This is not one of them.
The folks over at We Are The Mighty have put together a post of, as you might imagine, the 10 worst Air Forces of 2018. Sadly one of our closest allies made the list, but at #10 it was the least worst. The rest are no real surprises, but it is entertaining and the order is interesting. I’ll not clutter the place up here, so go to WATM and see for yourself.
Don’t care what you hang on it, Blocks still have a face only a mother could love.
This one will never improve on his victim selection skills. I’m good with that.
16-year-old was shot, killed while trying to steal cell phone, police say
ORLANDO, Fla. —
New details have been released on a shooting that left a 16-year-old dead in Parramore.
Orlando police said a couple trying to sell phones killed the teen, but that it might have been in self-defense.
Officials released 911 calls in the case on Friday.
Orlando police said it was an online cell phone deal that led a married couple to shoot and kill a teenager Wednesday.
Newly-released 911 calls reveal what the couple first told police.
“Somebody robbed us and my husband was like, trying to protect us, and we ended up having to like shoot at them,” a woman told a 911 dispatcher.
Officers said Denim Williams, 16, was found dead from gunshot wounds near Polk Street and West Jefferson.
The husband said they felt threatened.
“I don’t know if they’re hit, I don’t know what’s going on, but I know we did discharge our firearm at them, when I thought he was pulling a firearm on me,” the man told a 911 dispatcher.
WESH 2 News spoke with Williams’ granfather, Virgil Smith. He said the high school student was planning to move in with him.
Smith said he would have convinced Williams to study more and take a different life path.
The rest of the story may be read here: WESH
GSW to the back of the head? Either a grazing wound or the clerk needs more club. Claw will love this one
Suspect arrested in connection to shootout with clerk at East Side gas station
By Caleb Downs
Police arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with a violent gun battle at an East Side gas station that left another teenager with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.The suspect, Javonta Kenneth Marquise-Whitfield, is now facing a charges of marijuana possession and unlawful carrying of a weapon. He remains in the Bexar County Jail.
According to a preliminary report of the shootout, Marquise-Whitfield and a 17-year-old boy entered the 7-Eleven in the 5200 block of Rigsby Avenue just after 2 a.m.
The gas station clerk later told police Marquise-Whitfield shot at him, and he returned fire, striking the 17-year-old boy in the back of the head.
How the shooting was initiated was not addressed in the preliminary police report, and Jennifer Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the department, said no other information regarding the shooting would be released.
Responding officers later located Marquise-Whitfield and arrested him on the drug possession and weapon violation charges.
Read the rest of the article here: LMT On Line
Never mess with a mama bear protecting her cubs.
Sub-zero temperaturers, hot shooting draw headlines tulmutuous year ends
By Mike Spence
Charles K. Goldtrap, age 17 years, was shot and almost instantly killed shortly after 7 o’clock last night by Mrs. Elizabeth Haskett at her home, 2630 Orman Avenue.
Haskett, when questioned by the police, gave this account, as reported by The Chieftain:
“He (Goldtrap) attempted to gain entrance to the house where she and her daughter, age 14 years, and her son, age 10 years, were alone. Her husband W.H. Haskett and her older son were at work at the Minnequa steel plant at the time.
“The Goldtrap boy resided at 2510 Orman Avenue, just a block this side of the Haskett home. Why he went to the Haskett home and for what purpose seems somewhat vague. The bullet penetrated his lung and he died before he could get out of the yard.
“According to the story told by Mrs. Haskett to Deputy Coroner A.R. Davis, she was alone in the house with her two children when she heard someone knocking at the front door.
?‘I called down the stairs and asked who was knocking and what was wanted. I received no reply and the knocking continued. I shouted to the person at the door to go away, as I was alone and would not open the door. Then I heard someone walk around the house to the rear and asked to be let in. I said I would not let anyone in the house and for God’s sake to go away.’
“At this moment, I heard the back door open and someone’s footsteps on the kitchen floor. I loaded the revolver I kept in my bedroom and shot through the bedroom window thinking whoever it was would be frightened away. The intruder left the house.
“Thinking that he had left the premises, I went downstairs and opened the back door. I heard a noise but could not say what it was. I could not see anyone and to make sure that the man would go away, I fired another shot into the darkness.
“As soon as I did so, I heard a man cry, ‘Oh.’ I hurried back into the house and a short time later was told that a man had been shot.”
Dicey shoot- no visible target or threat. The rest of the article may be viewed here: Fowler Tribune
Two DRT and one with a chronic headache. Not too shabby, but not a trifecta. Hey, if those were easy anyone could hit one.
