Suspect accused of stabbing man amid parking dispute broke 'The Untouchables' rule — and painfully paid for his error



Readers of Blaze News no doubt are familiar with the legendary adage from the late 1980s flick "The Untouchables" — in short, one never should bring a knife to a gunfight.

However, folks never seem to learn, as we've seen time and time again.

'No other charges were filed at this time — just against the suspect [who] stabbed the victim.'

Well, yet another guy broke the late Sean Connery's rule — this time in Reading, Pennsylvania. And he paid for his mistake in more ways than one.

Indeed, police accused a suspect of stabbing a man amid a parking dispute last Wednesday, but it turns out the stabbing victim had a gun.

"I heard the sirens and then went on Fire Alerts of Berks County, and I saw there was a stabbing, and then I read it, and there was a shooting," Chad Borden, who bartends at Jack's Pub, told WFMZ-TV. "And I thought, 'Oh, OK, it's a little close.'"

See, Jack's Pub is located in the 1500 block of North 10th Street in Reading, which isn't too far from where the argument took place, the station said.

"When we arrived there, we did in fact locate a ... victim with one stab wound," Reading Police Patrol Captain Aaron Demko told WFMZ. "Throughout the investigation, he indicated that he had shot the person [who] attacked him."

Demko added to the station that officers found the other person involved in the altercation at Reading Hospital.

That individual was identified as 32-year-old Jerry Santos, WFMZ reported, adding that police said Santos suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.

What's more, Santos was charged in the wake of the altercation, the station said.

"The suspect [Santos] ... has been charged currently," Demko told WFMZ. "No other charges were filed at this time — just against the suspect [who] stabbed the victim."

Authorities added to the station that Santos was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault and related offenses.

Anything else?

Borden told WFMZ that he grew up in — and still lives in — the area and that parking always has been a problem, particularly later in the day and at night.

"More people," he acknowledged to the station. "Everybody has three cars to one house now. There's nowhere to park, especially with the street cleaning. Everybody's got to move their cars, and then there ain't no parking for here."

Demko noted to WFMZ that police have been "actively and constantly addressing the parking issues in the city 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year. The parking authority also is working around the clock to also address those issues. So we deal with them as they come."

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Awakened homeowner grabs gun, waits for intruder to open bedroom door. A shoot-out follows — and it's all caught on video.



A Michigan home invasion over the weekend resulted in a shoot-out — and it was all caught on surveillance video, WJBK-TV reported.

It began when two intruders broke into 24-year-old Benjamin Nevers' home in Dearborn Heights on Saturday morning, WXYZ-TV reported.

'I’m kind of glad the guy who shot me is still alive, too. I don’t want to kill nobody.'

Nevers told WJBK he and a friend had returned from a trip to the Bahamas when two suspects appeared on security video breaking into Nevers' residence through a kitchen window and moving around the house.

Nevers' friend was seen on surveillance video lying face down in the living room and being held at gunpoint. WXYZ said the two intruders searched the house for studio equipment and jewelry before ending up at Nevers’ bedroom door.

"Then I woke up, and I was just quick enough to react to grab my gun and cock it, and I just sat there and kind of waited," Nevers told WJBK. "I knew they were going to come to my room."

Surveillance video shows Nevers inside his bedroom with his gun pointed at his bedroom door — and as soon as a gunman comes in, the shoot-out commences.

Nevers told WXYZ the gunman shot him in the foot — but that he fired twice at the gunman, hitting him in the leg.

An exterior camera shows the wounded suspect limping and practically crawling out of the home.

Aftermath

As for Nevers' injuries, he told WJBK that his foot was "completely shattered" and needed "immediate surgery" with "screws and plates." Nevers added to WJBK that he also "got hit in the back."

Nevers added to WJBK that his girlfriend, who was lying in a bed behind him during the exchange of gunfire, also was shot.

"I know she got shot in the back, and it ... traveled up and ... hit her kidney, and I think it’s lodged in her chest right now ... they can’t get the bullet out 'cause it’s too dangerous," he told WJBK. "So I know they are watching her, and it’s going to be a couple more days."

Nevers told WXYZ he believes his large social media following from his days as a party promoter tempted the suspects to target him.

He told WJBK that a bag the suspects tried to steal contained "a bottle of Don Julio" and "a chocolate bar." Nevers added to WJBK that "there was a studio microphone" for the taking and that "these guys did this for nothing."

He also told WJBK that he's "just happy everybody is alive and well. I’m kind of glad the guy who shot me is still alive, too. I don’t want to kill nobody."

Attorney Jim Makowski told WXYZ it "absolutely" was a clear-cut self-defense shooting on Nevers' part: “The homeowner acted completely responsibly. He identified a threat, he armed himself, and when the threat materialized, he opened fire, and it was a good shoot."

Suspect arrested

Phillip Price is facing 21 felony charges for the break-in, including two counts of assault with intent to murder, WXYZ reported, adding that Price remained in custody with no bond.

WXYZ added that police are searching for a second suspect.

You can view video reports here and here about the incident, both of which include clips of the shoot-out as well as interviews with Nevers.

