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marble falls
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June 26, 2015
Adopted Woman Raised as Black Finds Out at Age 70 That Her Birth Parents Were White
Jun 24, 2015, 3:43 PM ET
By AVIANNE TAN
http://abcnews.go.com/US/adopted-woman-raised-black-finds-age-70-birth/story?id=31997402
PHOTO: Verda Byrd was adopted and raised as a fair-skinned African-American, but later discovered that her birth parents were white.
70-Year-Old Black Woman Discovers She's White
Next Video Rachel Dolezal Addresses Scandal After Resigning NAACP Post
Auto Start: On | Off
Verda Byrd spent the past seven decades of her life as a black woman, but at age 70, she discovered a shocking family secret her parents took to their grave that she's recently made peace with -- she was born white.
Byrd, now 72, was adopted as a baby in 1943 by her black parents, who never told her that her biological parents were actually white, she said, explaining that she only uncovered the truth in 2013 about her birth after she went on a search for her biological parents' history.
"It was overwhelming," she told ABC News today. "You cannot erase 70 years of your life and just accept what the papers say instantly. It's like 70 years pass by, and in a blink of an eye, you’re a different race."
And though her story may sound similar to that of Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP leader whose parents accused her of pretending to be black, Byrd said she wants to make it clear she and Dolezal actually very different.
"She upsets me so much because I don’t understand why she or anyone needs to lie about their race or their ethnic group," said Byrd, of Converse, Texas. "I did not know I was born white. She knew it."
Byrd's story is a complicated one, and it starts in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sept. 27, 1942, when she was born Jeanette Beagle to her white parents, Daisy Beagle and Earl Beagle, she learned from her adoption documents.
"Daisy and Earl were legally married, but Earl would go away and come back and go away in come back," she said. "In 1943, during a time he left Daisy, she had an accident. She fell 30 feet from a Kansas City trolley and wasn't able to care for her then five children. She was in the hospital for a year, and all of her children were placed in a children's home."
Though Daisy Beagle eventually took four of her children back, she left behind Byrd, who was the youngest and still a baby, and Byrd said she suspects it was because her birth mother realized she wouldn't be able to take care of her.
Byrd was legally adopted by a black couple, Ray Wagner and Edwinna Wagner, who couldn't have children of their own, Byrd said, adding that her name was changed to "Verda Ann Wagner." She later married and changed her last name to Byrd.
Strangers would assume Byrd took after her light-skinned mother, Byrd said, and because she had curly hair that could be styled similarly to black women's hair, no one in Newton, Kansas, where she grew up, questioned her about her race, she said.
"I went to a white school because our town was small and our schools weren't segregated," she said. "And other than my dad getting paid less than his white counterparts, my family didn't experience much discrimination because my mom and I were lighter-skinned and there weren't a lot of African Americans in Newton."
The dynamics in Newton however, were much different than that of nearby segregated metropolis Topeka, where Byrd and her family sometimes attended church, she said.
"I was friends with Linda Brown, who was the daughter of the pastor of the AME church I went to youth group conferences with," Byrd said. Brown was involved in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, which ruled school segregation unconstitutional.
Byrd said she "lived the black experience" even more so at 21 when she moved to a black community where her aunt and uncle lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, to start work.
"I then began to have black boyfriends, go to black churches and go to black social clubs," she said. "In church classes, I studied the [civil rights] marches and studied our black history, that kind of stuff. I knew who Martin Luther King was and what he stood for. I knew about Emmett Till, Malcolm X, the KKK, that kind of stuff. This was the era I lived and grew up in."
Byrd eventually married a black man, who served in the Air Force, and she traveled often with him depending on where he was deployed, she said, adding that they've now been married for over 36 years and have one daughter together.
"Even when my mom died 30 years ago and I first discovered the adoption document with my birth name, we were traveling to Paris, Tokyo, Germany, all these places, so I didn't really think about my birth or adoption or race," she said.
Byrd came across the documents again in 2013, after the couple retired in Converse, Texas, a suburb outside of San Antonio.
"At that time, I thought, now I have the peace of mind to find out who this Jeanette Beagle really is," Byrd said, explaining that she hired a researcher to help her trace her biological history and adoption records.
