President Donald Trump came out in favor of Flock surveillance cameras on Sunday, saying that he liked the controversial technology because it helps law enforcement. 
“I sort of like them because of that, because of law enforcement, but some people don’t. They think it&#8217;s an infringement, but I like them,” Trump told reporters while flying on Air Force One. 
Debate over Flock&#8217;s solar-paneled license plate readers has erupted in recent months with supporters saying that they help police fight crime while others argue that they create a surveillance state. Leftist critics worry the cameras will be used by ICE to arrest illegal immigrants.  
Flock says that its cameras take pictures of vehicles and license plates that can be used by &#8220;authorized users,&#8221; such as law enforcement, to track down leads and solve criminal cases. It says that it does not use facial recognition technology, “continuously” track vehicles, or provide live video footage. 
Around 5,000 law enforcement agencies are estimated to use Flock cameras and many police organizations have come out to defend the use of the cameras. 
“These are put out into public places where everybody has the right to record them anyways; if you’re standing on the sidewalk, you can pull out your phone and record every car that drives by there,” <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/24/flock-cameras-face-growing-backlash-across-texas-counties-but-getting-rid-of-them-is-complicated/">said</a> Texas Municipal Police Association liaison John Wilkerson. “I really hope the individuals out there, destroying the camera systems, never become a victim of a crime themselves.”
Other organizations, like the Fraternal Order of Police, back the technology used but have <a href="https://fop.net/2026/08/who-the-flock-do-you-think-you-are/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">criticized</a> Flock for its handling of privacy concerns and called for more safeguards. 
Republican Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas have both taken action to restrict the use of Flock cameras. DeSantis <a href="https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/desantis-says-flock-cameras-are-out-of-control/">said</a> last month that use of the cameras was “out of control” and took action to remove Flock cameras from state highways. 
“I’m all about having law enforcement have tools to hold criminals accountable,” he said. “I think that’s important that we do that, and no one’s been stronger on law enforcement than me, but I don’t want to have this become a surveillance state.”
In Texas, Abbott <a href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/public-safety/2026/08/29/560700/texas-greg-abbott-flock-cameras-order-state-mone/">paused</a> state funds from being used to fund Flock cameras by state agencies. 
Trump has taken a decisively pro-technology stance as president, backing the construction of new data centers and supporting the development of artificial intelligence. 
“It&#8217;s going to be more good than bad,” he said when asked Sunday if he was downplaying concerns about AI. &#8220;And I&#8217;ve said it from the very beginning. Whoever wins AI, and we&#8217;re leading by a lot. Whoever wins AI wins.”

