Audio reveals drama in Seattle stolen plane incident Mercury News 2026-09-19 | Audio reveals drama in Seattle stolen plane incident
Body cam footage of Richmond police officers detaining Jose Lopez, who later died Mercury News 2024-04-26 | WARNING: Some viewers may find this content disturbing.Jose Luis Lopez-Rodriguez, 40, died in a hospital March 19, 2020, two days after Richmond officers tackled him and struck him with batons and fists, while attempting to arrest him for allegedly assaulting his estranged girlfriend. Six months later, the sheriff’s office certified the death as an accident caused by “acute cocaine toxicity” and “excited delirium” – the latter of which is a disputed medical concept that at least three physician groups have rejected as an improper means of writing off deaths caused by police violence.Read the story: wp.me/p7ShJJ-HQqGVideo by Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group----------------------SUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS:youtube.com/user/MercurynewsLET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Historic day: Mitty wins boys, girls NorCal D1 soccer titles Mercury News 2024-03-03 | Archbishop Mitty captured the NorCal Division I boys soccer title at home on Saturday, beating league rival St. Francis 4-1 in penalty kicks after the teams tied 2-2 through regulation and overtime. Hours later in the Sierra foothills, Mitty won the NorCal D1 girls title, edging Del Oro 5-3 in PKs after the teams played to a scoreless draw.
M.J.s Brass Boppers lead MardiGras parade in Oakland Mercury News 2024-02-14 | Horns blaring and drums echoing off the buildings, M.J.'s Brass Boppers, led by New Orleans native Michael M.J. Jones, made their way down 19th Street from Snow Park to the New Parish with a quick stop at Bar 355, where bystanders boogied in the street.
EBAL final: SRV 68, De La Salle 59 Mercury News 2024-02-11 | San Ramon Valley overcame an early 17-4 deficit to beat host De La Salle 68-59 and capture the East Bay Athletic League tournament championship on Feb. 10, 2024.
Anchor Marina docks get swept down Taylor Slough on Bethel Island during Sundays storm Mercury News 2024-02-07 | It’s not every day that you see a 300-foot marina dock float down the river, but when the big storms hit this past weekend, residents along Bethel Island’s Taylor Slough, including Fred Koslowski who shot this video, witnessed just that.Days later, they’re still watching it and wondering what will happen to the double-wide dock structure from the defunct Anchor Marina at 1970 Taylor Road. The docks broke free during heavy winds Sunday and started moving down Taylor Slough in this far eastern Contra Costa community, shearing off parts of private docks along the way.Read the story: eastbaytimes.com/2024/02/06/heavy-winds-send-300-foot-marina-dock-floating-down-delta-freaking-out-residentsVideo by Fred Koslowski----------------------SUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS:youtube.com/user/MercurynewsLET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
High school sports: What we think about NCS’s major changes to its playoffs Mercury News 2024-01-30 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow weigh in on the North Coast Section's playoff format changes in all team sports, including football, that will start in the 2024-25 school year.