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4 fraternity members charged after pledge set on fire during party 'skit' and suffers 3rd-degree burns



Four members of a college fraternity in California are facing charges after a pledge was set on fire during a party, according to authorities.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement released Monday that four members of a San Diego State University fraternity have been criminally charged for an alleged "skit" that resulted in a pledge being set on fire.

San Diego State University put the fraternity on an interim suspension.

Caden Cooper, 22; Lucas Cowling, 20; Christopher Serrano, 20; and Lars Larsen, 19, were all charged with recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the public, and violating the social host ordinance. If found guilty of all the charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of seven years and two months in prison.

The court imposed several conditions on the suspects, including not participating in any fraternity parties, not participating in any recruitment events for the frat, and obeying all laws, especially those related to illegal alcohol consumption.

The San Diego District Attorney's Office said the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity threw a large party at its frat house on the night of Feb. 17, 2024. The fraternity threw the party despite the university having placed the frat on probation for violating policies on alcohol and hazing, according to Fox News.

Cowling, Serrano, and Larsen had "pre-planned a skit during which Serrano would set Larsen on fire," according to the DA.

At some point, the "skit" got out of hand, and Larsen reportedly suffered burns on 16% of his body, primarily on his legs. Larsen spent weeks in the hospital for treatment of third-degree burns.

Cooper was the frat’s president, Cowling was on the pledge board, and Larsen and Serrano were pledges.

Larsen and Serrano were not of legal drinking age at the time of the incident but allegedly drank alcohol before the skit in Cowling's presence.

The district attorney accused Cooper, Cowling, and Larson of making a "concerted effort to thwart law enforcement’s efforts to investigate the incident by lying to law enforcement personnel, deleting evidence on social media, and instructing other fraternity members to delete evidence and not speak to anyone about the incident."

San Diego State University said it received an anonymous tip regarding the incident and then alerted university police.

The school launched an administrative investigation that "addresses both individual student conduct and the conduct of the organization involved."

San Diego State University put the fraternity on an interim suspension, which will temporarily halt all organizational activities while an investigation is conducted.

"The university has taken additional actions, but because of student privacy laws, those actions can not be disclosed," the school said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity on Wednesday did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

The defendants are scheduled to appear at a readiness hearing on March 18. A preliminary hearing is set for April 16.

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Blaze News original: Remember when gaslighting elitists called Antifa a myth? Here's a reminder that Antifa is all too real.



In July 2020, far-left U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) — chairman of the House Judiciary Committee at that time — said on camera incredulously that Antifa violence that had been documented night after night that summer in Portland, Oregon, is a "myth."

A month before, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — who now chairs the Judiciary Committee — blasted Nadler for calling Antifa "imaginary."

But it does no good for those who sit in power on the far left to acknowledge Antifa's lawlessness because its militant, psychotic pseudo-soldiers do the dirty work of leftist elites.

"They're not imaginary; they're real," Jordan said to House members, adding that "to have the chair of the Judiciary Committee, on the House floor, say ... these words ... 'imaginary things like Antifa.' They are far from imaginary. And there are people in every major city in this country who know that, and yet the chair of the Judiciary Committee just made that statement. That is scary."

What's more, during a September 2020 presidential debate, then-Democrat nominee Joe Biden told then-President Donald Trump that FBI director Christopher Wray said "Antifa's an idea, not an organization."

While Wray confirmed in testimony before Congress earlier in September 2020 that "Antifa is a real thing," he did say it's "not a group or an organization. It's a movement, or an ideology may be one way of thinking of it."

Well, readers of Blaze News know all too well that Antifa is all too real. We know for a fact that the collection of violent, black-clad left-wing militants is organized in regional and local groups throughout the U.S. — and they view it as their calling to attack police, set fires, destroy property, and roam the streets looking to intimidate all those who get in their way.

Rose City Antifa brutally attacks an unidentified conservative-aligned man at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon, June 29, 2019.Photo by Moriah Ratner/Getty Images

Andy Ngo, a Portland-based journalist, is seen covered in unknown substance after unidentified Rose City Antifa members attacked him on June 29, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Photo by Moriah Ratner/Getty Images

But it does no good for those who sit in power on the far left to acknowledge Antifa and its lawlessness because Antifa members — psychotic pseudo-soldiers one and all — do the dirty work of leftist elites.

The following are a few stark reminders of why it's still crucial to deal swiftly and harshly with Antifa.

Antifa militants caught on stealth video after street 'action' gathering in group to discuss strategy — and they warn each other to keep things secret


Conservative radio host Jason Rantz of KTTH-AM posted truly enlightening cellphone video — apparently recorded on the sly — showing a group of "radical activists, including Antifa" holding an outdoor meeting in Seattle on the night of April 16, 2021, following their usual violent street hijinks.

During their chat, the "comrades" — a term actually uttered by one freedom fighter in the clip — discuss strategy, pat themselves on the back after they "fought with the pigs," and emphasize not to discuss with anyone that they've met or their activities, as well as other methods to keep authorities at bay.

