A growing wave of juvenile crime and “teen takeovers” in major Democrat-run cities is prompting renewed scrutiny of leftist policing policies, with critics warning that years of anti-law enforcement rhetoric have created an atmosphere of escalating disorder.
The phenomenon has erupted in cities including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in recent months, with incidents often coordinated through TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media platforms.
Col. Frank Carpenter, chief of police in Chesterfield County, Virginia, told <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/30/us-news/teen-takeovers-turn-city-centers-into-scenes-from-the-purge-cops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Post</a> these scenes resemble “The Purge,” a dystopian horror film franchise depicting cities descending into lawlessness. Police sources say that massive groups of teenagers have increasingly overwhelmed officers, shut down public spaces, and engaged in assaults, robberies, vandalism, and shootings.
As with Virginia, these incidents are especially concentrated in Democrat-led cities. Chicago, in particular, has emerged as one of the most visible examples.
Last week, a silver sedan <a href="https://x.com/ChicagoContrar1/status/2053107479580479701?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rammed</a> a Chicago Police Department squad car during a downtown street takeover near Grant Park while crowds of teens surrounded the vehicle, cheering, filming officers on their phones, and pounding on the patrol car’s hood. Just two days later, on Friday, a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWl_IufDx1X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second takeover erupted</a> on the city’s South Side. In another incident earlier this spring, teens allegedly set vehicles ablaze by igniting fireworks inside them.
Similar incidents have recently unfolded in Los Angeles beach communities and <a href="https://x.com/WellsJorda89710/status/2043154989682511888?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington, D.C</a>., where viral videos show large crowds overwhelming police presence and turning public areas into chaotic scenes. Though no one was killed, in one Los Angeles-area takeover, gunfire broke out and struck four victims ranging from 17 to 22 years old.
In New York City, police arrested a 17-year-old suspect in the fatal stabbing of 39-year-old Leonides Baez near Times Square. According to investigators, the teen allegedly said he was inspired by a TikTok trend known as “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/nyregion/teenager-stabbing-times-square-nyc-tiktok.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">messing with crackheads</a>,” in which vulnerable or homeless individuals are harassed for entertainment and online attention.
Authorities say several teens approached Baez before he was stabbed to death outside of a restaurant.
Critics say the social media component is central to understanding this crime trend. The Wall Street Journal recently characterized many of the incidents as “performative crime,” that is, criminal acts committed for viral attention and social status online.
But some analysts argue the deeper causes run far beyond TikTok.
Heather Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of &#8220;The War on Cops,&#8221; said authorities are failing to confront the fact that these crimes are overwhelmingly being carried out by young African Americans and reflect long-term breakdowns in the black family structure.
“This is a long-standing problem, and nobody wants to talk about what the causes are,” Mac Donald said during an interview with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/morning-wire?elementPosition=7&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Browse+by+Hosts&amp;rowType=Hosts+Carousel">Morning Wire</a>. “The criminal justice system is terrified, really, to do anything about it.”
The extreme nature of the takeovers is prompting Republican leaders to act though. On Friday, U.S. Attorney <a href="https://x.com/foxnews/status/2055326776549605474?s=43" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeanine Pirro announced</a> a significant offensive against the parents of minors participating in these crimes. Pirro pledged to pursue criminal charges against parents who neglect their supervisory duties, warning that such failures could result in substantial financial penalties or incarceration.
“If the evidence shows the parent knew or should have known or permitted or failed to prevent participation, we are going to charge them,” Pirro stated, adding, “If you drop your kid off and you fail to supervise them, or you let them skip school to join the chaos, you are going to face fines, court ordered classes, and possible jail time.&#8221;
Another contributing factor Mac Donald pointed to is schools, which she said have historically been reluctant to discipline black students after years of pressure from leftist activists and federal officials who claimed disciplinary disparities were evidence of systemic racism.
“Teachers now have been told they can’t do that,” she said, referring to enforcing discipline and behavioral standards in classrooms. She also blamed the lingering effects of the anti-police movement that exploded after the 2014 Ferguson, Missouri, riots and intensified following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“Policing obviously has been under one prolonged assault since the Ferguson riots,” Mac Donald said. “The pressure is on them not to intervene at all because they don’t want another George Floyd riot or Ferguson riot in their city.”
The debate has intensified as some blue-city leaders continue pushing policies that restrict law enforcement.
Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to curtail “pretextual” traffic stops by the LAPD. The stops are initiated for low-level violations such as broken taillights or expired tags that sometimes lead officers to uncover illegal weapons or narcotics. The city council&#8217;s vote is now set to be debated by the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, which has the final say.
Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has previously described aggressive law enforcement approaches as a “sickness” in Chicago that he wanted to “eradicate.”
Mac Donald argued that years of political hostility toward proactive policing have worsened violent crime. “There’s nothing more important that the police can do to lower gun crime than these types of investigative stops,” she said.
Although officials in cities such as New York and Chicago often point to declining overall crime statistics, Mac Donald said those numbers can obscure broader public disorder. “Murders don’t lie. You can’t hide the bodies,” she said, noting homicide rates remain elevated compared to pre-2020 levels despite recent declines from their peak.
Police recruitment has also become increasingly difficult in major urban departments. Mac Donald said cities including Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago remain severely understaffed as officers retire early, leave for red states, or avoid entering the profession altogether.
“If current policies continue,” she warned, “people who can leave are going to leave.”

