Department Of Justices

Looking for Saturday plans? Stop by the Lebanon Hispanic Multicultural Festival from 2:00 - 7:00PM on S 8th Street for music, food and more! This event is hosted by Juntos de Lebanon.

Crews will be repairing the railroad tracks on N. 7th Street beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, October 16, 2023. It is anticipated that the repairs will be completed and the crossing will re-open by the end of the day on Monday, October 23, weather permitting. Please follow the posted detour signs while work is being performed.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as these repairs are completed.

Police appear to threaten girl, 11, with child p**n charges after father's call for help

A distraught Ohio father called police after learning that his 11-year-old daughter sent explicit images to a man who apparently coerced her on social media, according to a video that went viral last week.

The father posted Vivint doorbell camera video footage of police responding to his home on Sept. 15 on his anonymous TikTok account, garnering more than 800,000 views on the social media platform since last week.

"I just wanted someone to talk to her," the father told two Columbus police officers when they arrived at his house that evening, allegedly six hours after he initially called. "I just wanted her to realize what this was. I mean, the reality is that there's not much I can do about it, isn't it?"

The father wrote in the caption of his video that he called police at 6 p.m. to get help for his daughter, whom he said was "manipulated" into sending explicit images to an "online predator."

A female officer immediately suggested the girl can be charged for sending explicit images to an adult online. The dialogue in the video goes as follows:

Officer: "I mean, she could probably get charged with child p**n."

Father: "Who? She can? She's 11 years old," the father fires back.

Officer: "She's creating it, right?" the officer says.

Father: "She's 11 years old."

Officer: "Doesn't matter. She's still making p**n."

Father: "No she's not. She's being manipulated by a grown-a-- adult on the internet."

Officer: "Is she taking pictures though?"

Father: "You guys have a nice evening. Thank you for coming."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the father in the video.

Columbus Inspector General Jacqueline Hendricks told Fox News Digital in a statement that the Columbus Department of the Inspector General (Columbus DIG) "is aware of the video being shared with social media and did receive several citizen complaints involving this incident with the two Columbus Division of Police (CPD) officers."

"The Columbus DIG takes each and every citizen complaint filed with our office seriously," Hendricks said. "The purpose of the Columbus DIG is to ensure the actions of sworn personnel of the CPD are constitutional and in compliance with the City of Columbus and CPD’s policies and procedures and all applicable laws. "

She added that "[w]hen evidence suggests a violation of policies and procedures occurred, recommendations of accountability will be made in order to restore, build, and maintain public trust between the community and CPD."

Federal law makes it illegal to receive, create, possess and distribute child p**nography. It is also illegal to coerce or manipulate minors into sending explicit material.

CPD told McClatchy News that it takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously, and the department's Sexual Assault Unit detectives are investigating the incident.

ESCAPED MURDERER DANELO CAVALCANTE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND IS ALIVE

Danelo Cavalcante had been on the run since he broke out of the Chester County Prison on Aug. 31.

EAST NANTMEAL TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante has been taken into custody and is alive following a 14-day search, Pennsylvania State Police said.

He was captured just before 8:15 a.m. Wednesday in northern Chester County, Action News has learned.

Cavalcante was found in a field within the perimeter by tactical teams using thermal technology and police K9s, sources said. He was found hiding under a pile of logs.

Searchers waited until sunrise for safety reasons to move in on the location of the thermal hit, sources said.

He was wearing a gray Eagles sweatshirt when he was captured by The Border Patrol Tactical Unit. It is not yet known where he obtained the clothing.

Sources said Cavalcante was bitten by a K9 while he was taken into custody.

He was transferred to Pennsylvania State Police Avondale Barracks where he arrived at 9:47 a.m.

"The capture of Cavalcante ends the nightmare of the past two weeks, and we thank every single law enforcement official at the regional, state and federal level that was out in all weather conditions, all day and night - as well as everyone in the incident command center, our County Department of Emergency Services and County Sheriff's Office - for their immense efforts," Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline said in a statement.

Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County jail in southeastern Pennsylvania on Aug. 31 by crab-walking up between two walls that were topped with razor wire, then jumping from the roof and dashing away. He had been awaiting transfer to state prison after being sentenced days earlier for fatally stabbing his girlfriend, and is wanted in connection with another killing in Brazil.

Authorities said over the weekend that Cavalcante had slipped out of the initial search area, shaved and changed his clothing, stole a vehicle to travel miles to seek aid from former co-workers in the northern part of the county, and then abandoned the vehicle, at least in part because it was low on fuel.

Authorities have declined to say how they think Cavalcante slipped out of the first search area, and officials have pushed back against questions about whether they blew a chance to catch him.

Then, late Monday, a motorist alerted police to a man matching Cavalcante's description crouching in the darkness along a line of trees near a road in northern Chester County. Police found footprints and tracked them to the prison shoes identical to those Cavalcante had been wearing. A pair of work boots was reported stolen from a porch nearby.

State police said they believe he was looking for a place to hide when he saw an open garage. There, he stole a .22-caliber rifle and ammunition, and fled when the homeowner who was in the garage drew a pistol and shot at him several times, state police said.

"He didn't, I believe, recognize that the owner was in there. And I think he was probably looking for a place to hide, ran for that garage, saw the firearm, grabbed that, encountered the homeowner and fled with the firearm," Lt. Col. George Bivens said Tuesday.

That led hundreds of law enforcement personnel to search an area of about 8 to 10 square miles near South Coventry Township, roughly 30 miles northwest (50 kilometers) of Philadelphia.

Cavalcante's escape was big news in Brazil, where prosecutors in Tocantins state say he is accused of "double qualified homicide" in the 2017 slaying of Válter Júnior Moreira dos Reis in the municipality of Figueiropolis, which authorities say was over a debt the victim owed him in connection with repair of a vehicle.

Pennsylvania authorities even broadcast a recording of Cavalcante's mother speaking in Portuguese imploring him to surrender peacefully.

Cavalcante received a life sentence in Pennsylvania in August for killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her children in 2021. Prosecutors say he murdered her to stop her from telling police he was wanted in the Brazil killing. He had been arrested in Virginia after Brandao's killing, and authorities say they believe he was trying to return to Brazil.

The prison tower guard on duty when Cavalcante escaped was fired. The escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a headcount.

On September 11, 2001, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks shook the United States. Nineteen hijackers, associated with the extremist group Al-Qaeda, commandeered four commercial airplanes:

1. American Airlines Flight 11 was crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 AM.
2. United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 AM.

These attacks resulted in the collapse of both towers, causing widespread devastation and the loss of nearly 3,000 lives.

3. American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon, the U.S. Department of Defense's headquarters, in Arlington, Virginia, at 9:37 AM.

4. United Airlines Flight 93, which was also hijacked, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania at 10:03 AM. This plane's passengers bravely fought back against the hijackers, preventing further destruction.

The events of 9/11 were a profound tragedy, prompting immediate and significant changes in U.S. and global security measures. The attacks led to the War on Terror, the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, and increased airport security measures. The memory of 9/11 continues to have a lasting impact on the world, serving as a reminder of the importance of international cooperation against terrorism and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

The South Tower (Full Episode) | 9/11 One Day in America 9/11: One Day in America won the News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary at the 43rd News and Documentary Emmy Awards in 2022....

2 officers shot; suspect believed to be gunman in deputy’s shooting possibly barricaded in NE Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said two officers have been shot after confronting who they believe to be the suspect in the shooting of a Harris County deputy Wednesday night.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, this is happening in the 11500 blk of Silhouette Ridge, near Summercreek High School.

Gonzalez said they believe the suspect, Terran Green, may possibly be barricaded at the location.

Shots were fired and two law enforcement officers have been shot.
Gonzalez said the officers are in unknown condition.
One officer is believed to be with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office while another is from the US Marshal’s Office. A third member from the US Marshal’s Office received a wound from shrapnel to the upper arm.

“Please stay clear of the area, as this is an active scene,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said the location is a home.
“We believe we have the location contained and there is no immediate threat to broader community. It’s unknown if others are inside the house,” he said.

