Articles
Deputies Fired for being involved in Black Man’s Deaths
Last Monday, Jamal Sutherland was killed after being forced out of his jail cell in Charleston. Sutherland was taken into custody due to an incident with a behavioral offense. Jamal was resisting while leaving his cell. Because of this, officers tased and pepper-sprayed him.
Jamal’s incident with the officers was like last year’s George Floyd incident with the ‘I Can’t Breathe’ action. One of the officers firmly placed his knee on Jamal’s neck, which constricted his breathing. After the incident, 100 protesters gathered to have the officers charged with murder.
Kristin Graziano, Charleston County Sheriff, stated her decision to terminate both South Carolina Officers who
are responsible for the killing.
California Arsonists Arrested
Here’s some good news to cap off the week. In California, arrests have been made in connections to the Southern California wildfires. Authorities believe the cause of the fire was arson and was out of control on Monday. The fire in the Santa Monica Mountains doubled in size and spread to 1,325 acres causing 1,000 people to evacuate. 540 firefighters battled the fire and have struggled to handle the flames. The fire could destroy 500 homes, most of them being multimillion-dollar homes. The Los Angeles fire chief says, “We believe we have the right person”. Additionally, California is coming off a record-breaking year for wildfires.
Death Threats Against SC for ED
SC for ED scheduled a secret meeting after their planned protest was canceled due to alleged death threats,
“The groups had already carried out things around the nation and are on the radar of law enforcement.” Said Lisa Ellis with SC for ED.
Law enforcement had informed the organizers that the threats had come from an organization well-known for violence and have ties to the US capital riot. As a result, SC for ED scheduled the meeting in a secret location to ensure the safety of its members.
The protest was originally organized to advocate for better working conditions and more support for teachers. Because of the violent threats, however, the group instead wrote letters to the governor expressing their demands for better work environments.
According to SC for ED, law enforcement is investigating the death threats, however will not be disclosing the name of the organization responsible.
Thought to be Extinct Species of Giant Tortoise Found Alive
In 2019, a single female from a species of giant Galapagos tortoises that was thought to be extinct was found alive on an expedition to Fernandina Island. Recently, it was finally confirmed that this tortoise, belonging to the species chelonoidis phantasticus, was from that species as scientists compared its DNA to a deceased male specimen of the same species. The last sighting of one of these tortoises was in 1906 when said male specimen was brought back to the USA after an expedition to the Galapagos Islands. Although it is not proven, experts believe that there are more living members of the species on the islands due to footprints the 2019 expedition discovered. If this is the case, the species may be able to repopulate with minimal human assistance.