Category: CNN Regional

By Maggie Bryan

Click here for updates on this story

    DENVER, Colorado (KMGH) — A growing community garden is piquing the curiosity of people passing by the Denver Police Department District 4 substation.

On the corner of W. Warren Avenue and S. Clay Street, you can find volunteers harvesting vegetables and planting flowers on a piece of the substation’s land that once sat vacant.

“This space has always been just a weed field. It’s never been utilized for anything. It just was really an eyesore,” said DPD Commander Brad Qualley.

That all changed in 2023, when Jeanine Kopaska Broek, the co-director of The Table Urban Farm, approached Commander Qualley with an idea: to turn the space into a community garden where volunteers can learn to grow and harvest food together.

The nonprofit has been developing more than a dozen gardens in south Denver neighborhoods since 2012, and 100% of the food grown is donated back to communities.

“All of the land and water that we’ve ever grown on has been gifted to us,” said Kopaska Broek. “We want people to join us in this garden as a learning environment. We grow together, we share the harvest. So anybody who comes to hang out with us in the garden goes home with some food.”

She said the nonprofit shares the garden’s harvest with local food banks at Community Ministry and West High School, and the food is also used to stock the free veggie cooler at The Table Public House, an extension of the nonprofit that serves food, coffee, and craft cocktails nearby.

Kopaska Broek said the nonprofit also recently received a $1,000 donation to put a veggie cooler in the lobby of the DPD District 4 substation.

“That is a very active lobby, and I get to witness a lot of life happening in the parking lot and in that space. And so it’ll have a glass door so people can see, and all of a sudden, we hope there will be some connection to this very unexpected, interesting thing that’s happening right here at District Four,” she said.

Due to its success, the garden continues to thrive. Kopaska Broek said volunteers helped expand the garden another 3,000 square feet this summer.

Commander Qualley said the garden has been a great talking point for his officers to connect with community members.

“You have no idea how much it’s become just as far as a garden, but also for gathering or just a place just to hang out,” he said. “One of the things I didn’t think would happen is a great talking point. People ask us about it all the time. ‘What do we got going on here?'”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Landon Haaf, Katie Parkins

Click here for updates on this story

    AURORA, Colorado (KMGH) — Aurora police have released a series of videos captured on body-worn camera, surveillance video and witness cellphones that show the events that led up to the fatal shooting of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield on Aug. 30.

The release came just hours after Belt-Stubblefield’s family and their team of attorneys held a news conference, saying the video shows “unjustifiable” and “excessive use of force.” Aurora police can release body camera video to the public 72 hours after the family has viewed it.

The body camera video shows roughly three minutes before and three minutes after shots were fired. The encounter between the officer and Belt-Stubblefield spans about 85 seconds from his first command to when the officer pulled the trigger.

Aurora police did not issue any new comment on the video release, instead referring Denver7 to comments made Sept. 2 by Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, in which he defended the officer and said he took several steps to de-escalate the situation. An attorney for Belt-Stubblefield’s family claimed Friday that the officer “could’ve very easily taken him into custody without hurting him.”

The incident began when an Aurora officer tried to pull Belt-Stubblefield over for a “routine” traffic stop, the chief said Sept. 2. We still don’t know why the officer was trying to stop Belt-Stubblefield, but Chamberlain had mentioned it was for either speeding or driving under the influence.

Belt-Stubblefield fled from the officer and crashed into a pair of cars at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Billings Street. The video released Friday begins in the seconds before that crash.

Parts of the ensuing confrontation are captured on surveillance video from the Sinclair gas station at that intersection, a nearby traffic camera, dashcam video from a driver and a pair of cellphone videos in addition to the officer’s body camera. Denver7 has reviewed all of the footage.

The officer, who has not been officially identified, approached Belt-Stubblefield’s car with his gun drawn. He made multiple demands for Belt-Stubblefield to put his hands in the air. Belt-Stubblefield disregarded those commands, got out of his car and walked toward the sidewalk.

At that point, about 14 seconds after the initial command, the officer tried to tackle or apprehend Belt-Stubblefield and was unsuccessful. It’s during that first physical contact that Belt-Stubblefield apparently tosses a handgun into the grass nearby.

