Northeast

New York's Nassau County seeks to ban standing within 15 feet of cops under bill panned as unconstitutional

Published

8 months ago

April 29, 2025

New York's Nassau County seeks to ban standing within 15 feet of cops under bill panned as unconstitutional

Lawmakers in Nassau County, New York, are pushing a measure to make it illegal to stand within 15 feet of police officers or other first responders during an emergency, although critics of the proposal argue that it is unconstitutional.

People who enter the “buffer zone” for first responders during an emergency would face a misdemeanor charge and a $1,000 fine along with the possibility of up to a year behind bars, according to the bill introduced by the county Board of Legislators.

The measure seeks to protect first responders from “threats, harassment, and physical interference,” lawmakers say.

“It is important that first responders are not obstructed during emergency situations and that our frontline heroes are allowed to engage in the lifesaving actions they are trained to perform without distractions,” legislator John Ferretti, a Republican, told the New York Post.

NEW YORK PROPOSAL WOULD BAN POLICE FROM MAKING TRAFFIC STOPS FOR MINOR VIOLATIONS TO PURSUE ‘RACIAL EQUITY’

Lawmakers in Nassau County, New York, are pushing a measure to make it illegal to stand within 15 feet of first responders during an emergency. (Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM)

State law already subjects people who interfere with first responders to up to a year in jail, three years of probation or a $1,000 fine.

The new bill was introduced by Republicans but has garnered support from some Democrats, according to the newspaper.

“Our cops and first responders shouldn’t have to fight crowds while they’re saving lives,” Democrat legislator Seth Koslow, who is running for county executive, told the New York Post. “This bill gives them the authority to keep chaos out and do their jobs without interference. It’s backed by both parties — because protecting those who protect us shouldn’t be political.”

The bill was introduced by Republicans but has garnered support from some Democrat legislators, including Seth Koslow. (Getty Images)

Despite the bipartisan support among lawmakers, critics say the bill goes too far and could be abused to curb people’s constitutional rights.

“Floating buffer zones offer yet another way for police to keep their activities hidden from public scrutiny,” New York Civil Liberties Union senior policy counsel Justin Harrison told the New York Post. “Laws that make it harder to monitor the police don’t make anybody safer — in reality, they violate the Constitution, run counter to government transparency principles, and foster distrust in law enforcement.”

Some other states have passed similar laws that were later struck down by the courts.

VIDEO CAPTURES NEW YORK GRANDMOTHER, CHILDREN NARROWLY AVOIDING MANHOLE EXPLOSION

People who enter the “buffer zone” for first responders during an emergency would face a misdemeanor charge and a $1,000 fine along with the possibility of up to a year behind bars. (Getty Images)

Louisiana passed a law last year prohibiting people from being within 25 feet of police after being told to back up. But last month, a federal judge blocked the measure, finding that it violated the 14th Amendment’s due process regulations and could infringe on journalists’ press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment that grants them the right to film officers.

Similar laws in Arizona and Indiana have also been blocked by federal judges.

“We expect that Nassau’s law, if passed, will meet the same fate,” Harrison said.

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Northeast

Brown University shooting reveals major gap in Providence’s $1M ‘real time crime center’

Published

2 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Brown University shooting reveals major gap in Providence’s M ‘real time crime center’

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The shooting at Brown University exposed a major gap for a recently opened “real time crime center” in Providence that costs over $1 million, but didn’t include surveillance video from the college campus.

Two people were killed and nine others were injured during a shooting at Brown University at around 4 p.m. Saturday at the Barus and Holley engineering building. Officials said a person of interest was initially taken into custody, but was later released after evidence didn’t indicate he was involved.

Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook were killed in Saturday’s shooting. Cook, 19, was the vice president of the Brown University College Republicans.

In August, the City of Providence, where Brown University is located, announced it had launched a “real time crime center” that has access to hundreds of surveillance cameras — but none at the Ivy League institution.

PERSON OF INTEREST IN CUSTODY FOLLOWING DEADLY SHOOTING AT BROWN UNIVERSITY

This combo image made with photos provided by the FBI and the Providence, Rhode Island, Police Department shows a person of interest in the shooting that occurred at Brown University on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (FBI/Providence Police Department via AP)

“Since my first year as Mayor, elevating public safety in every neighborhood has been my top priority. This investment in Providence’s Real Time Crime Center strengthens our ability to protect neighborhoods and improve quality-of-life for everyone in Providence,” Mayor Brett Smiley said when he announced the center’s launch.

The “real time crime center” was funded with a $1 million grant from the federal government. Providence also agreed to pay Axon Fusus $750,000 to run the system through 2028, which could be extended, according to the Rhode Island Current.