Shockingly, one militant tells the group that "autonomous doesn't mean unorganized. So we do have to make decisions as a crew, as a team." Seriously, since when do "myths" and "ideas" band together like ... an organization?

Another militant suggests that next time out, they divide themselves into groups dressed as "black bloc" and "plain clothes" in order to prevent police from identifying members according to attire. In addition, another militant reminds members to look at the "Seattle [Black Lives Matter] calendar" and other groups' activities to keep informed.

Prior to departing, one militant adds, "Once we de-bloc and leave, you weren't at this autonomous action. So you don't go home and talk about it. You didn't see anything; you didn't talk to anybody." Another group member chimes in, "Our general policy is, 'I didn't see s**t or know s**t.' If somebody asks you what you did Friday night — 'nothin'.'"

Others also offer tips about phones, primarily to keep them turned off, to "get a burner if you can," to avoid phones "tied to you personally," and to make them password-protected with "no bio, no face, no thumb."

Toward the end, another woman tells the group, "While we're not necessarily out in the streets every night, we are doing actions every night. We're sharing information, we're watching livestreams, we're educating ourselves, we're educating our peers, our families, our friends. So keep that momentum up." She adds that there's plenty to be done to aid the "revolution."

The militants also express a desire for "more organization" as well as concerns about being "infiltrated," especially since they're in a "vulnerable location" and "the longer we stay here, the easier it is for them to start picking out people as they walk out."

Trump supporter infiltrates Antifa group, collects recordings of 'comrades' making threats against police: 'Let's kill some cops'


A supporter of former President Donald Trump told KGO-TV that he infiltrated an Antifa group in Sonoma County, California, and collected recordings of the far-left violent militants making threats against police and even preparing major action for May 1, 2021 — also known as May Day.

Here's a sampling:

Group Leader: "It's May Day, baby, like come out and take, take somethin' over with us, I don't, I don't [bleep]-ing know."
Member: "Let's kill people [laughs]."
Group Leader: "Let's kill some cops."

The Trump supporter who infiltrated Antifa appeared on camera in an interview with the station, but his face and voice were disguised. He told KGO he saved messages, documents, and recordings of the Antifa group's meetings.

You can view a video report about the infiltration here; it includes KGO's interview with the Trump supporter who infiltrated Antifa.

The infiltrator gave KGO the group's "target list," which included former Santa Rosa Police Officer Barry Brodd, who testified for the defense as an expert on use of force in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd.

Four days after Brodd's testimony defending Chauvin, the station said masked figures in black threw a severed pig head and pig blood at the house where Brodd used to live.

The infiltrator told the station, "So I saw that they were here, I read their manifesto, and I could tell that they were a threat to the community, and somebody needed to do something about this."

More from KGO:

The manifesto posted online for SoCo [Sonoma County] Radical Action or SRA says, "Do not hesitate, do not wait ... the brick in the street is meant to be thrown! The paint in the can is meant to be sprayed! The cop in your head is meant to be killed!"

The Trump supporter was able to join the group that communicates through the encrypted messaging app Wickr.

The infiltrator added to the station that, "I said, 'Comrade, you know ... I want to smash the system the same as you,' [to] make them not feel alone, because that's what they really want to hear, to know that there's more people like them."

More from KGO:

The I-Team has learned the group's leader who goes by the screen name "Marb" is a 25-year-old college student, who was arrested for "felony assault on a police officer" last year at this Oakland riot after the death of George Floyd; the district attorney declined to file charges. The Trump supporter says he made this recording in March, when Marb discussed naming the group "SoCo Antifa." [...]

The infiltrator tells the I-Team he copied what the group calls its "target list," people they want to "dox" — to publish their private information, their addresses and phone numbers, to surveil them for possible vandalism. After his testimony, they placed Brodd at the top of the list and within an hour of the attack on his former house, Marb is back on Wickr at 3:48 a.m. telling the group, "Hey y'all, late notice, but some comrades took action at a house owned by Barry Brodd and if someone could swing by in the morning and get pictures, our comrades would be very grateful!"

The target list also includes the head of the deputy sheriffs' union — or "killer deputies," as Antifa calls them — as well as officers involved in fatal confrontations and Trump supporters like Sandy Metzger, the station said. Metzger, who heads the Santa Rosa Republican Women Federated, told KGO that she "really came out strongly against Antifa and [Black Lives Matter]."

When the station told her that she's on the target list, Metzger said it does concern her "a little bit, but that's not going to stop me from speaking out. Somebody has to speak out. And I feel very strong about some of these things." The recordings show the group has already checked out Metzger's house, KGO reported.

The infiltrator told the station he's been in touch with the sheriff's department and Santa Rosa police about the potential threats.

KGO's Dan Noyes said Marb refused his attempts for an interview with him, but the infiltrator actually intercepted a message from the group leader about "Dan Noyes at ABC7 asking about SRA. ...To firmly restate our position, nobody, myself included, should cooperate with press or cops."

The infiltrator added to the station that his interactions with SoCo Radical Action began last year — and he wanted to do something about the group.

"It felt like seeing Antifa getting sort of a pass all the time from government," he told KGO, "saying they don't exist, saying that they're a myth, saying that they're just an idea. You know, when obviously, they are very real, and they're a big threat."