Roughly 50 more seconds passed between the initial contact and the moment Belt-Stubblefield was shot three times. In those 50 seconds, Belt-Stubblefield could be heard telling two onlookers, one of whom is his son, to “get that [expletive]” while gesturing toward the grassy area where the gun was apparently thrown. The officer can be heard on body camera telling Belt-Stubblefield or the onlookers to “get away from that [expletive] gun.”

Belt-Stubblefield advanced toward the officer as the officer backed away, gun drawn, for an approximately 50-foot distance down the 6th Avenue sidewalk. During his retreat, the officer makes multiple commands to “get on the ground,” at one point warning Belt-Stubblefield: “I’ll shoot you.”

In the seconds before he’s shot, Belt-Stubblefield said at least six times, “Are you ready for this?” as his son could be heard saying, “Dad, chill!” and “officer, chill!” and the officer tells him to “get on the ground.”

The officer backs into the roadway as Belt-Stubblefield continues his advance. After retreating roughly four steps onto 6th Avenue, the officer shoots Belt-Stubblefield twice in the shoulder. He then fires a third shot that hits Belt-Stubblefield in the head.

The ensuing moments have been a point of contention in the two weeks since the shooting. Witnesses have told Denver7 the officer refused to render aid. Chamberlain said aid was not “allowed for based upon the actions of the individuals around and even based upon the actions of the suspect.”

Footage of the exchange shows the officer standing over Belt-Stubblefield’s body with his gun drawn for roughly 30 seconds before he holsters the gun and turns the body on its side. About a minute after shots were fired, a woman claiming to be an ER professional offers the officer gauze and a tourniquet, to which the officer says “No, it’s not a tourniquet kind of thing.”

Several onlookers can be heard shouting at the officer, but none of them seemed to approach the officer.

Paramedics arrived roughly two minutes after shots were fired to render aid, and another officer who arrived at the scene took the involved officer to Aurora Police headquarters.

In their press conference Friday, Belt-Stubblefield’s family members and attorneys did not give a detailed interpretation of the sequence of events, but said Belt-Stubblefield’s death was due to the “aggression” of the police officer and the “unnecessary” third shot that was fired while Belt-Stubblefield was stopped and possibly even stepping back.

Arthur Porter, a senior pastor at New Nation Church in Aurora – of which Belt-Stubblefield was a member – attributed Belt-Stubblefield’s actions to his being shaken by the car crash that preceded the police encounter.

“He had just suffered from a violent car accident, and his mental and emotional stability was not there,” Porter said. “He was incapable of responding to the aggression of the police officer.”

Civil rights attorney Milo Schwab blamed the shooting on a “a deep culture of racism” at the Aurora Police Department, which entered into a five-year consent decree agreement in 2021 after the death of Elijah McClain and has faced criticism over alleged police brutality as recently as this spring, when an officer shot and killed an unarmed Black man, Kilyn Lewis.

“This is a police department with a deep culture of racism, a deep culture of bias and a deep culture of using force instead of their words,” Schwab said. “We’re here yet again, planning a funeral for someone we shouldn’t be.”

Attorneys accused Chamberlain of inserting opinion and trying to “shape the narrative” immediately following the shooting.

For his part, Chamberlain promised a thorough and transparent investigation during a press briefing in the hours after the shooting.

“We are going to do everything, both internal and external, to make sure that this investigation is transparent, it is 100% valid, and it is factual,” Chamberlain said on Aug. 30.

The 18th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is conducting an independent investigation of the incident. APD said it is conducting its own “parallel administrative review.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Christian Piekos and WLS Digital Team

Click here for updates on this story

    DOLTON, Illinois (WLS) — Sunday marks Pope Leo XIV’s 70th birthday.

The pontiff, born in Chicago and raised in south suburban Dolton, received a special treat as he entered a new decade.

Video on Sunday morning shows a Portillo’s chocolate cake being brought to the pope to commemorate his first birthday as head of the Catholic Church.

It was delivered by the new U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. He said it was sent by Portillo’s.

Meanwhile, the village of Dolton hosted a birthday celebration for Pope Leo at his childhood home on 141st Street on Sunday.

The party, which kicked off at 10 a.m., included music and prayers from local clergy.

“Happy blessed birthday Pope Leo, and we’re just so honored to be able to celebrate your life today,” said village of Dolton Minister Deborah White.

Dolton neighbors and community leaders came together on the sunny Sunday morning to sing together and pray together.

“It’s a sense of pride because it was needed. For the community, it’s brought new light, new community awareness, new fellowship,” White said.

