The Chicago Journal

Chicago mayoral race debate was heated

Nicholas Alexander Nicholas Alexander on March 20, 2023

Chicago – The mayoral candidates in Chicago sparred on Thursday night in a televised debate ahead of the April 4 runoff.

This is the latest big-city mayoral election to put people’ perspectives on crime and policing to the test.

Paul Vallas accused opponent Brandon Johnson of supporting the “defund the police” movement.

Nevertheless, Johnson, a lefty, criticized Vallas’ attempts to expand police officer recruitment as slow and ineffective.

The two mayoral contenders have said that they are Democrats competing in a nonpartisan election.

They advanced to the runoff when incumbent Lori Lightfoot lost her reelection campaign after finishing third in the February 28 primary.

The candidates

Chicago is a Democratic stronghold, with 83% of residents backing President Joseph Biden in the 2020 presidential race.

Johnson and Vallas, although professing to be members of the same party, are on opposing sides of the party’s schism on police problems.

The more conservative candidate is Paul Vallas, a former public school administrator who has the backing of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police.

His campaign revolves around being pro-police and tough on crime.

Vallas vowed to lower the number of municipal police officers while boosting the number of policemen stationed on CTA buses and trains.

Brandon Johnson is a progressive Cook County commissioner who has the backing of the Chicago Teachers Union.

While Johnson has periodically backed the “defund the cops” movement, he has maintained that he would not cut police spending.

Instead, he plans to boost his investments in underserved areas.

The debate

Johnson and Vallas sparred verbally at the mayoral candidate discussion on ABC 7 on Thursday.

Johnson’s prior remarks, in which he broadly favored diverting taxpayer money away from enforcement and toward community-based projects, were brought up by Vallas.

“I’m not going to defund the police, and you know that. You know that,” Johnson responded.

“I have passed multi-billion dollar budgets, over and over again.”

Brandon Johnson went on to announce that he will recruit 200 extra detectives to assist in the investigation of more serious offenses.

He also indicated that he will strive to prevent gun violence by enforcing stronger “red flag” legislation.

Red flag laws allow judges to temporarily seize firearms from those who are judged dangerous to themselves or others.

“The best way to engender confidence in public safety, you’ve got to catch people,” said Johnson.

Similarly, Paul Vallas vowed to quickly fill thousands of police posts.

He intends to station officers in communities and on public transit once the jobs are filled.

“There is no substitute for returning to community-based policing,” said Vallas.

“You can’t have confidence in the safety of public transportation when there are no police officers at the platforms and police officers at the stations.”

As violence in Chicago rose between 2020 and 2021, the mayoral election in Chicago has become increasingly focused on crime.

Shootings and killings have fallen, but other crimes have grown, according to the Chicago Police Department’s 2022 year-end report.

  • Burglaries
  • Car-jacking
  • Robberies
  • Theft

Read also: Lori Lightfoot fails to advance mayoral reelection

A turn in the race

Paul Vallas stood above the fray in the prior discussion, while Brandon Johnson went on the offensive.

Everything changed on Thursday night when Vallas launched an all-out assault in the opening few minutes of the debate, changing the race into a contender with only three debates and three candidate forums remaining.

Vallas attacked Johnson’s proposal to boost hotel and airline fuel taxes, as well as a $4-per-head corporation tax and a higher sales tax on high-end real estate.

Brandon Johnson stated that Vallas is seeking increased spending on public safety without explaining how he intends to fund it.

“You can’t run a multi-billion dollar budget off of bake sales,” he said.

Vallas then chastised Johnson’s participation in school closures.

Brandon Johnson is a teacher who has openly clashed with Lori Lightfoot on the reintroduction of in-person classes.

According to Vallas, 15 months of closures is not an investment in people.

Johnson said that Paul Vallas was making a Republican argument by condemning school closures due to the epidemic.

“That’s a part of your party,” he said.

Johnson attempted to paint Vallas as being too conservative for the blue metropolis.

Endorsement

President Joseph Biden, Illinois Senators Dick Turbin and Tammy Duckworth, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker all declined to participate in the runoff.

Nonetheless, other national voices have endorsed Brandon Johnson, including:

  • Bernie Sanders
  • Elizabeth Warren
  • Jim Clyburn

Johnson, according to Sanders, has been a champion for Chicago’s working families.

Toni Preckwinkle, President of the Chicago County Board, also supported Johnson.

But, city alderman and former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has endorsed Paul Vallas.

Image source: Fox32 Chicago

Portland woman breaks into another apartment and raises mental health help concerns

Jason Robinson Jason Robinson on December 26, 2022

Image source: Daily Caller

By now, residents of Portland, Oregon, know of Terri Zinzer, who has been arrested multiple times in recent months.