"I had to read them over and over and over again for two to three days," she said, explaining that the experience was overwhelming and that she found out she actually had 10 biological siblings, only four of whom are still alive.
But today, two years after the revelation, she's come to terms with her experience and identity, Byrd said, adding she recently reunited with some of her biological siblings.
"I've accepted my life, because as a trans-racial adoptee, it is what it is," she said. "I am still comfortable as Verda Ann Wagner Byrd. When I die, and when I'm six feet under, my tombstone is not going to have the word 'race' on it. I'm lucky to have two moms and dads."
As for what race she currently identifies as, Byrd said she believes she is "a beautiful black woman" and that she recently checked white, black and other on paperwork at a military hospital facility in San Antonio.
"If they need clarification, I can give it to them," she said. "I was born white, but my whole life, I've lived the black experience."
Adopted Woman Raised as Black Finds Out at Age 70 That Her Birth Parents Were White
Adopted Woman Raised as Black Finds Out at Age 70 That Her Birth Parents Were White
Jun 24, 2015, 3:43 PM ET
By AVIANNE TAN
http://abcnews.go.com/US/adopted-woman-raised-black-finds-age-70-birth/story?id=31997402
PHOTO: Verda Byrd was adopted and raised as a fair-skinned African-American, but later discovered that her birth parents were white.
70-Year-Old Black Woman Discovers She's White
Next Video Rachel Dolezal Addresses Scandal After Resigning NAACP Post
Auto Start: On | Off
Verda Byrd spent the past seven decades of her life as a black woman, but at age 70, she discovered a shocking family secret her parents took to their grave that she's recently made peace with -- she was born white.
Byrd, now 72, was adopted as a baby in 1943 by her black parents, who never told her that her biological parents were actually white, she said, explaining that she only uncovered the truth in 2013 about her birth after she went on a search for her biological parents' history.
"It was overwhelming," she told ABC News today. "You cannot erase 70 years of your life and just accept what the papers say instantly. It's like 70 years pass by, and in a blink of an eye, you’re a different race."
And though her story may sound similar to that of Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP leader whose parents accused her of pretending to be black, Byrd said she wants to make it clear she and Dolezal actually very different.
"She upsets me so much because I don’t understand why she or anyone needs to lie about their race or their ethnic group," said Byrd, of Converse, Texas. "I did not know I was born white. She knew it."
Byrd's story is a complicated one, and it starts in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sept. 27, 1942, when she was born Jeanette Beagle to her white parents, Daisy Beagle and Earl Beagle, she learned from her adoption documents.
"Daisy and Earl were legally married, but Earl would go away and come back and go away in come back," she said. "In 1943, during a time he left Daisy, she had an accident. She fell 30 feet from a Kansas City trolley and wasn't able to care for her then five children. She was in the hospital for a year, and all of her children were placed in a children's home."
Though Daisy Beagle eventually took four of her children back, she left behind Byrd, who was the youngest and still a baby, and Byrd said she suspects it was because her birth mother realized she wouldn't be able to take care of her.
Byrd was legally adopted by a black couple, Ray Wagner and Edwinna Wagner, who couldn't have children of their own, Byrd said, adding that her name was changed to "Verda Ann Wagner." She later married and changed her last name to Byrd.
Strangers would assume Byrd took after her light-skinned mother, Byrd said, and because she had curly hair that could be styled similarly to black women's hair, no one in Newton, Kansas, where she grew up, questioned her about her race, she said.
"I went to a white school because our town was small and our schools weren't segregated," she said. "And other than my dad getting paid less than his white counterparts, my family didn't experience much discrimination because my mom and I were lighter-skinned and there weren't a lot of African Americans in Newton."
The dynamics in Newton however, were much different than that of nearby segregated metropolis Topeka, where Byrd and her family sometimes attended church, she said.
"I was friends with Linda Brown, who was the daughter of the pastor of the AME church I went to youth group conferences with," Byrd said. Brown was involved in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, which ruled school segregation unconstitutional.
Byrd said she "lived the black experience" even more so at 21 when she moved to a black community where her aunt and uncle lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, to start work.