Donald Trump visit to Ireland

Trump Weighs In On Flock Cameras

donald trump

flock cameras

greg abbott

law enforcement

ron desantis

surveillance

In Tolkien’s mythology, the dark lord Sauron extended his influence beyond Mordor because he possessed a Palantír — magical seeing stone that let him communicate with, and eventually corrupt, Saruman.
The real power was the network of stones, each one a sensor node feeding information back to the servant of Morgoth.
This is, functionally, what Flock Safety built.
Flock didn’t need to install its cameras everywhere themselves. They just needed the HOA to opt in to the network. The moment it does, the camera at the end of your cul-de-sac becomes one of the more than 120,000 nodes in a national database accessible to over 6,000 law enforcement agencies.
Flock told Congress that 75% of its law enforcement customers are enrolled in the nationwide lookup tool. The entire incentive structure pushes the customer to opt in.
Over the past year, Flock CEO Garrett Langley has cycled through every available move in the crisis communications PR playbook.
He’s failed.
Spectacularly.
Because this was never a communications problem. It’s a legitimacy problem.
The first move: call your critics terrorists.
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol class="ol1">
<li class="li2">In a 2025 Forbes interview, Langley labeled DeFlock (the volunteer group mapping Flock’s public camera locations) a “terroristic organization.” Flock sent cease-and-desist letters and told law enforcement clients these were fringe radicals who wanted to defund the police.</li>
<li class="li2">But the problem is you don’t negotiate with terrorists — that’s the whole point. Langley was trying to say the conversation was over. The national backlash that followed proved it wasn’t.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
The second move: deny the accusation using the accusation’s exact vocabulary.
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li>By early 2026, the cultural unease was going mainstream. A Ring Super Bowl ad creeped everybody out with AI-powered cameras tracking a lost dog by photo match. This means they can also track a specific car, a specific person. As the pressure built through the spring, Langley sat down with Bloomberg and said these four words: “We’re not Big Brother.”</li>
<li>That sentence writes every journalist’s headline for them. Richard Nixon did the same thing in November 1973 when, under fire at a press conference, he said: “People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.” Nixon handed the opposition the defining quote of his presidency. Langley handed “Big Brother” to every reporter covering Flock.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
The third move: apologize for the wrong thing.
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol class="ul1">
<li class="li1">In August 2026, the Washington Post published an investigation documenting 46 cases of law enforcement officers misusing the Flock network, mostly stalking, mostly male officers targeting exes. Langley went on CBS Newsand said it “kills” him that victims went through that. Then, two sentences later: “I don’t think that Flock created police abuse. I think we’re the first company to ever shine a light on it and build the tools to find it.”</li>
<li class="li1">So: Flock built the network. Officers used the network to stalk women. Flock is now catching the officers doing it. They’re solving the problem they created.</li>
<li class="li1">Bold strategy.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
The fourth move: offer “compromise.”
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol class="ul1">
<li class="li1">Langley went on Fox News and told the country it needs to “compromise” on privacy. Compromise implies two willing parties giving something up. What Langley means by compromise is tweaking the settings. What Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), and Abdul El-Sayed are collectively building toward — all four of them, which is not a sentence I expected to write — is an outright ban.</li>
<li>That coalition should not exist. These people agree on almost nothing. And yet here they are, at identical conclusions, because the backlash is that broad. Florida has already announced it’s removing Flock cameras from the state highway system. This is having a real impact on the business.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N-pDk74fPrc?si=Xirj42KD_Akciggz" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Garrett Langley keeps looking for the right PR strategy to make the story go his way.
There isn’t one.
The American public knows it is a modern-day Palantír.
MTFBWY,
—Riley
Views are Riley’s own and do not represent the U.S. Air Force or Department of Defense.
***
This is republished with permission from the author. The original can be found <a href="https://watchtowerintel.substack.com/p/flock-safety-and-the-real-life-palantir">here</a>. Subscribe to Watchtower Intel <a href="https://watchtowerintel.substack.com/">here</a>.
Riley Blanton is a U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, author, and Star Wars Podcaster (Emeritus). He specializes in cutting through the noise of current conflict &amp; culture.

Abstract security cameras looking around

The Spectacular PR Collapse Of Flock Safety

garrett langley

opinion

privacy

A tactical SWAT squad crushed an Oregon man by slamming their armored vehicle into his tractor after he allegedly unleashed a horrifying barrage of more than 200 rounds at local workers and police drones.
The wild video shows the moment law enforcement officers squashed 53-year-old trigger-happy suspect Erik Gordon Shunn against his own house on Saturday, August 29, per <a href="https://x.com/KTLA/status/2095705156323029017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2095705156323029017%7Ctwgr%5Ef943f75296908573d7c560a0f3cfa44657aab708%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1172467action%3Dedit">KTLA</a>. The chaos kicked off around 2:30 p.m. in rural Oregon City when neighbors frantically dialed 911 to report a crazed gunman opening fire on a crew of tree trimmers working near his lot.
Sheriff’s deputies scrambled to the scene on South Rocky Bluff Lane, but Shunn refused to go down quietly. He grabbed a heavy-duty tractor and went on a reckless rampage in which he toppled trees in a desperate attempt to build a makeshift fortress to block cops.
Police launched a drone to track him from the sky, but Shunn turned his sights on the drone, blasting rounds straight into the air in a furious attempt to knock it out.
Initial reports suggested the suspect fired roughly 20 shots at the helpless workers, but investigators later found that Shunn actually pumped over 200 bullets during his rampage.
The tense confrontation finally imploded around 3:45 p.m. when Shunn mistakenly separated himself from his powerful rifle. Seeing their chance, a heavily armored SWAT team didn’t hesitate, ramming their heavy rig directly into Shunn’s tractor, pinning the heavy machinery against his house and trapping him before he could re-arm.
Miraculously, nobody was injured during the ordeal, including Shunn’s horrified mother, who was trapped inside the residence throughout the intense firefight.
The accused shooter was taken to the Clackamas County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail. He was slapped with a laundry list of serious charges, including second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault, weapons violations, and menacing.
The armored vehicle was likely a Lenco BearCat. According to a 2022 Clackamas County <a href="https://dochub.clackamas.us/documents/drupal/9f49016c-8d35-4f0d-b32e-9fd9c7d832dd">procurement notice</a>, the county&#8217;s Sheriff&#8217;s Office intended to purchase one Lenco BearCat armored vehicle through the HGAC Cooperative Purchasing Agreement. &#8220;This vehicle will be assigned to the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Division and will replace aging vehicles that are currently assigned to the SWAT division,&#8221; the notice stated.