In every incident, it was clear that Zinzer needed mental health care, but the situation in the city made it difficult to do so.

A few weeks ago, Terri Zinzer is said to have walked into a house and laid down on a bed.

Last week, she was caught again in another break-in, and Zinzer missed a court hearing on Monday.

The latest incident

Zinzer’s break-in occurred at around 4:30 PM at an apartment on Northeast 17th Avenue near Northeast Broadway.

According to Drew Doety, his mother came home from work and found a stranger on her bed.

“She unlocks the door to find a person sleeping in her bedroom under her blanket,” Doety explained.

“At first, she thought it was my sister, but then discovered that it was a random person, random woman in her bed.”

“She yelled at them to get out, then realized that it was just better to leave the apartment and call the police.”

Doety said his mother went back in to check the situation and found the woman hiding in a closet with her clothes on.

When the police arrived at the property, Zinzer barricaded himself in the bathroom.

Doety said police had to break down the door and take her away in handcuffs.

“I would say it was a pretty distressing situation for everybody involved,” he said.

“And definitely not the kind of thing that you expect to come home to, but in Portland, it is seeming more and more commonplace.”

Terri Zinzer

Drew Doety’s sentiments rang true, especially in the case of Zinzer, whose actions shed some light on the flaws in the justice system for not getting her help.

Although the prosecutor said she needed mental health care, Zinzer refused.

As a result, she has had more confrontations with the police in recent months.

Past incidents

Terri Zinzer’s first confrontation with the police began in July when she was caught stealing in Gresham.

However, the district attorney’s office did not charge her anything.

A few weeks later, police caught her committing trespass, but the district attorney’s office has not yet filed a lawsuit against her.

On September 12, Zinzer broke into Kelsey Smith’s home, with the break-in captured on security video.

Initially, the prosecutor’s office said they would not charge him, but claimed Zinzer needed psychiatric care, not prison.

Instead, they chose to file a complaint.

Terri Zinzer was indicted last week.

An arrest warrant was later issued on September 19 after missing a hearing in Clackamas County.

During that hearing, it was going to be determined if she was mentally capable of handling another theft case.

On September 27, Zinzer was arrested for theft, disorderly behavior, and false information.

Since the district attorney’s office had not filed a complaint, she was released from prison.

On September 30, Zinzer broke into Doety’s apartment.

After the break-in

Drew Doety and his family were shocked by the event and are currently waiting for the police before taking any action.

“Definitely violating to have somebody come into your home and to find somebody in your bed,” he said.

“So we spent the night basically sanitizing the entire apartment, and now it’s a matter of calling the police and insurance and hoping everything can get solved.”

According to Doety, they plan to file a complaint.

Zinzer was supposed to appear in court on Monday, but was instead held in solitary confinement.

According to court documents, she yells and swears at officials, knocks on the cell door, and spits on the windows.

Prior to the current situation, Terri Zinzer was charged with 16 offenses in 2018.

Even then, she didn’t seem to get the help she needed.

Reference:

Justice system appears unable to provide necessary mental health help for Terri Zinzer

New York tragedy with two children dead in stabbing

Claire Peterson Claire Peterson on December 12, 2022

Image source: Fox 13 Memphis

New York: According to police, disaster struck this weekend when two young brothers were stabbed to death in New York City.

The news

The two victims – a 3-year-old boy and an 11-month-old boy – were found Saturday night in an apartment building in the Bronx.

According to the New York Police Department, the boys were deemed unresponsive.

They also had several stab wounds on their neck and chest.

The police took the two boys to the hospital, where they both died.

Read also: Shooting in LGBTQ nightclub results in five dead

The calls

NYPD Deputy Chief Louis Dececglie told reporters that at around 7:30 pm, police responded to a call about an emotionally disturbed person.

New York police arrested the woman people were calling about and took her to the hospital by ambulance.

According to a statement from the NYPD, the woman was taken in for an examination.

Meanwhile, city records show that the apartment building where the victims were found is on the list of family shelters.

Deceglie said officers followed up after the initial call.

Read also: Itaewon police offices raided following Halloween crowd crush

Also, a family friend told police that the children were being cared for by their father.

Police received a second 911 call half an hour later.

“A second 911 call was received reporting to unresponsive babies not breathing at the same location,” said Deceglie.

“Patrol officers returned to the apartment, where they found an 11-month-old baby boy and a 3-year-old male unresponsive with stab wounds, multiple stab wounds.”

Although asked about the history of calls to 911 and how officers responded, police declined to comment.

