Category: Security

A Fort Lauderdale police detention officer accused of gunning down his girlfriend in front of her 3-year-old daughter — and threatening to kill her weeks before — will remain behind bars, a judge ruled Monday.

Chase Harder, 21, has been held without bond since August, when he was charged with first-degree murder and written threats to kill or injure. Broward Circuit Court Judge Barbara Duffy on Monday denied his motion to be released from the Broward main jail at an Arthur hearing, which allows courts to consider setting bonds for defendants charged with crimes that aren’t usually eligible for bail.

Prosecutor William Sinclair brought with him a USB that included text messages, photos of 24-year-old Dayanna Hurtado’s body, 911 calls made by Hurtado and a copy of the police interview with Harder. But the evidence wasn’t displayed in court after Harder attorney Tamara Curtis of the Broward Public Defender’s Office said she wasn’t arguing that the state hadn’t met its burden.

Curtis called William Harder, the father of the accused killer and a Fort Lauderdale police detective of almost two decades, as a witness. Harder asked the judge to set a bond under $100,000 and said his son would stay with him pending his trial.

Sinclair, however, delved into some of the evidence in the case, including Ring camera footage from the Aug. 15, 2023, night of the murder that he said offered a glimpse into Harder’s premeditation. Harder, he said, “intentionally disconnected” the camera that night and has previously been caught on camera footage pointing a gun at Hurtado’s head.

“That’s how determined he was to end Ms. Hurtado’s life,” Sinclair told Duffy.

Sinclair also read several text messages between Hurtado and Harder that were translated from Spanish. Members of Hurtado’s family, who were present in the courtroom, audibly gasped when hearing some of the texts, which were along the lines of: “My favorite day will be the day I see blood coming out of your head,” “You’re a piece of s—t” and “I hope you die.”

Sinclair also pointed to how weeks before the murder, Hurtado told Coral Spring police that she feared Harder would kill her after he repeatedly threatened her via text.

“It was a call that, unfortunately, went unanswered,” Sinclair said. “Mr. Harder acted on Ms. Hurtado’s greatest fears.”

Curtis, however, argued that Harder wasn’t a threat to the community, mentioning his service as a military police soldier with the Army reserve — and his time with Fort Lauderdale police. But Duffy disagreed.

What happened that night?

On the night of the killing, a neighbor told police he heard a single gunshot — and a child scream — before three additional shots rang out at a nearby Coral Springs apartment. The neighbor, shortly after, saw a man dashing toward a white Mercedes SUV with a child flung over his shoulder.

READ MORE: Broward cop accused of murdering girlfriend. Police say he made threats weeks earlier

When investigators arrived at the home, Hurtado was found dead on the balcony with seven gunshot wounds in the head. Police say Harder dropped the toddler off at her father’s Rivera Beach house after fleeing.

Under the impression there was a warrant out for his arrest, Harder turned himself in, telling detectives that he had argued with Hurtado that night, according to police.

The state isn’t seeking the death penalty against Harder. He faces a life sentence, if convicted.

“The details surrounding these allegations are very difficult to hear and do not reflect the character and professionalism expected of the men and women of our agency,” Fort Lauderdale Police detective Ali Adamson said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to those affected by this horrific incident.”

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© 2024 Miami Herald

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

For as long as drones have been in the news, there have been warnings about the proliferation of “Made in China” drones having a dominance in the United States market, including those being used by first responders and emergency managers.

See the article below on how “change is coming” to the marketplace.

And, for an example of a “Made in the USA” drone company, see BRINC Drones. This company has some very unique drone capabilities.

From the Washington Post’s “The Technology 202”

“U.S. small drone makers are optimistic about their sales prospects after the annual defense policy bill, which passed last month, included curbs on the federal government purchasing foreign drones.

“‘We think the total addressable market now for us after last week has gone up at least four times,’ Jeff Thompson, founder and CEO of the Utah-based drone maker Red Cat, told Tech 202.