"I then began to have black boyfriends, go to black churches and go to black social clubs," she said. "In church classes, I studied the [civil rights] marches and studied our black history, that kind of stuff. I knew who Martin Luther King was and what he stood for. I knew about Emmett Till, Malcolm X, the KKK, that kind of stuff. This was the era I lived and grew up in."
Byrd eventually married a black man, who served in the Air Force, and she traveled often with him depending on where he was deployed, she said, adding that they've now been married for over 36 years and have one daughter together.
"Even when my mom died 30 years ago and I first discovered the adoption document with my birth name, we were traveling to Paris, Tokyo, Germany, all these places, so I didn't really think about my birth or adoption or race," she said.
Byrd came across the documents again in 2013, after the couple retired in Converse, Texas, a suburb outside of San Antonio.
"At that time, I thought, now I have the peace of mind to find out who this Jeanette Beagle really is," Byrd said, explaining that she hired a researcher to help her trace her biological history and adoption records.
"I had to read them over and over and over again for two to three days," she said, explaining that the experience was overwhelming and that she found out she actually had 10 biological siblings, only four of whom are still alive.
But today, two years after the revelation, she's come to terms with her experience and identity, Byrd said, adding she recently reunited with some of her biological siblings.
"I've accepted my life, because as a trans-racial adoptee, it is what it is," she said. "I am still comfortable as Verda Ann Wagner Byrd. When I die, and when I'm six feet under, my tombstone is not going to have the word 'race' on it. I'm lucky to have two moms and dads."
As for what race she currently identifies as, Byrd said she believes she is "a beautiful black woman" and that she recently checked white, black and other on paperwork at a military hospital facility in San Antonio.
"If they need clarification, I can give it to them," she said. "I was born white, but my whole life, I've lived the black experience."
June 25, 2015
Tearing down every Dixie rag down won't end racism.....
and we shouldn't allow the right congratulate themselves into thinking they'll shut the conversation down by getting on the bandwagon 150 years late.
This just a beginning.
June 24, 2015
No charges after fatal shooting at NSA
Source: Houston Chronicle
No charges after fatal shooting at NSA
| June 24, 2015 | Updated: June 24, 2015 6:47am
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — Federal and local authorities say no charges will be filed after an investigation of a fatal shooting by National Security Agency police at Fort Meade in Maryland.
The U.S. Attorney's Office and Howard County police said Tuesday that they've completed investigations into the March 30 incident at a security gate outside the agency off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
Authorities said 27-year-old Ricky Hall, who went by Mya, was killed and a passenger was wounded when police opened fire after the pair ignored orders to turn around a stolen SUV.
U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein says video shows Hall ignoring officers' commands and "racing toward the officer who fired at the vehicle." He says officers committed no crimes and there's no basis for federal charges against the passenger. County police say they won't bring charges.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/No-charges-after-fatal-shooting-at-NSA-6346017.php
June 22, 2015
I just recieved this nasty mail, please help:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=inbox&view=1905011
June 22, 2015
20 Big Ideas From Bernie Sanders to Reverse Inequality, Expand Safety Nets and Stop America's Plutocrats
Sanders outlines his platform in a major hometown speech.
By Steven Rosenfeld / AlterNet
May 27, 2015
On Tuesday, Vermont Independent Sen. Bernard Sanders gave a major speech in Burlington, Vemont, where his political career began three decades ago when he was elected mayor of his state’s largest city. Sanders, who is seeking the 2016 Democratic nomination for president, described 20 ideas that will be the hallmarks of his campaign.
1. Time for big thinking and new ideas: “Brothers and sisters: Now is not the time for thinking small. Now is not the time for the same-old-same-old establishment politics and stale inside-the-beltway ideas. <snip>
2. America’s problems are worse than ever: “This country faces more serious problems today than at any time since the Great Depression....
<snip>
....... Here is my promise to you for this campaign. Not only will I fight to protect the working families of this country, but we’re going to build a movement of millions of Americans who are prepared to stand up and fight back.”
3. Economic inequality is the top issue: “In America we now have more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on earth, and the gap between the very rich and everyone is wider than at any time since the 1920s. The issue of wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of our time, it is the great economic issue of our time and it is the great political issue of our time. And we will address it.”