The station reported that since it has been working on the story, Marb has been taking down his social media, both the public and private accounts.

Antifa militants arrested, charged for physically attacking Trump supporters — and they're accused of organizing into groups to carry out crimes


San Diego prosecutors on Dec. 6, 2021, charged multiple Antifa militants with conspiracy to commit a riot, saying they physically attacked supporters of former President Donald Trump the previous January, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The kicker? A criminal complaint said the arrestees "are self-identified to be affiliated with Anti-fascists or Antifa" and began organizing themselves into San Diego- and Los Angeles-based groups a week before a pro-Trump "Patriot March" on Jan. 9, the paper said. Pretty nifty trick for "an idea, not an organization" and a "myth."

The office of District Attorney Summer Stephan, citing video evidence, said "overwhelmingly the violence in this incident was perpetrated by the Antifa affiliates and was not a mutual fray with both sides crossing out of lawful First Amendment expression into riot and violence,” the Union-Tribune said.

Videographer Sean Carmitchel recorded Antifa attacking people with pepper spray, sticks, a wooden folding chair, punches, and kicks — assaults prosecutors described in the complaint, the paper said, adding that several attacks noted in the complaint appear to match incidents recorded and shared online, such as an Antifa militant pepper-spraying a dog and its owner.

Those arraigned in San Diego Superior Court were with a group arrested in raids by police officers and sheriff’s deputies across Southern California, the Union-Tribune reported.

You can view a video report here about the Antifa violence in San Diego.

A follow-up Blaze News story in July reported that a San Diego judge threw the book at eight violent Antifa militants in connection with the January 2021 incident, bringing the total sentenced to 12.

You can view a video report here about the sentences.

Antifa rioters caught on video fighting Chicago police outside Israeli consulate


— (@)

Blaze Media national correspondent Julio Rosas covered firsthand Antifa militants fighting Chicago police outside the consulate of Israel on Aug. 20 amid protests against the Biden-Harris administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war. There were calls on social media to "make it great like '68," a reference to the riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Protesters wearing masks and all-black clothing raged not only against Democrats but also against the March on the DNC, the main organizer for protests this week — for being too peaceful. They argued that peaceful marches with help from the police betray the movement to "free Palestine."

After rallying outside the Israeli consulate, the crowd of around 300 started to march straight into a police line, after which a large fight broke out as police pushed and shoved the Antifa marchers back. At least one Antifa member was smacked in the mouth by a police baton. Multiple arrests were made as police grabbed marchers who refused to leave the area.

The protesters who were not initially arrested after the clash gathered themselves into a formation and held a standoff in the street with police, who had now vastly outnumbered the smaller crowd. On the other side of the police line, a few pro-Israel protesters rallied but left at the request of police for their safety.

Eventually, the Black Bloc marchers started walking around downtown, with police following them to ensure they stayed on the sidewalk. The protesters made it onto a street and refused to disperse. Police then declared the remaining crowd to be an unlawful assembly and moved in to arrest the remaining marchers who did not leave after the declaration was made.

Antifa radical arrested for allegedly setting off nail bomb outside Alabama attorney general's office


A radical leftist was arrested April 10 in connection with a February bombing outside the office of Steve Marshall, Alabama's attorney general — a Republican — in Montgomery. Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, of Irondale was indicted on two felony counts of malicious use of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device.

Calvert, an anti-Israel "pansexual" and self-described engineer, apparently reckons himself part of the left-wing extremist group Antifa, which former President Donald Trump suggested in 2020 should be designated a domestic terrorist organization. Weeks ahead of the incident, Calvert showcased the same Antifa propaganda that was later found near the bomb site along with pro-abortion and LGBT agitprop.

The nail bomb was detonated around 3:42 a.m. Feb. 24. Marshall revealed in a statement that "thankfully, no staff or personnel were injured by the explosion." Court documents alleged that Calvert was spotted making his way to the AG's office at 3:35 a.m. There was an explosion several minutes later.

Prosecutors indicated that one of the stickers Calvert allegedly posted near the bomb site read, "SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ANTIFA." In a Jan. 10 video he originally shared to his TikTok page, referred to in his charging document, Calvert shows off stickers "of identical design to the stickers placed by the subject in and around the Alabama Statehouse and downtown Montgomery," along with stickers that read, "Smash the patriarchy," "Anti-fascism is community defense," and "Queer liberation, not rainbow capitalism."

Prosecutors emphasized that "Calvert is violent, and he is dangerous, just as he said. If Calvert is released, the danger to the community from a second offense is greatly increased." The DOJ noted that if convicted, Calvert faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars.

Five Antifa extremists charged with domestic terrorism


Five Antifa extremists were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism in December 2022 after Georgia law enforcement finally responded to their violent months-long campaign aimed at halting the construction of a new police training center in Dekalb County's South River Forest.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that a task force composed of GBI agents, Atlanta police, the FBI, the DeKalb County Police Department, and other agencies executed a successful operation on Dec. 13 to remove leftist barricades from the entrances to Atlanta's new $90 million police training center and to clear the area of criminal activity.