Providence Police Department Detective Maj. David Lapatin told the Providence Journal that the newly built center didn’t include any video feeds at Brown University when the shooting took place.

BROWN UNIVERSITY WAS ‘SOFT TARGET’ FOR SHOOTER WHO REMAINS AT LARGE, CRIMINAL PROFILER SAYS

A law enforcement official walks past articles of clothing on a sidewalk near an entrance to Brown University, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Providence, Rhode Island, during the shooting investigation. (Steven Senne/AP Photo)

Police gather outside an entrance to Brown University on Saturday, during the investigation of the shooting. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Additionally, Lapatin said the crime center didn’t have access to any camera feeds from homes located close to the shooting.

Eric O’Neill, a cybersecurity expert and former FBI operative, told Fox News Digital it would have been helpful if Brown University allowed the crime center to use their security camera feeds.

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A police vehicle rests at an intersection near crime scene tape at Brown University, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Providence, Rhode Island, following the shooting at the university. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

“It certainly would have been nice if Brown had subscribed to the data center because my understanding is that there’s real-time monitoring, which would have meant that someone would have seen the activity on the cameras and perhaps law enforcement could have been alerted earlier,” O’Neill said.

Police have released several videos and images of a person of interest, but haven’t yet identified or arrested the individual.

Fox News Digital reached out to Brown University and the City of Providence for comment.

Adam Sabes is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.

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Boston, MA

Red Sox’s Veteran Leader Gets Alarming Projection For Upcoming Season

Published

4 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Red Sox’s Veteran Leader Gets Alarming Projection For Upcoming Season

Somehow, in the midst of all the injuries the Boston Red Sox dealt with last season, shortstop Trevor Story stayed healthy.

Story played 163 games in his first three years as a Red Sox, then played 157 this past year. He led the team in home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases. His defense tailed off in September, but he was also leading the charge on offense by the time the Sox got to the playoffs.

Entering his age-33 season, Story has been vehemently endorsed as the starting shortstop by the Red Sox organization, specifically chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Are the Red Sox counting too heavily on the veteran repeating his production from a year ago?

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Story coming back to earth this season?

On Thursday, MLB.com published a “snapshot” of the Red Sox’s Fangraphs projections for this season, and the No. 1 thing that stood out from the list was Story and the Boston shortstop group being projected for 2.0 WAR, which ranked 27th out of the 30 teams in baseball.

“This projection and ranking might be a bit surprising, considering that Trevor Story had a resurgent 2025 season with a .741 OPS, 25 home runs, and 31 stolen bases and finished with 3.0 WAR,18th-best among shortstops,” wrote MLB.com’s Brent Maguire.

“Projection systems, however, are notoriously conservative and are looking beyond just the previous season. Story was oft-injured and unproductive during his first three years with the Red Sox before 2025 and with him entering his age-33 season, there are still some questions about his production in 2026.”

Certainly, one projection does not mean Story is doomed to have a bad year, and if anything, he might have a better defensive season if he stays healthy, because he’ll be better conditioned for those final weeks of the year.

However, this underscores the need for the Red Sox to land another big bat, and ideally, two. The odds that Story leads the team in all of those offensive categories again feel slim, and even if he does, that likely means Boston’s offense was fairly pedestrian.

More MLB: Red Sox’s Former No. 5 Prospect Breaks Silence On ‘Surprise’ Trade

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Pittsburg, PA

2 killed in Carrick shooting on Linnview Avenue, Pittsburgh authorities say

Published

4 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

2 killed in Carrick shooting on Linnview Avenue, Pittsburgh authorities say

Updated on: December 19, 2025 / 2:52 AM EST
/ CBS Pittsburgh

Two men were killed in a shooting along Linnview Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood on Thursday, authorities said.

The shooting happened around 5:15 p.m. on the 1200 block of Linnview Avenue, according to a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson.

Two men are dead after a shooting on Linnview Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood on Dec. 18, 2025.

(Photo: KDKA)

When first responders arrived at the scene, they found two men with multiple gunshot wounds on the sidewalk about 10 feet apart. Both men were taken to local hospitals in grave condition, but they were pronounced dead when they arrived, Pittsburgh Public Safety’s spokesperson said. The victims were 23 and 27 years old. However, the victims have not been identified as of Thursday night.

Officials said the suspect fled on foot down Nobles Lane. No other information was released about the suspect. No arrests have been made as of Thursday night.

Neighbors told KDKA they heard at least six gunshots. Investigators at the scene recovered two firearms, the spokesperson for Pittsburgh Public Safety said. Police are investigating.

“At one point, I heard what sounded like fireworks,” one neighbor said.

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