Crime

Chinese military officer arrested while allegedly trying to steal US medical research

A Chinese military officer was caught trying to leave California with university research materials this week, after allegedly lying on an application to obtain a visitor visa for a work-study exchange program, the Justice Department announced. Xin Wang, a scientific researcher and officer with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), was arrested at LAX as he was attempting to board his flight to Tianjin, China, according to court documents unsealed this week. He faces visa fraud charges. Wang entered the U.S. on March 26, 2019, to conduct scientific research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), according to his J1 non-immigrant visa application. The application, however, is said to have contained fraudulent statements — including claims that his service with the PLA had ended in 2016 — that were made to increase the chances that he would receive visa approval. Officials claim Wang revealed that he had instructions from the director of his military lab to observe the layout of the UCSF lab with the understanding that they wanted to try to replicate it in China. He was also accused of attempting to bring materials to China with him and had already emailed research. When interviewed by Customs and Border Protection this week, Wang purportedly admitted that he was currently a “Level-9” technician — which was equated to the rank of major — for the PLA, employed by a military university lab. He also allegedly said he had received compensation from the PLA and the China Scholarship Council. WeChat messages are said to have been wiped off of Wang’s phone the day he was expected to board his plane. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

IF this is all true, that’s the least that should happen to him.  A clear message needs to be sent to the Communist Chinese Party (CCP), that we’re not putting up with their aggression towards us.  We need to counter them on every possible level.

Felon Charged with Murdering Retired Police Captain David Dorn in Riots

A convicted felon has been charged with murdering St. Louis, Missouri, 77-year-old retired police captain David Dorn during riots in the city last week. The St. Louis Police Department announced Sunday that 24-year-old convicted felon Stephan Cannon has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, armed criminal action, and unlawfully possessing a firearm after he allegedly murdered Dorn. On June 2, according to police, Dorn was guarding Lee’s Pawn and Jewelry in St. Louis while riots, fires, and looting broke out. Surveillance footage, police said, shows Dorn arriving at the pawn shop, which had already been looted by Cannon and other men. That is when Cannon can allegedly be seen on the footage approaching the corner of the pawn shop with a gun, and it is at this time that Dorn was shot, killed, and left on the sidewalk bleeding. While searching Cannon’s residence, St. Louis police officers recovered a TV that had been looted from the pawn shop that night. Cannon is currently being held without bail. Dorn had served nearly 40 years with the St. Louis Police Department before retiring in 2007. Dorn also served as police chief in the small town of Moline Acres, Missouri.

This is a story we’ve been keeping an eye on the last couple of days.  And, we’re happy to report this piece of garbage is finally in jail and being held without bail, as well he should.  Hopefully the others who were accomplices and also looted, and then stood by and did nothing but videotape “Cap” bleeding out for FaceBook will be rounded up as well, and charged.  Of course, we’ll continue to keep an eye on this story.  For more, click on the text above.

St. Louis police release surveillance video of 7 ‘persons of interest’ in death of retired officer David Dorn

Surveillance footage capturing a group of men breaking into a pawn shop around the same time of the killing of a retired police captain attempting to prevent looting was released by St. Louis authorities Friday. The video shows seven “persons of interest” running into Lee’s Pawn & Jewelry on Tuesday during a night of widespread looting and rioting following a mostly peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd. The men all have their faces covered — six with masks and one with another covering. One man takes off his mask and puts his left hand to his mouth. Authorities believe he may have cut himself. At least two of the men were armed with handguns. The video runs from 2:13 a.m. to 2:17 a.m. David Dorn, 77, was found dead from a gunshot to the torso around 2:30 a.m. Prior to working security at the pawn shop, he served as a police captain with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and a police chief in nearby Moline Acres. He retired in 2014 after more than 40 years in law enforcement. “They called him ‘Cap.’ That was the Cap. That was the Cap, everybody knows that was him,” Dorn’s son, Brian Powell, told Fox2Now, adding that “police work ran through his veins.” Investigators said Dorn was killed responding to a burglar alarm at the shop. He often checked on the store, which is owned by a friend. “David Dorn was exercising law enforcement training that he learned here,” St Louis Police Chief John Hayden said. His death occurred during a night in the city that saw looting and property damage following protests over the May 25 death of Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minn. Dorn was found on a sidewalk in front of the shop. A Facebook Live video captured some of his last moments. Powell said if Dorn was still alive, he would have shown empathy toward his attacker. “My dad, he is a forgiving soul. So he would have forgiven that person and try to talk to them because he was real big on trying to talk to youth and mentoring young people as well,” he said. “He was trying to get them on the straight and narrow and everything.” President Trump weighed in on Dorn’s death earlier this week, saying he was “viciously shot and killed by despicable looters” and that “we honor our police officers, perhaps more than ever before.” Anyone with information about the fatal shooting is asked to contact St. Louis homicide detectives. A $45,000 reward is being offered by Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest.

