U.S.
Florida Deputy on Restrictive Duty After Video of Him Slamming Teen’s Head Goes Viral
Published
3 years agoon

- Video went viral over the weekend showing two Florida sheriff’s deputies pepper-spraying a teenager, tackling him to the ground, slamming his head against the concrete, and punching him.
- Social media users, celebrities, and Broward County’s Mayor were outraged by the incident, calling for an investigation, firings, and potential prosecution of the deputies involved.
Viral Video
A Florida police deputy has been placed on restrictive duty after cellphone video went viral showing him and another officer using excessive force on a black teenager.
The incident happened Thursday afternoon near J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, Florida. Social media users shared clips of the incident online over the weekend using #justiceforlucca.
The footage shows two Broward County sheriff’s deputies jumping on a teen to hold him down. One officer slams his head against the pavement and punches him while another teen in handcuffs lays nearby.
One post that gathered over 8 million views was shared on Twitter by activist and Church of God in Christ Bishop Talbert Swan. In the post, Swan wrote that the teen, identified only as Lucca, “picked up a cell phone that fell out of the pocket of a Black boy who was being arrested.”
“In response @browardsheriff officers Christopher Krickovich & Greg LaCerra pepper sprayed, brutally beat, and arrested him,” the post continued.
15 yr old Black boy, Lucca picked up a cell phone that fell out of the pocket of a Black boy who was being arrested. In response @browardsheriff officers Christopher Krickovich & Greg LaCerra pepper sprayed, brutally beat, and arrested him.
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) April 20, 2019
He broke no laws.#JusticeForLucca pic.twitter.com/RQLj38GYGN
In another angle of the incident, one deputy is seen pepper-spraying Lucca in the face before slamming him to the ground.
Here’s another angle that shows @browardsheriff’s deputy pepper spraying unarmed Black boy, Lucca, who posed no threat. He then slammed his head into the concrete, arrested him & charged him with ASSAULTING the cops.
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) April 20, 2019
This is brutality.#JusticeForLucca pic.twitter.com/SYMjfdkNKZ
Deputy Says Teen Had “Aggressive Stance”
In an arrest report, officer Christopher Krickovich said that he and his partner Sgt. Greg LaCerra responded to a call from a McDonald’s in Tamarac at 3 p.m. on Thursday. They were called to the scene by employees who reported a large group of teenagers gathering for a fight outside the restaurant.
Krickovich said the McDonald’s is a popular after-school gathering place for students from the school nearby, which is also known for frequent fights. In fact, a fight at the location occurred just a day before and caused damage to a bystander’s car.
According to the arrest report, Krickovich and LaCerra arrived and ordered the crowd of teens to disperse. During this time, they identified one of the perpetrators from Wednesday’s fight who had been warned not to trespass in the area again and took him into custody.
“While I was dealing with the male on the ground, I observed his phone slide to the right of me and then behind me. I observed a male wearing a red tank top reach down and attempt to grab the male student’s phone,” Krickovich wrote.
He went on to say that LaCerra ordered the teen to stay back, but he “took an aggressive stance” toward the officer and “bladed his body and began clenching his fists.”
LaCerra then pepper-sprayed the teen in the face and forced him to the ground, Krickovich wrote. The affidavit goes on to say that the officers feared for their safety during the arrests because they were surrounded by around 200 students.
Krickovich said he worried someone would try to grab one of the weapons off his belt or vest after he had pushed the boy to the ground.
“At one point, his left arm was free and next to him, while he placed his arm under his face,” Krickovich said. “I struck the male in the right side of his head with a closed fist as a distractionary technique to free his right hand.”
“This technique was successful and I was able to place him into handcuffs without further incident.”
Public Responds
The video sparked massive outrage, with many calling this another instance of police brutality against a black teen.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr called the incident “demoralizing,” while NBA star LeBron James said, “to think that could be my sons.”
What the hell is wrong with our country? This is insane yet routine. So demoralizing. https://t.co/bXxFoKrXY9
— Steve Kerr (@SteveKerr) April 20, 2019
So wrong!! Hurts me to my soul!! To think that could be my sons. 🤦🏾♂️😢. Scary times man https://t.co/tRxk6sV7sb
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 20, 2019
Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen also released a statement calling the incident “outrageous and unacceptable.” He suggested that the deputy who initially made contact with the teen be fired and potentially prosecuted.
The behavior of these BSO deputies is outrageous & unacceptable The officer who jumped the student, punched & banged his head should be fired. I have a problem with the deputy who threw him to the ground after he pepper sprayed him He could’ve easily arrested him after the spray. https://t.co/NaZKeDaymi
— Mayor Mark Bogen (@mark_bogen) April 19, 2019
Therefore, the officer had no justification to smash his head into the cement and punch him in the head or face. The State Attorney should investigate this to determine whether this officer should be prosecuted for battery.