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Teen Takeovers Turn Blue Cities Into ‘Scenes From The Purge’

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NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) &#8211; A New York man was found guilty on Wednesday of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government after a trial over federal prosecutors&#8217; allegations that he operated a &#8220;secret police station&#8221; on behalf of Beijing in Manhattan&#8217;s Chinatown neighborhood.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Lu Jianwang, 64, should have alerted the U.S. Attorney General that he was a Chinese agent when he helped open the so-called police station in 2022. They also said he helped China&#8217;s government locate a pro-democracy activist living in California.
Lu was arrested in April 2023. He had pleaded not guilty to the three felony charges he faced: conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent, acting as an unregistered agent of China, and obstruction of justice.
A jury in Brooklyn federal court reached the verdict after a weeklong trial. Lu faces up to 30 years in prison.
&#8220;May today’s verdict send a message to other foreign agents–the FBI maintains its unwavering resolve to reveal and disrupt the clandestine operations of adversarial nations,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle in an announcement of the verdict.
The Justice Department has in recent years been ramping up probes into what it calls &#8220;transnational repression&#8221; by U.S. adversaries such as China and Iran to intimidate political opponents living in the United States.
CHINA CALLS CHARGES FABRICATED
China&#8217;s government has called the charges in the case &#8220;fabricated&#8221; and part of an effort to smear the country&#8217;s image. Beijing has said there are centers outside China run by local volunteers, not Chinese police officers, that aim to help Chinese citizens renew documents and offer other services.
In her opening statement on May 6, prosecutor Lindsey Oken said Lu &#8211; a naturalized U.S. citizen &#8211; had ties with Chinese law enforcement and met with officials who tasked him with opening the station during a trip to China in 2022.
Oken said Lu ran the station out of a nondescript office building in Chinatown. She said he started out by helping Chinese nationals living in New York with renewing driver&#8217;s licenses, which alone is a crime if not disclosed to the U.S. government.
Oken said Lu also agreed to help the Chinese government locate a pro-democracy activist living in the United States. Prosecutors did not allege that the activist was harmed.
John Carman, a lawyer for Lu, said his client agreed to open the center to help Chinese nationals who were unable to travel to the country to renew documents due to the COVID pandemic. But Carman said Lu was not tasked by the Chinese government to do so.
A co-defendant arrested alongside Lu, Chen Jinping, pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring to act as an unregistered Chinese agent.
The arrests followed a 2022 investigation published by Spain-based advocacy group Safeguard Defenders that reported China had set up overseas &#8220;service stations,&#8221; including in New York, that illegally worked with Chinese police to pressure fugitives to return to China.
&nbsp;
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Karen Sloan; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

FILE PHOTO: Lu Jianwang arrives at Brooklyn federal court during his trial in New York City