Aftermath

According to New York police, the children’s 22-year-old mother is in their custody.

Although the investigation continues, the victim’s father is not in custody.

The mother has not been publicly named as a suspect.

In addition, police say she has not been arrested or charged.

Reference: 

A baby and a toddler were stabbed to death in New York City, police say

Shooting in LGBTQ nightclub results in five dead

Claire Peterson Claire Peterson on December 5, 2022

Image source: MassLive

Shootings continue to plague the United States as an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs has become the latest victim of yet another mass shooting.

Before midnight on Saturday, a 22-year-old gunman entered Club Q and opened fire on the club patrons.

The shooting killed at least five people and injured 25 others.

The shooter

Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez has identified the Club Q shooter as Anderson Lee Aldrich.

Aldrich used a long rifle.

Vasquez also said the police found two firearms at the scene.

Additionally, Vasquez said at least two club guests confronted and fought Aldrich to prevent more violence.

“We owe them a great debt of thanks,” said the Police Chief.

Read also: Drag in danger as Tennessee law seeks to ban shows

Aldrich

Anderson Lee Aldrich was arrested in June 2021 over a bomb threat that led to a standoff at his mother’s home.

Two law enforcement sources confirmed that the suspects in the nightclub shooting and bomb scare were the same people by name and date of birth.

According to a release from El Paso, Aldrich was arrested for menacing crimes and first-degree kidnapping.

At the time, sheriff’s deputies responded to a report from Aldrich’s mother that he threatened to harm her with a homemade bomb he made.

Although they called the suspect, he refused to comply with surrender orders, prompting them to evacuate nearby houses.

Hours after the police were called, the Sheriff’s Crisis Negotiation Unit convinced Aldrich to leave the house and arrested him when he walked through the front door.

Investigations

Police say they are investigating whether the attack was a hate crime.

They highlighted Club Q’s relationship with the LGBTQ community.

“Club Q is a safe haven for our LGBTQ citizens,” said Vasquez.

“Every citizen has a right to feel safe and secure in our city, to go about our beautiful city without fear of being harmed or treated poorly.”

Club Q

The nightclub released a statement on social media saying it was devastated by the attack on the community.

Additionally, Club Q thanked the heroic customers who overpowered the shooter to end the hateful attack.

Earlier that day, the club released its night schedule, which included a punk and alternative show followed by a dance party.

They also planned a Sunday brunch and drag show for Transgender Day of Remembrance.

However, the club’s website says it will shut down until further notice.

Read also: Takeoff dies after a stray bullet from a nearby shooting hits him

Aftermath

Governor Jared Polis has called for flags to be flown half-mast Monday through Saturday in all public buildings across the state to honor the victims.

“Flags will be lowered for 5 days to remember each of the 5 individuals who lost their lives in this senseless tragedy,” the release wrote.

“To further honor and remember the victims and those injured in this tragedy, the Polis-Primavera administration will also be flying the Pride flag at the Colorado state capitol for the next five days.”

Colorado became the site of some of the most impactful mass shootings in the country’s history.

Other shootings include the 1999 Columbine shooting and the 2012 movie theater massacre.

Additionally, Colorado was the scene of a Planned Parenthood mass shooting that killed three people seven years ago.

Meanwhile, a shooting broke out at a birthday party last year, killing six people.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 600 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2022.

Reference:

Gunman kills 5 at LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs before patrons confront and stop him, police say

Nikita Dragun arrest details come to light

Nicholas Alexander Nicholas Alexander on November 17, 2022

Image source: Yahoo

Nikita Dragun was in trouble this week in Miami, Florida, with an arrest.

She is a well-known beauty YouTuber and Hype House star.

The internet star is said to have drenched a police officer with water from a bottle.

What happened

Police received complaints about the YouTube star walking naked around the pool.

She disturbed people even when the staff told her to stop.

The police later came to Nikita Dragun’s hotel room.

As a result, Dragun’s arrest falls on three charges:

  • Felony battery on a police officer
  • Misdemeanor disorderly conduct
  • Misdemeanor battery

She was transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County.

Read also: Drag in danger as Tennessee law seeks to ban shows

Court

On November 8, Nikita Dragun appeared virtually in court in Bond.

The proceeding tape allege that Dragun was put in the men’s unit of the correctional facility.

However, Nikita Dragun is a trans woman.

In addition, at the bail hearing, she asked Judge Mindy Glazer if she should remain in the men’s unit.

“Yeah, I don’t make the rules up there,” Glazer responded.

Nikita Dragun is no longer in jail after a $5,000 bond.