hank-tractor

WATCH: SWAT Team Uses Armored Vehicle To Squash Wild Gunman After 200 Shots Fired

oregon

police shooting

swat

For roughly two years, the small-town police department in Sahuarita, Arizona, has been using electric shock gloves to control uncooperative subjects.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to spend up to $20 million on thousands of the gloves amid the Trump administration&#8217;s mass deportation campaign, according to a recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notice.
“It’s another device to help someone get compliant when they are not,” White House border czar Tom Homan said in a recent Fox News interview. “You can’t just go from 0 to 100, right, and the first thing you go for is lethal force.”
Opponents of ICE&#8217;s plan <a href="https://www.nilc.org/press/nilc-statement-on-ices-plan-to-buy-electric-shock-gloves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call</a> it &#8220;disgusting and barbaric.&#8221;
But Sahuarita&#8217;s police chief, John Noland, who oversees a force of 68 officers in the southern Arizona town and once approached ICE about using the gloves, says that could not be further from the truth.
When used &#8220;appropriately&#8221; and with the required training, &#8220;it is not inhumane,&#8221; Noland told The Daily Wire.
Noland himself has experienced the shocks roughly a dozen times during training exercises and said the electric jolt is only felt where the glove touches. He also said that the pain instantly disappears once contact ends.
&#8220;It hurts. It is so strange, the moment the glove is no longer applied to your skin, there is zero pain. It&#8217;s not as if I twisted your arm to the point of pain, and then I let go, I back off, and your arm still hurts. It is instantaneous,&#8221; he said.
Noland says the gloves are often more humane than a taser or a baton, his other options for controlling the unruly.
&#8220;I see it as a tool that might be overdue. I know that may not be a popular thing for those folks that are anti-ICE &#8230; But ICE is a law enforcement agency,&#8221; Noland said.
&#8220;In Arizona, we were the first law enforcement agency that does street work or patrol work to put them out. We&#8217;ve been successful with them,&#8221; he said.
It comes as ICE officers have experienced an uptick in violent attacks by both outside agitators and illegal immigrant targets.
Since President Donald Trump&#8217;s return to the White House, ICE agents have seen a 1,300% jump in assaults, along with a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, according to DHS.
Law enforcement officers across the country have used the technology, known as G.L.O.V.E., or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, to control violent suspects inside jails and in the field.
In order to use the gloves, law enforcement officers must complete a training course and get re-certified every two years, <a href="https://www.complianttechnologies.net/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the company behind the gloves, Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies LLC.
&#8220;The skirmish lines that perhaps you have seen on different news channels and whatnot, over the last few years of our federal agents, Border Patrol, ICE agents, and others, DHS, all struggling with people out in the field, trying to get them to comply, now becomes less of a struggle. Now becomes a scenario where there are realistically going to be less injuries,&#8221; Noland said.
&#8220;I wish we had it at the beginning of my career. There would have been so many fights and struggles that would have been over in a matter of moments,&#8221; he said.
Officers wearing the gloves must press a button to activate them before putting them to use and can only deliver a shock when they touch another&#8217;s skin. The current can&#8217;t pass through clothing, hair, metal, plastic, or fur, according to Compliant Technologies.
&#8220;The plus behind the gloves are, as soon as I&#8217;m done grabbing you, the pain is off,&#8221; Noland said, adding that &#8220;people give up real quick, so that&#8217;s a plus for us. Less injuries on our end, less injuries on their end.&#8221;
The gloves each have a unique serial number that identifies the officer assigned to it. They also track when and how long a shock is administered.
The result is better accountability when officers are using force, Noland said.
&#8220;The gloves track when they&#8217;re actually utilized, similar to a taser. If I touch my t-shirt with it, it shows no application was ever given. Even though the glove is on. But if I touch my skin or somebody else&#8217;s skin &#8230; it gives the date, the time, and how long the application was that I touched somebody.&#8221;
&#8220;And each glove has a microprocessor in it. that says this particular glove, with this particular serial number, issued to John Noland, or Officer Smith, or Officer Jones, or Garcia, etc. was utilized on whatever date and time. And here&#8217;s how many times it was utilized. So those are also pluses for us, because it helps track use of force.&#8221;
Noland sees the value for ICE, saying it gives agents the ability to stop an escalating situation in its tracks more quickly and with less force.
&#8220;I could have one of my officers that weighs much less than me, much shorter than me, have a pair of these gloves on, and if they&#8217;re grabbing onto my arms, or my hands, or my wrists, etc., and they&#8217;re pulling me to the ground, I&#8217;m realistically going through the ground,&#8221; he said.