The operation was prompted by "ongoing criminal activity at the site location," including "carjacking, various crimes against persons, destruction of property, arson, and attacks against public safety officials," wrote GBI spokesman Nelly Miles.

Leftist attacks and threats in the area have become a common occurrence in recent months.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in October that the extremists — keen on halting construction of what they called "Cop City" on city property — hurled Molotov cocktails at police. The leftist extremists reportedly also threatened contractors, destroyed equipment, and vandalized offices. Richard Porter claimed that when he stopped briefly in the area, he was set upon by people apparently living in the woods and wearing "camouflaged stuff." The extremists allegedly threw a "gas bomb" at Porter and then torched his truck.

WXIA reported that firefighters on Dec. 10 were dispatched to the area to put out a fire apparently set by the leftists. However, when they attempted to extinguish the flames, they were struck by rocks and firecrackers.

While leftist extremists reportedly pelted police and first responders alike with rocks and bottles on Dec. 13, police appear to have answered back with pepper balls.

The task force that addressed the extremist threat arrested 22-year-old Francis Carroll of Maine, 25-year-old Nicholas Olson of Nebraska, 25-year-old Serena Hertel of California, 20-year-old Leonardo Vioselle of Georgia, and 22-year-old Arieon Robinson of Wisconsin, each of whom have been charged with domestic terrorism. Vioselle was the only local among the five. The leftist extremists, held in jail without a bond, were also hit with various other charges, including criminal trespass, aggravated assault, obstruction, and interference with government property. The GBI indicated that police found "explosive devices, gasoline, and road flares" in their search of the "area of concern."

Antifa poet convicted of stabbing Proud Boy members at New York state Capitol during January 6 protest


A journalist poet tied to Antifa on Oct. 7, 2022, was convicted of stabbing Proud Boy members at a Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the New York state Capitol. Alexander Contompasis was convicted by an Albany jury of first-degree assault and other charges.

While the rioting at the U.S. Capitol unfolded, surveillance video captured a fight between Trump supporters and Antifa supporters broke at the New York state Capitol protest. The Times Union obtained video of the attack, which showed two stabbings. A person was seen on the video swinging wildly at Trump supporters before police swept in to break up the fight. The attacker walked off as the video ends.

Multiple arrests were made in relation to the incident, and one of the victims suffered an eviscerated bowel. Police said they found a knife in Contompasis' car that they believed was used in the assault.

One of the stabbing victims said an Antifa member said to him after he was stabbed, "I'm coming for you. I know who you are. I know where you live." The suspect's attorney argued in his defense that he was just defending himself from an "unprovoked" Proud Boys attack. You can view video of the knife attack here.

Police later identified the suspect as Contompasis and charged him with the attack. Prosecutors noted that the man had published posts on social media supportive of the Antifa political group. He also identified himself as an independent journalist and a poet. He claimed that he was not a member of Antifa.

In addition to the first-degree assault charge, Contompasis was convicted of first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault, and felony possession of a weapon. Prison records indicate the earliest date Contompasis could be released is Nov. 21, 2039.

Antifa front and center amid 'Night of Rage' across America after US Supreme Court overturns Roe V. Wade


Protests erupted across America after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, culminating in a Night of Rage in major cities on June 24, 2022 — and Antifa was front and center.

Antifa-linked pro-abortion group Jane's Revenge vowed to undertake the "night of rage," and black-bloc protesters wielding umbrellas marched through the streets of Washington, D.C. The group chanted slogans such as, "If abortion ain’t safe, neither are you," "If we don’t get it, burn it down," "Every city, every town, burn the precinct to the ground," and "F*** the church, f*** the state, we won't let them decide our fate." The protesters burned American flags. You can view related videos here, here, here, and here.

Commenting on a video recorded in Los Angeles, journalist Andy Ngo wrote that "a rioter at the #Antifa pro-abortion riot" used a "homemade flamethrower to try to burn police. Antifa also throw an explosive mortar firework right at @LAPDHQ officers. A suspect who tried to escape was arrested."

In Seattle, Antifa attacked and pepper-sprayed a pro-life woman, according to Post Millennial reporter Katie Daviscourt. In addition, journalist Jonathan Choe posted video and wrote the following: "I was trying to record Antifa trying to break windows. Then the mutual aid far-left activists spotted me and pointed me out. This black bloc group may be [the] most emboldened crew ever. Knocked my phone down, but I picked up right away. Had to out run them. I’m OK."

Antifa reportedly assaulted videographer Mason Lake while he was covering Night of Rage protests in Portland, Oregon.

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Pro-Israel demonstrator arrested after allegedly shooting unhinged male who sprinted across street and tackled him



A pro-Israel demonstrator allegedly shot a male who sprinted across a street and tackled him during what was otherwise called a peaceful pro-Israel rally Thursday evening in Newton, Massachusetts — yet police arrested and charged the pro-Israel demonstrator who was physically attacked.