4. The middle class is being destroyed: “It is the tragic reality that for the last 40 years the great middle class of our country—once the envy of the world—has been disappearing. Despite exploding technology and increased worker productivity, median family income is almost $5,000 less than it was in 1999. In Vermont and throughout this country it is not uncommon for people to be working two or three jobs just to cobble together enough income to survive on and some healthcare benefits.”
5. Poverty is worse than is acknowledged:
<snip>
Today, shamefully, we have 45 million people living in poverty, many of whom are working at low-wage jobs. These are the people who struggle every day to find the money to feed their kids, to pay their electric bills and to put gas in the car to get to work. This campaign is about those people and our struggling middle class.”
6. The country needs a real jobs program: “If we are truly serious about reversing the decline of the middle class we need a major federal jobs program which puts millions of Americans back to work at decent paying jobs. At a time when our roads, bridges, water systems, rail and airports are decaying, the most effective way to rapidly create meaningful jobs is to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation which would invest $1 trillion over 5 years to modernize our country’s physical infrastructure. This legislation would create and maintain at least 13 million good-paying jobs, while making our country more productive, efficient and safe. And I promise you as president I will lead that legislation into law.”
7. Raise the minimum wage and fight for living wages. “The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage and must be raised. The minimum wage must become a living wage, which means raising it to $15 an hour over the next few years—which is exactly what Los Angeles recently did, and I applaud them for doing that. Our goal as a nation must be to ensure that no full-time worker lives in poverty.”
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/20-big-ideas-bernie-sanders-reverse-inequality-expand-safety-nets-and-stop-americas
This is well worth the read.
20 Big Ideas From Bernie Sanders to Reverse Inequality, Expand Safety Nets and Stop America's Plutoc
20 Big Ideas From Bernie Sanders to Reverse Inequality, Expand Safety Nets and Stop America's Plutocrats
Sanders outlines his platform in a major hometown speech.
By Steven Rosenfeld / AlterNet
May 27, 2015
On Tuesday, Vermont Independent Sen. Bernard Sanders gave a major speech in Burlington, Vemont, where his political career began three decades ago when he was elected mayor of his state’s largest city. Sanders, who is seeking the 2016 Democratic nomination for president, described 20 ideas that will be the hallmarks of his campaign.
1. Time for big thinking and new ideas: “Brothers and sisters: Now is not the time for thinking small. Now is not the time for the same-old-same-old establishment politics and stale inside-the-beltway ideas. <snip>
2. America’s problems are worse than ever: “This country faces more serious problems today than at any time since the Great Depression....
<snip>
....... Here is my promise to you for this campaign. Not only will I fight to protect the working families of this country, but we’re going to build a movement of millions of Americans who are prepared to stand up and fight back.”
3. Economic inequality is the top issue: “In America we now have more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on earth, and the gap between the very rich and everyone is wider than at any time since the 1920s. The issue of wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of our time, it is the great economic issue of our time and it is the great political issue of our time. And we will address it.”
4. The middle class is being destroyed: “It is the tragic reality that for the last 40 years the great middle class of our country—once the envy of the world—has been disappearing. Despite exploding technology and increased worker productivity, median family income is almost $5,000 less than it was in 1999. In Vermont and throughout this country it is not uncommon for people to be working two or three jobs just to cobble together enough income to survive on and some healthcare benefits.”
5. Poverty is worse than is acknowledged:
<snip>
Today, shamefully, we have 45 million people living in poverty, many of whom are working at low-wage jobs. These are the people who struggle every day to find the money to feed their kids, to pay their electric bills and to put gas in the car to get to work. This campaign is about those people and our struggling middle class.”
6. The country needs a real jobs program: “If we are truly serious about reversing the decline of the middle class we need a major federal jobs program which puts millions of Americans back to work at decent paying jobs. At a time when our roads, bridges, water systems, rail and airports are decaying, the most effective way to rapidly create meaningful jobs is to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation which would invest $1 trillion over 5 years to modernize our country’s physical infrastructure. This legislation would create and maintain at least 13 million good-paying jobs, while making our country more productive, efficient and safe. And I promise you as president I will lead that legislation into law.”