Untitled design – 2026-08-20T135459.893

This Police Chief Has Been Using Shock Gloves On Criminals For Years. Now, ICE Wants A Try.

arizona

immigration and customs enforcement

politics

shock glove

tom homan

Leftist agitators set up a “lawless” zone in Madison, Wisconsin, to protest the fatal police shooting of a knife-wielding felon, prompting local residents to lash out at city officials for not doing anything to restore order to the streets. 
Multiple blocks of a Madison neighborhood are blocked by barricades of wooden pallets, trash cans, and boards with nails sticking out of them to protest the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-how-police-react-as-screaming-protester-takes-over-briefing-on-fatal-shooting?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Watch+How+Police+React+As+Screaming+Protester+Takes+Over+Briefing+On+Fatal+Shooting">shooting</a> of Corey Ruiz, a man with an extensive criminal history. Tents were also set up in the zone by activists, and the homeless population has moved into the zone as city officials ignore calls from locals to clear the area. 
The city is even helping the agitators, bringing in portable toilets, trash cans, and even parked trucks to block off intersections, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2026/07/29/madisons-corey-ruiz-protest-encampment-draws-frustration-as-it-persists/91084501007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=true&amp;gca-epti=z11xx48p004950n11----l116550c11----u003548e1124xxv11xx48&amp;gca-ft=282&amp;gca-ds=sophi">reported</a>. 
“As a resident trapped in the protest zone, I feel the protest turned into a very disrespectful occupation focused on punishing Willy Street for the incident,” one local <a href="https://www.wmtv15news.com/2026/07/28/madison-memorial-blocks-williamson-street-businesses-residents-nearly-week/">told</a> WMTV. “It is now a lawless zone and homeless encampment barricaded on all four sides with groups blocking local residences and businesses from surviving.”
The neighborhood has been plagued by people urinating in the streets, drinking, loud fights, and agitators stealing trash cans for their blockade. One sign put up in the zone reads, &#8220;There’s more of us than them. We must revolt.” 
“I feel like we are suffering and we shouldn’t be. Like [protesters] are claiming that they’re supporting the community by being down here, but they’re actually harming the community by shutting down major businesses on this stretch,” Jeff Schmidt, the co-owner of the Weary Traveler restaurant, told the Sentinel. 
The city of Madison did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire, but Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway&#8217;s office previously said officials were “exploring many avenues to reach a successful resolution without further heightening tensions and causing more harm to impacted community members, including protesters.”
&#8220;A number of different City agencies are working to meet the needs of the neighborhood to the best of their ability,” she told the Sentinel. “We ask that everyone extend grace to each other in this difficult time.”
The unrest stems from an incident last week in which police say Ruiz pulled a knife on them. Ruiz had dozens of criminal convictions, including for robbery by force, strangulation, drug possession, vehicle theft and battery of a public safety worker, resisting law enforcement, and drug paraphernalia.
Other residents told the outlet that they are “very much upset with Madison leadership,” that the area is in a “state of fight-or-flight,” and that they described the situation as “extremely stressful.” 
Sentinel reporter Laura Schulte posted photos and videos from what she said people are calling the “Corey Ruiz Autonomous Zone.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I don’t usually enter the encampment this direction, but there are lots of boards with nails here to keep people out <a href="https://t.co/shoLPfWxeY">pic.twitter.com/shoLPfWxeY</a>
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) <a href="https://x.com/SchulteLaura/status/2082453985131168211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During the height of the widespread rioting following the death of George Floyd, leftist agitators set up the so-called “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” in Seattle that quickly turned into a violent drug den.