Cellphone video shows the male yelling at pro-Israel demonstrators from across the street, telling them, "You are sick! You're defending genocide!" A woman apparently with the pro-Israel demonstrators can be heard off camera yelling back, "You are so stupid!" After a cut in the clip, the angry bearded male — who appeared to have a COVID mask under his chin and was wearing a purple T-shirt, black shorts, and reportedly a Palestinian pin — sprints across the street, leaps at, and tackles a pro-Israel protester.

Another witness, Dave Sherman, told WCVB that the male who sprinted across the street and tackled the anti-Israel protester 'was really tough to take down. He was really determined. He was really hateful.'

Three seconds after their bodies hit the sidewalk, a pop is heard — presumably the gunshot.

Two other men are seen on the clip standing above the attacker and pressing their feet on his face, after which the pro-Israel protester, while still sitting on the sidewalk, tells them to get off him and asks where his pistol is. A separate video appears to show that same pro-Israel demonstrator saying to "call 911," telling someone who's yelling at the attacker, "Stop! Go away!" — and then rendering aid to the wounded male.

Investigators identified the pro-Israel demonstrator in question as 47-year-old Scott Hayes of Framingham, WBTS-TV reported.

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said at a Thursday news conference that Hayes was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and violation of a constitutional right causing injury, WCVB-TV reported. Hayes is to be arraigned Friday at the Newton District Court, Ryan said.

- YouTube youtu.be

The unidentified male who was shot was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, WBTS reported.

Ryan said authorities believe Hayes legally possessed the firearm, WCVB reported.

Hayes reportedly is an Iraq War veteran who is not Jewish but often attends protests carrying American and Israeli flags.

Shaul Brechman, a witness, told WBTS that "it's just one more proof of the problematic way of those [who harbor] anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli way[s] of action."

Another witness, Dave Sherman, told WCVB that the male who sprinted across the street and tackled the anti-Israel protester "was really tough to take down. He was really determined. He was really hateful."

Observers on X were incredulous. One user said, "Ironically this is a perfect metaphor for Israel vs Palestine" before adding a typical sequence of events: "Palestine attacks; Israel shoots in self defense; everyone blames Israel."

Kassy Akiva of the Daily Wire called the Boston Globe "complete trash" for leading its story about the incident with the following sentence, "A small pro Israel rally along Washington Street Thursday evening turned violent when a passerby confronted the demonstrators and during a tussle with one of the men was shot, authorities said." Akiva added, "The truth: The man charged across a street through traffic and tackled a man to the ground. Then the attacker was shot."

Another X user said, "Scott started carrying his flags after we met at Harvard. He’s always been peaceful and respectful. Self-defense is his right. I’m going to support him all the way with this."

Others also were squarely behind Hayes:

  • "Justified," one X user wrote. "Let’s make sure this hero has the proper representation when he’s charged by a leftist DA."
  • "Self defense," another commenter declared. "Zero Sympathy for the man who attacked him."
  • "Don’t attack people and maybe you don’t get shot," another user said.

A GoFundMe for Hayes' legal defense has raised over $64,000 as of Friday morning.

Newton police said they would ramp up patrols at houses of worship this weekend, WBTS said.

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Reversal of FATE: Steve Baker’s update on January 6 prisoners is ‘a good sign’



January 6 started as a chance for Trump supporters to innocently protest and quickly turned into a day that would change their lives forever.

Now, however, things might be taking a turn for the better.

“One J-sixer is seeing a reversal of fate,” Jill Savage of “Blaze New Tonight” explains.

“John Strand is actually one of the more, let’s call it, infamous stories, certainly one of the more high-profile cases of all the January 6 defendants,” Steve Baker tells Savage.

Strand was friend and bodyguard of Simone Gold — a doctor and attorney who was the deplatformed founder of the Frontline American Doctors. Gold had been accused of “disinformation” for recommending alternative therapies that were not part of what Baker calls the “approved narrative” regarding COVID-19.

Gold was scheduled to speak on January 6 at one of the six legally permitted events scheduled on the Capitol property that day.

“By the time they got to the Capitol, everything had gone to hell in a handbasket, and so there was nothing but chaos by the time they arrived. The breaches had already taken place. John Strand and Simone Gold did not participate in violence, they did not participate in breaching the Capitol building whatsoever,” Baker explains.

However, their fatal flaw was going inside the Capitol peacefully.

“She actually decided to deliver her prepared remarks there in the Rotunda. She climbed up on the Eisenhower statue, with John standing guard beside her, she delivered her remarks there in the great Rotunda of the Capitol, and then they peacefully left, just as so many other hundreds and thousands of people did,” Baker says.

Both Strand and Gold were “handed that infamous 1512 obstruction of an official proceeding felony.”

The felony carried up to 20 years of imprisonment.

Gold ended up taking a plea deal and pled down to a single misdemeanor. Judge Christopher Cooper sentenced her to 60 days in prison.

“John Strand decided he was not going to take this lying down, that he was going to be a warrior, and he, despite the odds being horribly stacked against him, he was going to go to trial and he did that,” Baker explains.

He was convicted on all counts, and he was sentenced to 32 months in prison.

“Now what’s happening is that because of the Supreme Court’s overturning the 1512 obstruction of an official proceeding charge against 355 defendants, him being one of those,” Baker says, “they’re shortening their sentences or letting them go.”