7. Raise the minimum wage and fight for living wages. “The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage and must be raised. The minimum wage must become a living wage, which means raising it to $15 an hour over the next few years—which is exactly what Los Angeles recently did, and I applaud them for doing that. Our goal as a nation must be to ensure that no full-time worker lives in poverty.”
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/20-big-ideas-bernie-sanders-reverse-inequality-expand-safety-nets-and-stop-americas
This is well worth the read.
June 20, 2015
Who's face should go on the ten dollar bill?
Rep Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barbara Jordan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 18th district
In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by Bob Price
Succeeded by Mickey Leland
Member of the Texas Senate from the 11th district
In office 1967–1973
Preceded by William T. "Bill" Moore
Succeeded by Chet Brooks
Personal details
Born Barbara Charline Jordan
February 21, 1936
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died January 17, 1996 (aged 59)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Resting place Texas State Cemetery
Political party Democratic
Alma mater Texas Southern University
Boston University
Profession Attorney
Religion Baptist
Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American politician and a leader of the Civil Rights movement. A Democrat, she was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction, the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives, and the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous other honors. She was a member of the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors from 1978 to 1980.[1] On her death, she became the first African-American woman to be buried in the Texas State Cemetery.[2]
June 16, 2015
Blogger Gets Prison For Conspiracy To Film Sen. Thad Cochran's Ailing Wife
Blogger Gets Prison For Conspiracy To Film Sen. Thad Cochran's Ailing Wife
ByEMILY WAGSTER PETTUSPublishedJune 15, 2015, 12:25 PM EDT 886 views
CANTON, Miss. (AP) — A blogger who pleaded guilty in a conspiracy to breaking in to a nursing home and shooting unauthorized video of the ailing wife of a U.S. senator was sentenced Monday to serve more than two years in prison.
Twenty-nine-year-old Clayton Kelly of Pearl, Mississippi, shot the video of Sen. Thad Cochran's then-wife in 2014.
On Monday, Mississippi Circuit Judge William Chapman gave Kelly the full five-year maximum sentence, but he'll be in prison for half that time. The rest is on probation.
Images of Rose Cochran, who had dementia, appeared online briefly during a tough Republican primary. Investigators say Kelly was one of several people who conspired to produce the video suggesting Thad Cochran was having an affair.
Cochran's campaign said he wasn't involved in an improper relationship.
Rose Cochran died in December. Thad Cochran last month married a longtime aide.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Surprised he even got jail time, two years seems like a fair enough sentence.
Blogger Gets Prison For Conspiracy To Film Sen. Thad Cochran's Ailing Wife
Blogger Gets Prison For Conspiracy To Film Sen. Thad Cochran's Ailing Wife
Blogger Gets Prison For Conspiracy To Film Sen. Thad Cochran's Ailing Wife
ByEMILY WAGSTER PETTUSPublishedJune 15, 2015, 12:25 PM EDT 886 views
CANTON, Miss. (AP) — A blogger who pleaded guilty in a conspiracy to breaking in to a nursing home and shooting unauthorized video of the ailing wife of a U.S. senator was sentenced Monday to serve more than two years in prison.
Twenty-nine-year-old Clayton Kelly of Pearl, Mississippi, shot the video of Sen. Thad Cochran's then-wife in 2014.
On Monday, Mississippi Circuit Judge William Chapman gave Kelly the full five-year maximum sentence, but he'll be in prison for half that time. The rest is on probation.
Images of Rose Cochran, who had dementia, appeared online briefly during a tough Republican primary. Investigators say Kelly was one of several people who conspired to produce the video suggesting Thad Cochran was having an affair.
Cochran's campaign said he wasn't involved in an improper relationship.
Rose Cochran died in December. Thad Cochran last month married a longtime aide.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Surprised he even got jail time, two years seems like a fair enough sentence.
June 16, 2015
Rachel Dolezal Sued Howard University For Discriminating Against Her For Being White
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rachel-dolesal-sued-howard-discrimination
KXLY
ByCaitlin MacNealPublishedJune 15, 2015, 4:43 PM EDT 8975 views
Rachel Dolezal, the former president of the Spokane Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), sued Howard University for discrimination in 2002, according to court documents obtained by The Smoking Gun.
