'It's a zoo out here, man': Teen girl killed after driver plows into crowd following late-night fight in downtown Minneapolis



A teenage girl was killed after a hit-and-run driver plowed into a crowd following an after-midnight fight involving multiple teens over the weekend in downtown Minneapolis — and business owners and residents are fed-up with the lawlessness, WCCO-TV reported.

Officers responded to a report of a hit-and-run crash on Fifth Street North at Hennepin Avenue around 12:23 a.m. Saturday, the station said, citing police, who said the female suspect drove in reverse on Hennepin and then drove the wrong way on Fifth Street into the crowd.

Chief O'Hara added to WCCO, presumably in reference to the involved teenagers, that 'I'm not their parent, right? So I can tell you my kid isn't gonna be hanging out on Hennepin Avenue at 12:30 at night in the middle of all this stuff going on here with bars.'

Six people were taken to Hennepin Healthcare, including a 16-year-old girl who later died, the station said, adding that another victim sustained life-threatening injuries while a handful of others suffered less serious injuries.

"The video of this incident is absolutely horrific," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said, according to WCCO. "There aren't words to describe how tragic and senseless it is."

The station interviewed residents and business owners who expressed outrage and frustration over what they call an out-of-control environment that plays out on a weekly basis.

"It's a nuthouse out here, man," one downtown resident told WCCO. "That's every weekend. I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner." The resident added to the station off camera that "it's a zoo out here, man, and it's not getting any better."

Daniel Stensgaard, a business owner, added to the station that city leaders "should have their asses down here starting at 11 o'clock at night and let them walk around and watch the shortage of police officers and what's happened."

Chief O'Hara added to WCCO, presumably in reference to the involved teenagers, that "I'm not their parent, right? So I can tell you my kid isn't gonna be hanging out on Hennepin Avenue at 12:30 at night in the middle of all this stuff going on here with bars."

The police report added that the suspect drove out of downtown but that witnesses followed her, the station said. Police noted that representatives from multiple law enforcement agencies stopped the suspect on the 2300 block of Bryant Avenue North and arrested her, after which she was booked into Hennepin County Jail, WCCO said, adding that charges are pending.

You can view a video report here about the incident, which includes interviews with concerned locals and business owners as well as a brief clip of the hit-and-run, which appears to end prior to the moment of impact.

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2 Nevada state troopers conducting wellness check die after inebriated suspect crashes into them on Las Vegas expressway



Two Nevada state troopers were killed earlier this week after an intoxicated man allegedly struck them while they were conducting a wellness check on another Las Vegas motorist.

Just before 3:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, Nevada Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix were checking on a driver who had reportedly fallen asleep on the northbound I-15 interstate near D Street, located just a few blocks northwest of Downtown Las Vegas. While the troopers were attending to the sleeping driver, another driver in a white Chevrolet HHR struck them and sped away.

Sadly, one of the troopers died at the scene, while the other perished at a nearby hospital soon after, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, devastating the Nevada law enforcement community. In a moving tribute to their fallen brothers, members of agencies at both the state and local levels gathered as officers on motorcycles with flashing lights but no sirens led a solemn procession to transport Abbate's and Felix's remains from the Clark County Coroner's Office to the funeral home.

Part of that procession can be seen in the clip below:

Suspect in custody after 2 Nevada State Police troopers struck, killed on Las Vegas freeway www.youtube.com

Abbate had been with the Nevada Highway Patrol for nearly a decade and was promoted to sergeant just a few weeks ago. Trooper Felix joined NHP in 2019 after serving honorably in the Air Force.

"Both Sergeant Abbate and Trooper Felix dedicated their careers to serving the State of Nevada with exceptional commitment and pride," said a statement from Nevada State Police Public Information Officer Kim Yoko Smith. "The Nevada State Police extends its heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of our fallen heroes. We respectfully request that the media maintain the privacy of the families and the Department during this challenging time."

— (@)

Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) — a former sheriff of Clark County, where Las Vegas is located — ordered all state and U.S. flags to be lowered to half-mast until the sunset after Abbate and Felix are interred. "This is a devastating loss for Nevada law enforcement, the city of Las Vegas, and our entire state," the sheriff turned governor said in a statement. "As we mourn these troopers, we will never forget their bravery, courage, and sacrifice."

