A junior high school student was fatally stabbed, and another injured, at a McDonald’s restaurant in Kitakyushu, Japan. The attacker remains at large. Police describe the suspect as a man in his 40s. Violent crime is rare in Japan, making this incident particularly shocking.
The House Oversight Committee is investigating the FBI for allegedly manipulating crime statistics to downplay the severity of violent crime in the United States. The committee alleges the FBI initially reported a decrease in violent crime in 2022 but later revised those figures to show a significant increase. This has sparked concerns about political motives and the reliability of crime data.
Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and ‘Shark Tank’ star, has publicly challenged former President Donald Trump’s claims about rising violent crime rates. Cuban, a vocal critic of Trump’s policies, argues that statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that violent crime rates have remained relatively stable over the past decade, excluding the pandemic period. This contradicts Trump’s assertions of a significant increase in violent crime during his presidency.
While the Biden administration points to a decrease in violent crime in major US cities, independent analysis suggests a different story. A public policy group claims violent crime has actually increased across 66 major cities, highlighting discrepancies in crime reporting data.
Angel Echevarria-Rivera, 33, of Harrisburg, has been sentenced to a minimum of three and a half years and a maximum of 10 years in state prison for the stabbing death of Edwin Torres-Martinez, 53. The incident occurred on November 12, 2022, outside Torres-Martinez’s home in Harrisburg’s Hall Manor neighborhood. Echevarria-Rivera stabbed Torres-Martinez 18 times in the neck after Torres-Martinez stabbed Echevarria-Rivera’s relative on his leg. Echevarria-Rivera pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was not charged with murder, as he believed Torres-Martinez was going to kill his relative with a knife. The maximum sentence for voluntary manslaughter is 20 years in prison.
A 23-year-old man, Devon Johnson, was tragically shot and killed in St. Paul during a marijuana deal gone wrong. Police arrested 17-year-old Deshawn Houston of Eagan and charged him with Johnson’s murder and attempted murder of his friend. The incident occurred on March 14th, and multiple 911 calls alerted authorities to gunshots and fleeing suspects. Police found Johnson in a Jeep with gunshot wounds and performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Amidst growing concerns about safety, a former SJPD Violent Crime Detective, with extensive street and law enforcement experience, has developed the ‘Survive The Danger’ seminar. This unique approach empowers individuals with expert instruction from those with real-life combat experience. Participants learn crucial strategies to navigate violent encounters, including alertness, situational awareness, and effective response tactics. The seminar goes beyond self-defense techniques, providing evaluations of actual security camera footage to demonstrate effective responses in various scenarios.
Three Southern California teens have been charged with assault after allegedly beating a homeless man with tent poles and a tripod in Long Beach. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries but declined medical attention. The teens, ages 12, 14, and 15, fled the scene but were later apprehended. The identities of the victim and suspects have not been released. The investigation is ongoing.