Dolezal alleged that the school denied her a teaching assistant post, a post-graduate instructorship, and a scholarship because she was white, according to The Smoking Gun.
Dolezal, who then went by Rachel Moore, claimed that the school and Howard Professor Alfred Smith discriminated against her "based on race, pregnancy, family responsibilities and gender" while she was a graduate student in fine arts, according to the Court of Appeals opinion.
She also claimed that the university's decision to remove some of her artwork from a student exhibition in February 2001 "was motivated by a discriminatory purpose to favor African-American students over Moore," according to the court opinion.
Judge Zoe Bush dismissed the complaint in February 2004 after finding no evidence that Dolezal was discriminated against based on race or other factors, according to The Smoking Gun.
Dolezal resigned as president of the Spokane NAACP on Monday after multiple news outlets reported last week that she had been pretending to be black. Dolezal's parents describe themselves as white and claim that Dolezal is also white, even though she had said numerous times that she is of African-American descent.
Nothing but twists and turns in this story.
Rachel Dolezal Sued Howard University For Discriminating Against Her For Being White
Rachel Dolezal Sued Howard University For Discriminating Against Her For Being White
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rachel-dolesal-sued-howard-discrimination
KXLY
ByCaitlin MacNealPublishedJune 15, 2015, 4:43 PM EDT 8975 views
Rachel Dolezal, the former president of the Spokane Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), sued Howard University for discrimination in 2002, according to court documents obtained by The Smoking Gun.
Dolezal alleged that the school denied her a teaching assistant post, a post-graduate instructorship, and a scholarship because she was white, according to The Smoking Gun.
Dolezal, who then went by Rachel Moore, claimed that the school and Howard Professor Alfred Smith discriminated against her "based on race, pregnancy, family responsibilities and gender" while she was a graduate student in fine arts, according to the Court of Appeals opinion.
She also claimed that the university's decision to remove some of her artwork from a student exhibition in February 2001 "was motivated by a discriminatory purpose to favor African-American students over Moore," according to the court opinion.
Judge Zoe Bush dismissed the complaint in February 2004 after finding no evidence that Dolezal was discriminated against based on race or other factors, according to The Smoking Gun.
Dolezal resigned as president of the Spokane NAACP on Monday after multiple news outlets reported last week that she had been pretending to be black. Dolezal's parents describe themselves as white and claim that Dolezal is also white, even though she had said numerous times that she is of African-American descent.
Nothing but twists and turns in this story.
June 14, 2015
Suspected Van in Dallas Police Attack Sold as 'Zombie Apocalypse Assault Vehicle'
Suspected Van in Dallas Police Attack Sold as 'Zombie Apocalypse Assault Vehicle'
By VICE News
June 13, 2015 | 9:45 am
Police are working to verify if the armored van used in the shootout Saturday in Dallas was the one sold on Ebay on June 7, almost six days before the incident. Described as a "zombie apocalypse assault vehicle," the van closely resembles the armored vehicle used by the assailant to ram a police cruiser and flee after opening fire on Dallas police headquarters.
Georgia-based Jenco Sales Inc. advertised the van on May 29 as an "armored zombie busting vehicle" with "bullet proof windows" and tactical step boards for "drive-by mow downs." The 1995 E-Series three-door van was sold just over a week later for $8,250.
Jenco Sales Inc. also describes some of the other features of the van, notably gun ports conveniently located so that "no zombie juice touches you during a mass zombie takedown." The bumpers are reportedly made of reinforced steel tubing so that dents can be avoided. The entire van is said to be armor plated and has bulletproof windows "just in case you run into other zombie hunting hordes who might try to take this bad boy from you."
The ad also mentions that the van was purchased from Pickens Co, South Carolina, and has some minor wear and tear.
?resize=1000
A Dallas police sniper shot the suspected gunmen in the attack through the windshield of the van after a standoff on Saturday morning. Police also reportedly fired a .50-caliber rifle to disable the van's engine. Police fear that the vehicle may be rigged with explosives, and they are using robots for a "planned detonation." Other than the gunman, who is presumed dead, no injuries have been reported in the attack.