The Ouimet family of Antioch takes in Nepali man with rare disease Mercury News 2024-01-30 | Kristi Ouimet and her husband Kelly have taken in Mira and her husband Govinda Regmi from Nepal since Govinda has a rare disease called primary hyperoxaluria Type I, which two of the Ouimet’s children also have.Read the story: eastbaytimes.com/2024/01/27/antioch-mom-works-to-help-ill-nepali-man-with-rare-genetic-disorder-get-life-saving-medical-helpVideo by Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group----------------------SUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS:youtube.com/user/MercurynewsLET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Body Camera footage of Antioch Police Shooting and Wounding Daniel Mackin on Oct. 1, 2023 Mercury News 2024-01-19 | The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has released two new videos showing four Antioch police officers shoot and wound a 30-year-old man as he ran from them allegedly armed.The videos, obtained by this newspaper through a records request, includes body camera footage from officers Thomas Borg and Shawn Marques, two of the cops who shot 30-year-old Daniel Mackin on Oct. 1. The other two officers have been identified as Kyle Armstrong — who’d been hired just four days earlier — and Dustin Dibble.The footage shows officers firing dozens of shots at Mackin during a foot chase in downtown Antioch near A and West 3rd streets on the city’s waterfront. The first shots are fired after one officer yells “He’s reaching” as Mackin leaves a van and begins to flee.Mackin has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer for allegedly pointing his gun at police and with possession a firearm as a felon.Read the story: wp.me/p7ShJJ-HePRVideo by Jane Tyska/Bay Area News GroupBodycam footage by Antioch Police Department----------------------SUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS:youtube.com/user/MercurynewsLET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnews/Twitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Bay Area Restoration Project: Workers breach dirt levee to make 300-acre future marsh in Menlo Park Mercury News 2023-12-14 | The project – part of the largest wetlands restoration ever conducted on the West Coast – is the latest addition to a growing mosaic of restored habitats for endangered wildlife, while providing flood protection and places to play for local residents.Story: wp.me/p7ShJJ-H1Xk
Pigeon Point LightHouse to undergo $16 million renovation Mercury News 2023-12-14 | Pigeon Point Lighthouse, a towering 19th century white brick structure that is one of the most venerable historic landmarks on Northern California’s coastline, has been closed to the public for more than 20 years because of safety concerns. Now it is finally about to receive a major renovation.The 115-foot structure, which looms over the scenic coastline between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, is the tallest operating lighthouse on the West Coast.Construction is set to begin on Jan. 2, and will take two years, said Linda Hitchcock, project manager with the California state parks department.Read the story: mercurynews.com/2023/12/04/construction-to-begin-on-16-million-project-to-restore-historic-pigeon-point-lighthouseVideo by Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group----------------------SUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS:youtube.com/user/MercurynewsLET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
CIF football: Acalanes wins state title Mercury News 2023-12-11 | Acalanes overcame a two-touchdown deficit to capture its first state title, beating Birmingham of Lake Balboa 35-23 in the CIF Division 3-AA championship game at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. The Dons put the game away on a 10-yard fourth-down pass from quarterback Sully Bailey to Paul Kuhner with 31 seconds left, adding a state championship trophy to the section and regional titles the Lafayette school won the past two weekends.
Bay Area News Group Week 16 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-12-06 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow close out the 2023 high school football season with their CIF state championship picks. The games on their list are Serra vs. Mater Dei, De La Salle vs. Mission Viejo, Los Gatos vs. Central Valley Christian and Acalanes vs. Birmingham. They also provide analysis of the matchups and look back at last weekend's regionals.
Bay Area News Group Week 15 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-11-29 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick eight more games this week as the season moves into the regional championship stage. Among the games on their list are Clovis North at De La Salle, Pittsburg at Folsom, El Cerrito at Los Gatos and Escalon at Acalanes. They also discuss what the fresh data says about the differences between the Central Coast Section and North Coast Section playoff formats, give a few shout-outs and analyze this week's matchups.
See the regrowth: Big Basin redwood timelapse shows recovery from CZU Lightning Complex Fire Mercury News 2023-11-23 | Displaying one screenshot per month per second, this timelapse covers the regrowth of trees in Big Basin Redwoods State Park since the August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire. (Photos Courtesy Andrew Richardson/Northern Arizona University, Drew Peltier/UNLV)Story: mercurynews.com/2023/11/22/see-the-regrowth-big-basin-time-lapse-video-shows-remarkable-recovery-of-redwood-forest-from-massive-wildfire
Bay Area News Group Week 14 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-11-22 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 10 games this week as section championships will be decided across the Bay Area. Among the games on their list are Pittsburg-San Ramon Valley, Los Gatos-Wilcox, El Cerrito-Windsor, Christopher-Soquel and Acalanes-San Marin. They also look back at last week’s games and break down the championship matchups in the CCS and NCS.
Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down westbound Bay Bridge lanes, demand Gaza ceasefire during APEC Mercury News 2023-11-16 | The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management called the event a “civic demonstration.” The protestors were stationed on the lanes before Treasure Island.Story: mercurynews.com/2023/11/16/westbound-lanes-of-bay-bridge-closed-as-protestors-call-for-gaza-ceasefire
Students, teachers shut down San Leandro Unified School District board meeting over principal firing Mercury News 2023-11-16 | Story: mercurynews.com/2023/11/15/students-and-teachers-shout-down-san-leandro-school-board-after-firing-of-popular-principalSUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS: / mercurynews LET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Wish Book 2023: Donate this year and help the Bay Areas most vulnerable residents Mercury News 2023-11-15 | Visit wishbook.mercurynews.com for more info
Share the Spirit 2023: Donate this year and help the Bay Areas most vulnerable residents Mercury News 2023-11-15 | Visit sharethespiriteastbay.org for more info
Wish Book 40th Anniversary Reel Mercury News 2023-11-15 | Visit wishbook.mercurynews.com for more info
Share the Spirit: Helping the East Bay’s most vulnerable residents since 1994 Mercury News 2023-11-15 | Visit sharethespiriteastbay.org for more info
Bay Area News Group Week 13 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-11-14 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 15 more games as the playoffs enter the second round in the Central Coast Section and North Coast Section. The big ones this week are San Ramon Valley vs. De La Salle, California at Pittsburg, Los Gatos at St. Ignatius and Wilcox vs. Serra. In this week’s video, we analyze the local matchups and rehash the drama from last weekend, including the epic SRV-Campolindo overtime game.
Bay Area News Group Week 12 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-11-08 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games as the playoffs get underway in the Central Coast Section and North Coast Section, including Campolindo at San Ramon Valley, Archbishop Riordan at Los Gatos and Clayton Valley at California. They also discuss playoff seedings, formats and much more — and pick who they think will win each division in both sections.
Meet Kendi, the Oakland Zoos new baby giraffe Mercury News 2023-11-03 | Kijiji, a reticulated giraffe, gave birth to her first calf, Kendi, a female, on Oct. 19. Kendi is the first giraffe born at the Oakland zoo in 11 years and made her public debut on Oct. 30.Kendi means "loved one" in Swahili, the language spoken in Kenya, where you can find giraffes in the wild including the Masai-Mara National Reserve. Amboseli National Park and others. By having giraffes at the zoo, the hope is to bring appreciation and awareness to the species.Kijiji has been a wonderful mother and it's been a joy to get to learn Kendi's personality," said senior giraffe keeper Leslie Rao. "She's got a lot of spunk just like her mother and she's very curious.""
Bay Area News Group Week 11 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-11-01 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games in Week 11, including Campolindo at Acalanes, Live Oak at Christopher, Antioch at Pittsburg, Leigh at Westmont and Monte Vista at San Ramon Valley. In their roundtable, Lefkow has no regrets about saying last week that Serra 2023 might be the Bay Area’s all-time best team. Serra had one of its closest games of the season on Friday, winning at Valley Christian 24-13. “They had a good victory against a good team, a good program,” Lefkow said.
Bay Area News Group Week 10 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-10-25 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games in Week 10, including Los Gatos at Wilcox, Acalanes at Las Lomas and Pittsburg at Liberty. They also discuss Serra's dominance. The Padres are so impressive that Lefkow, who has followed the local scene for many years, says they might be the Bay Area's best team of all time. Yes, Lefkow is aware of De La Salle. He makes his points in the video.
Raw bystander video captured moment Antioch police shot 30-year-old Daniel Mackin Mercury News 2023-10-23 | Bystander video captured the moment Antioch police shot 30-year-old Daniel Mackin, of Antioch, on Oct. 1.Story: mercurynews.com/2023/10/23/leaked-video-shows-antioch-cops-fire-dozens-of-shots-at-man-as-he-runs-away
Bay Area News Group Week 9 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-10-17 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games this week, highlighted by a couple of Top 10 matchups: No. 3 San Ramon Valley at No. 7 California on Friday and No. 5 Archbishop Riordan at No. 1 Serra on Saturday. One of our experts picks California to stun SRV. "San Ramon is a great team," he said. "Don't get me wrong. But I think they could be just a little bit flat for this game."
De La Salle 33, San Ramon Valley 27, OT Mercury News 2023-10-14 | In a high school football game for the ages, De La Salle edged San Ramon Valley 33-27 in OT after SRV scored 15 points in the final four minutes to tie the score and then missed a field goal that would have won it at the end of regulation.