If they haven’t gone to trial yet, they’re not charging them with it.

“It’s especially a good sign because the Department of Justice has already announced that they want to figure out how to continue with that charge,” Baker explains. “But the point being, is it appears that the judges are pushing back against the DOJ.”

“We’ll take this as a good sign,” he adds.


Connecticut Prosecutors Arrest 4 Democrats For Allegedly Misusing Absentee Ballots

Connecticut prosecutors charged four Democrat operatives for allegedly misusing absentee ballots during a 2019 Democrat mayoral primary.

'Lawfare': Gov't rejects Steve Baker's gun request over his 'alleged threatening statements' at 'public officials' on Jan. 6



The federal government denied Blaze News investigative journalist Steve Baker's pretrial request to lift a gun possession restriction on him over Baker's "alleged threatening statements" at "public officials" on January 6.

Washington, D.C., federal Judge Christopher R. Cooper's minute order said Baker's Pretrial Services officers cited "safety concerns" in regard to Baker possessing a gun — and Cooper added that such concerns are "heightened" due to Baker's "alleged threatening statements directed at specific public officials during the riot on January 6, 2021," which Baker covered that day as an independent journalist.

'The government is telling Steve he cannot exercise his Second Amendment rights and protect himself because of words he said that day. What words? Who was threatened?'

Cooper also denied Baker's motion to lift a requirement that he notify Pretrial Services before entering Washington, D.C., "given the gravity of his purported misconduct inside the Capitol on January 6, which was allegedly targeted at high-ranking federal lawmakers."

What's the background?

Baker last month pleaded not guilty to four non-violent misdemeanor charges the Justice Department brought against him in connection with his reporting at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Baker has been searching for the truth about what went on behind the scenes that day and believes the U.S. government has been targeting him for it.

After being told he was being charged, Baker arrived at the FBI's field office in Dallas on March 1 and turned himself in. He was then arrested, handcuffed, and charged with:

  • Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority
  • Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
  • Disorderly conduct in a capitol building
  • Parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building

Baker and others have blasted the charges against him. U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) himself sounded off with a March op-ed asking, "Where is the outrage over Steve Baker’s prosecution?"

What's more, shortly after Baker's arrest, Blaze Media released never-before-seen video showing Baker's movements in and around the U.S. Capitol on January 6, which appears to stand in stark contrast to the narrative the federal government has been floating about him.

The 47-minute video includes Baker's cellphone camera documentation of what went on inside the Capitol building alongside newly released footage from the Capitol's CCTV cameras that BlazeTV obtained primarily through Loudermilk's efforts. He and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have made providing access to January 6 videos a priority.

Here's the unfiltered video showing Baker just before he entered the Capitol, his movements inside the building, and after he left. Content warning: Language:

Steve Baker Inside the Capitol on January 6 youtu.be

Baker discussed his legal saga in a pair of October commentary pieces for Blaze News (here and here), detailing the ins and outs of the federal investigation he's been under following his independent journalistic work on January 6, which took place prior to him joining Blaze News.

Restrictions

Baker told Blaze News that during his first appearance before Cooper in a virtual hearing last month there was "quite a bit of discussion" about pretrial restrictions on him, which related to Cooper's previous order to Baker to comply with them. Baker, in turn, maintained he's been in compliance all along.

Still, Baker seemed upbeat in April and confident that things would be resolved, telling Blaze News that "the government is working with my attorneys to modify the language of certain restrictions."

Baker told Blaze News that until recently he had carried a gun for self-defense due to online threats he's received — concerns that played out in a couple of unnerving encounters during which Baker said individuals actually came looking for him in person.

But in his minute order issued Tuesday, Cooper noted that "concerning the firearm restriction, Pretrial Services has informed the Court that it objects to this late-breaking request, citing safety concerns, and the Court finds that the restriction is necessary to ensure the safety of Pretrial Services officers who may need to conduct a home visit or visit the defendant without warning." Cooper added that "these safety concerns are heightened because of Mr. Baker's alleged threatening statements directed at specific public officials during the riot on January 6, 2021."

Problem is, Baker told Blaze News that until recently, he had carried a gun for self-defense due to online threats he's received — concerns that played out in a couple of unnerving encounters during which Baker said individuals actually came looking for him in person.

Cooper did grant Baker's request to modify a requirement that he "report every contact with law enforcement. Henceforth, Mr. Baker is required to report only instances where he engages with law-enforcement personnel in their official capacity because of his own suspected wrongdoing (i.e., if he is suspected of, charged with, or cited for any violation of law)."

'Made my blood boil'

Baker broke down with Blaze News his disagreement with this week's ruling: "This is the second of these minute orders from Judge Cooper, and both have made my blood boil. My attorneys advise me to prepare for many more days like this. In both cases, these minute orders seem to be coming on the advice of a D.C.-based pretrial services officer whom I’ve never met. My North Carolina PSO is great, and he has even told me he doesn’t consider me a risk at all. So the D.C. PSO just seems to be advising the court by rote."