Statements

Jack Ketsoyan, Dragun’s press officer, stated to Local 10 News from Miami, with the text:

“The situation with Nikita, who is legally female, being placed in a men’s unit of a Florida jail is extremely disturbing and dangerous.”

“This decision made by the Miami-Dade County Corrections Department directly violates their protocol, which mandates that transgender inmates are classified and housed based on safety needs and gender identity.”

“Nikita has been released and is now safe. Thank you for respecting her privacy during this time.”

Read also: Stranger Things characters should have died

Miami-Dade prison

Meanwhile, a representative of the Miami-Dade prison system also released a statement to deny his allegations.

“All inmates undergoing our intake process remain in an open seating (open booking) area, in the presence of correction staff,” said the rep.

“Additionally, inmate Dragun was placed in a holding cell by herself due to her high profile status before being released.”

“She was escorted by an LGBTQ officer during her time at the corrections facility.”

Reference:

Nikita Dragun arrested and says she was placed in men’s unit in Florida jail

Itaewon police offices raided following Halloween crowd crush

Jason Robinson Jason Robinson on November 7, 2022

Image source: Indy 100

Itaewon experienced one of the biggest tragedies recently on Halloween when a stampede killed over a hundred people in South Korea.

Investigators are now working on the case of the crowd crush with 156 dead.

The investigations

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, investigators raided eight offices to seize internal reports and documents.

The documents in question refer to public notifications to the emergency hotline number 112.

One of the offices searched was the Yongsan District Police Station, which oversees Itaewon’s nightlife.

Crowd crush took place in Itaewon.

Raids and investigations are ongoing as Korean authorities face public pressure and protests.

Witnesses say there was little to no crowd control during the crush in Itaewon.

Reports indicate that police received advanced warnings.

The crush

The Itaewon tragedy in Seoul happened on Saturday.

Witnesses said the crush happened on a narrow stretch of street where huge crowds were gathering on a 13ft wide street.

They said that crowd members could not move or breathe.

Public members reportedly called the police about the overcrowding hours before reports of the first deaths emerged.

Read also: Indonesian soccer derby loss leads to stampede and 174 people dead, nearly 200 injured

The Wednesday raid

A special investigation unit carried out the raids on Wednesday.

The National Police Services Agency (NPA) formed the unit the day before.

It is now responsible for investigating the disaster.

According to the NPA, they suspended the head of the Yongsan Police Station, one of the closest police stations.

“Chief Lee Im-jae cannot carry out his normal duties given the situation,” the NPA announced.

They also noted that they would find his successor later that day.

The calls

According to the NPA, the police received at least 11 calls from people in the Itaewon area.

The phone calls raised concerns of a possible crowd crush just four hours before it happened.

The first call came at 6:34 pm from a caller who said: “It looks really dangerous. I fear people might get crushed.”

Less than two hours later, another called and said people were crowding in the narrow street of Itaewon.

The caller said people were falling and getting hurt.

NPA statement

On Tuesday, NPA chief Yoon Hee-keun confessed that police made mistakes in their response.

“There were a number of reports on the police emergency hotline indicating the seriousness of the (situation) just before the accident occurred,” said Hee-keun.

“According to reports, a large crowd gathered before the accident, and police emergency hotline reports were (informed of the danger).”

Chief Yoon Hee-keun described the police response as “inadequate.”

He also said he felt a heavy responsibility as the head of the agency

During Tuesday’s press conference, Chief Yoon Hee-keun announced the creation of the special investigation unit.

He vowed that the unit would be transparent and share the truth with the people.

Read also: Instagram locks out thousands of accounts

Other notes

Meanwhile, other government bodies admit they were ill-prepared.

The Interior Ministry admitted on Monday that it had no guidelines for crowd management because it was not caused by a single event with a single organizer.

“One of the reasons (for the disaster) was a lack of deep institutional knowledge and consideration for crowd management,” said Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

The prime minister says it still wouldn’t have been effective had there been more police in the area.

“We don’t have a crowd management system.”

Reference:

Halloween crush investigators raid police stations across Seoul

Scott Lennox, Chicago resident, threatens Republican candidate

Leah Cooper Leah Cooper on November 7, 2022

Image source: CWB Chicago

Scott Lennox, a 21-year-old Chicago resident, sent violent threats to the Republican candidate for governor of Illinois, Senator Darren Bailey.

The Chicago resident allegedly called Bailey’s office last Friday.

According to the Cook County Attorney’s Office, Lennox left him a lengthy audio message.

The threats

According to a bond proposal from the prosecutor’s office, Scott Lennox left a string of violent threats via voicemail.

“I’m going to skin Darren Bailey alive, making sure he is still alive … and screaming in ******* pain,” Lennox allegedly said.