Bay Area News Group Week 8 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-10-11 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games in Week 8, including the big one in Danville between De La Salle and host San Ramon Valley. They also pick Hillsdale at Menlo School, California at Monte Vista and Willow Glen at Leigh. In their roundtable, they discuss in great detail the DLS-SRV matchup and give their thoughts on the CIF playing all of its state football championships this season in Southern California.
When San Jose police confront people in mental health crisis, why do they hurt them so often? Mercury News 2023-10-08 | ...
Bay Area News Group Week 7 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-10-04 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games in Week 7, including San Ramon Valley at Clayton Valley, St. Ignatius at St. Francis and Wilcox at Menlo-Atherton. They also discuss Riordan’s ascent into the Top 5, transfers at both private and public schools and much more.
Raw body camera video: Bay Area police shoot and kill Tahmon Wilson, wound brother Tommy Wilson Jr. Mercury News 2023-09-29 | MARTINEZ – Authorities on Thursday night released body-worn camera footage of a police shooting that left one man dead and another injured last month outside a Martinez cannabis dispensary.The recordings show at least two Martinez police officers – Cole Bennett and Raul Ceja-Mendez – firing handguns at an Infiniti sedan as it drives away from Velvet Cannabis Dispensary at 4808 Sunrise Drive in the early morning hours of Aug. 18.Tahmon Wilson, 20, of San Francisco, was killed in the shooting and his 22-year-old brother, Tommy Wilson Jr., was wounded.Footage from Bennett’s camera shows him parking behind another patrol vehicle in the driveway to the dispensary and approaching the Infiniti from the driver’s side with his pistol in his hand. As the Infiniti squeezes past the patrol vehicles and appears to bump another officer, Bennett fires at the back of the car and keeps firing as it turns onto the street.Story: mercurynews.com/2023/09/29/martinez-police-release-body-worn-camera-footage-of-fatal-aug-18-shooting
Anderson Dam rebuild: TNT explosions carve out new tunnel at Santa Clara Countys largest reservoir Mercury News 2023-09-27 | The new tunnel, 24 feet high, will allow water to be released from the reservoir faster in the event of an earthquake, massive winter storms or other emergency. It is part of a $1.4 billion project ordered by the federal government to tear down the 240-foot earthen dam, originally built in 1950, and rebuild it to modern seismic standards to reduce the risk of it failing in an earthquake.Read the story: mercurynews.com/2023/09/27/video-shows-tnt-explosions-at-anderson-dam-construction-project-near-morgan-hill
Bay Area News Group Week 6 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-09-27 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games in Week 6, including Pittsburg at Los Gatos, St. Francis at Serra, Valley Christian at Riordan and McClymonds at De La Salle. As always, they had a lively discussion in their pre-picks roundtable. Among the topics: Is it too early to hype DLS at San Ramon Valley on Oct. 13? They also gave their thoughts on DLS's victories over Folsom, St. Mary's-Stockton and St. Francis and what they mean moving forward. Plus, they analyze this week's big games in the West Catholic Athletic League and Granada at California.
Bay Area News Group Week 5 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-09-20 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games in Week 5, including De La Salle at Folsom, Liberty at San Ramon Valley and Mitty at St. Francis. They also break down the DLS-Folsom showdown and take an early look at the NCS D1 playoff picture.
Bay Area News Group Week 4 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-09-13 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games in Week 4, including McClymonds at San Ramon Valley, St. Mary's-Stockton at De La Salle, Piedmont Hills at Silver Creek, Menlo-Atherton at Menlo School. They also break down the MyClymonds-SRV showdown and whether either will have a shot to become the first East Bay team in 32 years to beat De La Salle later this season.
Bay Area News Group Week 3 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-09-06 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow pick 16 more games in Week 3 of the 2023 high school football season, including DLS-St. Francis, Serra-Central Catholic and Grant-Los Gatos. In our video roundtable, we discuss De La Salle's vulnerability, Serra's dominance and whether this week's trip to Central Catholic-Modesto is a trap game and McClymonds' reloaded roster.
