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Sunday, August 01, 2010
Christian shop manager tells robber Jesus wouldn't approve
A 20-year-old Christian mobile phone shop manager in Florida stopped a would-be armed robber by preaching to him about Jesus. Nayara Goncalves spent nearly five minutes persuading the man that he was doing the wrong thing. The man eventually apologised, explained his gun was a replica and left the shop in Broward County. "She was able to remain calm and keep him calm," a sheriff's office spokeswoman said.
During the incident on 23 July, Ms Goncalves told the would-be robber: "I'm just going to talk with you about Jesus." The man said he was a Christian and was "embarrassed" to be doing what he was doing but that he needed $300 (£190) to avoid being evicted. The shop manager told him: "I don't know what you're going through, but all of us are going through a hard time right now."
When she explained that she would have to make up any shortfall, he decided to leave. Ms Goncalves said she had been inspired by God and that she hoped the man would turn to the church. "He didn't look that bad. He didn't look like a criminal. It made me a bit more confident about what I wanted to tell him.
"It touched me. I could never be able to think I could to talk or preach to someone with a gun. I just felt like hugging him and saying please don't do this." Veda Coleman-Wright, of Broward County sheriff's office, said she had never seen anything like it in her 14 years on the job. The man is being sought for attempted armed robbery, she added.
During the incident on 23 July, Ms Goncalves told the would-be robber: "I'm just going to talk with you about Jesus." The man said he was a Christian and was "embarrassed" to be doing what he was doing but that he needed $300 (£190) to avoid being evicted. The shop manager told him: "I don't know what you're going through, but all of us are going through a hard time right now."
When she explained that she would have to make up any shortfall, he decided to leave. Ms Goncalves said she had been inspired by God and that she hoped the man would turn to the church. "He didn't look that bad. He didn't look like a criminal. It made me a bit more confident about what I wanted to tell him.
"It touched me. I could never be able to think I could to talk or preach to someone with a gun. I just felt like hugging him and saying please don't do this." Veda Coleman-Wright, of Broward County sheriff's office, said she had never seen anything like it in her 14 years on the job. The man is being sought for attempted armed robbery, she added.
Three-year-old girl shot dead by four-year-old boy
A three-year-old girl has been shot dead by a four-year-old boy after he picked up a handgun left on a kitchen table and pointed it at her head. Aunesti Lee Allen, from Indianapolis, USA, died at Riley Hospital for Children a few hours after the shooting.
Her mother, Fiona Lee, 26, whose other two children witnessed the shooting, was arrested and charged with child neglect as well as drugs possession. Police are trying to trace the boy and his father Curtis White, 24, who lived with Lee. The two other children are currently being cared for by a relative.
Police said Lee thought the boy may have believed he had picked up a toy gun, many of which were lying around the house.
Lt Jeff Duhamell, from Indianapolis Police Department said: "This is a tragedy that easily could have been avoided. And the sad part is that the other children saw it. Now, there are many lives that have been turned upside down."
Her mother, Fiona Lee, 26, whose other two children witnessed the shooting, was arrested and charged with child neglect as well as drugs possession. Police are trying to trace the boy and his father Curtis White, 24, who lived with Lee. The two other children are currently being cared for by a relative.
Police said Lee thought the boy may have believed he had picked up a toy gun, many of which were lying around the house.
Lt Jeff Duhamell, from Indianapolis Police Department said: "This is a tragedy that easily could have been avoided. And the sad part is that the other children saw it. Now, there are many lives that have been turned upside down."
Woman dances on counter as distraction during robbery
Dallas police are calling it one of the most unusual hold ups they've ever seen.
On Tuesday a man and a woman walked into a convenience store and as the man started to stuff a bag with cigarettes the woman got on the counter and started to dance as a distraction.
The clerk didn't take it sitting down, he grabbed a small stick and started waving it at the man and woman.
After a small fight the two would-be robbers ran out empty handed. Police are now looking for the two who are believed to be involved in another robbery.
On Tuesday a man and a woman walked into a convenience store and as the man started to stuff a bag with cigarettes the woman got on the counter and started to dance as a distraction.
The clerk didn't take it sitting down, he grabbed a small stick and started waving it at the man and woman.
After a small fight the two would-be robbers ran out empty handed. Police are now looking for the two who are believed to be involved in another robbery.
