This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: AW1Ed

  • Anne Arundel Police serving order to remove guns shoot, kill armed man- Updated

    Police

    A relative of the man fatally shot by Anne Arundel County Police Monday morning says the incident stems from a family dispute Sunday night.

    The woman who asked we not identify her says, the family was fighting over the care of an elderly grandparent. It’s during the argument, the relative says, Gary Willis made a comment that prompted another member of their family to seek an emergency risk protective order.

    Maryland’s “Red Flag Law” took effect at the beginning of October. Under the new law, someone close to an individual can petition a court commissioner to issue a protective order that allows police to take a person’s firearms should they show signs of being a risk to themselves or someone else.

    Within its first month. one-hundred-fourteen ERPOs had been petitioned in Maryland. Mark Pennack the President of the organization Maryland Shall Issue says, “This has disaster written all over it.” One neighbor said, “ I didn’t even know about the new law…He (Willis) probably didn’t.”

    And just like that, a man is dead because of a comment and the “Red Flag” law in Maryland. No investigation, no probable cause, just a phone call from an irate relative. The Police showed up at the residence at around 0500, demanding Mr. Willis’ firearm. At first he complied, then he retrieved it and a struggle ensued. His firearm discharged, striking nothing, and then he was shot and died at the scene. This is truly frightening. Thank Governor Hogan for enacting this horrific law- it needs to be challenged immediately before more citizens are shot dead in their own living room.

    View the article at Fox Balitmore

    Update.

    As promised, a link to the more in-depth article. That doesn’t make it any less infuriating.

    Baltimore Sun Link

  • Kavanaugh report’s biggest bombshells: Grassley probe reveals details behind mistaken identity claims, more

    sen grassleySenator Grassley

    Posted at the request of AnotherPat.

    Weeks after Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation — and the sexual assault allegations against him — captured the country’s attention, the Senate Judiciary Committee has released a massive report on those accusations that’s largely flown under the radar in the run-up to the midterms.

    But the 414-page document, authored by the Republican majority and released over the weekend, contains a number of key revelations.

    Among them: the report summarizes a statement from a man who believes he may have been involved in an encounter with Christine Blasey Ford around the time of her claim of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. Some of this emerged during the Supreme Court confirmation process, but the report provides more details.

    Ford was the key witness against Kavanaugh. In detail, she said Kavanaugh tried to remove her clothing during a high school party, but had trouble because she was wearing a bathing suit underneath them. She said she ran off when Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge jumped on top of them and they fell off the bed. Kavanaugh denied the accusation and, on Oct. 6, the Senate confirmed him to the Supreme Court.

    The man who claims he may have had the encounter with Ford was one of 40 people committee investigators interviewed as part of its probe into the sexual allegations against Kavanaugh, which was done alongside the FBI background check that was compiled in a matter of days.

    Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in releasing the report, said there “was no credible evidence to support the allegations against” Kavanaugh.

    Ford testified she was 100 percent positive Kavanaugh assaulted her, rejecting the notion of a case of mistaken identity.

    ~

    Judge KavanaughJudge Kavanaugh

    Witness Tampering?

    Committee investigators are in the process of trying to determine if Ford friend Monica McLean, a former FBI employee, tampered with a witness.

    “Several media outlets have reported that the FBI’s supplemental report indicated that Leland Keyser, a friend of Dr. Ford, felt pressure from Dr. Ford’s allies to revisit her initial statement to the Committee that she did not know Justice Kavanaugh or have any knowledge of the alleged incident,” the report says.

    Ford said that when Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party, Keyser was one of the people downstairs.

    The report added that according to the news articles, Keyser reported that McLean and others contacted her to suggest she “clarify” her account.

    McLean’s attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

    Mistaken Identity at Yale?

    The report summarizes an interview with a Yale grad who said that a member of Kavanaugh’s fraternity — who was not Kavanaugh — had a reputation for exposing himself publicly.

    The man was interviewed after Deborah Ramirez told the New Yorker that Kavanaugh had thrust his penis in her face when they were at Yale. She said she was drunk and wasn’t sure it was Kavanaugh until she thought about it for a week and spoke to her attorney. Kavanaugh vehemently denied her accusation.

    The reports says the man, whose name was redacted, also provided a yearbook photo of the frat brother exposing himself.

    The report says the man said he had personally witnessed the flasher expose himself at a party and that the flasher was in the same residential college as Ramirez.

    Ford Friends

    The report summarizes a statement from William Rand, who went to the University of North Carolina with Ford and told investigators that Ford had a very robust and active social life.

    His statement seemingly was at odds with Ford’s assertions that she had a difficult time making friends due to her encounter with Kavanaugh, according to the report.

    “He also stated that Dr. Ford did not seem to be afraid to be in rooms or apartments with only one entrance, which contradicts her claim to the Committee that she had to build a second front door to her house due to the trauma of the alleged assault,” the report says.

    DOJ Referrals

    The report also says that the committee has referred four people to the Justice Department for criminal investigation.