— Mayor Mark Bogen (@mark_bogen) April 22, 2019
Investigation Announced
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a statement Friday that the department would conduct a “thorough investigation” into the matter. He added that Deputy Christopher Krickovich had been placed on restrictive administrative duty. The status of LaCerra is unclear.
Sheriff Gregory Tony is committed to accountability in every case and at all times. We vow to conduct an open, transparent and thorough investigation into the incident that occurred April 18 in Tamarac. The deputy has been placed on restrictive administrative assignment. pic.twitter.com/9i4LPY4aGl
— Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) April 19, 2019
In a pre-scheduled meeting with black leaders Saturday, Tony said that he was taking the investigation into the incident seriously. However, he also emphasized the importance of following the appropriate procedures.
“There’s been a large cry of ‘just go out and fire them and get rid of them,’ and all these other things. Folks it don’t work that way. You all understand that. There has to be an investigative process and due process elements and so it’s going to be done the right way. “
Sheriff Gregory Tony holds open discussions with Broward's Black Elected Officials at a prescheduled meeting today and emphasizes his commitment to transparency and accountability. pic.twitter.com/r3Lz1QDd8C
— Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) April 20, 2019
The police report indicated that the teen at the center of the viral video didn’t suffer any serious injuries. However, the 15-year-old appeared in court Friday morning, where he was formally charged with assault, resisting arrest, and trespassing.
See what others are saying:(CBS Miami) (Sun-Sentinel) (Complex)
U.S.
Lincoln College to Close for Good After COVID and Ransomware Attack Ruin Finances
Published
2 weeks agoon
May 10, 2022By
Chris Tolve
Last year, 1,043 schools in the U.S. were the victim of ransomware attacks, including 26 colleges or universities, according to an analysis by Emsisoft.
One of the Only Historically Black Colleges in the Midwest Goes Down
After 157 years of educating mostly Black students in Illinois, Lincoln College will close its doors for good on Friday.
The college made the announcement last month, citing financial troubles caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a ransomware attack in December.
Enrollment dropped during the pandemic and the administration had to make costly investments in technology and campus safety measures, according to a statement from the school.
A shrinking endowment put additional pressure on the college’s budget.
The ransomware attack, which the college has said originated from Iran, thwarted admissions activities and hindered access to all institutional data. Systems for recruitment, retention, and fundraising were completely inoperable at a time when the administration needed them most.
In March, the college paid the ransom, which it has said amounted to less than $100,000. But according to Lincoln’s statement, subsequent projections showed enrollment shortfalls so significant the college would need a transformational donation or partnership to make it beyond the present semester.
The college put out a request for $50 million in a last-ditch effort to save itself, but no one came forward to provide it.
A GoFundMe aiming to raise $20 million for the college only collected $2,452 as of Tuesday.
Students and Employees Give a Bittersweet Goodbye
“The loss of history, careers, and a community of students and alumni is immense,” David Gerlach, the college’s president, said in a statement.
Lincoln counts nearly 1,000 enrolled students, and those who did not graduate this spring will leave the institution without degrees.
Gerlach has said that 22 colleges have worked with Lincoln to accept the remaining students, including their credits, tuition prices, and residency requirements.
“I was shocked and saddened by that news because of me being a freshman, so now I have to find someplace for me to go,” one student told WMBD News after the closure was announced.
When a group of students confronted Gerlach at his office about the closure, he responded with an emotional speech.
“I have been fighting hard to save this place,” he said. “But resources are resources. We’ve done everything we possibly could.”
On April 30, alumni were invited back to the campus to revisit the highlights of their college years before the institution closed.
On Saturday, the college held its final graduation ceremony, where over 200 students accepted their diplomas and Quentin Brackenridge performed the Lincoln Alma Mater.
Last year, 1,043 schools in the U.S. were the victim of ransomware attacks, including 26 colleges or universities, according to an analysis by Emsisoft.
See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (Herald Review) (CNN)
U.S.
U.S. Tops One Million Coronavirus Deaths, WHO Estimates 15 Million Worldwide
Published
3 weeks agoon
May 5, 2022By
Chris Tolve
India’s real COVID death toll stands at about 4.7 million, ten times higher than official data, the WHO estimated.
One Million Dead
The United States officially surpassed one million coronavirus deaths Wednesday, 26 months after the first death was reported in late February of 2020.
Experts believe that figure is likely an undercount, since there are around 200,000 excess deaths, though some of those may not be COVID-related.
The figure is the equivalent of the population of San Jose, the tenth-largest city in the U.S., vanishing in just over two years. To put the magnitude in visual perspective, NECN published a graphic illustrating what one million deaths looks like.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the White House predicted between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans would die from the coronavirus in a best-case scenario.