“The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2024 includes the American Security Drone Act, which prohibits the government from using federal funds to purchase drones made in China or certain other countries starting in December 2025, with the measure in force through December 2028. It also prohibits federal agencies from operating Chinese drones for that duration, unless they have an exemption.

“It follows similar legislation in Florida against state agencies using foreign-made drones, which took effect last year.

“Small drones are useful to government agencies in cases when it would be expensive or dangerous to send in workers on foot or by helicopter. These include firefighting, dam repairs, wildlife surveys and border patrols.

“The laws have stirred some controversy, with some industry voices saying blanket prohibitions against China-made drones are overkill and leave government agencies and others without budget-friendly options.

“But broadly speaking, U.S. drone makers say they expect to see a sales bump this year even though the new ban on federal purchases is not yet in effect.

“‘They’re giving them two years, which is plenty of warning,’ Thompson said. ‘I don’t think a lot of people will wait that long to convert to made-in-U.S. drones.’”

The fresh curbs are the latest measures. While these small flying robots are used as toys by average consumers, their ability to be used for aerial surveillance means officials consider them a technology that must be carefully managed.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials have been worried by China’s overwhelming dominance of the global consumer drone market. Shenzhen-based DJI, the world’s biggest drone maker, now holds a 70 percent market share.

The U.S. Army prohibited service members from using DJI drones back in 2017. In December 2020, the Commerce Department put DJI on its export control list, preventing U.S. companies from selling components to it without approval.

More recently, Ukrainian soldiers have been using swarms of small, cheap drones rigged with bombs. U.S. military officials say the successful experiment in Ukraine means small drones are likely to become an established part of warfare.

The Pentagon announced a “Replicator” program last year aimed at building thousands of low-cost drones in the United States within a year and a half.

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(c) 2024 Government Technology

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Ray Epps, a 62-year-old defendant from the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill protest, was sentenced Tuesday to a year of probation.

According to The Hill, Epps pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct in September in a deal with prosecutors from President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.

NBC reported that Epps was previously a supporter of former President Donald Trump before being accused by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and other conservative leaders of allegedly serving as an undercover government agent who worked to incite Jan. 6 protesters during the Capitol Hill protest.

During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Epps told Chief Judge James Boasberg, “Jan. 6 violence was not generated by the FBI; it was generated by people like me who supported President Trump and listened to his lies.”

Epps claimed Tuesday that despite his previous beliefs, he now believes Biden won the 2020 election. The Jan. 6 defendant claimed to have experienced a “life-changing reality shift” when the “Trump cult” accused him of being a government operative.

READ MORE: Video: Over 200 FBI agents infiltrated Jan 6 crowd, GOP Rep says

Addressing his actions on Jan. 6 that led to Tuesday’s court sentencing, Epps said, “In hindsight, I realize that’s not what a constitution-loving American should have done.”

Before announcing the sentence for Epps on Tuesday, Boasberg noted that over 700 individuals “have been sentenced in this courthouse for their role in January 6th.” The judge explained that “not one” of the individuals sentenced in the courthouse was an FBI agent or an Antifa member.

“Ray Epps has been unfairly scapegoated. He was not a secret agent trying to trick Trump supporters,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon said on Tuesday. “He is not innocent either.”

Boasberg claimed that Epps was “vilified in a matter unique to January 6 defendants” since he received threats and “suffered” for things the defendant “didn’t do.”

“Given all of that mitigation, I believe prison is not warranted,” Boasberg added. As a result, Epps was sentenced to a year of probation and 100 hours of community service, according to NBC News. Axios reported that Epps will also be required to pay $500 in restitution and a special assessment fee of $25.

Highlighting the contrast between the sentencing of Epps and the sentencing of other Jan. 6 defendants, Greg Price, a former Daily Caller journalist, tweeted, “For reference, the average sentence a January 6 defendant has received is 3 years. For those who receive guilty pleas like Epps did, it has been two years. Yet for some reason the guy who instigated the Capitol riot has escaped with probation and community service.”