Or you can reach the St. Louis PD Homicide Div directly by calling:  (314) 444-5371.  For more info, and/or to see the video of these “persons of interest,” click on the text above.  These are pieces of garbage; total scum. If you have any info that’ll lead to an arrest of these maggots, you could get up to $45K.  Normally we don’t do the crime beat thing here at The Daily Buzz.  But, I’m originally from St. Louis, and this one hits close to home.  So, we’ll make an exception here. I’m disgusted by this and we need to find these animals and arrest them.  We can’t have thugs and bullies like this on the street.  “Cap” was the father of 5 and the grandfather of 10.  He was a good man who served his community and was loved.  What happened to him cannot stand.  We’ll, of course, keep an eye on this developing story.

Gutfeld on the murder of Mr. Dorn

David Dorn spent his last moments on Earth bleeding to death on a sidewalk in front of a looted shop early Tuesday. He was a retired police captain in St. Louis and he was protecting a store. Dorn was 77. His death was shown on Facebook Live. He was a black man. A family man. A good man. Black lives matter. But not to looters, rioters and agitators. Shall we blame this on systemic racism? Who shot David Dorn? Who knows? A stranger? Maybe Seth Rogan or Patton Oswalt already bailed him out. Dorn’s son, Brian Powell said of his father’s death: “It was senseless – over TVs, over stuff that’s replaceable. They’re forgetting the real message for the protest and the positiveness that’s supposed to come out of it and we get this negative light that’s shown on a situation that really needed light to be brought to it.” Dorn’s daughter-in-law, Vanessa Powell, said: “I just hope that the person that did this that they come forth or whatever because this is just so senseless, and I’m just I’m tired of it, I’m tired.” The fact is, fealty to the mob begets only more of the mob. Redefining bloodlust as justified leads to death. And not just David Dorn’s, but a country’s too. A day ago was Blackout Tuesday, when virtue-signalers set their Instagrams to all black to support the protests going on around the country. What an analogy for the media. The media blacks the violence to hide their culpability. Which protects incompetent leaders, criminals and an army of cowardly journalists. Their job: keep the chaos on endless repeat. -Maybe David Dorn’s death can change things. Maybe we can protest loudly in his name and loudly demand action. It’s time, because there’s no Superman coming to save the day for us. There’s no one but us. On CNN, Chris Cuomo said: “Please, show me where it says protesters are supposed to be polite and peaceful. Because I can show you that outraged citizens are the ones who have America what she is and led to any major milestones. Be honest, this is not a tranquil time.” No thanks to Chris Cuomo. As cities are ravaged, he says protests don’t have to be peaceful. Chris, I invite you to meet me in my neighborhood to see what outrage created – the ravaged stores, the dead-eyed looks from people trying to salvage what’s left of their lives. If only they could work in media, and see the silver lining in their ruin. This is not a tranquil time. Thanks for the honesty, Chris.

How sad..  Thanks to Greg Gutfeld for sharing this with us.  That was adapted from his “Gregologue” on June 3rd, 2020 on The Five.  To watch it, click on the text above.  R.I.P Mr. Dorn.

Bail reform laws let alleged criminals back on the streets within hours, threatening public security