As Nevada troopers prepared to bury two of their own, local officers with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department began the work of tracking down the driver who killed them. By 8 a.m. Thursday morning, just hours after the deadly hit-and-run, police discovered the white HHR in the parking lot of an area apartment complex and soon afterward arrested 46-year-old Jemarcus Williams in connection with the case.

Williams has a long history of traffic violations in Las Vegas dating all the way back to 2007, the LVRJ reported. That year, Williams pled no contest to a DUI charge. In the following three years, he was arrested for allegedly driving without a license on four separate occasions. He also pled no contest to failing to yield the right of way in 2020.

This time, the charges against Williams are much more serious. He now faces six felonies: two counts of reckless driving resulting in death, two counts of DUI resulting in death, and two counts of failing to stop at the scene of a crash. When he is scheduled to appear in court and whether he has retained an attorney are currently unknown.

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Search underway for driver seen on doorbell video casually dislodging victim from his windshield then driving away



A driver fatally struck a 28-year-old Maryland man northeast of Washington, D.C., over the weekend. A doorbell camera caught the suspect add posthumous insult to injury — casually exiting his car, yanking Franklin Membreno Mendez's body out of his windshield, then driving away.

Price George's County Police Department indicated that the victim was mowed down early Saturday morning.

Investigators determined that Mendez had been involved in an unrelated minor accident in the 8900 block of Annapolis Road. He is believed to have been struck after exiting his car to check the initial damage, becoming "lodged in that car's windshield."

The suspect then drove roughly 2.6 miles with the victim's body dangling out the front window before stopping, smoking a cigarette, then dumping the body.

The resident whose doorbell camera caught the callous act told WTTG-TV, "All his clothes was gone from his waist down and I called the police."

"When we looked at the camera, the camera was showing that he came up in here like four or five in the morning. Like I said, he took his time," said the resident. "That's the reason why I figured that he probably knew the neighborhood. He took his time getting out of the car. He walked around and then he was around there for a couple of minutes. And when he came back, he got in the vehicle, lit a cigarette or whatever, and then he made a U-turn in front of my house."

The resident suggested that the suspect's U-turn may suggest he is a local, granted outsiders might not know that the road leads to a dead-end.

The suspect then speedily fled the scene, driving what is believed to be a 2011-2017 gray Honda Civic with a large white decal on the rear window. Police indicated that extra to a hole in the passenger's side of the windshield, the suspect's car will have damage to the passenger side front bumper and fender.

Officers responded to the 7500 block of Ardwick Ardmore Road for a welfare check around 4:05 a.m. Saturday, finding Mendez's dead on the side of the road.

— (@)

As the suspect has yet to be found, police have asked those with tips to call the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at 301-731-4422.

VIDEO: Victim gets lodged in windshield after hit-and-run in Marylandyoutu.be

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Footage shows a Las Vegas teen in a stolen car laughing manically while fatally running over a retired police chief. Prosecutors intend to try suspect as an adult.



A 64-year-old retired police chief was riding his bike near his northwest Las Vegas home when the driver of a stolen 2016 Hyundai Elantra targeted him and fatally ran him over. Footage taken by the perpetrators later revealed this bloody incident was no accident.

Two thugs inside the stolen car filmed the incident as well as a previous hit-and-run, documenting how they cackled manically and expressed their intention to "hit his a**" ahead of mowing down Andreas Probst, whose daughter suggested he had been everyone's dad, "like being next to a ray of sunshine."

Prosecutors do not appear keen on handling the alleged murderer with kid gloves. Instead, they have noted their intention to try him as an adult. Although there have been no executions in Nevada since 2006, it is nevertheless a death penalty state.

The Clark County District Attorney's Office stressed in a statement Monday that it is "taking this matter very seriously. ... The District Attorney's Office is seeking certification to adult status of the juvenile perpetrator."

The 17-year-old is facing an open murder charge, which the DAO indicated was filed in the juvenile system. More charges may be forthcoming.