Follow VICE News on Twitter: @vicenews
https://news.vice.com/article/suspected-van-in-dallas-police-attack-sold-as-zombie-apocalypse-assault-vehicle
June 13, 2015
McKinney pool party officer’s past includes allegations of racial profiling, questionable police practices
Records: A look at two cases from Eric Casebolt’s career
Jason Sickles, Yahoo By Jason Sickles, Yahoo
13 hours ago
Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/mckinney-pool-party-officers-past-includes-allegations-of-racial-profiling-questionable-police-practices-014210547.html
<snip>
Tommy Brown was jailed by Eric Casebolt, a McKinney police officer, in 2007 for a defective headlight. Casebolt …
McKINNEY, Texas — The latest law enforcement officer to fuel the national uproar about race and policing once jailed an African-American man for a defective headlight and was sued by another man for racial profiling, excessive force and other civil rights violations.
McKinney police Cpl. Eric Casebolt, who is white, was thrust into the country’s ongoing controversy about police conduct this week after a video of him responding aggressively to a disturbance at a suburban pool party went viral on social media. On the footage shot last Friday, Casebolt is seen drawing his gun on unarmed African-American teens and throwing one of them, a 15-year-old girl wearing a bikini, to the ground.
<snip>
Tommy Brown of Dallas was watching the controversial video on a local TV news report earlier this week when a broadcaster identified the officer involved as Eric Casebolt.
“Casebolt!” Brown recalls shouting. “That’s his name! This is the guy that took me to jail. I never will forget that name.”
Nor will he forget the charge that put him behind bars: defective headlight.
“Who goes to jail over a headlight?” said Brown, who is black and grew up in McKinney. “If I was a different color, I believe I wouldn’t have been going to jail for a headlight.”
Brown, who has a history of misdemeanor convictions, had just graduated technical college and had landed a job. “I was clean,” Brown told Yahoo News. “I didn’t have any warrants, my driver’s license was good and I had insurance on the car.”
The auto mechanic admits having smoked marijuana before getting in the car, but said he was not high while driving. He said his shirt likely smelled of pot when Casebolt stopped him for the headlight. “But he was very adamant about me selling some drugs,” said Brown, who is now 45.
In below-freezing weather, Brown said he stood for nearly an hour while the officer checked and re-checked his car.
“There wasn’t any papers, paraphernalia, any roaches, no seeds, no nothing,” he said. “The car was clean. He just wasn’t hearing it.”
As the hour wore on, Brown said Casebolt began threatening him with jail.
“He said, ‘I know you deliver some marijuana here in McKinney. I’m gonna put you in jail and I’m going to go to the East Side and anybody I find with some drugs or marijuana, I’m going to charge you for it.’”
<snip>
By all accounts, Albert Brown was at first cooperative. A check of his driver’s license returned no active warrants, despite a lengthy rap sheet for drugs and other non-violent offenses.
He consented to Casebolt searching him and the car. The officer found $180 in Albert Brown’s pocket and $50 and two marijuana seeds in the car.
“With all the nervousness, implausible and contradicting stories, I believed that someone was in possession of illegal drugs,” Casebolt wrote in his report.
Teaching others how to identifying liars, cheats and misfits has apparently been a part-time job for Casebolt. Before last week’s incident at the pool party, the 41-year-old was a featured instructor trainee on the website for Executive Self-defense and Fitness, which provides private lessons to law enforcement and citizens.
According to a bio of Casebolt posted on the site, “He has a strong working knowledge of human behavior, indicators of deception, criminal behavior, the development of situation awareness, and experience in the use of all levels of force.” The description has since been removed.
<snip>
Then Casebolt asked the female officer to search the 17-year-old again. This time, a small baggie of marijuana was found in her waistband. The teen told Casebolt it belonged to Albert Brown and, “That’s not all he has.”
Casebolt asked Albert Brown if he could search him again, according to the arrest report. “Yes, sir, but you just searched me.” The officer said Albert Brown began to struggle. “I pushed Brown onto the hood of his car, fearing he may pull a weapon out of his pants, and I told him he was under arrest [for the traffic offenses].”