Those celebrating released white balloons as one in the pope’s honor. Special Pope Leo cookies were also on hand.

Dolton Village Trustee Tammy Brown says the pope’s home is bringing new light to Dolton.

“You can drive by anytime, you get out of the car and you see people from all over the world,” Brown said. “Look at where we are today. Knowing that the pope once lived here has brought unity to the community.”

Homer Glen’s Bernice Szaflarski just got back from a trip to see the pope in Vatican City.

“It’s always incredible when you see the pope,” Szaflarski said. “This is not our first visit here. We’ve been here before. We were just so proud that he’s the first American pope and he just seems to be so loving. Just his smile is just incredible.”

Dolton Mayor Jason House says the village plans to celebrate the pope’s birthday every year, creating a special annual tradition for this community.

The celebration in Dolton came after family and friends of “Chicago’s pope” gathered in New Lenox to sing happy birthday to the pontiff on Friday.

And his big brother, John Prevost, told ABC7 that his advice to the pope is that he has to be careful going down the stairs, now that he is getting older.

And on Saturday night, there was a big celebration at the Vatican on the eve of the pope’s birthday.

Big name musicians like Chicago native Jennifer Hudson, Andrea Boccelli and Pharrell Williams raised their voices in a concert to celebrate music and human connection.

There was also a spectacular drone show after the concert, lighting up the sky.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Amanda Roberts

Click here for updates on this story

    RADNOR LAKE STATE PARK, Tennessee (WTVF) — Peak migration season has arrived for monarch butterflies, and they’re now passing through Tennessee on their journey south. But these iconic black and orange insects face an uncertain future, with declining numbers over the past two decades likely landing them on the endangered species list.

At Radnor Lake State Park, conservationists are working to reverse this troubling trend by creating vital habitat for the migrating monarchs.

Native grasslands now stand tall and proud across the park, but the restoration took 12 years and covered more than 150 acres. The flowering ironweed, thistles and frost weed provide essential resources for the butterflies.

“We are restoring these plants for future generations,” said Park Manager, Steve Ward. “We want you to see wildlife you may not be able to see on a day-to-day basis in other parts of the state.”

The effort has created a beautiful consequence: a welcoming stop for migrating monarch butterflies.

“We’re probably in our third generation who have never seen a monarch, probably only seen them once or twice,” Ward said. “So this absence or void I think has created this urgency from those of us who may have seen a few. We want to be able to see those now and enjoy them.”

If native grasslands continue to disappear from Nashville, so will the pollinators, birds and butterflies, including monarchs.

“We give them a vacation on their trip. We let them stop, take a breather, refuel and go on the rest of their journey,” park ranger Matthew Bowling said. “Their goal is to survive for the next generation.”

The park encourages individual action as well.

“If we all just jump in and do a little bit, it adds up,” Bowling said. “That’s the goal for this to be the start. People can individually contribute in their yard, their gardens.”

The restoration efforts appear to be working. Visitors have noticed increased butterfly activity compared to previous years.

“Is that why we’re seeing a lot more butterflies? I think so because we’ve been seeing a ton of them and I don’t remember seeing as many butterflies last year,” one observer noted.

Some even joke about the monarchs’ color preference.

“I think monarchs are Tennessee fans, but I can’t prove that,” Ward said.

For families looking for an educational outdoor activity, Radnor Lake will host free monarch hikes for the next week, though registration is required. The park also offers native grassland seed packets to help encourage monarchs to visit home gardens.

Are you working on conservation projects in your community or have you spotted monarchs in your area? Share your story with me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com.

This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Trish Hartman and WPVI Digital Staff

Click here for updates on this story

    GALLOWAY TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) — An actor has been charged in a road rage shooting that led to a lockdown at Stockton University on Thursday.

Ernest Wesley Heinz, 46, of Port Republic, has been arrested and charged with attempted homicide, according to police.

According to his profile on IMDB, he has had several minor roles in movies and TV shows, along with the video game series Resident Evil.

Police released one of Heinz’s social media profile photos while announcing his arrest on Friday.

Galloway Township police responded to a 911 call for a shooting on W. Jimmie Leeds Road near the area of Redwood Avenue around 12:52 p.m.

It happened while two cars were at a red light.

“As they approached the light, the male yelled at her, reached his hand out the window and fired a single shot,” said Capt. Mark D’Esposito of the Galloway Twp. Police Dept.