For reference, the average sentence a January 6 defendant has received is 3 years. For those who receive guilty pleas like Epps did, it has been two years. Yet for some reason the guy who instigated the Capitol riot has escaped with probation and community service.

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 9, 2024

United States and British naval forces shot down 21 attack drones and missiles that were launched Tuesday by Houthi terrorists in Yemen toward international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

In a statement released on social media, U.S. Central Command explained that the Houthi attack took place around 9:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Describing the incident as a “complex attack,” Central Command noted that the attack included Iranian-designed attack drones, an anti-ship ballistic missile, and anti-ship cruise missiles.

According to Central Command, the missiles and attack drones were launched toward “international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting” in the Red Sea. No damage or injuries were reported in the attack.

Houthi Attack on International Shipping

On Jan. 9, at approximately 9:15 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs (OWA UAVs), anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled… pic.twitter.com/KWPRidwiWI

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 10, 2024

“Eighteen OWA UAVs, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile were shot down by a combined effort of F/A-18s from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Mason (DDG 87), and the United Kingdom’s HMS Diamond (D34),” Central Command wrote in Tuesday’s statement.

READ MORE: US destroyer intercepts missile, drone attack

Central Command noted that Tuesday’s incident was the 26th Houthi attack launched against commercial shipping lanes located in the Red Sea since November 19.

Central Command also shared a joint statement that was first released on January 3 by 14 countries, warning, “The Houthis will bear the responsibility for the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”

In a post on social media, United Kingdom Defense Secretary Grant Shapps described Tuesday’s attack as “the largest attack on a Royal Navy warship in decades.”

According to Reuters, Shapps told reporters the current situation in the Middle East is “an unsustainable situation.” The British defense secretary hinted that additional action by the United Kingdom and its allies in response to Tuesday’s attack was possible.

Shapps warned, “This cannot continue and cannot be allowed to continue.”

James Madison High School students were forced to attend school virtually Wednesday after the school was temporarily closed Tuesday evening in order to provide shelter for roughly 2,000 illegal immigrants who were evacuated from one of New York City’s tent shelters due to a major storm in the region.

New York City councilwoman Inna Vernikov shared a press release on social media Tuesday, warning that 1,900 illegal immigrants were being transported to the Brooklyn high school and would be staying in the school’s auditorium and gymnasium for the night.

“We warned you! As predicted, Floyd Bennett Field is not a sustainable shelter facility! James Madison High School is becoming a migrant shelter over night,” Vernikov wrote. “1900 migrants are being transferred to this public school to spend the night there to evade the storm. @NYCMayor this is UNACCEPTABLE! Our schools are not migrant shelters!”

We warned you! As predicted, Floyd Bennett Field is not a sustainable shelter facility! James Madison High School is becoming a migrant shelter over night. 1900 migrants are being transferred to this public school to spend the night there to evade the storm. @NYCMayor this is… pic.twitter.com/SxUfflcpeF

— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) January 9, 2024

According to The New York Post, the school announced Tuesday that classes would be conducted remotely on Wednesday due to the school being used as a “temporary overnight respite center” for the city’s illegal immigrant population. The outlet noted that the decision to use the high school as an emergency shelter was prompted by forecasts of heavy rain and up to 70 mph wind gusts and concerns that the Floyd Bennet Field shelter would not be secure during the adverse weather.

READ MORE: Illegal immigrants enter NYC by train after mayor blocks buses: Report

“With expected winds gusts of up to 70 MPH during the height of this storm, we are taking the proactive measure of relocating families from the Floyd Bennet Field shelter out of an abundance of caution to ensure the well-being of those entrusted to our care,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “While families are already in the process of temporarily being relocated, the city will ensure that essential services and the highest level of support are provided to all impacted by this decision.”

Video footage shared by End Wokeness shows the illegal immigrants being transported by school buses and being dropped off at the high school.