<snip>
Jason Sickles is a reporter for Yahoo News. Follow him on Twitter (@jasonsickle
McKinney pool party officer’s past includes allegations of racial profiling, questionable police pra
McKinney pool party officer’s past includes allegations of racial profiling, questionable police practices
Records: A look at two cases from Eric Casebolt’s career
Jason Sickles, Yahoo By Jason Sickles, Yahoo
13 hours ago
Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/mckinney-pool-party-officers-past-includes-allegations-of-racial-profiling-questionable-police-practices-014210547.html
<snip>
Tommy Brown was jailed by Eric Casebolt, a McKinney police officer, in 2007 for a defective headlight. Casebolt …
McKINNEY, Texas — The latest law enforcement officer to fuel the national uproar about race and policing once jailed an African-American man for a defective headlight and was sued by another man for racial profiling, excessive force and other civil rights violations.
McKinney police Cpl. Eric Casebolt, who is white, was thrust into the country’s ongoing controversy about police conduct this week after a video of him responding aggressively to a disturbance at a suburban pool party went viral on social media. On the footage shot last Friday, Casebolt is seen drawing his gun on unarmed African-American teens and throwing one of them, a 15-year-old girl wearing a bikini, to the ground.
<snip>
Tommy Brown of Dallas was watching the controversial video on a local TV news report earlier this week when a broadcaster identified the officer involved as Eric Casebolt.
“Casebolt!” Brown recalls shouting. “That’s his name! This is the guy that took me to jail. I never will forget that name.”
Nor will he forget the charge that put him behind bars: defective headlight.
“Who goes to jail over a headlight?” said Brown, who is black and grew up in McKinney. “If I was a different color, I believe I wouldn’t have been going to jail for a headlight.”
Brown, who has a history of misdemeanor convictions, had just graduated technical college and had landed a job. “I was clean,” Brown told Yahoo News. “I didn’t have any warrants, my driver’s license was good and I had insurance on the car.”
The auto mechanic admits having smoked marijuana before getting in the car, but said he was not high while driving. He said his shirt likely smelled of pot when Casebolt stopped him for the headlight. “But he was very adamant about me selling some drugs,” said Brown, who is now 45.
In below-freezing weather, Brown said he stood for nearly an hour while the officer checked and re-checked his car.
“There wasn’t any papers, paraphernalia, any roaches, no seeds, no nothing,” he said. “The car was clean. He just wasn’t hearing it.”
As the hour wore on, Brown said Casebolt began threatening him with jail.
“He said, ‘I know you deliver some marijuana here in McKinney. I’m gonna put you in jail and I’m going to go to the East Side and anybody I find with some drugs or marijuana, I’m going to charge you for it.’”
<snip>
By all accounts, Albert Brown was at first cooperative. A check of his driver’s license returned no active warrants, despite a lengthy rap sheet for drugs and other non-violent offenses.
He consented to Casebolt searching him and the car. The officer found $180 in Albert Brown’s pocket and $50 and two marijuana seeds in the car.
“With all the nervousness, implausible and contradicting stories, I believed that someone was in possession of illegal drugs,” Casebolt wrote in his report.
Teaching others how to identifying liars, cheats and misfits has apparently been a part-time job for Casebolt. Before last week’s incident at the pool party, the 41-year-old was a featured instructor trainee on the website for Executive Self-defense and Fitness, which provides private lessons to law enforcement and citizens.
According to a bio of Casebolt posted on the site, “He has a strong working knowledge of human behavior, indicators of deception, criminal behavior, the development of situation awareness, and experience in the use of all levels of force.” The description has since been removed.
<snip>
Then Casebolt asked the female officer to search the 17-year-old again. This time, a small baggie of marijuana was found in her waistband. The teen told Casebolt it belonged to Albert Brown and, “That’s not all he has.”
Casebolt asked Albert Brown if he could search him again, according to the arrest report. “Yes, sir, but you just searched me.” The officer said Albert Brown began to struggle. “I pushed Brown onto the hood of his car, fearing he may pull a weapon out of his pants, and I told him he was under arrest [for the traffic offenses].”
<snip>
Jason Sickles is a reporter for Yahoo News. Follow him on Twitter (@jasonsickle
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