Madison Community Protests After Police Officer Fatally Shoots Man During Attempted Arrest

City Helps Leftist Agitators Secure ‘Lawless Zone’

George Floyd

Madison

police

Protests

wisconsin

Federal immigration authorities detained dozens of workers and arrested company officials during a major raid at a South Carolina manufacturing plant this week, the culmination of what state officials described as a years-long investigation into the employment of illegal immigrants.
The operation, <a href="https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/06/04/ag-48-detained-by-ice-operation-burnstein-von-seelen-6-indicted/">dubbed</a> “Operation Ghost Story,” targeted Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville, a city roughly 86 miles from Columbia. Authorities said 48 workers were detained and are being investigated for potential immigration violations. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨HOLY CRAP!!!
An absolutely MASSIVE operation is underway as ICE has SURROUNDED a casting company in rural South Carolina.
A criminal search warrant is currently being executed for the alleged hiring of illegal aliens&#8230;
There are literally HUNDREDS of people in handcuffs!!! <a href="https://t.co/lcBLPj7cKn">pic.twitter.com/lcBLPj7cKn</a>
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) <a href="https://x.com/mattvanswol/status/2062293719945019527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Officials also announced criminal charges against plant manager Christopher Ramey and human resources coordinator Sandy Willis. The two are accused of conspiracy, identity fraud related to employment, and forgery. 

Four additional defendants were charged with supplying fake identification documents that workers used to obtain employment. One of the defendants, Jose Luis Aguilar Mejia, is currently at large and wanted by authorities.
ICE partnered with the Department of Homeland Security, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Abbeville and Greenwood County Sheriff&#8217;s Offices, the Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and other state and local agencies in carrying out the operation.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark A. Keel <a href="https://www.wyff4.com/article/ice-raid-employees-arrested-south-carolina-business/71493075">called</a> this raid “the direct result of an exhaustive, years-long investigation.”  
 
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said the operation demonstrates the state&#8217;s commitment to enforcing immigration and identity fraud laws.
“If you are unlawfully aiding illegal immigrants in South Carolina, you are going to be investigated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Wilson stated in a press conference. “If you are taking advantage of hard-working Americans, stealing their identities, and are intentionally ignoring your responsibilities as an employer in an effort to circumvent the law, we are coming for you.”
Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings manufactures precision pieces for major corporations such as General Electric, General Dynamics, and Siemens.

Immigration Advocates Demonstrate And Clash With Officers Outside Delaney Hall Detention Facility In Newark

Years-Long Probe Leads To Major ICE Raid At Manufacturing Plant

department of homeland security

homeland security

illegal alien

Illegal Immigation

illegal immigrant

illegal immigrants

illegal immigration

Illegals

immigration

law enforcements

south carolina

FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia shared video of a suspect fleeing on foot during a Thursday news conference and asked the public for help in identifying the man.
Raia explained that the Justice Department was looking for the man shown in the video in connection with the ongoing fraud investigation in Minnesota, and said that he had evaded law enforcement by jumping from a fourth-floor balcony before escaping on foot.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="MUST WATCH: FBI Drops Stunning Surveillance Video Of Fraudster Who Jumped 4 Stories To Flee Arrest" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mvviFLM9ZC4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;On the screen, you will see a subject — you will see a subject on the screen of an individual who&#8217;s a target of the investigation this morning,&#8221; Raia said, flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. &#8220;That individual is currently on the run after having jumped out of a fourth-story balcony.&#8221;
&#8220;Once again, a good look at him, you&#8217;ll see him — you&#8217;ll see him running here, he is currently on the run,&#8221; Raia continued.
The suspect on the screen appears to be hopping as he tries to run, possibly injured during his escape. He falls in the street before getting up and hopping again.
&#8220;We need your help,&#8221; Raia said. &#8220;If you recognize this individual, if you know this individual, if you can provide any information related to this individual, I would encourage you to call 1-800-CALL-FBI — or go to the internet at www.tips.fbi.gov or call your local law enforcement.&#8221;
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2057522949629084038">announced</a> on Thursday that the Justice Department was indicting 15 defendants as part of the ongoing fraud investigation, saying they were tied to some $90 million in losses, including &#8220;the largest Medicaid fraud cases in the history of the district.&#8221;
&#8220;These criminals allegedly stole from our country&#8217;s most vulnerable: children with autism, the disabled, and the homeless. In one case, services were allegedly billed but never provided, leading to the death of the supposed recipient. This will not be tolerated,&#8221; Blanche added.