If tried and convicted of first-degree murder as an adult, the teen could face 50 years in prison, life in Nevada State Prison, or the death penalty. If convicted of second-degree murder, the teen could face 25 years or life in prison.

"I am confident that justice will be served in this matter once the investigation is complete and the appropriate charges have been filed," said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department indicated Monday that police are still searching for the second person who was in the stolen car and who appears to have captured the slaying on video, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

TheBlaze previously reported that in the video captured by the second perpetrator, taken around 6 a.m. at North Tenaya Way near West Centennial Parkway, the teens can be seen purposely targeting a white sedan. The teen driver accelerates, pulls up next to the sedan, then abruptly maneuvers into it, sending it careening into the median.

One of the two perpetrators gleefully yells, "B**h a** n*****! Stop talking s**t, b***h!"

Just moments later, they spot Probst minding his own business and riding his bike in the designated bicycle lane.

"Ready?" says one of the teens.

The other enthusiastically replies, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Hit his a**."

Laughing maniacally and honking the horn, the driver slams into Probst, sending him flying.

"Damn, that n**** got knocked out," says the passenger, filming the grisly aftermath behind them.

The New York Post indicated that after mowing down Probst, the perpetrators sped off on North Tenaya Way.

Probst was taken to University Medical Center after the hit-and-run, where he was pronounced dead.

Las Vegas-based criminologist Dr. Scott Bonn told the Review-Journal that the video reminded him of the so-called "knockout game," where punks viciously assault random strangers, sometimes with lethal consequences.

Bonn suggested that trying the 17-year-old driver as an adult "makes sense, absolutely, because this is a particularly heinous act."

(WARNING: Graphic video)

— (@)

Probst was the former police chief of Bell, California, and retired in 2009 after 35 years in law enforcement.

Taylor Probst, the victim's daughter, told the Review-Journal, "Being around him, it was like being next to a ray of sunshine. ... He was always laughing, always smiling, offering you support, life advice, career advice."

— (@)

Crystal Probst, the victim's widow, noted on LinkedIn, "Andy was a great father, loving husband and brother. He dedicated 35+ years to law enforcement and worked his a** off to improve his community."

Probst's widow told Fox News Digital that her husband's murder was further evidence of the anarchy that takes hold when criminals are not held to account and police are demonized.

"It's not just about one victim. We as a nation are victims. We are victims of senseless crimes," said the widow. "We all need to show up and show our outrage in the courtrooms."

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'Hit his a**'!: Video shows teens giggle in stolen car as they intentionally run over, kill retired police chief on bicycle, Las Vegas authorities say



A retired police chief was bicycling when he was run over by a car in Las Vegas. The 64-year-old man later died from his injuries. Police in Nevada suspect that the fatal hit-and-run was intentional after viewing a video that the teens recorded of the deadly collision.

Police say an appalling video uploaded to social media is the smoking gun in a fatal hit-and-run on Aug. 14 that took the life of Andreas Probst.

The shocking video features two teens in a car – which police say was stolen. Video taken by the passenger in the vehicle shows the driver of the car purposely rear-ending a white sedan, and causing it to careen into the median.

One of the teens screams, "B***h a** n****! Stop talking s**t, b***h!"

Then a bicyclist in the bicycle lane is spotted by the teens, and one says, "Ready?" The other eagerly replies, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Hit his a**."

The teens are heard on video giggling.

The driver pilots the stolen 2016 Hyundai Elantra into the bicycle lane and directly smashes the bicyclist near Tenaya Way and Centennial Parkway. Probst is thrown off his bike, then onto the hood of the car before slamming and shattering the windshield.

The passenger looks out the window and records Probst violently tumbling on the pavement before coming to a motionless stop.

After the driver slams into Probst, one teen says that the man was "knocked out." The other replied, "S**t, we gotta get out of here."

The driver then accelerates, and the video ends.

The bicyclist's daughter, Taylor Probst, got an alert from her dad's Apple Watch that he had fallen.

Taylor and her mother, Crystal Probst, drove to the scene of the crash.

