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Justice Department finds Phoenix Police have used excessive force, discriminated against minorities

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Justice Department finds Phoenix Police have used excessive force, discriminated against minorities

The Justice Department announced Thursday that police in Phoenix have been engaging in conduct that violates the Constitution and federal law by using “excessive force” and discriminating against Black, Hispanic and Native American people, among other actions. 

A “comprehensive investigation” into the Phoenix Police Department has uncovered that it and the city “unlawfully detain, cite, and arrest people experiencing homelessness and unlawfully dispose of their belongings,” as well as “discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities when dispatching calls for assistance and responding to people in crisis,” the Justice Department says. 

“The Justice Department has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives its residents and visitors, including Black, Hispanic, and Native American people, of their rights under the Constitution and federal law,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.  

“The release of today’s findings report is an important step toward accountability and transparency, and we are committed to working with the City of Phoenix and Phoenix Police Department on meaningful reform that protects the civil rights and safety of Phoenix residents and strengthens police-community trust.” 

ARIZONA POLICE OFFICER KILLED BY GUNMAN WHILE RESPONDING TO ‘DISTURBANCE’ 

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Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington in April 2023. The Justice Department announced Thursday, June 13, the findings of an investigation into the conduct of the Phoenix Police Department. (AP/Susan Walsh)

The Justice Department says it began investigating Phoenix law enforcement in August 2021 and based its findings on interviews, police interactions, thousands of documents and hundreds of hours of body-worn camera footage. 

It said it found Phoenix Police to use “excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and other types of force.”

LOUISVILLE POLICE ENTER NEGOTIATIONS WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AFTER REPORT ON RACIAL DISCRIMINATION 

Phoenix Police stand in front of police headquarters May 30, 2020, in Phoenix, waiting for protesters marching to protest the death of George Floyd.  (AP/Ross D. Franklin)

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“The police also used excessive force, delayed necessary medical aid and infringed on the civil rights of those engaged in First Amendment-protected conduct, including demonstrations and protests,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said. 

Michael Sullivan, the interim police chief for the Phoenix Police Department, speaks at a news conference in February 2023 in Phoenix.  (AP/Gregory Payan)

 

“Consistent with its standard practice in investigations of other cities, the Department provided a detailed briefing on the findings to the City and PhxPD on Tuesday, and proposed that the parties agree in principle to negotiate expeditiously and in good faith to reach a comprehensive court-enforceable settlement with independent monitoring,” the Justice Department added. 

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Family of Brianna Aguilera sues over alcohol service ahead of death

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Family of Brianna Aguilera sues over alcohol service ahead of death

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The family of Brianna Aguilera, the Texas A&M student who fell to her death from a high-rise apartment in November, is suing two organizations for allegedly overserving alcohol ahead of the 19-year-old’s death.

Attorney Tony Buzbee on Tuesday announced a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Travis County against the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Economics and Business Association.

“It is illegal to serve minors any amount of alcohol in the State of Texas. It is reckless and irresponsible to grossly over-serve a group of minors at a University of Texas football tailgate to the point where those minors lose their physical faculties and ability to control themselves,” the lawsuit states. 

Aguilera died when she fell from an Austin high-rise apartment following a Texas A&M vs. University of Texas football tailgate at around 1 a.m. Nov. 29, according to police.

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POLICE SHOULD BE TAKING ‘CLOSER LOOK’ AT COLLEGE STUDENT’S DEATH AFTER MOTHER’S ALLEGATIONS: FORMER PROSECUTOR

An image provided by the family of the young Texas A&M student, Brianna Aguilera, found dead in Austin over the weekend. (GoFundMe)

A police investigation later determined Aguilera died by suicide despite her family’s claims that she was killed.

Brianna Aguilera was found dead in an apartment hours after attending a tailgate party. (Facebook/Brie Aguilera)

According to the filing, the alleged “egregious over-serving of minors” led to Aguilera’s death. Witnesses described her behavior over several hours as “shifting from upbeat to disoriented and ultimately grossly intoxicated,” the suit says.

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Brianna Aguilera holds a sign congratulating her on her acceptance to Texas A&M. (Instagram/brie.aguilera)

TEXAS A&M STUDENT BRIANNA AGUILERA’S FALL DEATH SPARKS POLICE RESPONSE TO FAMILY’S EXPLOSIVE CLAIMS: REPORT

Buzbee said the lawsuit is also intended to support the ongoing investigation into the events of that night by allowing the firm to seek phone and text records, documents and data and to compel witness testimony.