Screenshot/Justice Department

WATCH: Suspected Fraudster On The Run After Fourth-Floor Balcony Escape

crime

fraud

media

A man armed with a machete stabbed three people inside Grand Central Terminal in New York City on Saturday morning before being shot and killed by police after a prolonged confrontation on one of the busiest transit platforms in the country.
Police identified the suspect as Anthony Griffin, 44, who allegedly carried out the attacks after entering the subway system in Queens and traveling into Midtown Manhattan.
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the sequence of events began around 9:30 a.m., when Griffin entered the subway at the Vernon Boulevard station in Queens and boarded a 7 train bound for Grand Central. Once there, he launched his first attack on an 84-year-old man on the 7 train platform, inflicting what Tisch described as “significant lacerations to the head and the face.”
Griffin then moved upstairs to the 4, 5, and 6 train platforms, where the violence continued. A 65-year-old man suffered similar injuries along with an open skull fracture, while a 70-year-old woman was slashed in the shoulder.
All three victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital. Police said their injuries, while serious, are not believed to be life-threatening.
At approximately 9:40 a.m., officers assigned to transit duty were flagged down by a civilian reporting that a man armed with a knife had just stabbed multiple people. As officers moved toward the 4, 5, 6 platforms, they encountered one of the victims coming up the stairs, confirming the attack. From the top of the stairs, officers observed Griffin on the platform and immediately ordered him to drop the weapon.
“The individual was armed with a large knife described as a machete and was behaving erratically, repeatedly stating that he was ‘Lucifer,’” Tisch said during a <a href="https://x.com/NYPDnews/status/2043011402827465011">press conference</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This was the weapon recovered at the scene. <a href="https://t.co/J1gxyECKm3">pic.twitter.com/J1gxyECKm3</a>
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/2043012597931270596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Police issued at least 20 commands for Griffin to drop the weapon. Tisch said officers also attempted to de-escalate the situation, telling him, “We are going to get you help.”
The standoff lasted roughly ten minutes, according to law enforcement sources.
Griffin refused to comply. “He then advanced toward the officers with the knife extended,” Tisch said. “One officer discharged his firearm, striking the perpetrator twice.” Officers immediately began performing life-saving measures at the scene before Griffin was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat,” Tisch said. “They gave clear commands. They attempted to de-escalate, and when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had been briefed on the incident shortly after it occurred and praised the response by law enforcement. “I’m grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and for preventing additional violence,” Mamdani posted on <a href="https://x.com/NYCMayor">X</a>. “The three victims were taken to the hospital and are thankfully in stable condition.”
The incident caused immediate disruption inside Grand Central, with yellow police tape blocking entrances and multiple subway lines diverted as officers secured the scene and began their investigation. Authorities said the entire encounter was captured on body-worn cameras, and the NYPD is expected to release that footage as part of its standard review process for officer-involved shootings.
Officials also noted that Griffin had three prior arrests, but no documented history of being classified as an emotionally disturbed person by the department. Tisch emphasized the challenges officers face in moments like this, particularly in a crowded transit hub. “Incidents like this show the reality of this work,” she said. “Officers step into situations where the risks are immediate and the stakes are high. They make decisions in tight spaces in real time with lives around them.”
The commissioner added that the NYPD has recently increased its presence in the subway system, deploying more than 175 additional officers to transit patrol in recent weeks, alongside existing overtime posts. “Their focus is on preventing violence and responding immediately when something happens, just as they did today,” Tisch said. “They work to ensure that the millions of people who ride our subways each day can do so safely.”
The investigation remains ongoing.

New-York-Subway-Violence-1_1775931890

‘Lucifer’ Unleashes Bloody Slashing Rampage Inside Grand Central Station

new york city

U.S.