French police filmed dragging women and babies during protest
A video has emerged showing French police evicting African immigrants with babies and children during a housing protest in a Paris suburb. Police arrived in the north-east Parisian suburb of La Courneuve last Wednesday and asked a group of about 60 mostly women and children to move, said Michael Hajdenberg, a journalist with the French media organization Mediapart. The group had been living in the street since being evicted from their council homes on July 8 to make way for a new housing project, he said. When the group failed to respond to the request, Hajdenberg said police officers forcibly removed them.
Authorities had offered to accommodate them for a short period in hotels, but Hajdenberg said the immigrants wanted more of a long-term guarantee of places to live. The video shows police dragging away women with babies and young children. In one scene a woman with a baby wrapped to her back is dragged along the pavement while screaming and shouting. Another scene shows what appears to be a pregnant woman lying on her back on the street. Police can also be seen carrying women away while children and babies are screaming.
The incident lasted about 30 minutes said Hajdenberg, who added that "there were no serious injuries, mostly cuts and scrapes." The immigrants are mostly from the Ivory Coast, said Michael Hoare, a spokesman for the campaign group Right to Housing. "Most of them have been in France for between 3 to 10 years. Some of them have papers, some of them don't. They have submitted demands to be legalized," Hoare said. The arrested protesters were released later the same day and have since accepted short-term hotel accommodation, Hoare said.
"Because the experience was so traumatic they have ended up accepting the offer to go into the hotel and there are meetings going on about their future," he said. Commissioner Christian Lambert from the Police Commissioner's office of the town Bobigny said in a written statement: "An eviction is never a simple procedure when there is resistance involved on behalf of those being evicted." Regarding the scene in which a mother is dragged with her child on her back, the statement read: "The officers were not able to dislodge her by pulling on her arms because her arms were linked with people on both sides. Therefore they moved her by pulling on her legs. Within a metre or so the baby is dislodged and become apparent to another officer who immediately picks it up."
Authorities had offered to accommodate them for a short period in hotels, but Hajdenberg said the immigrants wanted more of a long-term guarantee of places to live. The video shows police dragging away women with babies and young children. In one scene a woman with a baby wrapped to her back is dragged along the pavement while screaming and shouting. Another scene shows what appears to be a pregnant woman lying on her back on the street. Police can also be seen carrying women away while children and babies are screaming.
The incident lasted about 30 minutes said Hajdenberg, who added that "there were no serious injuries, mostly cuts and scrapes." The immigrants are mostly from the Ivory Coast, said Michael Hoare, a spokesman for the campaign group Right to Housing. "Most of them have been in France for between 3 to 10 years. Some of them have papers, some of them don't. They have submitted demands to be legalized," Hoare said. The arrested protesters were released later the same day and have since accepted short-term hotel accommodation, Hoare said.
"Because the experience was so traumatic they have ended up accepting the offer to go into the hotel and there are meetings going on about their future," he said. Commissioner Christian Lambert from the Police Commissioner's office of the town Bobigny said in a written statement: "An eviction is never a simple procedure when there is resistance involved on behalf of those being evicted." Regarding the scene in which a mother is dragged with her child on her back, the statement read: "The officers were not able to dislodge her by pulling on her arms because her arms were linked with people on both sides. Therefore they moved her by pulling on her legs. Within a metre or so the baby is dislodged and become apparent to another officer who immediately picks it up."
'Idiot' Kiwi to jetski from London to New Zealand
Kiwi adventurer Jeremy Burfoot doesn't mind when people call him an idiot for attempting to travel 32,000km from London to New Zealand by jetski. After all, that was his reaction when he first heard the idea. The 51-year-old airline pilot leaves London on Sunday morning and will spend up to 12 hours a day for four months astride a jetski on his way down to the southern hemisphere. The idea came from his first officer, who suggested it as a follow-up to his record-breaking 2005 jetski journey circumnavigating New Zealand. "I said: 'You're an idiot. What kind of a fool would do that?'," Mr Burfoot said. "He grabbed his atlas out and we were looking at it, and it looked pretty interesting."