Bay Area News Group Week 2 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-08-30 | We predicted 16 games in Week 2, including the big one on Saturday in San Mateo between No. 1 Serra and No. 2 De La Salle. In our video roundtable discussion, Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow address the unthinkable tragedy at Mountain View, analyze De La Salle vs. Serra and much more.
Bay Area News Group Week 1 (2023) high school football picks Mercury News 2023-08-22 | The Bay Area News Group's Darren Sabedra, Joseph Dycus and Mike Lefkow are back for their weekly high school football picks. The opening weekend of the 2023 season includes some huge matchups -- Serra-Folsom, De La Salle-Orange Lutheran, San Ramon Valley-St. Ignatius, St. Francis-Helix -- and our guys pick those games and more. Plus, in their roundtable, they address Serra's No. 1 standing in NorCal, De La Salle's continued dominance atop the NCS and Riordan's remade roster.
Schnitzer Steel Fire in Oakland spreads smoke Mercury News 2023-08-10 | Crews on Wednesday night were battling a fire at Schnitzer Steel near the Port of Oakland.The blaze was reported shortly before 6 p.m. at the business, said Michael Hunt, a spokesperson for the Oakland Fire Department. The business, located at 1101 Embarcadero Road, specializes in collecting, processing and selling recycled steel.Smoke from the fire was visible for miles.Read the story: eastbaytimes.com/2023/08/09/fire-breaks-out-at-schnitzer-steel-in-oakland-2Video by Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group----------------------SUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS:youtube.com/user/MercurynewsLET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Highly-explosive chemicals found at San Pablo residence Mercury News 2023-08-03 | Emergency responders at the scene as highly-explosive chemicals which were found at a residence in the 900 Block of Stanton Avenue are investigated and mitigated in San Pablo, Calif., on Thursday, August 3, 2023. Evacuation orders were issued Wednesday afternoon for a six-block radius until they could clean them up. Read the story: https://shorturl.at/dilnyVideo by Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group----------------------SUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS:youtube.com/user/MercurynewsLET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Surveillance video: Bay Area thieves dodge employees, stuff pants at Fremont store Mercury News 2023-08-01 | The story: wp.me/p7ShJJ-FY7Z
Savannah Bananas hit home run in front of sellout crowd in San Jose: “Chaotic, in a good way.” Mercury News 2023-07-26 | ...
Bay Area police killing: Californias top cop investigating Newark shooting of Elmer Lopez Castaneda Mercury News 2023-07-09 | NEWARK — Sevgi Fernandez’s gut turned as the police body camera footage unfolded.Fernandez, founder of the Bay Area police accountability nonprofit Together We Stand, watched as officers confronted 19-year-old Newark resident Elmer Lopez-Castaneda during a traffic stop here on a stolen car this spring.The footage shows officers opening fire on the teenager after police say he "ignored officers' commands" and grabbed from his waistband what they thought was a firearm, but was actually a replica airsoft pistol.To Fernandez, the footage, which was released in May by the Fremont Police Department, does not clearly show whether Lopez-Castaneda grabbed the airsoft gun.“What is clear is it was not aimed at anybody at the time they riddled him with bullets,” Fernandez said, noting Lopez-Castaneda’s back was turned toward officers at the time he was shot. She added, “They murdered him unnecessarily.”Fernandez–whose organization was formed after the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and advocates for victims of police brutality and racism–joins civil rights attorneys who are questioning the actions of officers in the April 13 shooting of Lopez-Castaneda, who police have described as a carjacking suspect in a case where a car had been stolen at knifepoint earlier in the year.James Cook, an attorney for the high-profile law offices of John L. Burris in Oakland, and Mark Merin, a Sacramento-based lawyer who regularly handles cases of alleged police misconduct, reviewed the publicly released body-cam footage of the incident last month at Bay Area News Group’s request.They say Lopez-Castaneda was met with possibly confusing commands by officers and did not pose an immediate threat before he was gunned down.“One of the things that I would say if I was suing them is that, ‘Hey, they all started screaming commands at the same time. He’s getting mixed messages,'” Cook said, adding, “The guy just didn’t have a chance.”Merin called the shooting “indefensible” because Lopez-Castaneda did not point a weapon — deadly or not — toward officers or anyone else.