Category: CNN Regional

By Matt Flener

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    KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KMBC) — The family of Charles Adair has asked Wyandotte County for a $25 million settlement after the death of the 50-year-old in the Wyandotte County Detention Center this summer.

The request is included in a notice of intent to file a lawsuit filed Monday by Adair’s family attorney Ben Crump.

The letter sent to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County claims excessive force by Wyandotte County deputy Richard Fatherley, bystanders’ liability, improper training and alleges Adair’s wrongful death.

“This proposal is founded on the substantial evidence indicating that Charles Adair met his demise due to the actions of individuals who were obligated to safeguard him, without any justification whatsoever,” the letter said.

On July 5, Adair died after Wyandotte County Deputy Richard Fatherley kept his knee on Adair’s back for nearly 90 seconds, court documents say.

Adair was arrested July 4 for traffic violations.

According to court documents, Adair received medical treatment for a wound on his leg. He entered the detention center with multiple health issues, including hypertension, diabetes and schizophrenia.

On Adair’s way back to his cell from his medical treatment, court documents say Adair began to argue with officers and yell.

Several deputies described Adair as incoherent.

Court documents detail what body camera video from inside the detention center shows, down to the second:

8:36:18 – Adair is taken out of his wheelchair and placed stomach down on the bunk in his cell with his hands cuffed in front of him and his knees on the ground. Adair can be heard yelling for help.

8:36:22 – Deputy Richard Fatherley places his left leg and knee on Adair’s lower back and his left hand on Adair’s left shoulder. Fatherley can be heard saying, “You’re done, stop, give me your hands.” Adair responds, “Okay.” Adair then works his handcuffed hands under his body up toward another deputy.

8:36:37 – Another deputy appears in the video to help take off Adair’s handcuffs.

8:36:46 – Adair is seen moving for the last time on the body camera video.

8:37:40 – An unnamed deputy removes the handcuffs from Adair. Fatherley continues to hold Adair down with his knee on Adair’s back as other deputies leave. Adair is not seen moving and he is still face down on the bed.

8:37:48 – Fatherley takes his knee off Adair’s back and leaves the cell.

This timeline shows Fatherley had his knee on Adair’s back for approximately 1 minute and 26 seconds.

Minutes later, two unnamed deputies and a nurse entered the cell to find Adair unresponsive.

Lifesaving measures were attempted and EMS was called, but Adair was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m.

Fatherley is charged with second-degree murder, or in the alternative, involuntary manslaughter. However, Fatherley has not been arrested but summoned to court in November.

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By Nick Sloan

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    BONNE TERRE, Missouri (KMBC) — Lance Shockley was executed by lethal injection Tuesday evening for the 2005 murder of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Graham Jr.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe denied clemency Monday, saying the killing of a state trooper investigating Shockley’s criminal actions “was an attack not only on a dedicated law enforcement officer, but on the rule of law itself.”

“Violence against those who risk their lives every day to protect our communities will never be tolerated,” Kehoe said in a statement. “Missouri stands firmly with our men and women in uniform.”

Shockley, 48, was pronounced dead shortly before 6:15 p.m. in Bonne Terre, Missouri.

He was convicted of first-degree murder for ambushing Sgt. Graham outside his home in Carter County.

Prosecutors said Shockley shot Graham from behind, paralyzing him, before firing again in the face and shoulder.

Graham had been investigating Shockley for his alleged involvement in a fatal drunk-driving crash that killed a passenger.

Minutes before his execution, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution.

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By Norman Seawright

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire on Monticello Avenue in Newburg that sent one person to the hospital early Tuesday morning.

The fire left neighbors shocked and grateful for the quick response by firefighters.

Frances Floyd was walking her dog when she noticed smoke rising from the home.

“I started to change my mind, but then something told me just to go ahead and walk the dog this morning,” Floyd said. “As I was coming down the street, I saw the smoke going up.”

Floyd immediately called 911 and tried to alert anyone who might be inside.

“I started hollering and saying, ‘Hey, is anybody back there?’” she said. Two men, including the boyfriend of another neighbor, Shantel Burks, stopped to help.

“We heard the windows, the glass breaking, popping on the windows, and the smoke was really coming out,” Floyd recalled.

Burks said she heard an explosion, and her boyfriend realized the house was on fire.

“He woke up, he was like, ‘Do you smell it?’ And I came out and said, ‘The house is on fire,’” Burks said.

Firefighters from Fern Creek, Jeffersontown, and Okolona responded to the emergency within minutes of the 7 a.m. dispatch. Assistant Fire Chief Dewayne Hutchens praised the swift action of his team, which contained the fire before it could spread to neighboring homes.

“No damage to the surrounding houses. The fire was knocked out fairly quickly, but there was some pretty moderate to severe damage inside the home,” Hutchens said.

While firefighters searched the home, they discovered a victim who had not been able to escape. The person was rescued and transported to the hospital.

“We were not alerted to their presence. We actually had to find them within the home,” said Hutchens.

“They’re good people. I see him cutting grass, doing his thing, and I love to see him,” Burks said.

“I just hope they’re okay, whoever was in there,” Floyd said.

Hutchens said that Metro Arson is investigating the fire but said foul play is not suspected. There is no update yet on the condition of the victim.

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By Jim Keithley

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    GORHAM, Maine (WMTW) — A Maine couple has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owners of a Gorham mobile home park after their 2-year-old son drowned in the community swimming pool.

On May 22, 2024, Oakley Schmidt slipped away from his parents and got through a fence surrounding the pool at Friendly Village. The boy was found floating facedown in the pool, and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Jake and Natasha Schmidt claim Friendly Village’s owners put profits over people and ignored safety issues involving the pool fence.