Since then it's been mostly his wife who has been calling him an idiot, as he faces possible encounters with sharks, bad weather and pirates along the way. But it's all for a good cause. One of Mr Burfoot's goals is to smash the world record for riding a personal watercraft. More importantly, he wants to raise awareness about cancer prevention, after battling skin cancer himself in the past. "What it's about is the healthy living to prevent cancer in the first place - not going out in the sun, and eating reasonably good food, and staying healthy," Mr Burfoot said. But even if you do, you're not guaranteed of not getting cancer, so it's also early detection that we're talking about. If you get these things early, they're curable - that's the message."
Mr Burfoot will be joined on the mission by four other men as he weaves around the world's waterways, setting off from the River Thames outside London's Houses of Parliament on August 1. The standard-size jetskis will be packed with technical equipment to document the adventure, safety gear, some high-energy food, camping accessories and "very little" personal belongings. They have no logistics planned aside from the detailed route. The team will head across the English Channel to Rotterdam, riding the rivers of the Rhine and Danube and out to the Black Sea. From there they'll head to Turkey, then on to Egypt through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, which will take them to Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and down to Singapore, where they'll break the previous jetski journey record of 18,400km.
Then they'll island hop around Indonesia before moving to the top of Australia, down the east coast to Melbourne, across the Tasman to Wellington and then finally to Auckland. Mr Burfoot expects to complete the journey towards the end of November. One of their main logistical challenges will be refuelling the crafts along the way. "When you get down to these Middle Eastern countries like Sudan and Eritrea, the refuelling will be by 20-litre drums, walking up to the local service station in 40 degree heat," Mr Burfoot said. "So you're talking, to refuel all our machines, 35 x 20L drums - at least six trips with two each up to the local service station."
Jeremy's website.
Since then it's been mostly his wife who has been calling him an idiot, as he faces possible encounters with sharks, bad weather and pirates along the way. But it's all for a good cause. One of Mr Burfoot's goals is to smash the world record for riding a personal watercraft. More importantly, he wants to raise awareness about cancer prevention, after battling skin cancer himself in the past. "What it's about is the healthy living to prevent cancer in the first place - not going out in the sun, and eating reasonably good food, and staying healthy," Mr Burfoot said. But even if you do, you're not guaranteed of not getting cancer, so it's also early detection that we're talking about. If you get these things early, they're curable - that's the message."
Mr Burfoot will be joined on the mission by four other men as he weaves around the world's waterways, setting off from the River Thames outside London's Houses of Parliament on August 1. The standard-size jetskis will be packed with technical equipment to document the adventure, safety gear, some high-energy food, camping accessories and "very little" personal belongings. They have no logistics planned aside from the detailed route. The team will head across the English Channel to Rotterdam, riding the rivers of the Rhine and Danube and out to the Black Sea. From there they'll head to Turkey, then on to Egypt through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, which will take them to Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and down to Singapore, where they'll break the previous jetski journey record of 18,400km.
Then they'll island hop around Indonesia before moving to the top of Australia, down the east coast to Melbourne, across the Tasman to Wellington and then finally to Auckland. Mr Burfoot expects to complete the journey towards the end of November. One of their main logistical challenges will be refuelling the crafts along the way. "When you get down to these Middle Eastern countries like Sudan and Eritrea, the refuelling will be by 20-litre drums, walking up to the local service station in 40 degree heat," Mr Burfoot said. "So you're talking, to refuel all our machines, 35 x 20L drums - at least six trips with two each up to the local service station."
Jeremy's website.
'We sell big knockers' advert banned
A door and window company has been order to stop using an advert which features a picture of a topless woman accompanied by the slogan: "We sell big knockers." The ad by Tricketts of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales showed the woman's breasts discreetly covered by a pair of door knockers. The ad said "We sell big knockers, Window Hinges, Door Handles, Window Handles." A woman complained to the Advertising Standards Agency that she found the poster offensive.
An Agency report said "A member of the public, who believed the poster was demeaning to women and unsuitable for general display where children might see it, challenged whether the poster was offensive. Tricketts said the poster had been on display for a little over two months and in that time, they received positive feedback from customers who believed the poster was humorous. They said they had received only one complaint and therefore did not believe the poster was demeaning to women or likely to cause offence to the general public.
I've tried, but unfortunately failed to find the actual advert.
"The ASA noted that the text 'WE SELL BIG KNOCKERS' was clearly a crude comparison between the woman's breasts and the door knockers Tricketts sold, and that the image had clearly been chosen for that reason. We also noted the image bore no relevance to the products sold by Tricketts, a door and window installation company.