In regard to Cooper stating Baker made "alleged threatening statements directed at specific public officials during the riot on January 6, 2021," Baker told Blaze News he "made no threatening statements at all on January 6. Much less directed at 'specific public officials.' It’s almost as if Judge Cooper hasn’t yet taken the time to become familiar with the basics of my case. I’d already gotten that impression during my last status hearing when Cooper was surprised to learn that I’m a working journalist with Blaze News."

Baker also told Blaze News he takes issue with Cooper denying his motion to lift a requirement that he notify Pretrial Services before entering Washington, D.C., "given the gravity of his purported misconduct inside the Capitol on January 6, which was allegedly targeted at high-ranking federal lawmakers."

Here's how Baker answered that assertion:

First, there was no misconduct while at the Capitol. None. Second, my jokingly calling Nancy Pelosi a "bitch" happened on video while sharing adult beverages at a hotel in Virginia, AFTER I’d left the Capitol. Is this a new legal precedent with which I’m not familiar, that using non-threatening pejoratives when referring to 'high-ranking' lawmakers over drinks is grounds for restricting travel to D.C.? If so, the court should never allow any non-residents to visit our nation’s capital.

The bottom line is that Judge Cooper has taken this very unusual tack of issuing a minute order while also failing to address any of my attorneys arguments in the motion. Instead, he just parroted whatever some anonymous pretrial services officer said in response to my motion.

And Cooper makes no mention of the fact that Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Eve in the government’s response to my motion had the audacity to say, "Travel to the District of Columbia is not a 'right.''' My attorney William Shipley — a former federal prosecutor for over 20 years — highlighted the absurdity of the government’s response on X: "This opposition is some of the weakest legal work I've seen come out of DOJ over the past 30+ months."

Because Cooper chose to completely ignore the arguments in my motion, we are going to file an expedited appeal.

Blaze Media editor in chief Matthew Peterson also blasted Tuesday's ruling:

What the government is doing to Steve is political lawfare. We put the footage of Steve in the Capitol on January 6 on YouTube. What he said and did there is a matter of public record. The government is telling Steve he cannot exercise his Second Amendment rights and protect himself because of words he said that day. What words? Who was threatened? And if the punishment for calling Nancy Pelosi a bitch while sitting with your friends is a 'threat' requiring firearm restrictions, well, there are millions of us that they need to start processing.

A Blaze News exclusive story from March detailed what the federal government specifically accused Baker of saying and doing on January 6 — all contrasted with video evidence that appeared to call the government's conclusions into question.

What has Baker uncovered so far?

Baker began his investigative reporting for Blaze News last fall. His first January 6 analysis for Blaze News came last October following countless hours in a House subcommittee office looking at frame after frame of January 6 closed-circuit video — and it had him wondering: Did Capitol Police Special Agent David Lazarus perjure himself in the Oath Keepers trial?

Baker's investigative efforts also resulted in two additional analyses, both focusing on Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn: "January 6 and the N-word that wasn't" and "Harry Dunn's account of January 6 does not add up. At all."

In December, Baker alleged that he uncovered major irregularities involving Dunn, the Capitol Police, the press, and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland).

In January, Baker asserted that newly released U.S. Capitol closed-circuit TV video clips from January 6 show Lazarus gave false testimony in the Oath Keepers trial.

Proof of Perjury | The Truth About January 6 youtu.be

Also in January, Baker and others were asking what the U.S. government has to hide in regard to the pipe bomb found on January 6 at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

Baker in February wrote another analysis titled "Capitol Police diverted all CCTV cameras away from DNC pipe bomb investigation — except one" and later that month asked why Kamala Harris was at the DNC and not the Capitol on January 6.

Rep. Loudermilk — who chairs the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight — in March told Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck the reason the FBI and the Justice Department may be going after Baker over his January 6 coverage is because "he's onto something" the federal government wants kept under wraps.

In addition, GOP House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan in March opened an investigation into the DOJ over its treatment of Baker. In a scathing letter to Matthew Graves, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jordan outlined "serious concerns" about the DOJ's "selective prosecution" concerning Baker's arrest "as well as the Department's commitments to the First Amendment rights of journalists."

In his letter, Jordan demanded that Graves produce the following no later than 5 p.m. March 26:

  • All documents and communications regarding Baker's arrest;
  • All documents and communications regarding any investigation, prosecution, and arrest of any other journalist covering Jan. 6;
  • All documents and communications related to the DOJ's determination to request pretrial detention of defendants charged in connection with Jan. 6 — plus those who are now or who have been in pretrial detention related to Jan. 6.

Jordan's letter concludes by reminding Graves that the Judiciary Committee has "jurisdiction to oversee" the DOJ regarding matters "related to civil liberties."

Baker has told Blaze News that according to his contacts on the Judiciary Committee, Jordan's demands have yet to be met.

Baker in April penned another analysis titled "Overreaching prosecution tactics face high court scrutiny in Jan. 6 cases," in which he warned that "the Justice Department could easily use a law aimed at destruction of evidence to quash disfavored political views."

Journalist Steve Baker shares TRUTH of Recent High-Profile J6 Arrest youtu.be

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