Category: CNN Regional

By Terri Parker

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    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPBF) — The family of two women killed in a crash connected to an alleged unauthorized police chase is suing the city of West Palm Beach and the seven officers involved.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, blames a high-speed pursuit by West Palm Beach police for the deaths of 54-year-old Marcia Pochette and her 27-year-old daughter, Jenice Woods, who was newly pregnant.

Investigative reporter Terri Parker first exposed the chase and its aftermath, and on Tuesday, she was given exclusive access to the family and their legal team as they announced the lawsuit.

“I still see her face because they took us to the hospital and allowed us to see them. That’s the image. I’ll never forget the car. I can see it right now. My eyes open. I see the car. It’s not OK,” said Jenice’s husband, Devin Woods.

Devin and his father-in-law, Junel Pochette, say they are determined to fight for accountability after losing both Devin’s pregnant wife and Junel’s wife and daughter in the same instant.

“That all of us, my wife, my daughter, they look down over us. They want us to fight,” Junel said.

According to the complaint, it started with a simple traffic stop in West Palm Beach. Officers in three vehicles are accused of chasing a car driven by Neoni Copeland through several cities at speeds topping 100 miles per hour, all the way into Boynton Beach.

“There was no reason for these gentlemen to be chasing Neoni Copeland on the day of this tragedy,” attorney Scott Smith said.

Police say Copeland’s car slammed into Jenice’s vehicle, killing both her and her mother.

“For many nights, I cried myself to sleep. The pain was unbearable, and it took a lot of counseling and a lot of prayer to even get to this point, to have enough strength to sit here today,” Devin said.

But the family says what happened after the impact makes their grief even harder to bear. Three of the officers are now criminally charged with slowing down at the crash site, turning around and leaving without rendering aid or calling 911.

“They slowed down, they observed, and they left. I cannot help but think, were either of them alive?” attorney Linda Capobianco said.

The lawsuit also accuses the West Palm Beach Police Department of allowing a long-running pattern of unauthorized pursuits, citing six other incidents since 2002 where people were allegedly injured or killed in crashes tied to police chases.

“The lawsuit goes through example after example after example of these needless chases that should not have happened and that were avoidable,” attorney Kevin Anderson said.

Attorney Jerome Stone said the family wants more than money.

“But that’s what we’re looking to do out of this. There needs to be change for what the police do and how they do it,” Stone said.

For the family, the change has already been devastating and permanent.

“Our lives changed and will never be the same. No matter what we do to move on, what we do to fight for them, it will never be the same. We’re missing two people that we loved very much. And so our lives will never, never be the same,” Devin said through tears.

The city of West Palm Beach and the police department say they do not comment on pending litigation. The seven officers are awaiting trial and have all been fired from the department.

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By Jaylen Baron

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    LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (WBBH) — Kristina Schanz was startled by an unexpected surprise when a group of kids participated in a social media “challenge” by body-slamming into her garage door at her home on 43rd Street West.

“I’m going to lose my mind,” Schanz said, describing her reaction to the incident, which occurred right before dinner. Security cameras captured the scene as a white SUV rolled up with its doors open for a quick escape, and several kids ran up to her home and slammed into the garage door.

“I turned around and saw my door, and I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. So terrible victim of, you know, young kids playing the TikTok trend,” Schanz said, expressing disbelief at the loud bang created by the body slams.

The trend has been seen circulating on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts and more.

Schanz emphasized the difference between harmless trends like dancing or singing and those that involve property damage.

“When it comes to doing something harmless like dancing or singing or doing those types of trends versus somebody actually enforcing property damage or going out to someone’s private property, you know, parents should be vigilant of what their children are doing when they’re at school, outside of school,” she said.

Schanz expressed concern that this trend could lead to more severe consequences than just a dented garage door, noting the potential danger with many people owning guns.

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By Chantelle Navarro

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Ten years ago, Daniel Holtzclaw, still in his Oklahoma City police uniform, walked into an interrogation room.

Detectives brought him in for questioning after two separate women reported that they were sexually assaulted by an Oklahoma City police officer.

“She’s saying that you made her lift up her shirt,” the detective said. “Did your pants come unzipped, unbuttoned, anything while you were standing right there?”

“No,” Daniel Holtzclaw responded.

“Any way your skin cells are going to be anywhere on her mouth?” the detective asked.

“No,” Daniel Holtzclaw responded. “Sir, I’m sticking with my story.”

Daniel Holtzclaw maintained that innocence throughout his trial, where he was accused of raping eight Black women. He was convicted of 18 counts of rape, sexual battery and more in 2015.

Prosecutors said he attacked the women while on the job as an officer.

On Wednesday, Daniel Holtzclaw’s 39th birthday and the 10-year anniversary of his conviction, a group of his supporters stood in front of the Oklahoma Judicial Center, insisting that new evidence will set him free.