One of our usual suspects sent me this American Thinker link, which is a bit on the ironic side. It’s one of my daily go-to sites and I missed this article. There may be another reason as well, but without further ado:
By Monica Showalter
So much for Mitt Romney’s claim that the U.S. has alienated its allies.Actually, they’re lining up, and not just to be friends, but to ask for U.S. military bases stationed on their soil.
When was the last time you heard of nations lining up to ask for U.S. military bases? Not under President Obama, that’s for sure.
The latest is Brazil, whose new president, Jair Bolsonaro, put the idea on the table. The Russians over at RT News, naturally, noticed:
Brazil’s newly-sworn-in right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has said that he might consider hosting a US military base in the future and called a Brazilian embassy move to Jerusalem a done deal in a new interview on Thursday.
Brazil’s newly-sworn-in right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has said that he might consider hosting a US military base in the future and called a Brazilian embassy move to Jerusalem a done deal in a new interview on Thursday.
Bolsonaro, dubbed the ‘Trump of the Tropics’ for his rhetoric, uncannily similar to that of US President Donald Trump, lived up to his nickname as he floated the idea of welcoming US soldiers on a permanent basis, reiterated his support for Israel, while calling Venezuela ‘a dictatorship’ and Russia its enabler.
In an interview with SBT broadcaster on Thursday, Bolsonaro said that while he considers physical presence of foreign forces a symbolic move in a globalized word, he is open to the idea of hosting US troops on Brazilian soil.
Brazil joins other nations that have requested military bases, starting with Poland, which offered to call its potential base “Fort Trump,” and to pay for it themselves, too. That interest is not hard to understand, because Poland has the Russian bear at its door, the bear is growling, the bear is bothering other nations, and the bear has been there before. It makes sense for the plains-covered country that always gets run over to have some big, bulky American troops in the vicinity to ensure that the bear thinks twice.
Believe I’d have to do a site survey to ensure the proper amenities were available. Hey, it’s for the troops! Read the rest of Monica’s article here: American Thinker
Tip of the hat to Poetrooper for the link. Thanks buddy, keep ’em coming!
If I have to explain this, seek professional help at a range near you.
Somehow I doubt the shooter had a New Jersey compliant magazine.
Arizona resident shoots four burglars, killing one, police say
By Paulina Dedaj | Fox News
One person is dead and three others are injured after they were shot by a resident of an Arizona home they were trying to burglarize, police said.The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at approximately 1:38 a.m. Thursday and discovered that four individuals were shot after breaking into a home.
According to a news release, Edith Guerrero, 36, Jaden James, 18, Leonardo Gonzalez, 27, and Jessica Aynes, 28, woke the sleeping occupants as they entered.
The unidentified occupant with the gun fired several rounds, hitting all four suspects and ultimately killing one.
Not much to add, but the rest of the article may be viewed here: Fox Nedwa
One winged, another in the wind.
Burglar shot Wednesday night at Old Tavern home
A resident of Old Tavern on Wednesday night shot an armed burglar, whom deputies later arrested and charged, according to the Fauquier sheriff’s office.
Matthew Darolyn Hawkes, 39, of Marshall, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, Sgt. James Hartman said.
Charged with four crimes, Mr. Hawkes remained in a Northern Virginia hospital Thursday afternoon, according to Sgt. Hartman.
Armed with a handgun, the suspect allegedly kicked in the front door of a rented home in the 4900 block of Old Tavern Road near The Plains late Wednesday.
“Multiple callers (to 911) advised gunshots had been fired” at 10:24 p.m., Sgt. Hartman said.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived, “occupants of the residence described a short male wearing a mask entering through the door,” he added. “One of the occupants of the residence fired several gun shots at the man who then fled on foot.”
The deputies identified a suspect “after learning of a . . . recent altercation between the homeowner and a male acquaintance,” the sergeant said.
A sheriff’s office tracking dog and Fairfax County Police helicopter joined the manhunt.
Read the rest here: Fauquier Now
Try typing “Fauquier” and keep a straight face. So one in the wind, one DRT, and four WRT. Not bad really, especially FGS#1 with four up, four down. Have a safe weekend, and keep ’em in the ten ring.
Currently sipping on a Bloody Mary to assuage the assault of a pal who failed to kill us with bourbon (again), your TAH staff finds:
By Amy Lieu
A man serving a 40-year sentence for his role in an international child pornography ring has died following a fight at a federal detention center in Michigan, authorities said Friday.Christian Maire, 40, of New York, was pronounced dead following an altercation involving seven inmates Tuesday at the Milan detention center about 50 miles southwest of Detroit, a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons said.