Hundreds of looters and rioters arrested by the New York Police Department over the past several days have been immediately released due to the state’s new bail-reform law that some say is turning the criminal justice process into a mockery and threatening public safety. New York City police chief Terrance Monahan said “just about all” of the looters arrested will be released without bail. Frustrated law enforcement officials across the state say repeat offenders are getting bolder by the day and claim the state’s policy gives lawbreakers the green light to commit crimes without consequences. Louis Turco, head of the Lieutenants Benevolent Association, said the violence seen during the demonstrations in New York is the byproduct of the new law that requires defendants to be released without cash bail on a long list of misdemeanors and some felonies including arson and burglary. “This has been put in motion by our politicians that have allowed the criminal element to feel as if there’s no consequences for any crime that you do and now you’ve seen this coming out,” Turco told The Washington Post. “…Now they go home and tell all their friends, ‘Listen, I got out the next day and nothing’s going to happen to me.'” Former NYPD detective Oscar Odom told Fox News on Wednesday that he thinks it’s likely that “99.9 percent” of the people who were arrested and released from jail because of the new law have gone right back to looting. But it’s not just happening in big cities. Two and a half hours away in Albany, a 26-year-old man accused of slamming a $2,000 door and looting a hotel Monday night had been released from the county jail a week earlier despite having pending charges against him from prior arrests. Cops claim Lucas J. Kaplan brazenly swiped a badge, a credit card, cash and other items from multiple jail employees’ cars on his way out of lockup. In most jurisdictions across the country, people who are arrested and charged with crimes are required to put down a refundable deposit to ensure that they will show up for their court date. If they don’t have the cash on hand, they often turn to a commercial bond company that fronts the money on their behalf. If the person arrested cannot afford to pay his or her bail, they remain in jail until their court hearing. In 2019, New York lawmakers passed sweeping changes to the state’s bail law, limiting the number of crimes for which judges could set bail – largely to those who were believed to have committed violent felonies. Almost everyone else – about 90 percent of the state’s arrests – could walk out of jail after being processed. Even in cases where bail is permitted, judges are no longer allowed to take into account the severity of the allegations or the possible danger the defendant may pose if released. The only criterion they can consider is whether the defendant is a flight risk who would fail to make future court appearances. Should a defendant fail to show up in court, the judge is no longer allowed to immediately issue a bench warrant. Instead, the law says, the judge must give them 48 hours to come in before issuing a warrant. During the first three months the law was in effect, New York’s jail population dropped significantly. At the end of 2019, the number of people jailed across the state was close to 20,000. By March of 2020, the number had dipped to 15,000. But the celebration by criminal justice reform advocates in the Empire State was stopped in its tracks after a spike in hate crimes. In one case, a woman named Tiffany Harris, 30, had been accused of slapping three Orthodox Jewish women in late December and allegedly using anti-Semitic language during the attack. Harris was arrested and released without bail. She was arrested the very next day in connection to a separate assault. After she was arrested a third time for missing an appointment with a social worker, Harris was ordered to be held at a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Critics of New York’s bail reform law, including several law enforcement officials, used Harris’ case to show how the new law threatened public safety. In March, the New York Police Department released a report showing that crime in February 2020 had jumped 22.5 percent compared to February 2019. The cops blamed the rise on criminal justice reforms they claimed were too soft on offenders. In the first 58 days of 2020, 482 people who had been arrested on charges where a cash bail was prohibited went on to commit 846 new crimes. “Thirty-five percent of the new crimes were for arrests in seven major crime categories – murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto – that is nearly triple the amount of those crimes committed in the same 58 days in 2019,” the report claimed. Since then, the law has been modified to give judges more discretion in setting bail and other conditions of pretrial release but those effects won’t go into effect until July 1. New York isn’t the only place bail policies have been loosened. Since 2012, at least 19 states have moved to reduce the use of financial conditions for a person’s release. In 2018, California became the first jurisdiction to pass a law that ended money bail entirely. Under the law, only people charged with certain low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors would be eligible for automatic release within 12 hours of being booked into jail. New Jersey decided to replace its cash bail with a scorecard to assess whether a criminal defendant might skip out on his or her hearing. The 2017 change was part of the Criminal Justice Reform Act passed under former Gov. Chris Christie in 2014 and enacted three years later. A 2019 report from the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts found that people released under the new system were no more likely to commit a crime while waiting for their trials than those released under the prior system based on money bail. Alaska and Illinois have put restrictions on the cases in which people can be assigned cash bail. Both states have also encouraged their courts to use “unsecured” bail, which is only payable if the person fails to appear in court. In 2018, Georgia lawmakers passed a bill that requires judges to consider a defendant’s financial status when setting bail and allows officers to use citations instead of filing criminal charges. That same year, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed off on legislation that would allow low-risk defendants to be released without cash bail.

SILENT MAJORITY: Poll Shows American Voters Support Use of Military, National Guard in Riots

