Prince George’s County police officer Bryant Robust was sentenced Thursday to 1 12 months in jail adopted by three years of probation for his actions throughout a visitors cease in 2019 that left Demonte Ward-Blake paralyzed from the neck down.
Maryland
Maryland officer to serve year in jail for arrest that paralyzed man
![Maryland officer to serve year in jail for arrest that paralyzed man Maryland officer to serve year in jail for arrest that paralyzed man](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SZKQH2UTIUI6ZOZROT6ANQFDUU.jpg&w=1440)
At Robust’s sentencing listening to Thursday, the courtroom was filled with about 50 folks, a lot of them police workers there to help him. Three Prince George’s officers who had labored alongside Robust and developed friendships with him through the years spoke on his behalf, saying he’s collegial, has a powerful work ethic and is devoted to his household and younger son.
Civil rights legal professional Malcolm Ruff spoke on behalf of Ward-Blake’s household, whom he’s representing in a federal civil lawsuit in opposition to the county and Robust. Ruff advised the decide that Ward-Blake was a cherished and gregarious 24-year-old earlier than the visitors cease, however his paralysis pressured him right into a wheelchair and triggered agonizing ache.
Ward-Blake died late final 12 months on the age of 26 from accidents he suffered in an unrelated taking pictures.
Cotton stated she had spent a whole lot of time enthusiastic about Robust’s case and weighing why she had discovered him responsible. The decide stated she thought-about the character of the costs and the extent of Ward’s accidents; the impression on his household and the neighborhood; and the truth that Robust had no prior felony historical past.
“Clearly this can be a defendant who has a powerful help system,” the decide stated.
Cotton acknowledged the “superior accountability” legislation enforcement officers need to preserve communities secure. However she stated officers even have an obligation to guard neighborhood belief, and when that belief is damaged, “that’s an superior failure, too.”
The decide sentenced Robust to a complete of 20 years with all however one 12 months suspended, that means he might serve that point at a later date if he’s present in violation of the phrases of his probation. Robust’s legal professional, Shaun Owens, had requested the decide to defer the officer’s detention in the course of the appeals course of. Cotton denied that, in addition to a request for house detention.
Ward-Blake’s mom, Rena Ward, bowed her head as she listened within the courtroom beside neighborhood organizers and different girls impacted by police violence. Ward stated she was disillusioned Robust hadn’t been given extra jail time however that she needed to “give it as much as God.”
“If he was right here,” she stated of her son, “[the sentencing] most likely would have been stiffer.”
The $75 million wrongful demise lawsuit his household filed in February continues to be pending.
Ward-Blake was pulled over on Oct. 17, 2019, for expired tags. Throughout the cease, a Prince George’s police officer pulled his gun from his holster — which enraged Ward-Blake as a result of his girlfriend’s 6-year-old daughter was within the again seat. Robust was amongst a bunch of different officers who quickly arrived on scene.
Although Ward-Blake was compliant with all officer instructions, together with when he was detained, positioned in handcuffs and sat on the curb, he verbally berated the officers, in response to movies of the visitors cease and testimony throughout trial.
As a result of Ward-Blake wouldn’t cease yelling, Robust arrested him for disorderly conduct and walked him to the facet of his cruiser, the place he performed a physique search.
At trial, prosecutors and Robust’s protection attorneys disagreed on what occurred subsequent.
Prosecutors argued that Robust, fed up with Ward-Blake’s cursing, snapped and slammed the person headfirst into the concrete in a maneuver known as a “takedown.” The state stated that motion constituted extreme drive.
Robust’s protection attorneys, nonetheless, stated Ward-Blake tried to flee police whereas Robust was looking out him. They argued that the lads fell to the bottom collectively in a battle, and that Ward-Blake’s paralysis was the results of a tragic accident.
At trial, Cotton discounted the protection’s concept and stated Robust “didn’t act as an affordable officer would.” She known as his actions “extreme” and “unjustified.”
She made that argument once more throughout sentencing.
Cotton didn’t, nonetheless, take note of Robust’s historical past of utilizing drive with others. Prosecutors introduced proof in the course of the listening to a few beforehand undisclosed incident from November 2018 — one 12 months earlier than Ward-Blake was paralyzed — when Robust wrongfully detained somebody who matched a theft suspect description. The person, prosecutors stated, protested the arrest. Robust took him to the bottom, cuffed him and hit him a number of instances, an motion the police division’s inner investigation later discovered extreme.
Prosecutors argued this confirmed a sample of conduct that the decide ought to contemplate earlier than sentencing Robust. However Cotton disagreed, saying the matter was administrative, not felony, and due to this fact irrelevant.
Robust’s police powers stay suspended till the police division’s inner affairs workplace completes its personal investigation into the visitors cease.
Robust’s supporters watched from the gallery — a number of, together with his father, in tears — as he hugged his legal professional and stripped off his swimsuit jacket, tie and button-down shirt. Then a bailiff secured cuffs round his wrists and walked him out of the courtroom.
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Maryland
University of Maryland reverses decision to allow anti-Israel protest on October 7
The University of Maryland on Sunday reversed its decision to allow an anti-Israel protest on the first anniversary of the October 7 Massacre, following backlash from local Jewish groups.