    They are a Rhode Island man who recanted an allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman on a boat in Newport in 1985; Judy Munro Leighton, who claimed to have written an anonymous letter asserting Kavanaugh forced her to have oral sex; and Kavanaugh accuser Julie Swetnick and her attorney Michael Avenati, who also represents the porn actress Stormy Daniels.

    Avenatti told Fox News that the Grassley report was “garbage.”

    ”There is no evidence my client or I did anything wrong,” he said. “We are still waiting and hoping the FBI fully investigates this matter. Chuck evidently doesn’t have any juice.”

    The creepy porn lawyer hasn’t had a lot of luck lately either, and I’m good with that. Thanks Pat, for the request. We do listen to you folks, and do our best to meet expectations.

    The entire article is found at Fox News

  • Tuesday’s Feel Good Stories

    crime scene

    These fine young men have a bright future behind bars.
    2 arrested, 1 on the run in Henderson Co. shootout, attempted robbery

    Poor driving skills.
    Officer involved in off-duty shooting

    Man defends best friend.
    Man opens fire on pit bull attacking his dog, authorities say

    And if you haven’t yet, VOTE!
    sunlight

  • Former squadron commander faces court-martial for alleged assaults and sexual assault

    lt col washingtonLt. Col. Keithen Washington, shown in this November 2013 photo during his tenure as commander of the 86th Force Support Squadron, is being court-martialed on charges of sexual assault and aggravated assault. Some of the alleged assault incidents took place while Washington was commander of the 86th. (Senior Airman Jonathan Stefanko/Air Force

    A Lieutenant Colonel is being court-martialed on charges of sexually assaulting a civilian woman with whom he was in a relationship, and repeatedly hitting her in 2014 and 2015 while he was a squadron commander.

    Portions of Lt. Col. Keithen Washington’s court-martial began at Joint Base Andrews in Washington on Oct. 15. Although his court-martial was originally scheduled to end five days later, the judge delayed the hearings to address a scheduling issue, said Lt. Col. Darrick Lee, the spokesman for Air Force District Washington at Andrews. A new date has not yet been set for the court-martial to resume.

    Washington was commander of the 86th Force Support Squadron at Ramstein Air Base in Germany from July 2012 to August 2014, during which some of the alleged abuse took place.

    Washington faces one specification of a sexual assault charge, which allegedly occurred in or near Philadelphia in late June or early July 2015, according to his charge sheet, which was provided by the Air Force. Washington allegedly digitally penetrated the woman without her consent, and “with an intent to abuse, humiliate or degrade” her by causing bodily harm.

    He also is charged with five specifications of aggravated assault inflicting grievous bodily harm, in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to the charge sheet. While in Germany, Washington allegedly struck the woman in the leg with his foot in March or April 2014, and allegedly struck her in the head with a cell phone in June 2014.

    And in February 2015, in or near San Antonio, Washington allegedly struck her in the leg with his foot on multiple occasions, allegedly struck her in the face with his hand on multiple occasions, and allegedly struck her in the hand and stomach with his fist.

    Everyone is innocent until proven otherwise, but obviously there was enough evidence at the Article 32 to advance this case to a Court Martial. That being said, this sort of behavior is completely unwarranted, and those found guilty should face the full legal consequences under the law.

    The entire article my be found at The Air Force Times

  • Rules of engagement for troops deploying to the Mexican border

    migrantsMigrants hitch rides in the back of trucks as the thousands-strong caravan of Central Americans hoping to reach the U.S. border moves onward from Juchitan, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. Thousands of migrants resumed their slow trek through southern Mexico on Thursday, after attempts to obtain bus transport to Mexico City failed. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

    President Trump walked back his remarks about rocks equal rifles. What the troops will actually be able to do is tightly governed by ROE.

    Standing Rules on the Use of Force

    Each domestic deployment of troops to any of the 50 states or U.S. territories are governed overall by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 3121.01B, “Standing Rules of Engagement, Standing Rules for the Use of Force by U.S. Forces.” Two annexes, L and N, are specific to Defense Department missions in support of civilian authorities.

    However, each mission is unique, and the rules can be adjusted at a commander’s request.

    “It’s imperative that it’s crystal clear” what the specific rules of engagement, or what Pentagon officials refer to as rules for the use of force in domestic deployments, are to this mission, a defense official said on the condition of anonymity. “I’m confident we are in a good place on that, based on the specific tasks we’ve been given.”

    Who can be armed?

    This week. U.S. Northern Command chief Air Force Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy said only forces required by their specialty to carry weapons will be allowed to be armed.

    The Posse Comitatus Act

    All active duty forces dispatched to the border are governed by the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids troops from carrying out law enforcement duties inside United States territory unless Congress grants an exemption.

    Under the act, federal military forces are prohibited from engaging in direct law enforcement, which includes making arrests, conducting searches, seizures, apprehension, evidence collection, interrogations, security patrols, seizures, stop and frisks, surveillance, crowd and traffic control, enforcement of a quarantine or isolation, or other similar police functions.

    Congress has amended the act to define the authorized level of support the military may provide for drug interdiction and to support border patrol.