“I know where he lives, I know where he sleeps, I know where his kids sleep.”

“Yeah, that’s right, so he better kill himself, and if he doesn’t, I am going to kill him,” the voicemail concluded.

The transcript comes from a document filed in the Cook County Circuit Court.

Read also: J. Michael Luttig joins the battle against Trump’s attempt to overturn elections

Tracing the calls

The voicemails trace back to Scott Lennox through caller ID.

Additionally, the Illinois Secretary of State interviewed Lennox.

According to court documents, he admits to the calls and reads:

“The Illinois Secretary of State Police deemed (Lennox) was not a credible threat and did not arrest (Lennox) or transport him to any location for further questioning.”

The case was referred to the Illinois State Police, who arrested Lennox after questioning and examining his phone.

Charges

Scott Lennox appeared in court on Wednesday to face charges of crimes including:

  • Threatening a public official
  • Harassment by electronic communications
  • Telephone harassment.

However, he was given a $ 75,000 bail with electronic surveillance.

Additionally, Lennox must stay away from Bailey, his family and associates.

Finally, Scott Lennox is not allowed to post threatening messages online.

Read also: Biden travels to Oregon, voices support for Kotek and warns of Biden’s influence

Bailey

Senator Darren Bailey released a written statement from his campaign to address the situation.

“Divisive, inflammatory, and misleading rhetoric is driving hatred across our state as some attempt to label political opponents as dangerous threats.”

“Whether we agree or disagree on policies, we are all Americans,” he continued.

“I pray this young man gets the help he needs.”

Incumbent Democratic Governor JB Pritzker echoed Bailey’s sentiments despite being his opponent.

“The violent rhetoric and division we’re seeing across our country is unacceptable,” he tweeted.

“Hatred in any form has no home in Illinois.”

In addition to being a senator, Darren Bailey is the co-founder and former president of a private Christian school.

Before that, he was the local school board president for the Clay County Public School District.

Schools linked to Bailey are under soft lockdown, prosecutors say.

Reference:

Chicago man accused of leaving voicemail with death threats at office of Republican candidate for governor

A man enters a Chicago police station, gets shot

Leah Cooper Leah Cooper on October 10, 2022

Image source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

The shooting is a major nuisance in the United States, and another shooting occurred at a Chicago police station on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at the Ogden District Station (10th) of the Chicago Police Department.

The suspect allegedly entered the station with a gun and waved it to officers in the lobby.

After the incident, the police said they would increase security at the station.

What happened

The male suspect entered the police station at 3315 W. Ogden Ave. in the Lawndale neighborhood before 1 p.m., according to CPD Superintendent David Brown. 

The attacker had wrapped a plastic bag around his hand.

Officers noticed a gun barrel sticking out of the pocket.

The suspect was reportedly muttering and ranting before the officers present told him to drop the gun.

Although Brown refused to go into details, he said the suspect yelled a number of things at the officers, mostly about anti-police sentiments.

Several officers drew their guns and fired, hitting the suspect at least once in the shoulder.

After the incident

A Chicago fire department official said a male civilian sustained a gunshot wound and was transported to Mount Sinai hospital.

Meanwhile, Brown said the suspect’s injuries were not life-threatening.

None of the officers present were injured in the accident.

As for the suspect, police have not yet identified him and described him as uncooperative.

CPD spokesman Tom Ahern said an attacker was in custody with stabilized conditions. It was also revealed that the assailant’s weapon had been recovered.

What happens next?

After the incident, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it was responding to the shooting.

The agents involved will carry out routine administrative tasks for 30 days.

CPD facilities security

Two weeks ago, another incident occurred when a Waukegan man was charged with trespassing at the CPD’s Homan Square facility.

While the officers were providing SWAT training, the man grabbed some weapons.

According to Brown, the department is currently evaluating what they can do to increase safety in CPD facilities.

“The number of officers being shot at or shot, and this anti-police sentiment expressed by this particular offender, has us all concerned about access to our police facilities,” said Brown.

The Chicago Police Department is considering measures they can take to increase their safety. There have already been two incidents at their facilities.

“If you can look at some other police facilities around the country, they have some type of ballistic translucent glass or barrier,” Brown pointed out.

“We have to balance that with being obviously open for the community to come in and make reports; come in and engage with our officers, so it’s a balance we have to strike – but there are some things we believe that we can do.”

As of Wednesday evening, the police had still not identified the man who had brought a firearm to the police station.

Due to his uncooperative attitude, they plan to fingerprint him in their database to identify him.

Reference:

Chicago police shoot person who entered 10th District station lobby with gun