Crystal told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "I come from law enforcement as well in my younger days. I was able to ascertain, there’s his bike, his helmet is way over there, his phone is way over there. I’m like, 'This is not good.'"

Police officers and firefighters told the Probst's wife and daughter that he had been rushed to the University Medical Center. Four hours later, a representative from the Clark County Coroner's Office told family members that Probst was dead.

The driver left the crime scene, but was reportedly arrested nearby.

The 17-year-old driver was taken to a juvenile detention center. Police have not released his identity because of his age.

Late last month, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department found the disturbing video on social media.

After reviewing the video, police believe the fatal hit-and-run was intentional. The minor will now be charged with murder.

(WARNING: Graphic Video)

— (@)

On Thursday, a ceremony was held to celebrate the life of Andreas Probst.

Taylor Probst said of her deceased father, "He was honestly like a ray of sunshine. That just bled through your life."

"He was always laughing, always smiling, offering you support, life advice, career advice," Taylor recalled.

She continued, "Everybody who ever knew him, loved him."

Crystal Probst added, "He was an amazing man, a husband, a father, a brother."

During the ceremony, a memorial bicycle was erected at the crash site as a tribute to Probst.

Pat Treichel, founder of Ghost Bikes Las Vegas, said, "I've never heard of anybody being intentionally hit."

Numerous members of law enforcement paid their respects to the retired police chief from California.

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Ghost Bike installed to remember cyclist killed in hit-and-run crash deemed intentional by police www.youtube.com

Man with lengthy record arrested on suspicion of murder in crash that killed 5 young women; suspect is son of expelled lawmaker

Man with lengthy record arrested on suspicion of murder in crash that killed 5 young women; suspect is son of expelled lawmaker



Authorities have charged and jailed a man in connection with a high-speed crash that killed five young women in Minneapolis Friday, KTTC reported.

Derrick John Thompson, 27, of Brooklyn Park, was booked Monday into the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of murder, the Twin Cities Pioneer Press reported, citing a spokesperson from Minneapolis police.

Thompson blew past a Minnesota State Patrol trooper in an SUV just past 10 p.m. He was driving at 40 miles above the 55 mph speed limit on Interstate 35 West at the time, Howie Padilla, a Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesman, told the Star Tribune.

After exiting the highway and running a red light, Thompson broadsided the car carrying the five young women, the outlet also reported. He then reportedly fled on foot to a nearby Taco Bell and was later arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries.

The women killed in the horrific crash were Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, of Bloomington; Siham Adan Odhowa, 19, of Minneapolis; Sagal Burhaan Hersi, 19, of Minneapolis; Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20, of Brooklyn Center; and Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20, St. Louis Park, the Twin Cities Pioneer Press reported.

"These are pearls of our community. They leave a big void," Khalid Omar, director of Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, told the Star Tribune. The young women attended services and volunteered for many years at the Center.

Thompson's record includes a string of driving-related offenses in Minnesota as well as a felony convection in California involving a hit-and-run, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.

Derrick Thompson is the son of former Minnesota state Rep. John Thompson, Fox News Digital reported.

The elder Thompson, a Black Lives Matter activist, was expelled from the Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus September 2021 over "credible reports of abuse and misconduct," according to a joint statement from Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Horman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, as reported by KMSP.

Alpha News reporter Liz Collin shared video of the moment of impact.

The elder Thompson participated in a BLM protest outside the home Collin shared with Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll in August 2020, WCCO News reported. The elder Thompson later apologized for his "inflammatory rhetoric."

Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman released a statement calling release of a video of the crash caught on a traffic camera "deeply concerning and unacceptable." In the statement, Osman says the women were "murdered."

Osman's statement did not specify to which video he was referring. Video and screenshots of the crash and the moments before the crash have been shared by the Daily Mail.

A fundraiser to support the grieving families has raised $402,616 of its $500,000 goal as of Tuesday morning.

Watch video from WCCO below covering the aftermath of a crash that killed five young women in Minneapolis.


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'He could have saved my wife's life, but he didn't choose to': Illegal alien accused of leaving legal immigrant to burn to death in a fiery wreck



An illegal alien has been charged in the April 3 hit-and-run crash that left a Massachusetts mother dead.