zohran mamdani

A warehouse employee is facing multiple felony arson charges after allegedly setting a massive fire at a paper distribution center, and recording himself doing it while ranting about his pay.
Authorities say 29-year-old Chamel Abdulkarim, an employee at a facility operated for Kimberly-Clark, was arrested after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massive-california-warehouse-destroyed-in-suspected-arson-attack">six-alarm fire tore through a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse</a> in Ontario, California, Tuesday morning.
The fire was set at around 12:30 a.m., quickly spreading through the building, which was filled with paper goods like toilet paper and facial tissue. What sets the case apart — beyond the sheer scale of destruction — is video circulating online that investigators believe shows Abdulkarim lighting the fire while delivering a profanity-laced grievance.
“All you had to do was pay us enough to live,” a voice believed to be Abdulkarim says repeatedly in the footage.
“You may not pay us enough to f*cking live … but these b*tches dirt cheap,” he adds referring to a lighter, as stacks of products catch fire. At one point, as flames begin to spread, a voice is heard over a walkie-talkie: “We’ve got a fire in the warehouse.” He concluded the rant saying, “there goes your inventory.”
Warning: Strong Language
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A pissed off employee started a massive fire at a warehouse after complaining about low pay. 😬
“All you had to do was pay us enough to f*cking live… there goes your inventory.” <a href="https://t.co/beWaZScs55">pic.twitter.com/beWaZScs55</a>
— kira 👾 (@kirawontmiss) <a href="https://twitter.com/kirawontmiss/status/2041995687168979210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fire officials said the scale and speed of the blaze immediately raised red flags. “This fire was very quickly identified as suspicious in nature,” Ontario Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Wedell <a href="https://6abc.com/post/arson-suspect-arrested-massive-fire-tears-warehouse-ontario-california/18851853/?ex_cid=TA_WPVI_FB&amp;link_source=ta_first_comment&amp;taid=69d771a78830ae00010ca3f1&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem">said</a>. “There was a subject of interest identified very early on in the incident. That subject has been arrested.”
While investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive, if the video is verified, it would certainly leave little question.
More than 140 firefighters responded as the fire escalated to six alarms, with crews forced into a defensive operation as flames moved rapidly through the structure. Roughly 20 employees were inside at the time. No injuries were reported.
Abdulkarim was initially reported missing, but was later located nearby and taken into custody. He is being held without bail. The warehouse itself was a major regional hub, supplying paper goods to an estimated 50 million people. The facility is valued at roughly $156 million.
Officials said the building’s fire suppression system activated, but was ultimately compromised when part of the roof collapsed.
The nature of the inventory, large quantities of paper products, accelerated the fire’s spread. Flames and smoke were visible for miles, and air quality warnings were issued for surrounding neighborhoods. Several trucks docked at the facility were also destroyed.
Beyond the immediate damage, the fire is expected to have a broader economic impact. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-07/toilet-paper-facility-fire-risks-disruption-to-major-us-market?srnd=homepage-americas&amp;embedded-checkout=true">Industry analysts</a> say the loss of the facility could affect more than 3% of Kimberly-Clark’s U.S. sales, while increasing transportation and logistics costs as distribution is rerouted. The company’s stock fell more than 4% following the incident.
The warehouse was operated by a third-party logistics firm, which said it is cooperating with authorities and working to relocate affected employees. Kimberly-Clark said its supply chain is designed to handle disruptions and does not expect widespread shortages.
Authorities say the video is part of an ongoing investigation.

WATCH: Did An Arson Suspect Just Record Himself Lighting A Warehouse On Fire?

arson

california

New body-cam footage released this month shows singer Justin Timberlake struggling through a field sobriety test in the 2024 Hampton stop that ended with his arrest for driving while intoxicated.
Timberlake was driving in Sag Harbor, New York, at the time of his arrest in June 2024. He later pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired, receiving community service and issuing a public apology, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/justin-timberlake-sobriety-test-video-hamptons-arrest">according</a> to Fox News Digital.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Police video of Justin Timberlake&#8217;s 2024 drunken driving arrest in the Hamptons released <a href="https://t.co/00thqrjrkz">pic.twitter.com/00thqrjrkz</a>
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC7NY/status/2035189534745342077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In part of the approximately eight hours of footage, an officer questions Timberlake, who is still in the car.
“I’m on tour,” Timberlake said when the officer asked what he was doing in the area. He then clarified, “A world tour.”
“Doing what?” the officer asked.
“It’s hard to explain,” Timberlake said. “World tour. I’m Justin Timberlake.”
“You are Justin Timberlake?” the officer asked. “Do you have a license with you?”
Later in the video, Timberlake interrupts the officer explaining the field sobriety test.
“Guys, I’m just following my friends back to my house,” Timberlake said. “I’m not doing anything, I’m just following my friends.”
The video shows Timberlake struggling to walk heel-to-toe in a straight line and stand on one leg.
“By the way, these are, like, these are really hard tests,” he told the officers.
Timberlake refused to take a breathalyzer test, at which point the officers arrested him on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Timberlake had sued Sag Harbor Village and the police department earlier this month to stop the release of the footage, according to Fox News Digital. His lawyers said they were told on March 1 that the video would be released in response to a request under Freedom of Information law, although it would be redacted for medical and security reasons.
To block the release, the singer had argued the video contained private information “not germane to any public law enforcement action of public concern.”
On March 20, Timberlake’s lawyers allowed the release of the video in a joint filing that said the footage “does not constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”
Despite the incident, Timberlake was able to continue his 2024 tour.