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The lawsuit requests a jury trial.

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Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.

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Key red state could decide US gas prices as Venezuelan oil hits the market

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Key red state could decide US gas prices as Venezuelan oil hits the market

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Nobody handles oil quite like Texas and a fresh supply of Venezuelan crude could soon be headed to the Lone Star State’s coast.

The first barrels of thick, tar-like crude could arrive as soon as next week at ports across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, where dense clusters of refineries are built and bred to process heavy oil.

The development follows President Donald Trump’s Tuesday evening announcement that Caracas will transfer up to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S., worth about $2.8 billion at current market prices. 

WE’RE GOING TO LET THE OIL FLOW: ENERGY SECRETARY SAYS US WILL OVERSEE VENEZUELAN OIL SALES

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Venezuelan children swimming near an oil tanker docked at a pier near the refinery of the state oil company PDVSA. (Jesus Vargas/picture alliance/Getty Images)

“The Gulf Coast concentrates most of our refining capacity, and those refineries were built or revamped over the years to process extra-heavy crude similar to what is produced in Venezuela,” explained Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at OPIS.

“From a market perspective, additional volumes of extra-heavy crude entering the U.S. refining system would be an extraordinarily positive development,” Brito said. “It would allow refiners to operate more efficiently, something they haven’t been able to do for years and could help keep gasoline and diesel prices at better levels because refiners would have access to cheaper crude and more optimal operations.”

‘WE BUILT VENEZUELA’S OIL INDUSTRY:’ TRUMP VOWS US ENERGY RETURN AFTER MADURO CAPTURE

He added that tankers could arrive within five to six days if they leave Venezuelan waters on Thursday.

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Because Gulf Coast refineries supply a large share of the nation’s fuel, shifts in how efficiently they operate can ultimately ripple through to prices paid by U.S. consumers.

Texas oil refineries are poised to benefit from additional crude oil supplies. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The arrival of 15 to 25 oil tankers carrying up to 50 million barrels of crude is only a fraction of what Venezuela could ultimately supply.

With more than 300 billion barrels of proven reserves, it holds the world’s largest oil endowment — eclipsing long-standing energy heavyweights like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait.

Despite its vast reserves, U.S. sanctions have effectively blocked most Venezuelan crude from reaching the U.S. Gulf Coast, leaving Chevron — operating under a special authorization — as the sole exporter of limited volumes.

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US NOW IN CONTROL OF VENEZUELA’S OIL RESERVES, THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD

A Chevron Corp. flag flies on the drilling floor of a Nabors Industries Ltd. drill rig in the Permian Basin near Midland, Texas, on March 1, 2018. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

That disruption has been felt most acutely in Texas, which anchors the nation’s refining hub and hosts several of the country’s largest heavy-crude refineries.

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A renewed flow of Venezuelan barrels could also intensify competition in the heavy-crude market, particularly between Venezuela and Canada, Brito said.

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“You’re going to have fierce competition between Canada and Venezuela, which benefits American refiners and gives them more flexibility to potentially lower fuel prices,” he said, adding that he was speaking strictly from an oil-market perspective.

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Security guard fatally shot outside Houston restaurant after confrontation with suspect

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Security guard fatally shot outside Houston restaurant after confrontation with suspect

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A security guard was fatally shot outside a Houston restaurant Wednesday evening after a confrontation with another man, authorities said.

The shooting happened around 6:15 p.m. outside Connie’s Seafood Market Restaurant, the Houston Police Department said.

Police told reporters that the security guard, who was working for the restaurant, was standing in the parking lot when a fight broke out between him and another man, FOX26 Houston reported.

Police said the security guard was shot at least once. He was rushed to a hospital where he later died.

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OFF-DUTY DEPUTY SHOT AND KILLED WHILE WORKING SECURITY JOB IN TEXAS, SUSPECT REMAINS AT LARGE

A security guard was fatally shot outside a Houston restaurant Wednesday evening after a confrontation with another man, authorities said. (Houston Police Department)

Authorities did not immediately release the name of the victim.

The suspect was last seen running away from the parking lot after the shooting.

The security guard was working for the restaurant at the time of the shooting. (Google Maps)

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BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTER CONFESSED IN VIDEOS TO PLANNING ATTACK FOR LONG TIME, SHOWED NO REMORSE: DOJ

No details about the suspect or the circumstances that led to the altercation have been released as of Thursday morning.

Houston police were reviewing surveillance footage as they search for the shooting suspect. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle, File)

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Officials said investigators were reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses to get a description of the suspect.

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