UMD Students for Justice in Palestine and UMD Jewish Voice for Peace had been set to hold their October 7 vigil for Gazans killed in the Israel-Hamas War at the campus’s Mckeldin Mall, but the University System of Maryland (USM) said in a statement that on the day of the Hamas-led pogrom it would limit campus events requiring permits or approval to those supporting “a university-sponsored Day of Dialogue.”
“From the beginning of the war, we have come together as a University System to urge that we use this moment to encourage conversation, compassion, and civility; to engage with one another across our differences and draw on our shared humanity and our shared values to bridge what divides us,” said USM. “These dialogues aren’t new. Many of our universities have been hosting this kind of programming for several months. Reserving Oct. 7 gives us a chance to continue these urgent conversations and to mark this solemn anniversary in a way that gives students—all students—the time and space to share and to be heard.”
USM said that its intent was not to infringe of the free expression and speech of students, but to be sensitive to the needs of students as October 7 was a “day of enormous suffering and grief for many in our campus communities.”
UMD Jewish Student Union, Maryland Hillel, Terps for Israel, and Israeli American Council Mishelanu at Maryland welcomed the USM decision and thanked UMD leadership in a joint social media statement on Sunday.
“October 7, the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, is a day of mourning for the Jewish and Israeli community,” said the UMD JSU. “We are relieved that SJP will no longer to be able to appropriate the suffering of our family and friends to fit their false and dangerous narrative.”
The Jewish groups said that it was distraught that the decision to only hold university-sponsored event had to be made at all, and wished to used the campus space to “grieve together as a community” to promote unity at the university. The unideal situation was necessary, according to the Jewish groups, to ensure the physical and psychological safety of students on the day of mourning.
UMD JVP and SJP attacked the decision to cancel the event, claiming that the vigil for Palestinians killed since the October 7 Massacre was attacked without familiarity of the content. The anti-Israel groups said that the discourse was “the continuation inherently racist, Islamophobic, and dehumanizing rhetoric surrounding Palestinians.” JVP and SJP said that the actions against their event were an attempt to paint “Muslim, Arab, and anti-Zionist Jewish students as barbaric.”
The anti-Israel groups asserted that their vigil for Palestinians who died in the war was no threat to the campus’s Jewish community, but conflation of Zionism and Judaism did threaten UMD and the Jewish community.
“To claim that Palestinians cannot hold a day of remembrance in mourning one year of genocide, or lay claim to that date is an insult to every life lost in the Zionist entity’s genocidal campaign,” UMD SJP and JVP said on Instagram on Sunday. “The disproportionate scale of suffering experienced by the Palestinians over the past year necessitates their remembrance and our solidarity on this day. The suffering of all innocents killed must not be monopolized and necessitates a fair and just representation.”
SJP and JVP demanded the right to organize and exercise their right to free speech, accusing Zionists of attempting to stifle Palestinian voices.
The organizations indicated on their Sunday Instagram post that they still planned to hold their all-day event at Mckeldin Mall, and on Monday a link to register still active and listing the campus building as the rally location.
UMD Jewish groups said that they would be holding their own event to memorialize the victims of the October 7 pogrom at the Maryland Hillel.
Maryland
Sunshine for your Labor Day in Maryland
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Maryland
Michigan State Has Several Things to Fix Before Heading to Maryland
![Michigan State Has Several Things to Fix Before Heading to Maryland Michigan State Has Several Things to Fix Before Heading to Maryland](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4622,h_2599,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/spartan_nation/01j6q3dyp4hhn9f949m6.jpg)
Michigan State’s football team emerged with a 16-10 win against Florida Atlantic, but it was far from a convincing victory. The Spartans struggled throughout the game, exhibiting a range of issues that need immediate attention if they hope to find more consistent success moving forward.
With less than a week to prepare for its next opponent, Michigan State has a critical opportunity to address these shortcomings and refine its game plan.
The win over FAU exposed several areas of concern for Michigan State, particularly on offense. The Spartans were plagued by poor execution and missed opportunities, with several drives stalling due to penalties and miscues. The offensive line, in particular, struggled to establish a rhythm, which led to limited success in both the running and passing games.
Quarterback play from Aidan Chiles was inconsistent, with errant throws and a lack of cohesion with the receiving corps contributing to the team’s inability to sustain drives and put the game away early.
Defensively, Michigan State managed to hold FAU to just 10 points, but there were still some worrying signs. Despite the Spartans having multiple interceptions and a safety, they gave up several big plays, revealing potential vulnerabilities in the secondary and raising concerns about the unit’s ability to maintain discipline and focus throughout the game. Missed tackles and lapses in coverage could prove costly against more formidable opponents, making it imperative for the coaching staff to address these issues in the coming week.
Special teams were another area where Michigan State faltered. On multiple occasions, the Spartans gave up more punt return yards than they should have because of missed tackles.
With less than a week before its next game, Michigan State has a valuable window to regroup and make the necessary adjustments. The coaching staff will need to focus on tightening up execution across all phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams. This includes refining the game plan, improving communication and instilling a greater sense of urgency and discipline among the players.
The Spartans cannot afford to let the issues that plagued them against FAU carry over into their matchup against Maryland. If they hope to be competitive as the season progresses, the team must use this time to correct course and demonstrate growth in all facets of its game.
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
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