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In August, police in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Tased Kendrell Watkins, a Black man in the midst of a mental health breakdown, as he fled naked down the street. Body camera footage shows they didn t know his name. (Courtesy of Eric Hall / Black Lives Matter Birmingham)
Police have killed at least 229 Black people out of a total 426 people of colour since former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd on 25 May, 2020. Each case is different, but many share core similarities: quick encounters, for low-level infractions, met with deadly force, leaving families and communities with unanswered questions.
Stephen Dethrage reports.
5. University of West Alabama third baseman Jake Nemith was named this week to the 2021 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Division II All-South Region Team.
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Two men have been arrested in separate sexual assault cases. The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit is asking any other potential victims to speak with detectives.
Lee Roy Jones, 76, of Cottondale, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with first-degree rape and sex abuse of a child less than 12 years old. He was booked into jail with a $90,000 bond.
He is accused of sexually assaulting a child, according to court documents, and the alleged victim is now an adult.
Olimpo Flores-Uzcanga, 39, was arrested the following day and charged with first-degree rape. He was booked into jail with a $60,000 bond.
These arrests were announced in a news release from VCU on Thursday.
16-year-old Tuscaloosa homicide victim identified
Updated May 06, 2021;
Posted May 06, 2021
Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting that happened about 11 p.m. Tuesday, May 4, 2021 near Fosters Ferry Road and 21st Street. (Tuscaloosa Police)
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A 16-year-old killed in a Tuesday night shooting in Tuscaloosa was identified as Xzorian Gray.
“In order to not affect the ongoing investigation, I cannot release any more details at this time,” Capt.
Jack Kennedy of the
Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said in a news statement.
Gray was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators with the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit remained at the shooting site throughout the night and into Wednesday. Multiple shell casings were recovered from the street.
Xzorian Gray was a gentle, respectful child, according to his family, who said he was rarely found without a wide grin across his face. Friends and family always called him X, and he was reportedly never the type to seek out trouble, but he also was known to stand his ground. Xzorian was only 16 years old when he was shot and killed in his vehicle late Tuesday night.
Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said that the shooting took place around 11 p.m. that night near the intersection of Fosters Ferry Road and 21st Street.