BREAKING: School buses are dropping off illegal migrants at Madison High School in Brooklyn.

The school is closing tomorrow & all 2k students will be doing class virtually to accommodate the illegals.pic.twitter.com/SwMwkWnDbG

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 9, 2024

Multiple local residents expressed concerns to The New York Post regarding the city’s decision on Tuesday. Additionally, The New York Post reported that one parent confronted the illegal immigrants, shouting, “How does it feel that you kicked all the kids out of school tomorrow? Does it feel good? I hope you feel good. I hope you will sleep very well tonight!”

A Plentywood native has been promoted to brigadier general of the Montana Army National Guard, the first woman to achieve this rank in the Treasure State.

Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek — adjutant general for Montana, Montana National Guard commander and director of the Department of Military Affairs — presented Col. Renea Dorvall with the general’s flag and administered the oath of office during ceremonies Saturday in the Helena Armed Forces Reserve Center auditorium at Forth Harrison.

He noted Dorvall’s ties to northeastern Montana, adding she was likely Plentywood’s first brigadier general as well. Hronek said Dorvall has a degree in elementary education and masters in strategic studies.

“We all need to know where we are going … She always tells the ‘why,’ the why we are doing this and why it is important to to do this and provides that vision and leadership,” he said. “”It gives us the confidence to follow and she does that … And she also leads by example.”

He said family comes first for Dorvall, saying she likes golf, is a good mechanical bull-rider, has walked portions of the Appalachian Trail and loves family game night.

“She loves serving and she loves the Army National Guard,” Hronek said, adding he so glad to promote her to brigadier general, knowing she will do great things for the organization. “We are just so grateful to have her.”

Her husband, two children, and mother — who pinned her with the star.

She joined the Montana Guard in 1987 and received her commission from the Montana Officer Candidate School in 1993. Prior assignments include the director of operations and training for the Montana Army National Guard, commander of the 1889th Regional Support Group in Butte and was the first female commander of the 190th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in Billings.

Dorvall, who in 2022 was the first woman to be appointed to assistant adjutant general, reflected on her journey, expressing gratitude for the unwavering support of her family.

She spoke not only of personal achievement but also of the collective strength within the Montana Army National Guard.

Dorvall described Saturday’s ceremony as a “surreal moment.”

“To me it is not about the rank,” she said. “I never thought I’d be standing before you today.”

Dorvall said she owed the start of her military “journey” to her father, Dale Long, who also served in the Army National Guard years ago.

She said her mentors and colleagues taught her it really wasn’t about the position; it was about what you can do for the soldiers.

Dorvall credited others in the guard with helping her on her journey.

“You guys are all part of who raised me,” she said.

“This is not an individual thing, nothing in life I believe is individual,” Dorvall said. “It is because of those we have around us and I have the best team that has helped raise me.”

Dorvall thanked her husband Rick and her children, Ryan and Kyra, adding it was her goal in life to raise good humans.

And she said her mother, Marlene Long, was the best role model she could have ever had in her life. “Nobody works harder than you, no one loves more than you and no one is more accepting than you. You set us kids up for success by how you lived your life. You expected us to be good people. If I can be half the person you are I have done so well.”

She presented flowers to her mom and gave other family members a silver star that they can put on their keychain.

“This has been a great ride and l look forward to continuing to be on it,” she said.

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., congratulated Dorvall on her promotion in an email.

“This is a momentous day for Montana and for Colonel Dorvall. Joining the Montana Army National Guard in 1987, Colonel Dorvall has spent decades serving the Treasure State and our nation,” he said.

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(c) 2024 the Independent Record

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A 27-year-old Hartford man died in a crash Sunday after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase on highways and roads in Dodge County.

A Dodge County sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop the vehicle at about 5:55 p.m., Sheriff Dale Schmidt said in a press release. The Sheriff’s Office had received a report from a concerned citizen that the driver might be impaired based on how the person was driving. It had also received a report that the vehicle failed to stop for Washing County deputies earlier that evening.