The wounded law enforcement officers are being taken to a hospital. According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the wounded HCSO deputy and deputy from the US Marshal’s Office are receiving treatment at Kingwood Hospital and are said to be in good condition.

A Ring doorbell camera from a home down the street captured the law enforcement activity as officers surrounded the home Green is believed to be inside.

Another video shows law enforcement using what appears to be a robot during the response.
As of 10 p.m., the standoff was still ongoing.
“We’re still trying to resolve the situation peacefully out here and give the suspect every opportunity to turn himself in peacefully,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said earlier Thursday, investigators made their way to the home as a possible address as to where Green may have been.
“As they began to make contact with individuals at the house, they determined that he was indeed possibly in the house. As they began to make entry into the home, they were greeted by gunfire,” Gonzalez said.

No law enforcement were able to return fire. They retreated and the suspect barricaded himself in the home.
A hostage negotiation team as well as a HCSO Swat team are at the scene.
“By all indications, he is alone inside the home,” Gonzalez said.
Josh Wright, Chief Deputy of the US Marshal’s for the Southern District of Texas, said the wounded members of the marshal’s office are in good spirits.
“Family is surrounding them and we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers,” Wright said.

Gonzalez said as far as the suspect’s connection to the location, they believe he may have known somebody at the home.
“We believe that its just known individuals to the suspect Green, we don’t know beyond that right now,” Gonzalez said.

18 U.S.C. § 2251- Sexual Exploitation of Children
(Production of child p**nography)
18 U.S.C. § 2251A- Selling and Buying of Children
18 U.S.C. § 2252- Certain activities relating to material involving the sexual exploitation of minors
(Possession, distribution and receipt of child p**nography)
18 U.S.C. § 2252A- certain activities relating to material constituting or containing child p**nography
18 U.S.C. § 2256- Definitions
18 U.S.C. § 2260- Production of sexually explicit depictions of a minor for importation into the United States

Images of child p**nography are not protected under First Amendment rights, and are illegal contraband under federal law. Section 2256 of Title 18, United States Code, defines child p**nography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (someone under 18 years of age). Visual depictions include photographs, videos, digital or computer generated images indistinguishable from an actual minor, and images created, adapted, or modified, but appear to depict an identifiable, actual minor. Undeveloped film, undeveloped videotape, and electronically stored data that can be converted into a visual image of child p**nography are also deemed illegal visual depictions under federal law.

Notably, the legal definition of sexually explicit conduct does not require that an image depict a child engaging in sexual activity. A picture of a naked child may constitute illegal child p**nography if it is sufficiently sexually suggestive. Additionally, the age of consent for sexual activity in a given state is irrelevant; any depiction of a minor under 18 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct is illegal.

Federal law prohibits the production, distribution, reception, and possession of an image of child p**nography using or affecting any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce (See 18 U.S.C. § 2251; 18 U.S.C. § 2252; 18 U.S.C. § 2252A). Specifically, Section 2251 makes it illegal to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for purposes of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Any individual who attempts or conspires to commit a child p**nography offense is also subject to prosecution under federal law.

Federal jurisdiction is implicated if the child p**nography offense occurred in interstate or foreign commerce. This includes, for example, using the U.S. Mails or common carriers to transport child p**nography across state or international borders. Additionally, federal jurisdiction almost always applies when the Internet is used to commit a child p**nography violation. Even if the child p**nography image itself did not travel across state or international borders, federal law may be implicated if the materials, such as the computer used to download the image or the CD-ROM used to store the image, originated or previously traveled in interstate or foreign commerce.

In addition, Section 2251A of Title 18, United States Code, specifically prohibits any parent, legal guardian or other person in custody or control of a minor under the age of 18, to buy, sell, or transfer custody of that minor for purposes of producing child p**nography.

Lastly, Section 2260 of Title 18, United States Code, prohibits any persons outside of the United States to knowingly produce, receive, transport, ship, or distribute child p**nography with intent to import or transmit the visual depiction into the United States.