Chinese Agent Found Guilty In NYC ‘Secret Police Station’ Case

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Communist China

New York

Two South Florida-based police officers are suing for defamation following the release of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s action thriller “The Rip.”
Miami-Dade area sergeants Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana filed a lawsuit against the film’s production company, Artists Equity, earlier this month in Miami federal court, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rip-lawsuit-ben-affleck-matt-damon-98647a282521fe01ce73d8a7afeb4400">per</a> the Associated Press. Smith and Santana are seeking an undisclosed amount of compensatory damages, along with punitive damages and attorney fees. They are also asking for a retraction and added disclaimers in the film.
“The Rip” was inspired by the true story of two police officers who discovered millions of dollars inside a house. 
“A group of Miami cops discovers a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the huge seizure, making them question who to rely on,” the IMDb description says.
It was released on Netflix in January and currently has a 78% critic rating and 65% audience score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_rip">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. 
The lawsuit states that people now believe Smith, the real-life supervisor of the investigative team, and Santana, the lead detective on the case, actually committed the criminal acts portrayed in the film, even with the film’s disclaimers stating that it’s not a true story.
&#8220;Third parties have asked Plaintiffs which characters in the Film they were and how many buckets they kept,&#8221; the lawsuit states. &#8220;Family members, colleagues and peers in other entities unknown to the Plaintiffs but aware of the 2016 case, also remarked that Plaintiffs must have used seized funds to build personal property improvements, purchase vehicles and vessels, and afford private schooling for their children.&#8221;
The lawsuit further states that Smith and Santana have &#8220;repeatedly been questioned by third parties regarding the characters and events depicted.&#8221; They claim to have been contacted by a Miami-Dade County State Attorney inquiring about the allegations and threatening an investigation. 
&#8220;The Film and its promotional content imply misconduct, poor judgment, and unethical behavior in connection with a real law-enforcement operation,&#8221; the lawsuit <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/miami-dade-officers-suing-over-matt-damon-and-ben-affleck-movie-the-rip/3807644/">says</a>. &#8220;As a result, Plaintiffs have suffered damage to their reputations, diminished standing among peers and colleagues, and injury to their credibility in law-enforcement and professional circles.&#8221;
An attorney for Artists Equity said in March that the film already has a disclaimer saying it doesn’t depict real events or people, the outlet noted. The disclaimer text says, &#8220;This program is inspired by real events; however, the characters and events depicted have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes, and any similarity to actual persons is purely coincidental and unintentional.”
Affleck and Damon already stated that the narrative was inspired by the real 2016 incident in Miami and hired Miami-Dade Police Capt. Chris Casiano as a technical advisor on the film.
“We really wanted to kind of understand what those dynamics were like,” Damon told AP during an interview in January. “I mean, these units are very tight because they’re really putting their lives in each other’s hands, and they’re doing something that’s very dangerous.”

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Police Officers Slap Matt Damon And Ben Affleck With Defamation Lawsuit

Police Officers Sue Matt Damon And Ben Affleck For Defamation

Ben Affleck

Entertainment

Florida

Hollywood

Lawsuit

Matt Damon

Movies

New video captures the emotional moments as Florida police officers turned to prayer and faith to help talk a suicidal man off the edge of a bridge.
The <a href="https://x.com/JSOPIO/status/2049277489952763951?s=20">Jacksonville Police Department</a> released body camera footage of an April 12 crisis incident involving a young man preparing to take his own life on top of the Dames Point Bridge.
&#8220;Whatever you&#8217;re going through, man, you can get through it,&#8221; Officer Antonio Richardson said.
The young man, wearing black slides and gray sweatpants, shrugged his shoulders and stood with his back turned to the officer.
&#8220;Come on, let&#8217;s talk about it for a minute, Richardson said. &#8220;Can I at least have a prayer with you?&#8221;
The appeal to faith appeared to resonate, and the young man turned toward the officer to listen.
&#8220;You mind if I just hold your hand and pray with you? Come on, man, touch my hand,&#8221; the officer said.
The 96-second viral video offers only a brief glimpse of a long, <a href="https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/jacksonville-officers-message-of-hope-helps-save-man-in-crisis/507-3729b387-840c-4bcb-a88a-dee2d7685e3e">40-minute emotional standoff</a> before the young man ultimately stepped away from the ledge.
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&#8220;You&#8217;re hurting, but if you jump, you&#8217;re going to hurt other people,&#8221; Richardson told him. &#8220;The cycle of hurt has got to stop.&#8221;
Richardson, an 18-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and a pastor of more than 30 years, extended his arm and embraced the crying man into his arms, helping save his life.
“I remember reaching out my hand toward him, and at first, he was reluctant and kept looking like he wanted to jump. I kept saying, &#8216;Come on, man, don’t do it,&#8217; and he finally turned and reached his hand toward me. That was a magical moment,&#8221; Richardson said, <a href="https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/jacksonville-officers-message-of-hope-helps-save-man-in-crisis/507-3729b387-840c-4bcb-a88a-dee2d7685e3e">according to local outlet WTLV. </a>
Officer Creighton-Nelson offered more words of encouragement.
&#8220;I love you. We all love you. We wear this badge for many reasons. This is the main reason,&#8221; Nelson told the man. &#8220;To reach those whom the devil thinks he got. He ain&#8217;t got you.&#8221;
In that moment, the Jacksonville Police Department said their officers &#8220;were just people showing how much they care for another person.&#8221;
&#8220;I was praying, and God spared his life,&#8221; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VsXceoS-n0">Robinson told Fox News.</a> &#8220;We connected, and as a result of that connection, he didn&#8217;t jump, and that&#8217;s what it&#8217;s all about.&#8221;