Erpharo Gilbert, 46, a legal immigrant from Haiti, worked for Boston Medical Center and Victory Human Services. On April 3, she was making her way up Route 24 to the sanctuary city of Boston to begin her overnight shift as a social worker when the driver of a 2008 Toyota Scion TC smashed her vehicle into a concrete barrier, reported Boston.com.

After the initial impact, a pickup truck then rear-ended Gilbert's car, causing it to "become fully engulfed in flames," said police.

The driver of the Toyota fled his wreck and victim.

Although firefighters were ultimately able to put out the flames, Gilbert did not make it and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gilbert's husband, Jean Marie Coquillon of Raynham, told WPRI-TV that his wife might have survived had her killer stuck around to help rather than fleeing the scene.

"If you stopped and didn’t run, maybe you could have saved her life," said Coquillon.

The grieving husband later told WBTS-TV, "It was a big mistake for him. ... He could have saved my wife's life, but he didn't choose to."

Coquillon made clear that the man responsible couldn't remain hidden for long.

"This is America," he added. "They will find you, wherever you are. They will find you and you will pay."

Juan Leonardo Parra Altamirano, 33, an illegal alien from Ecuador, turned himself in on April 6 at the Massachusetts State Police barracks in Middleboro, where he was arrested, reported WBTS.

During his subsequent arraignment at Brockton District Court, Altamirano pleaded not guilty to leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in death, leaving the scene of a crash causing personal injury, and leaving the scene of a crash causing property damage.

Prosecutors indicated that a bumper with a license plate was found at the scene of the crash, linking Altamirano to Gilbert's death, reported CBS News. Altamirano allegedly also hid the damaged Toyota and removed the remaining license plate.

Altamirano's bail has been set at $100,000.

"Thankfully, they got the guy. They got the guy, but it's not going to bring my wife back," said Coquillon. "I trust the justice system, and I know he'll pay for what he did."

Coquillon indicated his son is "still waiting for his mom to come home. ... Always at the window, looking, when he sees a black Honda, he knows that's his mom."

The Boston Herald reported that following Altamirano's arrest, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston field office issued an immigration detainer. The Executive Office for Immigration Review under the Department of Justice will oversee potential removal proceedings.

Gilbert is allegedly among the many Americans victimized by illegal aliens this year.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 560 illegal aliens have been arrested in fiscal year 2023 for driving under the influence; 346 have been arrested for assault or battery; 282 have been arrested for burglary, robbery, larceny, or fraud; 93 have been arrested for sexual offenses; and 11 have been arrested for homicide.

Over 1 million illegal aliens stole into the U.S. between October and February, adding to the 2.3 million and 1.7 million who entered during the previous two fiscal years.

Long before the unprecedented surge under the Biden administration, Massachusetts already had a significant illegal alien population.

According to the American Immigration Council, there were at least 250,000 illegal aliens in the state as of 2016, accounting for 4% of the total population. That number reportedly jumped by 15,000 in 2017. A 2022 Federation for American Immigration Reform estimate puts the population around 300,000.

While Massachusetts is not officially a sanctuary state, a 2017 state Supreme Judicial Court ruling indicated that officers do not have the authority to arrest an illegal alien who is not facing criminal charges, reported NECN.

Even without that ruling, Boston and seven other cities in the state refuse to enforce federal immigration laws.

Juan Leonardo Parra Altamirano arrested in deadly West Bridgewater hit-and-run youtu.be

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Man allegedly kills Republican teenager with his car over political disagreement



A North Dakota man is in custody after he allegedly struck and killed a teenager over a political disagreement.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Shannon Brandt, 41, chased Cayler Ellingson, 18, down an alley in McHenry, North Dakota, and then hit him with his SUV, according to police. Police say that Brandt called 911 at approximately 2:35 a.m. local time to report the incident, telling the dispatcher that Ellingson was a member of a "Republican extremist group" who had attempted to sic his friends on Brandt. Brandt supposedly stated he was afraid the group was "coming to get him." Brandt also allegedly admitted that he had been drinking.

