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Federal judge says Phoenix can’t ban homeless encampment but sweeps are OK

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Federal judge says Phoenix can’t ban homeless encampment but sweeps are OK


PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — It was a combined bag of wins and losses for the ACLU over its lawsuit towards the town of Phoenix and the raids of the homeless encampment downtown. A federal choose on Thursday issued an abbreviated order about what the town can and might’t do. It says the town can’t implement tenting and sleeping bans for homeless individuals or seize any gadgets in the course of the metropolis’s sweeps of the homeless encampment until the gadgets are an “rapid risk to public well being or security” or might have been utilized in against the law. If the police take one thing, they’ve to attend at the very least a month earlier than destroying it.

If officers or metropolis workers take one thing from the encampment that they assume was deserted, they’ve to go away some type of discover on the spot the place the property was taken so the proprietor can retrieve it. The choose’s order additionally mentioned the town can nonetheless do the sweeps at Phoenix’s largest homeless encampment, generally known as The Zone. The town is about to renew these on Friday morning. The sweeps, which normally concerned metropolis employees and law enforcement officials, had been paused at the start of 2022. Some have known as them “raids,” however the metropolis mentioned the sweeps had been accomplished to guard the well being and security of individuals within the camp. The ACLU claimed homeless individuals within the encampment misplaced important paperwork, medication and different belongings throughout these sweeps and by no means received them again. “Due to this injunction, unsheltered individuals received’t be liable to dropping important belongings, receiving unconstitutional citations, and experiencing additional trauma by the hands of the town and Phoenix PD,” Benjamin Rundall, senior workers lawyer on the ACLU of Arizona, mentioned in an announcement.

Additionally on Wednesday, a Maricopa County Superior Courtroom choose heard arguments a couple of totally different lawsuit concerning the homeless in Phoenix. Enterprise homeowners close to The Zone sued the town, claiming the encampment is a public nuisance. The town’s attorneys argued in courtroom it doesn’t have the constitutional obligation to guard the property values of the tenants and homeowners who filed the lawsuit. Those that filed the lawsuit say they’re involved for his or her security. In 5 weeks, there have been a few incidents within the encampment. A lifeless new child was discovered mendacity on the street on Nov. 12. Two days later, just a few tents caught fireplace, leaving one man badly injured. The choose, Scott A. Blaney, mentioned he’d get a ruling as rapidly as doable, however as a result of it’s an advanced case, it most likely received’t come down till subsequent week or later.

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Arizona

Arizona ‘villain’ Charles Smith arrested after filming himself spray bug killer pesticide on food inside Walmart

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Arizona ‘villain’ Charles Smith arrested after filming himself spray bug killer pesticide on food inside Walmart


A self-described Arizona social media “villain” was arrested after he filmed himself allegedly spraying bed bug killer on groceries inside a Walmart as he boasted to police about his prank videos.

Charles Smith, 27, is accused of grabbing a can of Hot Shot Ultra Bed Bug and Flea Killer and unleashing the pesticide on a series of perishable items in the Mesa, Ariz. megastore around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 19.

In the now-deleted video, the influencer filmed himself wearing a black hoodie and pink bandana while spraying the toxin on bananas, acorn squash, potatoes, lemons, green apples and Roma tomatoes at the store — located in a neighborhood southeast of Phoenix.

Charles Smith was accused of spraying a bed bug killer on groceries inside a Walmart. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit

Police claim the TikTokker, who goes by the username WolfieKahletti, intentionally went to the store to film pranks for his channel.

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Smith identifies as an online “troll,” according to court documents viewed by Az Family. He has more than 300,000 followers on TikTok.

The troublemaker allegedly told police that he makes between $6,000 – $10,000 per month filming his provocative prank videos.

”I think social media has got people doing crazy things out here,” Walmart shopper Xavier Griego told the outlet. “It’s unfortunate that somebody would mess up their whole life, potentially, for something on social media for views.”