Screenshot/Jacksonville Police Department

WATCH: Police Officer Leans On Prayer In Hour-Long Effort To Save Man On Bridge

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The first openly gay chairman of Washington, D.C.’s police union has been arrested on child sex abuse charges, in a case that has quickly escalated from a local criminal matter into a broader flashpoint over leadership standards and public trust.
Lt. Matthew Mahl, a 23-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department, was taken into custody in Harford County, Maryland, and charged with solicitation of sex from a minor and solicitation of child pornography. A judge ordered him held without bond following an initial court appearance, with a preliminary hearing expected next month.
According to <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-police-officer-harford-sting/4091499/">local reporting</a>, Mahl allegedly engaged in weeks of sexually explicit conversations with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old boy he met on Reddit. Investigators say the individual was in fact an undercover sheriff’s deputy.
During the exchanges, Mahl allegedly sent explicit images of himself, including photos taken in uniform and inside his police office. He is also accused of requesting sexually explicit images and arranging a meeting after school for what prosecutors say he believed would be a sexual encounter.
Authorities say Mahl used his real name during the conversations and identified himself as a D.C. police lieutenant, at one point acknowledging the risk of being caught and stating he could “lose everything.”
When he arrived at the agreed-upon meeting location, he was arrested by law enforcement.
The Metropolitan Police Department said it was not aware of the investigation prior to the arrest and has since placed Mahl on administrative leave while revoking his police powers.
“The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department,” the department said in a statement, adding that its Internal Affairs Division will conduct a separate review following the criminal proceedings.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also addressed the case, stating, “We don&#8217;t want anybody like that on our force if those allegations are true.”
Mahl’s arrest has drawn particular attention due to his role within the department and his status as the first openly gay chairman of the D.C. police union, a position he assumed a decade ago. He also previously served in the department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit.
While officials have emphasized that the allegations are unrelated to his official duties, the case comes as another instance of increased emphasis on identity-first considerations — whether based on race, gender, or sexual orientation — overshadowing more fundamental evaluations of character and judgment.
While the allegations have raised broader questions about how leadership positions are filled and overseen, as well as the background examination used to justify the elevation of individuals within public institutions, for now, the case remains in its early stages, with prosecutors moving forward on charges that could carry significant penalties if convicted.

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Historic LGBT ‘First’ Arrested On Child Porn Charges

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LGBTQ

Police in Omaha, Nebraska, shot and killed a woman who slashed the face of a 3-year-old boy during a kidnapping attempt at Walmart on Tuesday, authorities said.
The attacker, who authorities have not identified, was confronted by police just outside of the Walmart as she was holding a knife to the young child, who was sitting in a shopping cart, Omaha Police Deputy Chief Scott Gray said. The woman refused verbal commands from the officers and then slashed the 3-year-old boy across the face before at least one officer opened fire and killed her.
The toddler was taken to the hospital after suffering &#8220;a rather large laceration across the left side of the face,&#8221; according to the deputy police chief. Authorities believe the young boy will survive. No one else was injured in the kidnapping attempt or the shooting.
&#8220;The officers gave the suspect commands,&#8221; Gray said. &#8220;There is video that shows the suspect swiping the knife at the child, cutting him across the face.&#8221;
Police said the child&#8217;s &#8220;caretaker&#8221; was shopping at Walmart with the toddler seated in a shopping cart when she was confronted by the suspect, who was armed with a large knife, which investigators believe she stole from the store, ABC&#8217;s Omaha affiliate KETV <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-walmart-shooting-officers-kill-woman-kidnapping/71015802">reported</a>. The perpetrator then allegedly snatched the child from the caretaker, &#8220;essentially kidnapping the child,&#8221; and ordered the caretaker to walk in front of the shopping cart as they exited the store. The woman held a knife up to the child as they walked.
After walking out of the store, the two women had a verbal &#8220;back and forth&#8221; before police arrived on the scene at around 9:20 a.m. local time, Gray said. Authorities do not believe that the attacker and the caretaker knew each other, adding that it remains unclear why the perpetrator targeted the woman and the young boy. It is also not known whether the caretaker was the child&#8217;s mother or someone else.