Ellingson had just attended a street dance earlier that night. He had called his mother — Sheri Larson Ellingson, according to a GoFundMe account created to raise money for her son's funeral expenses — to ask her to come pick him up. Cayler was killed before she could get there.

Brandt is allegedly an acquaintance of Sheri's.

North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Bryan Niewind told reporters that the incident is still under investigation.

"We are still trying to determine what, exactly, transpired at the time of crash and prior to that as well," Niewind said.

"We do not know of any witnesses," Niewind continued. "We are still making attempts to interview potential witnesses from the street dance, people that were present prior to the crash happening."

Brandt has been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and DUI. However, prosecutors may assess more serious charges, pending the outcome of the investigation.

A judge ruled that Brandt be held on $50,000 bail, though Brandt contested that decision, claiming that his home, family, and job indicate that he is not a flight risk. If convicted of the current charges, Brandt faces a minimum of 10 years in prison, due to a DUI conviction already on his record. The maximum sentence he could receive is 20 years.

McHenry, North Dakota, is a tiny town of fewer than 100 people, located about two hours northwest of Fargo.

H/T: the Post Millennial

17-year-old motorist runs over man in wheelchair, seriously injuring him, and flees scene. Victim even waves at teen driver to watch out before impact.



A 17-year-old Texas motorist was arrested after being caught on video running over a man in a wheelchair who was crossing in front of his pickup truck — and the victim even waved to teen driver to watch out before impact.

What are the details?

Surveillance video shows the victim crossing the roadway in an Austin parking lot around 10 a.m. Sept. 3, police said.

Video shows the man in an electric wheelchair attempting the cross the parking lot in the 9200 block of North Lamar Boulevard before he raises his left hand to signal to the driver moving toward him, police said. Video shows the victim crossing the parking lot for about 12 seconds before the driver approaches.

Video also appears to show the motorist gradually veering left into the path of the wheelchair-bound victim; the angle of the pickup truck's passenger-side front corner seems to change, according to the below succession of video screenshots:

Image source: YouTube screenshot, composite

Video then shows the driver running over the victim, leaving him motionless on the ground and his wheelchair apparently destroyed. The driver then makes a right-hand turn out of the parking lot and takes off.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

A passing fire truck stops to render aid.

Here's video of the hit and run. Content warning: Disturbing images:

Police arrest 17-year-old in North Austin hit-and-run that injured man in wheelchair youtu.be

What happened next?

Austin police responded to a call about the incident and said the victim suffered severe, life-threatening injuries. Police, fire department personnel, and emergency medical services were on the scene, and the victim was taken to a hospital, police said.

A preliminary investigation revealed the victim noticed a motorist driving recklessly before the moment of impact and that the victim signaled the driver to slow down, police said.

Police soon identified the suspect as Pablo Antonio Avila-Banagas, and he was booked Friday into the Travis County Jail.

Pablo Antonio Avila-BanagasImage source: Austin Police Department

He's charged with failure to stop and render aid (serious bodily injury), which is a third-degree felony; injury to a disabled person, a second-degree felony; unlawful carry of a weapon (firearm), a Class A misdemeanor; and failure to identify in relation to this case, a Class B misdemeanor.

The investigation is ongoing, police said, adding that anyone with information can contact the Highway Investigation Tip Line at 512-974-8111, the Crime Stoppers tip line at 512-472-8477 (TIPS), or the Crime Stoppers app.

NJ Democratic councilwoman defies dozens of Jersey City constituents demanding she resign after video of alleged hit-and-run goes viral: 'I am not resigning'



A New Jersey Democratic councilwoman disregarded pleas from her constituents for her to resign after reportedly being caught on video plowing into a bicyclist with her car and fleeing the crime scene in her vehicle.

Approximately 100 Jersey City residents spoke at Wednesday night's council meeting. Most of the constituents at the five-hour meeting were there to call for councilwoman Amy DeGise to resign. The residents demanded DeGise's resignation for an alleged hit-and-run incident involving a cyclist.