We considered that the image and text were likely to be seen to objectify and degrade women by linking their physical attributes to the advertiser's door and window products, and concluded that the image, in an untargeted medium where it could be seen by a general audience, and which bore no relevance to the advertised products, had the potential to cause serious offence to some consumers. The poster breached CAP Code clauses 5.1 and 5.2 (Taste and decency). The poster must not appear again in its current form."
An Agency report said "A member of the public, who believed the poster was demeaning to women and unsuitable for general display where children might see it, challenged whether the poster was offensive. Tricketts said the poster had been on display for a little over two months and in that time, they received positive feedback from customers who believed the poster was humorous. They said they had received only one complaint and therefore did not believe the poster was demeaning to women or likely to cause offence to the general public.
I've tried, but unfortunately failed to find the actual advert.
"The ASA noted that the text 'WE SELL BIG KNOCKERS' was clearly a crude comparison between the woman's breasts and the door knockers Tricketts sold, and that the image had clearly been chosen for that reason. We also noted the image bore no relevance to the products sold by Tricketts, a door and window installation company.
We considered that the image and text were likely to be seen to objectify and degrade women by linking their physical attributes to the advertiser's door and window products, and concluded that the image, in an untargeted medium where it could be seen by a general audience, and which bore no relevance to the advertised products, had the potential to cause serious offence to some consumers. The poster breached CAP Code clauses 5.1 and 5.2 (Taste and decency). The poster must not appear again in its current form."
Health and safety officials ban paddling pools in case a fire breaks out
Residents have blasted a decision by council housing killjoys to pull the plug on watery summer fun for children as health and safety gone mad. Resourceful parents erected four inflatable paddling pools in a communal garden at council flats in Gadesden Close, Cranham, for children to cool down and play in during the recent heatwave. But officials from Homes in Havering (HiH) - which manages the council's housing stock - ordered the pools to be removed last Thursday (July 22), citing health and safety fears - the day before the children were set to enjoy the summer break. Livid mother Stacey Martin said her daughter Skye, six, and her friends have been left devastated.
"I'm more upset for the children than anything," the 23-year-old said. "When the weather was good they jumped in the pool as soon as they came home from school and were in it all the time at the weekend. They were really looking forward to using it during the summer holidays. The council said it's a health and safety thing, but the pools are chlorinated and there's always a parent supervising each of the pools." Ms Martin said three of the pools were emptied at night, when unsupervised, and the fourth had a secure covering. She added: "The council are always banging on about getting kids fit and healthy and stopping obesity, then when we actually do something about it they put a stop to it - it doesn't make sense!" About 12 youngsters, most aged between four and seven, had been using the pools for three months after they proved a big hit last summer.
A spokesman for HiH confirmed it had ordered the removal because of health and safety issues. "While we don't want to spoil people's fun, Homes in Havering is liable for safety in all the communal areas we manage," he said. "We work closely with the London Fire and Rescue Service and other agencies to minimise the risk of a serious incident, such as a fire, and to ensure that the emergency services are able to gain speedy access when required. For this reason, we do not allow items, such as paddling pools, which could, in certain circumstances obstruct access." But Graham Hart, a senior officer at Hornchurch Fire Station, questioned HiH's reasoning. "I know the estate very well," he said, "and I can see absolutely no access issues whatsoever." He added that the heavy engines are rarely driven onto grass and that if the pools were full they would in fact "come in handy" in a blaze.
A safety expert was also left scratching his head over the decision. "There's no real reason to ban paddling pools that are easy to fill and empty, as long as parents and carers supervise their child properly," said Peter Cornall, head of leisure safety for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. "Kids need to play, especially on a hot summer's day. If you use a paddling pool, just remember to empty the water when you've finished and store it in a safe place. Greater hazards are posed by permanent bodies of water in gardens like ponds or swimming pools. With these it is important to cover them with grilles or block access by removing ladders or locking gates." All four pools have now been taken down.
"I'm more upset for the children than anything," the 23-year-old said. "When the weather was good they jumped in the pool as soon as they came home from school and were in it all the time at the weekend. They were really looking forward to using it during the summer holidays. The council said it's a health and safety thing, but the pools are chlorinated and there's always a parent supervising each of the pools." Ms Martin said three of the pools were emptied at night, when unsupervised, and the fourth had a secure covering. She added: "The council are always banging on about getting kids fit and healthy and stopping obesity, then when we actually do something about it they put a stop to it - it doesn't make sense!" About 12 youngsters, most aged between four and seven, had been using the pools for three months after they proved a big hit last summer.
