial settlement had been reached with Disney World.Disney World president George Kalogridis said in a statement the company continues to provide support for the
  
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• 'That's what I get,' Pokemon player hits police cruiser

  20-07-2016 12:37
  
  BALTIMORE - Police say a "Pokemon Go" player was trying to "catch them all" behind the wheel, but instead a Baltimore police officer's body camera caught him sideswiping a cruiser.Officers were standing on a southeast Baltimore corner early Monday when police say a Toyota RAV-4 hit a cruiser steps away. Police say the driver told police that he was looking down playing "Pokemon Go" on his cellphone when he hit the cruiser.In the video, the driver steps out and shows the officer his phone, saying
  
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• Defense, foreign ministers to plan next steps against IS

  20-07-2016 12:28
  
  WASHINGTON - Defense and foreign ministers from more than 30 nations are gathering in Washington to plan the next steps in the fight against the Islamic State and to determine what more they can do as the fights for key cities in Iraq and Syria move forward.Defense Secretary Ash Carter will meet with his counterparts Wednesday to discuss how they can accelerate the campaign and build on the momentum, particularly in Iraq. The meeting comes as Iraqi security forces, aided by the coalition, are pr
  
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• Middle school students use 3D printer to help penguin waddle again

  20-07-2016 12:27
  
  MYSTIC, CT - Middle schoolers in Connecticut have constructed a new boot to help make an injured penguin mobile again.The penguin, Purps, is an endangered African penguin that injured the flexor tendon in her left leg during a fight with another bird. The now non-functional leg made it impossible for Purps to waddle around until the clever students stepped in to construct a new boot to support her.The Mystic Middle School kids designed and created a new lightweight penguin boot using a recently-
  
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• Cruz's future permeates convention before his speech

  20-07-2016 12:25
  
  CLEVELAND - Texas Sen. Ted Cruz isn't scheduled to appear publicly at the Republican National Convention until Wednesday evening. His presence has permeated the convention's opening days anyway.A raucous confrontation over rules that could have kept hope of an unlikely Cruz nomination alive ended in defeat. The outcome prompted many in his state's delegation to chant angrily from the convention floor.Cruz's supporters as well as critics say undercurrents in Cleveland are emboldening the senator'
  
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• In a bumpy coronation, Trump wins the crown

  20-07-2016 12:22
  
  CLEVELAND - The art of the coronation has taken something of a beating at the Republican National Convention.Nevertheless, Donald Trump now has the crown - and a final chance to summon unity from the party's restive ranks in the ritual's closing days.The roll call of the states Tuesday night delivered Trump the nomination. Day 3 brings two conservative stalwarts to the stage - running mate Mike Pence and Trump's most tenacious primary opponent, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. That's the man Trump used to c
  
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• Dow Chemical and DuPont say shareholders approved merger

  20-07-2016 12:13
  
  NEW YORK - Shareholders for agriculture and chemicals companies DuPont and Dow Chemical have approved their merger, as well as a subsequent plan that will break up the century-old companies into three parts.The companies were holding meetings where shareholders voted on the deal.Both Dow and DuPont were pushed by activist investors to break up or find other ways to revitalize their businesses. They agreed to merge in December in an all-stock deal valued at about $62 billion. They expect the comb
  
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• Louisiana residents hit limit on solar energy tax credits

  20-07-2016 12:05
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's Department of Revenue says homeowners have applied for more solar energy tax credits this year than the amount of money available to pay claims.The revenue department said in a news release Act 131 of the 2015 regular legislative session placed yearly limits of $10 million for each of the first two years and a $5 million cap for the third year. It ends Dec. 31, 2017.The department says homeowners have applied for $39 million worth of credits. It says people who buy sola
  
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• Louisiana elections signup period opens

  20-07-2016 09:57
  
  BATON ROUGE - A half-dozen candidates for Louisiana's U.S. Senate seat had officially signed up for the race by midmorning on the first day of qualifying.Those contenders who arrived in the opening hours of the three-day sign-up period Wednesday included New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard, a Democrat; Republican U.S. Rep. John Fleming; Troy Hebert, a former state senator with no party affiliation; and Abhay Patel, a Republican businessman.Many more are expected to sign up for the seat that is op
  
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• Defense wants prosecutors off Will Smith shooting case

  20-07-2016 09:55
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A judge in New Orleans is set to hear arguments on whether the local district attorney's office should be barred from prosecuting the suspect in the shooting death of retired Saints star Will Smith.Cardell Hayes is charged with second-degree murder in the case. Defense attorney John Fuller says District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro and his staff should be kicked off the case because he has made baseless accusations of wrongdoing against Fuller.Judge Camille Buras is scheduled to hear a
  
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• Police shootings touch nerve among military veterans

  20-07-2016 09:54
  
  SAN DIEGO - Back-to-back attacks on police in Texas and Louisiana by former military men have struck a nerve among veterans who traditionally share a close bond with law enforcement.Veterans and active-duty troops started posting messages on social media almost immediately after the news broke last weekend that a masked ex-Marine had ambushed law enforcement along a busy highway, killing three officers.One victim was a fellow former Marine and Army soldier who served in Iraq.The Baton Rouge, Lou
  
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• State mineral lease sale brings in $59K in bonus revenue

  20-07-2016 08:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Mineral and Energy Board's July lease brought in $59,150 in bonus revenue.
  The board said in a news release Tuesday buyers bought two leases covering 294 acres in Calcasieu and Plaquemines parishes. The lease sale offered tracts covering a total of 587 acres.
  According to the board, mineral bonus payments to the state in fiscal year 2015-16 amounted to $5.5 million.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Typo leads to suspect's release In Lafourche Parish

  20-07-2016 08:27
  
  THIBODAUX - Authorities say a typographical error caused the release of an armed robbery suspect on a lower bond.
  The Daily Comet reports Lafourche sheriff's deputies took 24-year-old Brent LeBouef (luh-BUF'), of Houma, back into custody Monday.
  LeBouef was set for trial this week in state District Judge Christopher Boudreaux's courtroom in Thibodaux. He showed up for court Monday, not in a jail jumpsuit but in regular clothes.
  Sgt. Brennan Matherne, a spokesman for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff'
  
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• 'Grateful that I even got to know him:' Montrell Jackson remembered at vigil

  20-07-2016 04:14
  
  It was one of many vigils planned for this week across the Baton Rouge area to remember Jackson and the two other law enforcement officers gunned down Sunday.
  
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• Baton Rouge police shooting: Inside Edition airs witness video

  20-07-2016 00:30
  
  A cellphone video depicts police cars rushing to the scene and officers moving into position as gunshots ringing out.
  
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• John Bel Edwards asks Baton Rouge group to start community dialogue about policing

  20-07-2016 00:00
  
  Gov. John Bel Edwards has pushed Together Baton Rouge to lead efforts to improve relations between the black community and police in Louisiana's capital city.
  
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