According to court documents, the woman told police she had her turn signal on and was trying to merge when the suspect vehicle cut her off.

When she arrived at the light, she said the suspect cursed at her and threatened to kill her when he pulled out a gun and fired.

When officers arrived, they found the victim with a wound to her upper nose.

“Fortunately, it didn’t look like it caught anything major and she was able to maintain consciousness and speak to our officers. We’re very grateful she’s okay,” said D’Esposito.

She told police the alleged gunman fled north on Vera King Ferris Drive, which is on the campus of Stockton University.

The victim was able to describe her attacker to police, as well as his vehicle, which she said was a white Honda SUV.

Detectives said the investigation led them to Heinz, who was taken into custody later Thursday at a residence in the Blue Herron Pines Development.

Police said they also executed search warrants on three Port Republic residences, another in Galloway Township, as well as two vehicles.

A shelter-in-place order was in effect during that time for the campus as police spent hours searching the area. It was lifted roughly three hours later.

Stockton University President Joe Bertolino put out a statement saying the shelter in place was out of an abundance of caution.

“I recognize how unsettling it can be to receive an alert like that, and I want to commend you for your patience, understanding, and commitment to following the guidance provided,” he wrote.

Heinz is being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility. We attempted to contact his family or an attorney but so far we haven’t heard back.

Heinz is due to appear in court for a detention hearing this week.

The university resumed normal operations on Friday.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Corey Davis

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police are searching for a man who shot a store clerk in the face Sunday night. They are also questioning two men accused of picking up money that the robber left behind, instead of helping the victim.

Action News was there the moment officers were patting down the men outside the Bridge Market and Wireless Store.

The store is located at the corner of Bridge St. and Torresdale Ave. in the city’s Frankford section.

The men are not accused of shooting the store employee, but police say officers saw them on surveillance video.

“Several minutes later after that store employee was shot, several other individuals entered the rear of that establishment and began to pick up proceeds from that robbery,” said Capt. Tyrell McCoy, with the Philadelphia Police Department.

Police said this all started when a man entered the store around 11 p.m. Sunday, as the employee was counting money behind bullet proof glass.

Investigators said the suspect was able to put the gun through an opening in the glass and shot the employee in the face.

Officers said the suspect was facing away from the surveillance camera, but they’re working on getting additional angles.

“We just know there was male dressed in all black clothing, pulled out that fire arm, shot one time and then after he was able to pick up as much money as he could he actually fled,” McCoy said.

Investigators said the 27-year-old victim survived and that officers rushed him to the hospital.

Northeast detectives are not sure yet if the others who picked up the cash off the floor were involved in planning any of the robbery or whether they just tried to take advantage of the situation.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Allison Petro

Click here for updates on this story

    Florida (WESH) — A Florida woman jumped into action after an alligator dragged her puppy during a walk.

Danie Wright said she took her 4-month-old puppy for a walk along a creek behind her home when a 5-foot alligator bit her dog’s collar and then dragged it underwater.

Wright said she continuously punched the gator’s eye.

“I just punched and punched and punched, and I punched him in the eye enough that he kind of let go, like, he unclamped a little,” Wright said. “But his teeth were like here and just dragged down my arm.”

The gator was able to camouflage itself in floating water moss, which resembled turf. Wright said this was the first time she had seen an alligator in the area.

Trappers and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came and caught the alligator.

Wildlife officials said it’s common for alligators to target dogs.

Wright is now encouraging dog owners to be more alert, especially when walking near water.

“I learned to be more alert,” Wright said. “Leave your phone at home, you know, pay attention.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Allison Petro, Bob Hazen

Click here for updates on this story

    DELTONA, Florida (WESH) — Two boys were arrested after an elementary school in Deltona was vandalized over the weekend, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a fire alarm at Friendship Elementary School, where they discovered a shattered glass door and the media center ransacked.

Surveillance cameras captured two boys believed to be responsible for the vandalism.

Deputies said a 13-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy were later turned in by their mothers.

The boys were accused of breaking into the school during the day and later returning at night to cause more damage.

The body camera footage showed the aftermath of the incident, including overturned tables, scattered books, graffiti on the walls and a shattered glass door.

Deputies stated that the two boys confessed to the incident, which resulted in at least $50,000 in damage to the school’s media center.

They are each charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of trespassing on school grounds, criminal mischief and theft, according to the VSO.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.