Smith voluntarily turned himself over to police on Dec. 21.

The prankster reportedly posted the video on his TikTok page with over 300K followers. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit
Walmart claimed it removed the contaminated items and cleaned the areas that were hit. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit

He faces charges of introducing poison (a felony) as well as three misdemeanors that include criminal damage, endangerment and theft.

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A spokesperson from Walmart told AZ Family that store employees removed the directly impacted products and cleaned the affected areas of the store.

It’s not clear if any customers were injured from eating the contaminated items.

Smith voluntarily turned himself over to the police on Dec. 21. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit

“This incident underscores the potential dangers of reckless actions disguised as social media pranks,” the Mesa Police Department said in a statement. 

Other videos posted online by Smith include the posts of him seemingly mixing in bacon and eggs in a stranger’s load at the laundromat as well as locking people inside a different grocery store.

Smith is charged with a felony and three misdemeanors. ImTheMainCharacter/Reddit

The spray is “harmful if swallowed” and “prolonged or frequently repeated skin contact may cause allergic reactions in some individuals” per HotShot’s website. 

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Suspects convicted of tampering with consumer products face up to 5 to 20 years in prison.

In 2022, an Arizona man was sentenced to 10 years of probation after being convicted of adding harmful chemicals to food at several retail stores in the Phoenix area.

David Lohr was ordered to pay restitution to a grocery chain for $390.42 and ordered to participate in a mental health evaluation and any additional recommended treatment.

There were no reported injuries or illnesses associated with the tampered items during the 2018 stunt, prosecutors said.

Lohr was accused of tampering with products at stores in California one year later and sentenced to a 51-month prison term followed by three years of supervised release with mental health services.

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Love scores 24 points as Arizona rolls to a 94-41 win over Central Michigan

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Love scores 24 points as Arizona rolls to a 94-41 win over Central Michigan


Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Caleb Love matched his season-high with 24 points to help power Arizona to a 94-41 rout of Central Michigan on Saturday.

The Wildcats (6-5) won back-to-back games for the first time since beating Canisius and Old Dominion to open the season.

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The Chippewas (5-6) scored the game’s first three points but Love knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 18 first-half points to put Arizona firmly in charge at intermission, 44-23.

Arizona shot 54.5% from the field, including 10 of 29 from distance, and got 44 points from its bench. K.J. Lewis hit 4 of 8 from the field and 5 of 5 from the line for 13 points to lead the reserves. Tobe Awaka added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Wildcats dominated the boards, outrebounding the Chippewas 45-27.

Central Michigan struggled from the field, hitting just 14 of 54 (25.9%), including just 3 of 16 from distance. Cayden Vasko hit 4 of 13, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range, to lead the team with 10 points.

Arizona opens Big 12 Conference play at home when it plays host to TCU on Dec. 30. Central Michigan will look to snap its three-game losing string on Dec. 30 when it plays host to Cleary.

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Ex-Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi commits to Arizona

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Ex-Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi commits to Arizona


After getting hired as Arizona’s offensive coordinator, Seth Doege said his scheme is one that can be effective through the air and on the ground. And now he’s added a playmaker who has shown the ability to produce in both areas in a similar system.

Former Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi has committed to Arizona, giving the Wildcats a versatile ball carrier who can also catch passes out of the backfield.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Mahdi ran for 2,322 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons with the Bobcats, adding 44 catches for 470 yards and three TDs as well as a score off a kick return. He has more than 3,500 all-purpose yards the last two seasons, with another 900 and five scores from the 2022 season at FCS Houston Christian.

Texas State runs a spread attack similar to what Doege used at Marshall, one that averaged 37.1 points and almost 475 yards per game this fall.

Ismail is Arizona’s 10th transfer pickup, fifth on offense and third at a skill position along with former New Mexico receiver Luke Wysong and ex-Washington State receiver Kris Hutson.

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