Any violation of federal child p**nography law is a serious crime, and convicted offenders face severe statutory penalties. For example, a first time offender convicted of producing child p**nography under 18 U.S.C. § 2251, face fines and a statutory minimum of 15 years to 30 years maximum in prison. A first time offender convicted of transporting child p**nography in interstate or foreign commerce under 18 U.S.C. § 2252, faces fines and a statutory minimum of 5 years to 20 years maximum in prison. Convicted offenders may face harsher penalties if the offender has prior convictions or if the child p**nography offense occurred in aggravated situations defined as (i) the images are violent, sadistic, or masochistic in nature, (ii) the minor was sexually abused, or (iii) the offender has prior convictions for child sexual exploitation. In these circumstances, a convicted offender may face up to life imprisonment.

It is important to note that an offender can be prosecuted under state child p**nography laws in addition to, or instead of, federal law.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was on the scene at the Brandon Mall following a report of a possible shooting on Saturday shortly after 3:30 p.m.

HCSO said it was not an active shooter situation and that the mall was secured.

Officials said once on scene, deputies reviewed surveillance footage and discovered a woman, with a man and two kids, had reached for something in her purse, and it appeared she may have accidentally fired a gun in her bag, striking the countertop at Charleys Cheesesteaks.

"People love to call these accidental shootings. This is not an accident. This is negligence," said Ryan G. Thomas, the co-founder of Warrior Cloud and fi****ms instructor.

Thomas said he’s trained around 82,000 people in Hillsborough County on properly handling fi****ms.

"I would guarantee that the person that had the firearm at the mall, they probably did not have the firearm inside of a proper holster," explained Thomas.

At this time, HCSO said no one was injured in this isolated incident, and the mall chose to close for the remainder of the day.

"Every day, our deputies put their lives on the line to protect our communities, and today was no different," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Our agency's dedication and swift response to this incident demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens."

The sheriff's office located the woman involved and said, at this time, there are no charges. The investigation is ongoing.

"The consequences of using a firearm in an inappropriate way are very, very high. You should be willing to invest time, energy, and money to make sure that you know how to use this powerful device in the right way," said Thomas.

Missing Titanic submarine found, crew killed in deep-sea catastrophe, Coast Guard says

The search for the missing OceanGate Titan submersible came to a tragic end Thursday when search-and-rescue teams discovered a "debris field" on the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, where the crew was headed before losing contact with their surface vessel Sunday morning.

"The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families on behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command," the Coast Guard said at a news briefing Thursday.

The announcement came hours after the USCG alerted the public that a robotic vehicle made the discovery.

"A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic," the USCG said just before noon. ROV stands for remotely operated vehicle. Experts were evaluating the information.

The Titan lost contact with its surface vessel, the Polar Prince, around 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive Sunday morning, about 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and around 400 miles southeast of St John's, in Canada's Newfoundland.

“We understand debris has been found which may be the landing frame and a rear cover of the tail instrument compartment of The Titan lost on previous dives," Richard Garriott, the president of the Explorers Club which had members on the missing sub, wrote to the group, according to a spokesman. "We hear there may be additional debris, but no updated visuals of the submersible."

Inside the sealed vehicle are OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush; British businessman turned adventurer Hamish Harding; father-and-son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, who are members of one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families; and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a former French navy officer and leading Titanic expert.

"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans," OceanGate said in a statement. "Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time."

The U.S. Coast Guard headed a unified command that involved commercial assets, research vehicles and military counterparts from Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

Search-and-rescue crews spent the week deploying high-tech buoys, robotic vehicles known as ROVs, surface vessels and aerial searches in an effort to pinpoint the missing sub's location.

As of Thursday morning, several with the ability to reach the ocean floor had been deployed in the Atlantic as the Titan’s estimated initial supply of 96 hours of oxygen dwindled – including the Victor 6000, which descended from the French L'Atalante research vessel to the ocean floor.

A Canadian vessel, the Horizon Arctic, also deployed its ROV Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Canadian pilots picked up repeated sounds during their search.

Carl Hartsfield, a retired Navy captain and a scientist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said during a USCG briefing that the noises had been "described as banging."