“Today marks 10 years since the verdict that changed all of our lives. The day judgment was made. Not on truth, but on a story crafted to fit a narrative,” Jenny Holtzclaw, Daniel’s sister, said.

His sister is pushing for a retrial. She was joined by attorneys and even some former law enforcement officials.

“I believe he’s innocent. I believe he was not given a fair trial. I think he had inadequate counsel, basically comatose counsel, that did not even question or, you know, try to get any of the evidence suppressed,” Betsy Randolph, who retired from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, said.

His supporters claim that secret meetings were held to set Daniel up as part of a conspiracy.

Video from Daniel Holtzclaw’s questioning shows him take off his uniform pants, which the district attorney heavily relied on for DNA evidence.

But forensic critics, including independent experts, questioned whether DNA results were misinterpreted or overstated.

Supporters launched a website to upload new evidence to help clear him of his charges, including never-before-seen interviews. Most of the links were empty as of Wednesday.

In 2019, his appeal was denied, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined a petition from him.

The Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office told KOCO on Wednesday that there is nothing to comment on since there is no pending post-conviction application.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s Office said it has reviewed the case thoroughly and believes justice was found the first time around.

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By WABC Staff

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    NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) — An investigation is underway after a shooting at a recording studio left two people dead, and two others injured in Newark, New Jersey on Wednesday, according to officials.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the two deaths, and the two other injuries, which they said were non-critical.

People who live and work on Clinton Avenue told Eyewitness News they often hear music coming from a recording studio on the block, but on Wednesday night, the music was drowned out by the sound of gunshots.

The recording studio, Platinum Sound, is on the ground level of an apartment building, and sandwiched between a hair salon and a supermarket.

Newark Police flooded the portion of the south ward. Detectives for much of the night went in and out of Platinum Sound.

According to law enforcement sources, one man who was shot and died at the scene. A second man who was shot, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Sources say two other male victims were wounded by gunfire, and were taken to the hospital in stable condition.

The victims have not yet been identified.

Authorities have not confirmed how many shooters are being sought.

According to preliminary investigative details, Newark Police are investigating the shooting as a hit.

“Never any problems, that’s a sad story, I’m sorry to hear that,” a neighbor said.

Others in the area believe it may have stemmed from a dispute between friends.

So far, there are no arrests.

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By Will Thomas

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    EDENTON, N.C. (WTKR) — For Marie Steinburg, Monday morning was like every other day. Marie walked down the back stairs of her home and toward her car to head to work. But the minute she clicked the lock to open it, she noticed something was different.

“I kept backing up little by little by little because I thought, I don’t know what this man is going to do,” said Marie.

Marie, 75, knew that an inmate had escaped from the Chowan County Detention Center Sunday night. But she never expected to find him inside her car as she was leaving the house to go to work Monday morning.

“I headed out the door, and I clicked the unlock, and it must have scared the guy, because the next thing I know, I saw something moving in my back seat,” said Marie.

Marie says she was just yards away from 23-year-old Charles Edward Babb, who the Edenton Police Department warned was considered potentially armed and dangerous, when she says he jumped out of her car. She stayed calm and began to talk to him.

“He looked so cold and so scared. I thought, well, I’m not going to try and provoke him. I’m going to try and be very, very nice and pull the mother act on him, like I would with my own kids,” said Marie.

Marie says she offered to go grab Babb a coat, but just moments later he took off down the driveway. That’s when she ran back inside the home, called up to her husband Bob, and they called 911.

“I got in as fast as I could. I was shaking like a leaf, and I could barely get the key in the lock, but I did,” said Marie.

“There seemed to be a little bit of tension and alarm in her voice. And so I said, what’s going on? What is it? She said, there’s somebody in my car, and I think it’s the guy that escaped last night, because he had a jumpsuit on, an orange jumpsuit,” said Bob.

The Edenton Police Department captured Babb shortly after nearby. All that was left behind were his shoes. The Steinburgs also say they found a blanket that they believe Babb took from inside the room over their garage and used for warmth while inside the car overnight.

Marie’s husband Bob, who served in the North Carolina General Assembly as a senator and representative, can’t say enough about how his wife handled the situation.

“I was very proud of my wife. I mean, the way she handled it as I’m hearing about this now from her and others, that she really did a great job at trying to not alarm the young man but at least have a conversation with him,” said Bob.

The Steinburgs are thankful that the situation turned out like it did for everyone involved.

“Someone else said to me, I thought this was very interesting. They had mentioned that, well, God must have been watching over Marie yesterday. And I said, you’re absolutely right God, was watching over Marie yesterday. But you know something, I think God was watching out over this young man as well, to have him come here,” said Bob.

And from now on, Marie will be making sure to lock her car.

“Oh let me tell you, if I don’t, he’s (Bob) going to. It’s one of those things that we learned,” said Marie.

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