"Her behavior shows a disregard for human life," declared Molly Booth – a longtime Jersey City resident who said she had never spoken at a council meeting before. "Apparently it needs to be said: Valuing human life is a necessary qualification of public officials."

Gothamist reported, "The most emotional moment of the night came when Kenneth Bandes of Families for Safe Streets held up a photo of his daughter, who was run over and killed by a bus at the age of 19."

"The councilmember’s father seems to think that those who care about traffic safety are radicals," Bandes said. "My only radical agenda tonight is only to protect others from the heartache we experienced. The councilmember should step down and stay off the road."


\u201cKenneth Bandes of Families for Safe Streets holds photo of his daughter struck and killed by a bus. He calls for councilwoman Amy DeGise to step down and stay off the road. He\u2019s the only speaker so far to get a standing ovation.\u201d
— Brenda Flanagan (@Brenda Flanagan) 1660784134

Amy's father is Tom DeGise – Hudson County Executive and a self-described "progressive Democrat." He called the Jersey Journal a "rag" that has become an "attack dog for the radical left" for reporting on his daughter.

The Jersey Journal covered Amy DeGise's alleged hit-and-run as well as "her troubling driving record, dozens of parking tickets, an unpaid veterinarian bill and her residence in an apartment complex meant for low- to moderate-income families even though she earns nearly $200,000 a year," NJ.com reported.

Despite dozens of her own constituents demanding that she resign, Amy DeGise defiantly dismissed the wishes of the Jersey City voters.

“I am not resigning,” Amy DeGise proclaimed. “I remain committed to this position on the council.”

"When the legal process in traffic court is finished, I will have more to say and I can address outstanding concerns and questions. And in the meantime, I’m not resigning," the Jersey City councilwoman added.

“For those who call for my resignation, you are heard, and I understand that you have concerns and questions that I respect and would enjoy any type of dialogue or discussion with you after I go to court,” DeGise told the overcapacity crowd.

"I do not identify with the perception that you have of me, but adversity does make us work harder," DeGise said, according to the New York Post. "To those of you who believe in me, thank you. And to those of you who don’t, thank you for making me want to be a better leader."

"This has only made me stronger and I will use that strength to fight for the issues that help every resident," she continued.

"I'm a private person, more than you think. I know everyone thinks I enjoy this public eye [but], I’m a very private person," DeGise claimed. "And, I would like to deal with this privately and I would like that respect, but it has gone vulgar."

"I'm appreciative of everyone who came out and had to stay tonight," the Democratic councilwoman said. "I’m appreciative and so grateful for the people who have reached out to support me or just want to wait until that court process goes on to ask me any further questions [or] to pry anymore. I cannot make it through these days without you."

“I remain committed to this position on the council, no matter your perception of me," she concluded. "Please know that my commitment is genuine, as is my love for Jersey City, and it is as strong as ever. Thank you.”

\u201cCouncilwoman DeGise addressed the crowd after all the speakers finished, explaining the threats against her and how they, and the incident itself, have impacted her life.\n\nRepeated that she will elaborate more once her court case is over and that she is not resigning.\u201d
— John Heinis (@John Heinis) 1660785780

Gothamist reported, "DeGise's case has not yet gone to court. The case has been moved from Hudson County, where she’s so politically connected, to Essex County, another Democratic stronghold."

On the morning of July 19, DeGise was caught by a traffic surveillance camera driving her black SUV through an intersection in Jersey City and slamming into a bicyclist. DeGise's black Nissan Rogue caused 29-year-old UberEats deliveryman Andrew Black to catapult into the air because of the force of the collision. Black and his bike were tossed several feet into the intersection.

The embattled Jersey City councilwoman didn't stop to check on Black after smashing into him.

Black did run a red light in the accident.

DeGise turned herself in at police headquarters six hours after the crash. She was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

DeGise has never publicly apologized to Black or her constituents.

(WARNING: Graphic video)

\u201cA New Jersey city councilwoman (D) is facing calls to resign after she was caught on video hitting a bicyclist with her SUV earlier this month and then driving away.\n\u201d
— Russian Market (@Russian Market) 1659254098