Walmart/Police

Every Parent’s Nightmare Inside Walmart Ends With A Split-Second Decision

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A 20-year-old man was arrested after threatening to burn down the headquarters of artificial intelligence company OpenAI and chucking a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman&#8217;s San Francisco home early Friday morning.
San Francisco police said officers were called to investigate a fire at a home in North Beach around 4:12 a.m. local time and discovered that a male suspect had thrown an incendiary device at the house, sparking a fire at a gate outside the home. The suspect fled the scene on foot, but he was found by police around an hour later outside of OpenAI&#8217;s headquarters, where he was threatening to start another fire and burn the building down.
The San Francisco Police Department said the 20-year-old, who has yet to be identified, was taken into custody &#8220;immediately&#8221; after officers recognized him as the person who ran from officers after throwing a Molotov cocktail at Altman&#8217;s home.
&#8220;Early this morning, someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman&#8217;s home and also made threats at our San Francisco headquarters. Thankfully, no one was hurt,&#8221; OpenAI said. &#8220;We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe. The individual is in custody, and we&#8217;re assisting law enforcement with their investigation.&#8221;
As of late Friday morning, charges against the suspect were still pending, and the San Francisco Police Department said the investigation remained &#8220;open and active.&#8221;
Altman, a central figure of the AI boom, lives in a mansion in the San Francisco neighborhood of Russian Hill. The AI executive bought the massive home for $27 million in March of 2020, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/31/sam-altman-russian-hill-mansion/">according</a> to the San Francisco Standard. Altman lives in the home with his husband and a baby boy whom they acquired through a surrogate mother in February of 2025.
Altman has faced criticism in recent years for rapidly pushing forward with AI development as some industry experts express concern about a lack of guidelines around the technology. Altman was fired by the OpenAI board in 2023 after accusations that he was not open or honest in his communications, especially with regard to AI safety. Altman, however, was reinstated as CEO after backlash from OpenAI employees and investors.
Altman and OpenAI have also been sued by Elon Musk, who helped start OpenAI, but then left the company&#8217;s board in 2018 over conflicts with his own pursuit of AI development. Earlier this week, Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-says-the-ai-shaping-your-life-pulled-a-800b-bait-and-switch">revised his lawsuit</a> against OpenAI, demanding that Altman be removed as CEO and seeking to force the intelligence giant to end its for-profit structure and return to its nonprofit roots.
Musk has alleged that Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman “manipulated and misled” him into providing roughly $38 million in seed funding between 2015 and 2018, based on assurances that OpenAI would remain a nonprofit dedicated to open-source artificial general intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

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Man Threatens To Burn Down AI Giant’s Headquarters, Throws Molotov Cocktail At CEO’s Home

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Editor&#8217;s Note: This story was updated Friday, April 3, after investigators revealed new information on Thursday about the case. 
***
An Arizona missing persons cold case turned into an investigative triumph when Christina Marie Plante was found alive after she disappeared more than three decades ago, the Gila County Sheriff&#8217;s Office <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1479304087566987&amp;set=pcb.1479304147566981">announced</a> Wednesday.
But not only is Plante alive and well, an investigator shared Thursday that the teenage girl actually ran away and has been secretly living another life since.
On May 15, 1994, the then-13-year-old left her home on foot in the small town of Star Valley, Arizona, to visit her horse at a nearby stable, authorities said. At some point after leaving her house, Plante vanished &#8220;without a trace&#8221; and was reported missing.
&#8220;At the time of her disappearance, extensive search efforts were conducted involving local law enforcement, volunteers, and regional resources,&#8221; authorities wrote in the statement. &#8220;Despite exhaustive ground searches, interviews, and investigative follow-up, no viable leads were developed.&#8221;
Her name was entered into national missing children databases and missing persons flyers were distributed throughout the country.
Until this week, the case remained active and ongoing, with investigators &#8220;periodically re-examining evidence and pursuing new information as it became available.&#8221;
<div style="width: 493px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="x15mokao x1ga7v0g x16uus16 xbiv7yw x85a59c x193iq5w x4fas0m x19kjcj4" src="https://scontent-lga3-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/659027770_1479348987562497_6086883609209914846_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&amp;ccb=1-7&amp;_nc_sid=127cfc&amp;_nc_ohc=jcaUoGpj-isQ7kNvwG-zG7g&amp;_nc_oc=AdpbJLazfVSn4II6MVN4bqkOY3WIhd3nSI7YDYbaO_DwF129HyN2uSI_2HQEqlm8an4&amp;_nc_zt=23&amp;_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-3.xx&amp;_nc_gid=JGBz8FdCuEUSJ1362NiKyQ&amp;_nc_ss=7a3a8&amp;oh=00_Af2ReAsEkuDnEy3Bxm7094k0WBSHxxf_BGQJSKV-lHADQg&amp;oe=69D462D6" alt="May be an image of text" width="483" height="621" data-visualcompletion="media-vc-image" />Credit: Gila County Sheriff&#8217;s Office</div>
It wasn&#8217;t until the sheriff&#8217;s office developed the Cold Case Unit with a &#8220;renewed commitment to unresolved investigations&#8221; that they reached a &#8220;breakthrough.&#8221;
Captain Jamie Garrett of the unit credits advanced technology and modern investigative techniques for the ability to have tracked down the now 44-year-old.
Garrett told <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/girl-missing-1994-left-on-purpose/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NewsNation’s “Jesse Weber Live”</a> on Thursday that she spoke to Plante on the phone, who confirmed she was the missing girl from Star Valley.
Garrett said she was &#8220;dumbfounded&#8221; after learning there was no kidnapping involved. Instead, Garrett shared that Plante made the decision to run away, with the help of other family members.
&#8220;I guess she wasn&#8217;t happy with where she was living and who she was living with, and she ran away,&#8221; Garrett said of the phone call.
Garrett told Weber that she shared with Plante the authorities thought something sinister had happened, &#8220;You know, we were under the impression that somebody kidnapped you. It was deemed a criminal offense.”
Plante, according to Garrett, didn&#8217;t give much information about how she ran away or where she has been, but confirmed she is living under a different name.
“She’s in her adult life. She has her family now. That’s not something she even thinks about,” Garrett said.
The sheriff&#8217;s office initially wrote in the statement it wasn&#8217;t going to release any more information “out of respect for Christina’s privacy and well-being.”
“The Gila County Sheriff&#8217;s Office remains committed to pursuing all unresolved cases and encourages anyone with information regarding other cold cases to come forward.”