    According to the Congressional Research Service, under the extended support, the military may provide “assistance in maintenance or upgrade of equipment; transportation of personnel; establishment and operation of operations or training bases; training of law enforcement personnel; detecting and monitoring traffic within 25 miles of the border; road and fence construction; light installation along smuggling corridors; the establishment of command and control centers and computer networks; the provision of linguist and intelligence analysis services; and aerial and ground reconnaissance.”

    Lots of layers in President Trump’s use of the military to augment U.S. Customs and Border Patrol personnel. Along with freeing up agents from performing routine duties, it sends a powerful message to those intending to enter the United States illegally, and highlights the Dems unwillingness to protect the country from the flow of drugs, potential terrorists, criminals, and disease. The fact that Obama is loudly decrying the deployment as just a political stunt tells me President Trump is on the right track, as usual.

    The entire article may be viewed at The Military Times

  • Trump restores sanctions, Iranians rally to mark anniversary

    anniversary Iranian students occupied the embassy on 04 November 1979 after the U.S. granted permission to the late Iranian Shah to be hospitalized in the States. Over 50 U.S. diplomats and guards were held hostage by students for 444 days.ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH / EPA

    Anger and distrust of the United States is surging again following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

    Thousands of Iranians rallied in Tehran on Sunday to mark the 39th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover, as Washington restored all sanctions lifted under the nuclear deal.

    The crowd chanted “Down with U.S.” and “Death to Israel” during the rally in the capital, and state TV said similar demonstrations were held in other cities and towns.

    Iranian students stormed the embassy shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, taking 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The U.S. cut off diplomatic relations in response.

    The Trump administration has stated the sanctions aren’t aimed at toppling the government, but at coercing it to radically change its policies as the world’s leading exporter of terror, and halt its development of long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear capability.

    Hard to see how this plays out. Iran is already in the grip of an economic crisis, and has seen large protests in recent months as Iranian officials have tried to downplay the existing sanctions and their effects. Iran knows it can’t prevail militarily, and Trump is already shuffling the flow of oil and will sanction any county that buys oil from the Mad Mullahs without a waiver.

    Interesting times.

    The entire article may be viewed at NBC News

  • ‘Hitman in a Porno Movie’ Update!

    crenshaw

    SNL’s Pete Davidson Mocks GOP Candidate Dan Crenshaw, Who Lost His Eye in Afghanistan

    I don’t usually post pop culture or social media, but this smarmy little pansy managed to irritate me, taking cheap shots at a much better man. Somehow I doubt this Pete Davidson (who?) person has the stones to mock former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw to his face.

    Saturday Night Live host Pete Davidson mocked the appearance of former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw, who lost his eye fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, comparing the Republican candidate to a “hitman in a porno movie.”

    “This guy is kind of cool — Dan Crenshaw,” Davidson began. “You may be surprised to hear he’s a Congressional candidate from Texas and not a hitman in a porno movie.

    “I’m sorry, I know he lost his eye in war, or whatever,” he added.

    Crenshaw, a former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, now running for office in Texas’s 2nd Congressional District, lost his eye in active service. According to a biography from his campaign website, Crenshaw was “hit by an IED blast during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan.”

    The best way to shut these snowflakes up is to get out and vote. I would love to see a repeat of the 2016 Presidential Election Tuesday night.

    The entire article is at Breitbart News if you can stomach it.

    Update

    SNL and NBC have received lots of well deserved derision about Davidson’s crass comments about a wounded veteran. Dan Crenshaw is a class act, and has this to say:

    “[I]t wasn’t even funny. Right? It was not original, it was not funny, it was just mean-spirited and that’s how I feel about it,” Crenshaw told TMZ.

    “I want us to get away from this culture where we demand apologies everytime someone misspeaks,” Crenshaw said. “I think that would be very healthy for our nation to go in that direction.”

    “We don’t need to be outwardly outraged. I don’t need to demand apologies from them. They can do whatever they want.” He acknowledged that Davidson and NBC are likely “feeling the heat from around the country right now”

    “But I would like him and ‘Saturday Night Live’ to recognize something, which is that veterans across the country probably don’t feel as though their wounds they received in battle should be the subject of a bad punchline for a bad joke,” Crenshaw said.

    Of course, representatives from both SNL and NBC are mute on the subject. However, the National Republican Congressional Committee tweeted Sunday morning that Davidson and NBC “should immediately apologize to Dan, and to the millions of veterans and military families who tune in every weekend — because they’re not laughing.”

    Although I have no specific data, I could disagree with the “millions of veterans and military families who tune in,” part, but point taken.

    For those who haven’t yet, get out Tuesday and VOTE!

    trump

  • 5 Little Known Facts about Easy Company “Band of Brothers”

    Band of Brothers

    Band of Brothers penned by Stephen Ambrose and published in 1992, became the critically acclaimed series in 2001. What a great book and series they are. I have the book, and received the CD set as a gift from my son. Once a year or so I’ll declare Band of Brothers Day, and watch the entire set.

    War History Online has done its research, and this is the result. Set some time aside, as it is no small production, and well worth the time.

    Click on the link and see for yourself.

    War History Online