By February 2021, over half a million Americans had died of COVID.
The coronavirus has become the third leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart disease and cancer.
The pandemic’s effects go beyond its death toll. Around a quarter of a million children have lost a caregiver to the virus, including about 200,000 who lost one or both parents. Every COVID-related death leaves an estimated nine people grieving.
The virus has hit certain industries harder than others, with food and agriculture, warehouse operations and manufacturing, and transportation and construction seeing especially high death rates.
People’s mental health has also been affected, with a study in January of five Western countries including the U.S. finding that 13% of people reported symptoms of PTSD attributable to actual or potential contact with the virus.
Fifteen Million Dead
On Thursday, the World Health Organization estimated that nearly 15 million people have died from the pandemic worldwide, a dramatic revision from the 5.4 million previously reported in official statistics.
Between January 2020 and the end of last year, the WHO estimated that between 13.3 million and 16.6 million people died either due to the coronavirus directly or because of factors somehow attributed to the pandemic’s impact on health systems, such as cancer patients who were unable to seek treatment when hospitals were full of COVID patients.
Based on that range, scientists arrived at an approximate total of 14.9 million.
The new estimate shows a 13% increase in deaths than is usually expected for a two-year period.
“This may seem like just a bean-counting exercise, but having these WHO numbers is so critical to understanding how we should combat future pandemics and continue to respond to this one,” Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious diseases specialist at the Yale School of Public Health who was not linked to the WHO research, told the Associated Press.
Most of the deaths occurred in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
According to the WHO, India counts the most deaths by far with 4.7 million, ten times its official number.
See what others are saying: (NBC) (U.S. News and World Report) (Scientific American)
U.S.
Official Says Missing Alabama Convict and Corrections Officer Had a “Special Relationship”
Published
3 weeks agoon
May 4, 2022By
Lili Stenn
Authorities have also said they now believe the officer willfully helped the inmate escape.
New Information on Missing Inmate & Officer
Authorities in Alabama revealed Tuesday that Assistant Director of Corrections for Lauderdale County Vicky White, who is accused of helping a murder suspect Casey Cole White escape from jail, had a “special relationship” with the inmate.
“Investigators received information from inmates at the Lauderdale County Detention Center over the weekend that there was a special relationship between Director White and inmate Casey White,” Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said in a statement. “That relationship has now been confirmed through our investigation by independent sources and means.”
Officials have previously said that the two are not related, despite their shared surname.
Singleton elaborated on the nature of the relationship while speaking to CNN later on Tuesday. He said it took place “outside of her normal work hours” and added that although it did not include “physical contact,” he still characterized it as “a relationship of a different nature.”
“We were told Casey White got special privileges and was treated differently while in the facility than the other inmates,” Singleton said.
Also on Tuesday, the Marshals Service issued a statement confirming that authorities believe Officer White had helped Mr. White escape. The authorities described her as a “wanted fugitive” and offered a $5,000 reward for any information on her whereabouts. Earlier this week, the Marshals Service also offered a $10,000 reward for any information that could lead to Mr. White’s capture.
Singleton echoed the belief that Officer White’s actions were intentional while speaking to Good Morning America Wednesday.
“I think all of our employees and myself included were really hoping that she did not participate in this willingly. But all indications are that she absolutely did,” he said. “We’re very disappointed in that because we had the utmost trust in her as an employee and as an assistant director of corrections.”
Mysterious Escape
Vicky White and Casey White were last seen leaving the Lauderdale County jail just after 9:30 a.m. Friday. The officer told other employees that she was taking the inmate to a mental health evaluation at a courthouse just down the road, and that she would be going to a medical appointment after because she was not feeling well.
Officials later said her actions violated an official policy that required two sworn deputies to transport people with murder charges. In 2020, Mr. White was charged with two counts of capital murder in connection to a fatal stabbing he confessed to and was awaiting his trial in Lauderdale County.
Mr. White was also serving time for what officials said was a “crime spree” in 2015 which included home invasion, carjacking, and a police chase. He had also previously tried to escape from jail, police said.
It wasn’t until 3:30 p.m. on Friday that a jail employee reported to higher-ups that he was not able to reach Officer White on her phone and that Mr. White had never been returned to his cell.
During a press conference that same night, Singleton told reporters that there had never even been a scheduled mental health evaluation. At another briefing Monday, he announced that an arrest warrant had been issued for Vicky on a charge of “permitting or facilitating an escape in the first degree.”
At the time, Singleton said it was unclear “whether she did that willingly or was coerced or threatened” but added, “we know for sure she did participate.”
See what others are saying: (CNN) (ABC News) (NPR)

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