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A Little Girl Who Went Missing 32 Years Ago Was Just Found Alive, But The Mystery Only Deepens

Arizona

Missing Person

A manhunt continues for the gunmen who “ambushed” a pair of U.S. Park Police officers on Monday night, sending one to the hospital with a gunshot wound. 
The officers were traveling in an unmarked Tesla in southeast Washington, D.C., when someone opened fire into their vehicle, law enforcement said during a press briefing. The officers were conducting an ongoing investigation in the area, and officials believe the shooting was targeted. 
The injured officer was airlifted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and released early Tuesday morning. 
“We can confirm that our officer who was shot last night was released from the hospital earlier this morning,” Park Police <a href="https://x.com/usparkpolicepio/status/2036415630190997755">said</a>. “Thank you for the thoughts and prayers!”
Park Police Chief Scott Brecht said that the officers “were ambushed by at least two gunmen” at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The officer driving the vehicle was struck but managed to drive up the road, where he pulled over and was administered first aid. 
“We are seeking two suspects, two black males, one was wearing a white hoodie with blue jeans, the other was wearing all black, with [a] white stripe down the sleeve and down the pant leg,” Brecht <a href="https://x.com/usparkpolicepio">said</a>. 
Brecht did not specify what kind of law enforcement operation the officers were conducting. 
“This is an example of unnecessary gun violence in our city. There’s no reason that anybody, a police officer, not a police officer, should be shot just for being out here driving through the neighborhood,”  said interim D.C. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll.
Attorney General Pam Bondi was briefed on the shooting, and the FBI is assisting in the search for the suspects. 
“Praying for the Park Police officer shot in Washington, D.C. The FBI is actively supporting the investigation alongside our law enforcement partners and will bring those responsible to justice,” FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2036244929668591826">said</a> Monday. “We will provide updates as we are able &#8211; please keep the officer and their family in your prayers.”
Park Police comes under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service and has field offices in D.C., San Francisco, and New York City.

US-POLITICS-INAUGURATION-TRUMP

Trump Admin Responds After Cops Ambushed In D.C.