A spokesman for HiH confirmed it had ordered the removal because of health and safety issues. "While we don't want to spoil people's fun, Homes in Havering is liable for safety in all the communal areas we manage," he said. "We work closely with the London Fire and Rescue Service and other agencies to minimise the risk of a serious incident, such as a fire, and to ensure that the emergency services are able to gain speedy access when required. For this reason, we do not allow items, such as paddling pools, which could, in certain circumstances obstruct access." But Graham Hart, a senior officer at Hornchurch Fire Station, questioned HiH's reasoning. "I know the estate very well," he said, "and I can see absolutely no access issues whatsoever." He added that the heavy engines are rarely driven onto grass and that if the pools were full they would in fact "come in handy" in a blaze.
A safety expert was also left scratching his head over the decision. "There's no real reason to ban paddling pools that are easy to fill and empty, as long as parents and carers supervise their child properly," said Peter Cornall, head of leisure safety for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. "Kids need to play, especially on a hot summer's day. If you use a paddling pool, just remember to empty the water when you've finished and store it in a safe place. Greater hazards are posed by permanent bodies of water in gardens like ponds or swimming pools. With these it is important to cover them with grilles or block access by removing ladders or locking gates." All four pools have now been taken down.
Woman arrested for swearing at yobs who smashed window
A woman who swore at yobs when they smashed her bedroom window was arrested — because she was causing them distress. Bolton magistrates yesterday cleared Natalie Harrop of any wrongdoing, but she was bound over and warned to behave for the next year or face a £100 fine. After the hearing, Miss Harrop and her boyfriend, Robert Berthan, said they had lost faith in the legal system. Mr Berthan, aged 25, said: “We are very angry.
“These lads smash our window, chase me down the street and, even though the police are standing right next to them, they aren’t arrested. We know Natalie did nothing wrong and the courts agreed.” Bolton magistrates were told how, at about 12.30am on June 12, Miss Harrop and Mr Berthan were at their home in St James Street, Farnworth, when an object, most likely a brick, smashed an upstairs bedroom window. Mr Berthan went out of the house and asked a group of youths why they had broken the window.
Photo from here.
They then chased Mr Berthan. The court heard how a patrolling police constable happened to be passing. Prosecuting solicitor Kirsten Mercer, said: “The PC noticed a male being chased by a group of about six youths.” The youths then went back to St James Street. Miss Mercer said: “Miss Harrop went outside to speak to the youths and the police. She was drinking a can of beer and shouted towards the youths. She swore at one of them. The police officer asked her to go inside the house. She remained outside and was therefore arrested.”
Suzanne Gower, defending, said: “Miss Harrop had been victimised by a group of youths. Her home had been attacked and her boyfriend had gone out and was chased. He had the house keys so she could not go back inside.” Officers arrested Miss Harrop and charged her with using abusive words within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress. Miss Gower said police considered Miss Harrop’s swearing to possibly have distressed the youths.
“These lads smash our window, chase me down the street and, even though the police are standing right next to them, they aren’t arrested. We know Natalie did nothing wrong and the courts agreed.” Bolton magistrates were told how, at about 12.30am on June 12, Miss Harrop and Mr Berthan were at their home in St James Street, Farnworth, when an object, most likely a brick, smashed an upstairs bedroom window. Mr Berthan went out of the house and asked a group of youths why they had broken the window.
Photo from here.
They then chased Mr Berthan. The court heard how a patrolling police constable happened to be passing. Prosecuting solicitor Kirsten Mercer, said: “The PC noticed a male being chased by a group of about six youths.” The youths then went back to St James Street. Miss Mercer said: “Miss Harrop went outside to speak to the youths and the police. She was drinking a can of beer and shouted towards the youths. She swore at one of them. The police officer asked her to go inside the house. She remained outside and was therefore arrested.”
Suzanne Gower, defending, said: “Miss Harrop had been victimised by a group of youths. Her home had been attacked and her boyfriend had gone out and was chased. He had the house keys so she could not go back inside.” Officers arrested Miss Harrop and charged her with using abusive words within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress. Miss Gower said police considered Miss Harrop’s swearing to possibly have distressed the youths.
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