A new poll by Morning Consult found that large majorities of American voters, including a majority of Democrat supporters, back use of the National Guard to address the riots and protests tearing apart cities around the nation. A smaller majority of Americans supports using the military. The poll backs up the President’s claim that a “silent majority” is on his side in cracking down on the unrest. 71 percent of polled American voters said they support the use of the National Guard to supplement city police forces in addressing “protests and demonstrations” (the poll did not use the word “riots”) in American cities. Of these, 42 percent of voters said they “strongly support” use of the National Guard and 29 percent said they “somewhat support” it. Only 11 percent “strongly oppose” the measure and 9 percent “somewhat oppose” it. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to support the use of the National Guard, but a large majority of Democrats (63 percent) either “strongly” or “somewhat” support it as well. African-American voters are evenly split on the use of the National Guard. 43 percent of polled African-American voters either “strongly oppose” or “somewhat oppose” use of the National Guard, while 42 percent either “strongly support” or “somewhat support” the measure. Hispanic voters support the use of the National Guard. 54 percent of polled Hispanic voters either “strongly” or “somewhat” support the use of the National Guard, compared to 25 percent who “strongly” or “somewhat” oppose. A smaller majority of American voters (58 percent) support the use of the U.S. Military to supplement city police forces. 33 percent said they strongly support the measure and 25 percent somewhat support it, compared to 19 percent who strongly oppose and 11 percent who somewhat oppose. Republicans are again more likely to support use of the military, but once again, a plurality of Democrat voters also support the measure. 48 percent of polled Democrat voters either strongly or somewhat support use of the military, compared to 43 percent or strongly or somewhat oppose it.

To review the poll in detail, click on the text above.  It definitely backs up President Trump’s assertion that a “silent majority” of Americans support either the use of the National Guard and/or active military units to help put an end to the craziness in our big cities.  Our politicians would be wise to read this poll…

PHOTOS: Rioters Fly Mexican Flags as American Flags are Torched Across U.S.

Rioters across the United States have waved Mexican flags in various American cities to protest the death of George Floyd, allegedly at the hands of a Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer. While rioters waved Mexican flags, American flags were routinely burned at riots in Los Angeles, California, Atlanta, Georgia, Portland, Oregon; and Chicago, Illinois. In one video posted online, a rioter with a Mexican flag can be seen helping beat a man who was carrying and waving an American flag. In another post, rioters in Los Angeles torched an American flag while rioters with Mexican flags attacked police vehicles. Click here to see these photos and videos.

Awful…

Colorado suspect claimed he was making ‘healthy meth substance’ with acai berries, report says

A Colorado man arrested this week in connection to running a meth lab in his garage reportedly told police that he was making a “healthy meth substance” since it contained acai berries. Craig William Rogers, of Longmont, is now facing numerous charges, including unlawful distribution, manufacturing and dispensing of a controlled substance, according to the Colorado Daily. The newspaper, citing an affidavit, reported that police discovered the alleged operation Tuesday after acting on a tip – and once they tracked down the 49-year-old, he claimed his brand of the drug was a “healthy meth substance.” “No amount of meth is safe, whether it has a berry in it or not,” Longmont Police Deputy Chief Jeff Satur told the Colorado Daily. “It’s a highly addictive, life-destroying drug.” Satur also said investigators found a “berry-like substance” inside the lab. Court records viewed by the newspaper show that Rogers was released Wednesday on a $15,000 bond.

Normally we don’t post the local crime beat.  But, in this case we’ll make an exception because it illustrates just how dumb some people are, and where we’re going as a society.  Idiots like this are out there convincing others that their fruity version of meth is “healthy,” and there are apparently enough brain trusts out there who will actually fall for that.  Be afraid..

Jim Hanson: Trump is right – Antifa has hijacked protests of George Floyd’s death and turned them into riots