In 2001, Joseph Edgar Foreman, better known as Afroman, burst onto the scene with the now classic song “Because I Got High,” the title track to his second album. Though he’d been honing his craft since middle school, that song introduced him to the masses. Since that time, he’s released 17 more albums, though “Because I Got High” remains his most famous. 
His most infamous album, however, is 2022’s “Lemon Pound Cake,” which was a direct salvo against the police officers who raided his home on suspicion of drug trafficking and kidnapping, two crimes which he did not commit. That didn’t stop officers from seizing $5,000 in cash — $400 of which was never returned — and causing $20,000 in damages to his home. Afroman, whose first song was a <a href="https://yourtahoeguide.com/2023/01/afroman-when-rap-comedy-meet/">diss track</a>, wasn’t inclined to stay quiet about that injustice. 
Instead, he turned <a href="https://x.com/CountDankulaTV/status/2034623015346987494">the saga</a> into the 2022 album. On it, he called the officers out by name. He used footage of them from his CCTV cameras for the videos. He implied that their wives were cheating on them, one with him. He called one fat and said he was eying the lemon pound cake on his counter during the raid. He was relentless, which is unsurprising given he <a href="https://yourtahoeguide.com/2023/01/afroman-when-rap-comedy-meet/">once said</a>, “A skunk has its spray. If you mess with me, I rap about your ass. It works. It’s funny.” The officers, though, were not amused, hitting the entertainer with a defamation suit in 2023. 
Afroman, though, remained undeterred and on March 19, 2026, he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-afroman-legal-saga-is-the-most-interesting-thing-on-the-internet-today?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Lynden+Blake&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=The+Afroman+Legal+Saga+Is+The+Most+Interesting+Thing+On+The+Internet+Today">found innocent of all charges</a>, saying, “We did it America. We did it, freedom of speech.” He forgot to add freedom from unlawful search and seizure. For a man who rose to prominence by rapping about how getting high was sapping his motivation, this unlikely hero proved doggedly fierce when it came to fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. 
As a nation, we should be thankful for Afroman. Most would not go to the lengths, would not risk the financial implications of failure, would not go scorched earth over $20,400 and a ruined day. But not Afroman. He still believes in the Constitution, in freedom of speech, and in the importance of good and trustworthy police to the community. 
Moreover, he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cR-WiGKZtg">rampaged</a> with style. For the final day in court, he wore a suit and tie with an American flag pattern. He <a href="https://x.com/CountDankulaTV/status/2034623015346987494">afromaxxed</a>. His only witness was the ex-wife of an officer whom Afroman claimed to have slept with prior to the divorce. When the officer was asked if he knew for sure that Afroman was not having relations with his wife, the officer responded, “I don’t know,” thereby undermining his own defamation suit. 
<div id="attachment_1063119" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1063119" class="size-large wp-image-1063119" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1176036605-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Afroman attends the 2019 Daytime Beauty Awards at The Taglyan Complex on September 20, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic )" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1176036605-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1176036605-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1176036605-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1176036605.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic/Getty Images</div>
In short, Afroman tapped into the rugged pioneer spirit that helped build this nation and showed that, even in 2026, great men can still achieve great things if they put their minds to it. Lesser men would have folded, afraid of the millions in damages the officers were suing for. They would have worried about the risks of tangling with local law enforcement. They would have sucked up the $20,400 they lost and moved on with their lives. And for many, that’s okay.
We can’t all risk everything to fight injustice. Not everyone has the sort of career and flexibility that affords us the opportunity to stand up for basic rights and dignity. As such, we need heroes out there fighting for us. But not all heroes wear capes. Some wear <a href="https://local12.com/resources/media2/16x9/1920/1320/center/90/df93163e-1d50-46e9-803a-1f2eaf88fcbb-CH12AFROMANINTERVIEW_frame_7352.jpeg">fur coats</a> over their American flag suit.
Thank you, Afroman, for your service, for your tenacity, for your humor, for your style, and for taking a stand for all of us. Though your troubles may have been related to the fact that you sometimes get high, you didn’t sit on the couch eating cookies and complaining about &#8220;the man.&#8221; Instead, you took the sage advice of another entertainer and hero, one Ric Flair, and said, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.” 
Afroman, you beat the man and, in the process, you not only won, but we as a nation also won. Your victory is our victory. Your fight is an inspiration for anyone facing injustice, whether young or old. May your success inspire us all to be as resilient when faced with the specter of a boot pounding down on our cake, forever.
* * *
Rich Cromwell is a writer living in Northwest Arkansas. He produces the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/47LCsh6lIWl7w1hJk7yhQc">Cookin’ Up a Story</a> podcast. You can also follow him on X: @rcromwell4
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Saturday Night Live – Season 48

Afroman’s Victory Is America’s Victory

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Only 15 Democrats were willing to vote with Republicans on Thursday on a measure that would make non-citizens who harmed police animals — such as dogs or horses — either inadmissible or subject to deportation.
The BOWOW Act <a href="https://x.com/CraigCaplan/status/2034639336612745286">passed the U.S. House</a> on Thursday by a margin of 228-190, with every Republican voting in favor of the legislation. It will head to the Senate next.
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) <a href="https://calvert.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-calverts-bowow-act-advanced-judiciary-committee">introduced</a> the bill in June of 2025 &#8220;after Freddie, a Customs and Border Patrol agriculture detector dog, was <a class="ext" title="(opens in a new window)" href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/egyptian-traveler-eats-federal-charges-kicking-dulles-cbp-beagle" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" data-entity-type="external" data-extlink="">assaulted</a> in June by a non-citizen from Egypt&#8221; — and the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance the measure in November.
&#8220;I appreciate my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advancing the BOWOW Act and joining me in standing up for our law enforcement animals who help keep Americans safe. Coming to America is a privilege, not a right. Anyone who assaults an animal, like Freddie, simply has no place in our country,&#8221; Calvert said at the time.
The purpose of the bill, according to its <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4638/text">official description</a>, is &#8220;to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to deem any alien who has been convicted of or admits to harming a federal law enforcement animal as inadmissible and deportable.&#8221;
The bill would affect non-citizens who were convicted under 18 U.S.C. 1368 — which pertains to the abuse of animals used in federal law enforcement such as service dogs and horses — or those who have admitted to assaulting such animals. Anyone who fit that description would either be inadmissible to the United States or subject to deportation.
The 15 Democrats who voted in favor of the bill were as follows: Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX), Sharice Davids (KS), Don Davis (NC), John Garamendi (CA), Jared Golden (ME), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Adam Gray (CA), Chrissy Houlahan (PA), Greg Landsman (OH), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), Josh Riley (NY), Eric Sorensen (IL), Tom Suozzi (NY), and Eugene Vindman (VA).
Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), in his first vote since leaving the Republican Party, also voted with the Republicans in favor of the measure.