Justin Timberlake

WATCH: Justin Timberlake Struggles Through Sobriety Test In Newly-Released Video

Celebrities

Drunk Driving

A Georgia prosecutor said Friday that he has dropped the vehicular homicide charge against a teenager who struck a high school teacher with his car during a late-night prank gone wrong.
Hall County Prosecutor Lee Darragh confirmed the dismissal to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/charges-dropped-georgia-teens-fatal-high-school-prank-rcna263433">NBC News</a>.
The family of Jason Hughes, 40, the math teacher at North Hall High School who was killed, had previously said they wanted the charges dropped, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-high-school-prank-turned-deadly-now-the-victims-family-wants-charges-dropped">previously reported</a>.
“This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students,” the family <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/us/georgia-teacher-killed-prank.html">said</a> in a statement to The New York Times last week. “This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.”
Darragh also dismissed reckless driving, criminal trespass, and littering charges against Jayden Wallace, 18, as well as criminal trespass and littering charges against four other 18-year-olds who were participating in the prank.
The Wallace family attorney said the situation was “an extremely sad and devastating accident,” not a crime, according to NBC News. He also thanked Hughes’ wife for her “remarkable compassion and spirit of forgiveness in the face of the tremendous loss of her husband.”
Hughes, a father of two, died on March 6 after being run over by a teen driver who was there with other students toilet-papering his trees. Hughes slipped near the car because of rain and was accidentally struck by the vehicle, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-georgia-teacher-killed-prank-gone-wrong-want-charges-teens-drop-rcna262482">NBC News</a>.
The teens stopped immediately and tried to administer first aid, but Hughes died of his injuries.
The prank was a tradition at the school, Hughes’ family <a href="https://abcnews.com/video/130894885/">told</a> ABC News in a statement. Hughes knew the students were coming and was excited to catch them.
“The family wants to make clear that they knew these kids and they loved them, and these kids loved the Hugheses,” the family said. “This was not a malicious act.”
A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-jason-hughes-support-his-family-4zzkn">GoFundMe</a> for the Hughes family has raised almost $490,000 as of Saturday.
“We are thankful for the outpouring of prayers and support as we grieve the loss of Jason,” the family told ABC. “We ask that you continue to pray for our family and also for the students involved in the accident along with their families. Please join us in extending grace and mercy to them as Christ has done for us.”

Photo of a blue metal lockers along a nondescript hallway in a typical US High School. No identifiable information included and nobody in the hall.

Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Teens In Tragic Prank-Gone-Wrong Death

courts

georgia

Tragedy

Three people were hospitalized after a man opened fire at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday. Authorities identified the suspected gunman as Mohammad Bailor Jalloh. FBI Director Kash Patel announced the bureau is investigating the actions as an act of terrorism. &#8220;Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is fully engaged, embedded with local authorities, and providing all resources necessary in the investigation,&#8221; said Patel. 
At 10:43 a.m., the Norfolk police began receiving calls that an active shooter was inside Constant Hall, one of the school&#8217;s academic centers. &#8220;We received information that people were being shot inside of the classrooms,&#8221; said Old Dominion Police Chief Garrett Shelton.
Shelton said the first officers arrived on the scene by 10:47 a.m. and that by 10:50 a.m., Jalloh was pronounced dead on the scene.
Shelton said there are three victims in the shooting. Shelton confirmed two victims were transported to the hospital for medical treatment and the third victim transported themselves. One of the victims has died from their injuries/
Students were evacuated from the scene and the school has canceled all classes and operations for the day.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
There have been 2 reported victims at this time who have been transported to the hospital to receive medical treatment <a href="https://t.co/cu0L5zn9S4">https://t.co/cu0L5zn9S4</a>
— Norfolk Police Dept (@NorfolkPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/NorfolkPD/status/2032132195414949927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
Shelton said the police department was notified the third victim transported themselves to the hospital after the initial announcement was made.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.

Old Dominion University

Gunman Opens Fire: One Dead, Two Injured At Old Dominion University

shooting

virginia

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