Authorities did not elaborate and had not discovered their source on Wednesday.

DOJ accuses Minneapolis Police Department, city of using excessive force, racial discrimination

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday that a Justice Department investigation into the conduct of the Minneapolis Police Department and the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the May 2020 death of George Floyd has uncovered evidence of the use of excessive force and racial discrimination.

Garland said there is "reasonable cause to believe that the MPD and the city of Minneapolis engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution."

“We found that MPD and the city of Minneapolis engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, unlawfully discriminating against Black or Native American people in enforcement activities, violating the rights of people engaged in protective speech, and discriminating against people with behavioral disabilities when responding to them in crisis," Garland said.

The Justice Department's "pattern or practice" investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department was launched in April 2021, a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd in the Minnesota city on May 25, 2020.

On Friday, Garland said, "As I told Goerge Floyd’s family this morning, his death has had an irrevocable impact on the Minneapolis community, on our county, and on the world. His loss is still felt deeply by those who loved and knew him and by many who did not. George Floyd should be alive today."

During the federal investigation, "[w]e observed many MPD officers who did their difficult work with professionalism, courage, and respect," Garland said, but he added that the "patterns and practices we observed made what happen to George Floyd possible."

"A review found numerous incidents in which MPD officers responded to a person’s statement that they ‘could not breathe’ with a version of ‘you can breathe, you are talking right now,'" Garland said.

He added that investigators also found multiple instances of Chauvin using excessive force on others before he killed Floyd. During those instances, MPD officers stood by and did not stop Chauvin, according to Garland.

The attorney general also said the Justice Department found that MPD "often uses excessive force often when no force is necessary, including unjust deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers," and that "MPD officers discharged fi****ms at people without assessing whether the person presents any threat, let alone a threat that would justify deadly force."

He cited a 2017 case in which an unarmed woman – who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in a nearby alley – was shot and killed by an officer who said she had "spooked him."

Garland said data also shows MPD stopped Black and Native American people "nearly six times more often than White people in situations that did not result in arrest or citation, given their shares of the population."

He said in one instance, it was discovered that after MPD officers stopped a car carrying four Somali-American teens, one officer told the teens, "Do you remember what happened in 'Black Hawk Down,' when we killed a bunch of your folk? I’m proud of that. We didn’t finish the job over there, if we had, you guys wouldn’t be over here right now."

"Such conduct is deeply disturbing and it erodes the community's trust in law enforcement," he said.

Garland commended the Minneapolis Police Department and city leaders for implementing some reforms already, such as prohibiting all types of neck restraints and banning no-knock search warrants.

"But as the report outlines there is more work to be done. The Justice Department is recommending 28 remedial measures that provide a starting framework to improve public safety, build community trust and comply with the Constitution and federal law," he said. "The city of Minneapolis and MPD have signed an agreement in principle with the Department of Justice. This agreement commits the city and MPD to work with the Justice Department, the community, police officers, and other stakeholders to address the problems that we have identified."

"This agreement commits all parties… to negotiate a legally-binding consent decree with an independent monitor," Garland said.

Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters after Garland spoke that he is "optimistic over the next several years that Minneapolis will be the city the nation looks to for constitutional and trustworthy policing," adding that "we have the power here to affect lasting change, to affect generational change, and we embrace that."

A Burn Ban has been issued for Lebanon County beginning at 12:00pm on Thursday June 8, 2023 effective through Saturday July 8, 2023.

For more information on the Burn Ban, please go to https://www.lcdes.org/ema/burn-ban/

The Lebanon County Commissioners have implemented a temporary ban on open burning starting noon on June 8th until July 8th, unless extended prior to expiration.

"Open burning" is defined as the ignition and subsequent burring of any combustible materials (garbage, leaves, grass, twigs, littler, paper, vegetative matter involved with land clearing, or any sort of debris) out-of-doors, either in a burn barrel or on the ground.

The use of propane or gas stoves, charcoal briquette grills, or the use of to***co in any form is not covered under county burn bans. Campfires are allowed in the fire rings that confine and contain the campfire in a designated state, federal or Department of Environmental Protection licensed campground.