U.S. Customs And Border Patrol Monitor Canadian Border

A Straightforward Vote On Protecting Police Dogs — Dems Went Which Way?

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The Manhattan District Attorney&#8217;s Office, led by leftist Alvin Bragg, said it would not pursue an assault charge for a 27-year-old man who is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nypd-nabs-27-year-old-after-mamdani-dismissed-mob-targeting-police-as-kids-at-a-snowball-fight?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=NYPD+Nabs+27-Year-Old+After+Mamdani+Dismissed+Mob+Targeting+Police+As+%E2%80%98Kids+At+A+Snowball+Fight%E2%80%99">accused</a> of hurling chunks of snow and ice at New York&#8217;s Finest earlier this week.
Gusmane Coulibaly, who NYPD officers arrested on Thursday, was initially charged with assaulting a police officer after a mob of people surrounded officers at Washington Square Park on Monday and launched snowballs at them. His other charges of obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct were also downgraded. The only charges prosecutors are willing to pursue are harassment and a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of governmental administration, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/02/26/us-news/manhattan-da-ditches-cop-assault-charge-in-case-against-washington-square-park-snowball-fight-miscreant/">reported</a>.
The New York City Police Benevolent Association, a union representing over 50,000 active and retired NYPD officers, blasted the district attorney&#8217;s office over its decision to drop the assault charge for Coulibaly. Patrick Hendry, the president of the union, accused Coulibaly and three other suspects who are still wanted of placing rocks in the snowballs before launching them at police officers.
“So why wasn’t assault charged? Why was harassment charged? Why do they feel that that didn’t cause an injury to a police officer, which he clearly, clearly has an injury below his eye?” Hendry asked.
Two NYPD officers were treated at the hospital for lacerations to their faces after they were hit with the snowballs.
Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Victoria Notaro told the court that prosecutors would have a difficult time proving that Coulibaly was responsible for the minor injuries to the officers, according to the Post.
Thursday&#8217;s arrest over the snowball ambush was Coulibaly&#8217;s second run-in with law enforcement this month. The NYPD said that the 27-year-old man was arrested &#8220;less than three weeks ago for attempted robbery in the transit system.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This morning, the NYPD arrested Gusmane Coulibaly, 27 years old, for assaulting our officers earlier this week in Washington Square Park.
Mr. Coulibaly was previously arrested less than three weeks ago for an attempted robbery in the transit system. <a href="https://t.co/IHO2zTC4tr">pic.twitter.com/IHO2zTC4tr</a>
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/2027010078302462147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The decision from the district attorney&#8217;s office to drop the assault charge comes after New York City democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-was-a-snowball-fight-mamdani-downplays-unruly-mob-that-injured-nypd-officers">downplayed</a> the mob&#8217;s actions, saying earlier this week, “I can just tell you from the video I saw it looked like kids at a snowball fight.”
Mamdani&#8217;s office told The Daily Wire on Thursday that the mayor does not believe any action during Monday&#8217;s snowball ambush of police officers &#8220;rises to the level of criminal charges.&#8221;
&#8220;As the mayor has said, police officers deserve to be treated with respect. The videos he saw showed a snowball fight that got out of hand,&#8221; Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said.
The mayor&#8217;s stance on the incident is at odds with other New York officials, including the city&#8217;s Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. Tisch called the mob&#8217;s actions &#8220;criminal,&#8221; while Hochul said it is “never acceptable to throw anything at a police officer.”

Gusmane Coulibaly/NYPD

Dem DA Hands Slap On Wrist To Man Accused Of Pelting NYPD With Ice Packed Snowballs

Manhattan DA Won't Pursue Assault Charge For 27-Year-Old Accused Of Pelting Police With Snowballs

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