The Dodge County deputy attempted to stop the vehicle on Highway 33 near Highway 67. Schmidt said the driver fled from the stop and traveled south on Highway 67 at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The vehicle then traveled west on Highway S. The vehicle continued north on Horseshoe Road at a high rate of speed and failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle left the roadway, went into a ditch and struck a tree.

Deputies immediately rendered aid and attempted life saving measures on the driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, Schmidt said. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The State Patrol is assisting with the crash investigation. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to assist with the safe removal of an older military style grenade, or facsimile, found in the vehicle. MedFlight, the Horicon Fire Department and EMS, and the Dodge County Emergency Response Team also assisted with the incident.

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(c) 2024 WiscNews

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

Belarusian blogger Ales Sabaleuski remains in jail despite completing a second term, the Mayday Team Telegram channel said on January 8.

Sabaleuski was initially arrested and handed a 10-day jail sentence on unspecified charges on December 12.

While serving that term, he was charged with what authorities called distribution of extremist materials and his jail term was extended until January 6.

However, Sabaleuski was not released then.

The regime led by authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka often files serious criminal charges against independent journalists, bloggers, and activists after holding them beyond their original sentences. 

This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.

After Taiwan spotted Chinese balloons flying over its main island, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in Taipei accused Beijing of conducting ‘cognitive warfare’ against Taiwanese people just days before the general election. 

Two more Chinese balloons were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which serves as the de facto boundary between Taiwan and China, on Friday. One of them flew over the Taiwan island itself, the ministry said Saturday in a strongly-worded statement.

On Jan. 13, the Taiwanese go to polls in presidential and parliamentary elections seen as vital for cross-strait relations.

The MND only began disclosing China’s balloon incursions in December 2023 and has so far reported the sighting of 19 balloons, including six that entered the island’s airspace.

An airspace is a portion of the atmosphere above a country’s territory, to which it holds exclusive sovereignty.

Experts say the balloons are likely meteorological as most of them fly at a relatively low altitude.

The MND said, according to their analyses, “the main purpose of the recently detected airborne balloons is to conduct gray zone activities, attempting to use cognitive warfare to affect the morale of Taiwanese people.”

Cognitive warfare, often known as psychological warfare, refers to activities designed to control the mental state and behavior of other people.

The drifting paths of the balloons “posed a serious threat to the safety of many international flights,” the ministry said in a statement sent to reporters.

It added that the Taiwanese military is keeping a close watch and would notify civil aviation authorities about any new developments, while “condemning the Chinese Communist Party for its disregard of aviation safety and for the safety of passengers on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and internationally.”

‘Hyping China’s threat’?

Wendell Minnick, a Taipei-based veteran Chinese military watcher, said the balloons could be an air traffic problem for airliners at 30,000 ft (9.1km).

“Sucking one of these into the engine would result in a crash,” Minnick told Radio Free Asia. 

“But these weather balloons are not unusual; they come from two different weather balloon stations in China,” said Minnick. “Now that Taiwan’s MND has begun mentioning them, they have to keep doing so.”

Chinese media outlets, meanwhile, said they were “harmless weather balloons” and accused the Taiwanese government of “hyping the mainland threat.”

“It’s evident that weather balloons pose no threat to anyone, however, media outlets in the U.S. and Taiwan island use them to perpetuate the ‘mainland threat theory’,” said the state-run Global Times in an editorial on Thursday. 

The Global Times mentioned the incident that happened in early 2023 when U.S. authorities accused China of flying a spy balloon over the continental U.S.

In the so-called “2023 Chinese balloon incident,” the Pentagon sent a stealth F-22 Raptor fighter jet to shoot down what it said was a Chinese high-altitude surveillance platform in the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 4.

China said it was a weather balloon that was blown off course, but the incident led to further tensions in the already problematic China-U.S. relations.