President Trump was right when he placed blame Saturday for the riots tearing apart cities around the country on Antifa and other radical left-wing groups. He should now go one step further and declare Antifa a domestic terrorist organization. The rioting this past week was ostensibly sparked by the death of George Floyd – a 46-year-old black man who was arrested by Minneapolis police Monday for allegedly trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. There is no question that Floyd’s death was horrific and should never have happened. But in fact, many of the rioters affiliated with Antifa simply and cynically have used Floyd’s tragic death as an excuse to spread mayhem and destruction. The officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck – Derek Chauvin – was charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Chauvin and any other officers who go on trial for Floyd’s death should be punished to the full extent the law allows if convicted. But Floyd’s killing should not be used as an excuse by anyone to justify rioting and domestic terrorism that in many cases has victimized African-American small-business owners and others in many cities. “These are ‘Organized Groups’ that have nothing to do with George Floyd. Sad!” Trump tweeted Saturday in describing the rioters. “It’s ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don’t lay the blame on others!” The president’s accurate description of Antifa fits the definition under federal law of a domestic terror group. Under that definition, such a group breaks laws “to intimidate or coerce a civilian population” or to “influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.” Antifa claims to be an anti-fascist group dedicated to stopping oppression of marginalized communities. But the group considers law enforcement officers and many government agencies to be among the “oppressors,” along with many others who reject its radical agenda. Antifa members have been advocating for and conducting violence to intimidate for a long time now, but the wave of terror they unleashed this past week makes taking action against them truly urgent. There’s no question that many of those protesting the killing of George Floyd had every right to peacefully express their outrage over his death. But in many cases, Antifa radicals hijacked those legitimate protests to turn them into riots. Antifa sent the word out far and wide to burn buildings, loot stores, destroy cars and attack law enforcement officers. Police agencies warned that Antifa and its many tentacles were using the Floyd protests to further their agenda. “Domestic extremists, including anarchist extremists and other anti-government extremists, are using the unrest in Minneapolis to amplify and justify their calls for dismantling law enforcement agencies and carrying out attacks on law enforcement, government, and capitalist targets,” a Philadelphia Police Department bulletin reported. Antifa members have instigated violence many times before and for a variety of leftist causes like shutting down speech they don’t like, armed attacks on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detention facilities and other anti-police violence. The nexus for violence at any leftist protest will always be a band of black-clad Antifa thugs burning, breaking windows and attacking anyone they see as part of the oppressive system Antifa’s track record of violence is undeniable, but it is a nebulous and diffuse group. Antifa is anarchistic by nature and members are more likely to be squatting in an abandoned building than running a storefront office. Since all terrorist groups operate mostly in the shadows, we must empower our law enforcement and security agencies with all the tools possible to illuminate their malevolent and dangerous activities. These vital tools will become available under the Patriot Act if Antifa is designated as a domestic terrorist group. As a terrorist group, Antifa could have its electronic communications monitored by law enforcement agencies that obtain search warrants. This would enable authorities to gain knowledge of what criminal activity Antifa was up to and more easily prevent violence and apprehend organizers. In addition, the terrorist designation would make it a federal offense for Antifa to engage in terrorist attacks and other acts of violence against mass transportation systems. A favorite tactic of Antifa members is to burn buses when rioting. As a terrorist group, they could face federal prosecution for this crime. The terrorist designation would also ban aiding Antifa because that activity would be considered to be providing material support to terrorists and terrorist organizations under federal law. Antifa members often work with other leftist groups, serving as their shock troops. These other activist groups know that they can rely on Antifa to do the burning and breaking, but would themselves be held liable for these crimes if Antifa is officially designated as a terrorist group. The bottom line we need to keep in mind is that peaceful protesting is a cherished American right – but violent attacks are criminal conduct. By accurately labeling Antifa as a domestic terrorist group we can protect against its terrorist crimes without infringing on the rights of the rest of us to protest and exercise our rights of free speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Agreed!!  And well said, Jim.  Jim Hanson is the author of that piece.  Jim is President of the Security Studies Group and served in US Army Special Forces.  As an update..  President Trump Tweeted today that he intends to declare Antifa a domestic terrorist organization.  Hopefully that’ll help those in law enforcement, and give them extra weapons to go after those punks and losers.  They need to be identified, arrested and charged…every single one of them.  And, in addition to time in jail, they need to pay restitution for all the damage they did.  There have been cameras everywhere.  So, shouldn’t be too hard.  And, the cops need to publish their mug shots so we can see who these punks are.  Maybe they’ll get expelled from school, or fired from their jobs..

Florida man shoots, kills home intruder who was attacking his wife, police say

A Florida man in his 70s fatally shot a home intruder who busted through the glass front door and began attacking his wife on Tuesday, investigators said. Deputies arrived at the Panama City home around 6:05 a.m. and found 31-year-old Nathan Jerrell Edwards laying on the floor dead and a handgun on the counter, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said. “The husband stated he felt he could not physically stop the intruder, so he went upstairs to get his firearm,” the sheriff’s office said. “He shot the firearm multiple times, ending the threat.” The husband, whom deputies did not name, said he was standing outside when Edwards walked up to his driveway and approached him in a threatening manner. Witnesses told deputies that Edwards was “acting erratically,” screaming and swearing. He went into his home through the garage to get away from Edwards, according to deputies, but Edwards followed and pounded on the door to the house. He shattered the large glass panel in the front door and entered the house. Edwards then knocked the man’s wife to the floor, got on top of her and was beating her, the husband told deputies. The husband said he shot Edwards, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The man’s wife was treated at a local hospital for her injuries. Edwards, who was from Georgia, was staying nearby in a short-term rental residence.

Just another story showing the importance of owning a firearm for personal protection.  This poor man was no match for the younger thug beating his wife.  And, if he had called 911, the cops wouldn’t have made it in time.  So, he did what he had to do, and earned the praise of the local sheriff, as well he should.