Legal-Ease attorney Jeffrey Bennett, who is representing the couple, said video captured by mounted surveillance cameras shows Oakley outside the gate and then inside the pool area.

“Holes have been punched through the fence and the location of the gate, which act as a makeshift ladder that allows children to climb up and over the gate,” Bennett said.

Oakley’s parents attended a press briefing about the lawsuit on Tuesday at the Legal-Ease offices, but did not speak.

“Jake and Natasha do not deflect their responsibility whatsoever,” Bennett said. “But as anyone with children knows, no matter how careful you are, no matter how attentive you are, there comes a time when a child darts off.”

Bennett said the Schmidts have suffered mental anguish and emotional distress. He added a hefty $150 million award from a jury would send a message to other corporations.

“The mobile home park was aware of the danger, knew of it and intentionally ignored it,” Bennett said. “A few hundred dollars toward the replacement of that gate would have prevented this tragedy.”

Legal-Ease has requested a jury trial, which would not happen for at least a year.

Maine’s Total Coverage has attempted to contact the owners of Friendly Village for comment on the lawsuit multiple times, but no one has returned calls or emails.

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By Mary Saladna

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    EVERETT, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Community members rallied outside Everett City Hall Tuesday night, calling for the return of a 13-year-old boy who is now being held in an ICE detention center in Virginia.

“As a mother, as a community, we should be outraged,” said Guerline Alcy Jabouin, an Everett city councilor.

Last week, the 13-year-old was arrested by Everett police for allegedly threatening another student at his school.

While the boy’s mother waited at police headquarters following his arrest, she discovered her 13-year-old son had been turned over to ICE and quickly moved out of state.

“This is a rogue agency,” State Senator Sal DiDomenico said at an Everett City Council meeting Tuesday night. “A rogue agency that is breaking the law in our community…they should return this child to our state [and] they should get out of our business.”

Others echoed his sentiments.

“Remove ICE from our city — issue a formal correction to the misinformation spread online,” said Everett City Councilor Katy Rogers.

Earlier in the day, Mayor Carlo DeMaria praised the police department’s swift response to the initial arrest of the teen, saying they prevented a potential tragedy.

DeMaria said Everett police were not responsible for the 13-year-old being detained by immigration authorities.

“Police did not contact ICE about this recent juvenile arrest,” he said at the press conference. “ICE works independently and has the authority to access certain law enforcement databases and take action on its own accord.”

The Department of Homeland Security said the boy was in possession of a knife and a gun during his arrest, but DeMaria disputed part of that.

“There was no firearm recovered,” he said, although the 13-year-old was in possession of a double-sided knife.

At the city council meeting, residents expressed their concern about immigration authorities.

“We face arrests and fear every day, we demand due process,” said Lucy Pineda, an Everett resident.

“It’s very simple— ICE should not be detaining minors, we shouldn’t be collaborating with ICE at all, really,” Shane McNally, another Everett resident, said.

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By Joshua Davis

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    WILKESBORO, North Carolina (WXII) — Chris Handy, a 50-year-old father, overcame the challenge of losing part of his leg to walk his daughter, Noelle, down the aisle at her wedding in June.

His journey began on January 1, when he went down to the basement barefoot and ended up with a splinter in his toe, which led to an infection.

The infection caused his leg to swell to his ankle and resulted in a low-grade fever. After consulting with doctors, Handy made the difficult decision to amputate his leg below the knee.

“We made the determination to go ahead and take the leg below the knee, rather keep doing small operations to try to save it,” he said.

His daughter, Noelle Shumate, expressed her concern, saying, “I was really worried. It’s always hard, because you think your parents are invincible, and then you get, you know, to the point where their health is not where it used to be.”

Handy spent several months in the hospital, followed by physical therapy, which he described as a humbling experience.

“To lay on your back in a hospital bed from January until April 2, whenever I ended up losing my leg, yeah, I laid in the hospital bed for that many months and then turned around and having to do physical therapy. It’s very humbling experience,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Handy was determined to walk his daughter down the aisle. “We’re going to get it done. I’ll find a way, whatever it took,” he said.

Physical therapists at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist supported Handy in adapting to his prosthetic leg, helping him build strength over seven days.

Dr. Walter Davis, Medical Director at the Sticht Center Rehab, noted Handy’s focus on regaining function.

“He was so focused on the function, he was really looking to the therapist to teach him how to get out of bed, first, how to get to the bathroom on his own, how to get in and out of a wheelchair, and then how to walk,” Davis said.

Kelsey Robinson, a physical therapist at the Sticht Center Rehab, shared how they simulated an entire wedding for Handy to practice walking down the aisle and even the first dance.

“We basically were able to simulate an entire wedding, and let him practice walking down the aisle. And then he also got to, later in his stay, practice the first dance as well. And I can just tell you, you could hear a pin drop in that room. Everybody was speechless,” Robinson said.

When the big moment arrived, Handy was nervous about stepping on his daughter’s dress, but he successfully walked her down the aisle using a cane.

“That flowing dress scared the crap out of me. I just knew I was gonna step on it. I was gonna ruin something. It was gonna be for God and everybody but I used the cane and walked her down the aisle, and didn’t have an issue doing the transition ever to the grass. So it’s great,” Handy said.

Noelle reflected on the experience, saying, “To walk down the aisle with him was just, it’s something I always dreamed about, and it didn’t happen how I always dreamed about. But it was much more than that. It was perfect, because we got to do it together.”

Handy is now back to work and has even walked his other daughter around her college campus. He emphasized the importance of mindset in physical therapy, saying it makes the difference in getting back on your feet.

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