“It’s a horrible tragedy and it seems something like this should have been able to be avoided,” Maire’s lawyer Mark Kriger told the Detroit News on Friday.
Three of the other inmates involved were treated for serious injuries and two prison staff members had minor injuries, the statement said.
Details of how Maire was injured weren’t immediately released, but the death was being investigated as an apparent homicide.
Meanwhile, one source familiar with the investigation told the Detroit News that at least one attacker was armed with a shiv or homemade knife.
The rest of this sad saga may be read here: Fox News
Let’s join ‘lawer’ Mark Kriger in his pity party for a slain child molester. Y’all go first; seems I can’t muster up a single tear. Must be the Bloody Mary, which in the crafting of this post has remarkably evaporated. So now one in the wind, two DRT, and four WRT. Not a Master Chief trifectra, but not too bad. And the weekend has just begun…
By Lawrence Hurley
WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) – A U.S. court on Friday ruled in favor of a Trump administration policy barring certain transgender people from serving in the U.S. armed forces, handing the president his first legal victory on the issue after several defeats.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a decision by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., that blocked the policy, saying it likely violates the constitutional rights of transgender recruits and service members.
President Donald Trump announced in March that he would endorse a plan by former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to restrict the military service of transgender people who experience a condition called gender dysphoria.
The appeals court victory is limited because other federal courts issued injunctions against the policy, which applied nationwide. The administration already has asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on the issue.
The high court is due to consider whether to hear three separate government appeals at its private conference on Jan. 11.
The various injunctions allowed transgender troops to join the ranks as of Jan. 1, 2018.
Some sanity reigns, but the social experimenters are readying their appeals as I type. The rest of the article, and complexly expected backlash, may be read here: MSN.com
Today’s Valor Friday highlights Thomas J. Hudner Jr. (August 31, 1924 – November 13, 2017). He was an officer in the United States Navy and a Naval Aviator. He rose to the rank of Captain, and received the Medal of Honor for his actions in trying to save the life of his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War.
Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Hudner attended Phillips Academy and the United States Naval Academy. Initially uninterested in aviation, he eventually took up flying and joined Fighter Squadron 32, flying the F4U Corsair at the outbreak of the Korean War. Arriving near Korea in October 1950, he flew support missions from the aircraft carrier USS Leyte.
On 4 December 1950, Hudner and Brown were among a group of pilots on patrol near the Chosin Reservoir when Brown’s Corsair was struck by ground fire from Chinese troops and crashed. In an attempt to save Brown from his burning aircraft, Hudner intentionally crash-landed his own aircraft on a snowy mountain in freezing temperatures to help Brown. In spite of these efforts, Brown died of his injuries and Hudner was forced to evacuate, having also been injured in the landing.
Citation.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a pilot in Fighter Squadron 32, while attempting to rescue a squadron mate whose plane struck by antiaircraft fire and trailing smoke, was forced down behind enemy lines. Quickly maneuvering to circle the downed pilot and protect him from enemy troops infesting the area, Lt. (J.G.) Hudner risked his life to save the injured flier who was trapped alive in the burning wreckage. Fully aware of the extreme danger in landing on the rough mountainous terrain and the scant hope of escape or survival in subzero temperature, he put his plane down skillfully in a deliberate wheels-up landing in the presence of enemy troops. With his bare hands, he packed the fuselage with snow to keep the flames away from the pilot and struggled to pull him free. Unsuccessful in this, he returned to his crashed aircraft and radioed other airborne planes, requesting that a helicopter be dispatched with an ax and fire extinguisher. He then remained on the spot despite the continuing danger from enemy action and, with the assistance of the rescue pilot, renewed a desperate but unavailing battle against time, cold, and flames. Lt. (J.G.) Hudner’s exceptionally valiant action and selfless devotion to a shipmate sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Fair winds and following seas, Captain Hudner.
Byron Alfonzo Who?
911 caller claims self-defense in fatal Wilmington shooting
By Cammie Bellamy StarNews Staff
WILMINGTON — The woman who called 911 after a fatal shooting in Wilmington claims that she shot a home-invader in self-defense, according to 911 calls released Wednesday.The shooting happened just before 6 p.m. Dec. 14 in the Hillcrest Housing Community in the 1000 block of South 13th Street. According to police, Byron Alfonzo Funderburke Jr., 31, was found shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
In 911 records released Wednesday by New Hanover County emergency communications, a weeping woman tells dispatchers that she shot a man who entered her apartment while she was in the shower.