“It’s a bad shoot,” he said, adding, “The law says unless he is threatening an officer with grievous bodily injury — or someone else — they don’t have a right to use lethal force.”Story: mercurynews.com/2023/06/19/its-a-bad-shoot-civil-rights-lawyers-advocate-criticize-police-killing-of-east-bay-teenSUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS: / mercurynews LET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Bay Area sideshows: Alameda County considers $1,000 fines, three month jail sentences for spectators Mercury News 2023-07-05 | Jurisdictions across the Bay Area are trying to rid the region of sideshows. The informal, stunt driving gatherings have been around for over 40 years.But a new ordinance in Alameda County would make it illegal for anyone to stand within 200 feet of one. Violators would face up to $1,000 in fines and three months in jail.Police hope the new policy is a deterrent. But free speech advocates call it unconstitutional. They argue watching or documenting a sideshow is legally protected free speech.Alameda County Board of Supervisors will consider the ordinance on July 11. If approved the new law would take effect August 10.SUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS:youtube.com/user/MercurynewsLET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
San Jose storage facility fire and explosion: Fire Battalion Chief announces arrest Mercury News 2023-06-16 | SAN JOSE — One person was in custody Thursday morning after a Public Storage facility in south San Jose went up in flames Wednesday evening, San Jose police confirmed.The “person of interest” was taken into custody Wednesday night, said a San Jose police spokesperson. They did not disclose any other details.The fire tore through the Blossom Hill Road storage facility Wednesday evening, leading fire officials to upgrade the blaze from two alarms to three after firefighters battled it for nearly two hours.Story: mercurynews.com/2023/06/14/san-jose-storage-facility-goes-up-in-flames-with-explosionsSUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS: / mercurynews LET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Raw body camera video: Ex-Antioch police officer assaults a handcuffed man during a traffic stop Mercury News 2023-06-15 | Editor's Note: Antioch Police redacted audio and video before releasing the footage in response to Bay Area News Group's records request.ANTIOCH — In the latest scandal to engulf the city’s beleaguered police department, a former Antioch officer has been charged with assaulting a handcuffed man during a July 2022 traffic stop, court records show.Matthew Nutt, who was fired from the Antioch Police Department over the same incident, was charged Tuesday with a single misdemeanor count of an officer unnecessarily assaulting a person. Video released Wednesday shows Nutt kick and punch the man multiple times while he was handcuffed. Nutt has not yet entered a plea but is scheduled to do so on July 18.The charge stems from a July 1, 2022 traffic stop in which Nutt and a second officer knocked the man to the ground then pulled him into the car while attempting to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. The second officer has been identified in police records as Sgt. Joshua Evans, who is under administrative investigation for repeated use of racist slurs and other offensive communications, including one where Evans texted another officer, “I’ll bury that n—-r in my fields,” and later clarified that he’d deliberately used the N-word.Full story: mercurynews.com/2023/06/14/ex-antioch-officer-charged-with-assaulting-man-during-traffic-stopSUBSCRIBE TO SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM Mercury News http://bayareane.ws/2ClQyyVEast Bay Times http://bayareane.ws/2qhvSqlWATCH MORE VIDEOS: / mercurynews LET'S CONNECTMercury News Facebook @ facebook.com/mercurynewsInstagram @ instagram.com/mercnewsTwitter @ twitter.com/mercnews
Oakland Athletics fans “Reverse Boycott” event at the Oakland Coliseum Mercury News 2023-06-14 | Longtime Oakland A's fan Stu Clary, of Vacaville, came up with the idea in hopes of packing the Coliseum with fans to support the team despite their impending move to Las Vegas.
Three dead and two critically injured following Bay Area crime spree of hit-and-runs and stabbings Mercury News 2023-06-02 | A law enforcement source told the Bay Area News Group that the suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Kevin Parkourana, a man with assault convictions and a hate-crime arrest.Story: mercurynews.com/2023/06/01/three-killed-in-stabbings-in-san-jose-milpitas-suspect-arrested