“I didn’t know I left my house keys in my door,” the woman says in the recording. “He dead, m’am.”
At one point, the woman provides her address, but tells dispatchers that she does not know the phone number from which she is calling. According to an emergency communications report, the woman hung up and did not call police back.
But Wilmington Police Department spokeswoman Linda Thompson said Wednesday that the case is not closed, and police are still interested in leads.
“No arrests have been made and it is still under investigation,” Thompson said.
Read the rest of the article here: Star 8 Online
Sheriff says this was unavoidable. He left out the predictble part.
Lansing man shot and killed after entering a home in Ionia County
By: Kalie Marantette
LANSING,Mich. (WLNS)– – An intruder was shot and killed after entering a home in Ionia County last night.The intruder was identified as Justin Eddy of Lansing. Police say there is no connection between Eddy and the homeowner, and why Eddy was even in the area.
Police added that his car was parked a couple miles down the road, and he stole a truck hauling a Bobcat, and that’s the vehicle that was found at the scene.
According to Ionia County Sheriff Justin Noll, Eddy entered the home, which is said to have been unlocked, and told the homeowners he was being chased by someone who wanted to kill him.
The homeowner armed himself, called 9-1-1, then went outside to look for a car or someone who could have been chasing Eddy, but they found nothing.
While waiting for police to come, the homeowner asked Eddy to wait in their breezeway. Eddy got irritated, confrontational, then attacked the homeowner. The homeowner opened fire on Eddy and he was found dead when police got there.
Sheriff Noll says this is not a normal case for Ionia Count, but can be a message to stay safe even when you’re at home.
“Make sure that you lock all your doors and make sure that you try to do everything you can to prevent this however there are times when you know certain things cant be prevented,” said Sheriff Noll.
He also added that for these homeowners, this was unavoidable.
The rest of the article may be read at: WLNS.com
Three in the wind, one still in the chill chest.
Update- Wichita teen killed by customer during armed robbery had a gun, police say
By Chance Swaim
A 16-year-old boy was killed during an armed robbery at B and H Fast Trips in south Wichita on Friday, Dec. 28. Police say a customer who had been robbed shot at the robbers. On Wednesday, police said the boy had a gun when he was shot.
A 16-year-old Wichita boy who was shot in the head by a customer during a gas station robbery had a gun when he was shot, police said.
Wichita police did not say whether the 16-year-old was moving toward or away from the customer when he was shot. They would not describe the position of the customer relative to the teen.
“It’s an active investigation. We’re not going to go into the details of that,” Wichita police Officer Charley Davidson said Wednesday.
Here’s what police have said so far: Around 2:45 p.m. on Friday, police were called to a shooting at B and H Fast Trips, 2796 S. Seneca, a gas station and convenience store near 26th and Seneca in south Wichita. Four people had “entered the store, pointed handguns at an employee and customers, and demanded money,” Wichita police said in a news release.
They took money and cigarettes and stole a wallet from a customer, police said.
The teen was shot by a 42-year-old male customer who pulled his gun and fired multiple shots at the alleged robbers. Police said the 42-year-old had been robbed before he shot.
Read more here: Wichita Eagle, again
Two down, not bad at all.
Police: Man shoots robbery suspects in Logan Square
By: Hannah Leone
A 29-year-old man sidelined a New Year’s Eve robbery in Logan Square by shooting the two suspects he said tried to rob him, Chicago police said.Around 9:40 p.m. in the 2900 block of West Cortland Street, two male suspects with handguns got out of a silver Nissan and told the man they were robbing him, police said. The man, who is a concealed carry license and firearm owner’s identification card holder, shot both suspects, police said. They were taken to local hospitals and stabilized.
The rest of the article, such as it is, may be read at: The Chicago Tribune
Stoned, stupid, or suicidal?
Security guards kill armed man at casino-resort, police say
By The Associated Press
Security guards shot and killed an armed man in a casino-resort Sunday in suburban Las Vegas during a confrontation, police said.
The man, whose name was not released, was walking through the Green Valley Ranch resort about 3:40 p.m. when people told security that he was carrying a handgun, police told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Three security guards confronted the man, and he drew his weapon, police said. Two of the guards shot the man, police said.
He received medical care at the casino but later died.
Read the rest of the article here: ABC News Wire Story
