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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Drive Free

If you saw a fat man in a sleigh distributing presents this week, he was in violation of several government regulations.

The Federal Aviation Administration has complaints about his secret flight path. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources might shoot his unauthorized reindeer the way they shot a baby deer named Giggles at an animal shelter this year. His bag of gifts definitely violates numerous charity tax rules.

In real life, government barely lets people give each other rides in cars. But now the Internet has given birth to some exciting new businesses that challenge this conceit.

Companies called Lyft, Uber and Sidecar offer a phone app that allows people who need a ride somewhere to connect to a driver nearby who’d like to make a few extra bucks. It’s like creating an instant taxi business — which is why it makes existing taxi businesses nervous.

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WHY WIDOW OF FAMED SNIPER CHRIS KYLE IS SUING EXECUTIVES AT THE COMPANY HE STARTED

Less than a year ago, Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL known as one of the most lethal snipers in history and famed author of “American Sniper,” was killed at a Texas gun range. Now, his wife is suing executives at the company he helped start, alleging they’ve conspired to “steal” it.


Craft International, a defense and combat training company co-founded by Kyle in 2009, is at the center of the lawsuit launched by Taya Kyle.

The Dallas Morning News reported details of the suit against Craft’s CEO Steven Young and Chief Operating Officer Bo French, which included accusations of shutting Taya out of certain aspects despite her claim to own 85 percent of the company:
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Edward Snowden's Christmas Message: End Mass Surveillance

Edward Snowden delivered Channel 4's "Alternative Christmas Message" today, urging the the end of mass surveillance. The message was filmed from Russia, where he has temporary asylum. Below is the transcript:

Publishers Notes: The video has been removed but the transcript is still there.

American Abducted By Al Qaeda Makes Plea to Obama

A U.S. government contractor kidnapped by al Qaeda more than two years ago appeared in a new video making a desperate plea to President Obama.

Warren Weinstein, 72, was abducted in August 2011 in Lahore, Pakistan, where he was working for a U.S.-based firm that advises Pakistani businesses.

He said in the video he feels "totally abandoned and forgotten," telling Obama that he can make "hard decisions" now that he does not have to worry about re-election.
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The Redistribution Of Dreams

A friend is celebrating the season by visiting her children in the States. Like many millennials, her 20-something son is working brutal hours for minimum wage at an unfulfilling job. After visiting with him and his girlfriend, my friend emailed, "These kids are SO stuck in not being able to even pay their rent that they have no energy left to dream anything." 

A similar story is playing out in family after family across America. Twenty-somethings are holding down two minimum wage jobs because no one wants to hire full-time people for whom they might have to provide health insurance. In a stagnant economy, their unemployment tops the chart. Meanwhile, they are saddled with debt and taxes for entitlements they will probably never receive, like social security. 

As I moved through the day, my friend's words haunted me. They perched at the back of my mind as I read a New York Times article that was an odd combination of proclaiming the obvious and writhing to avoid it. One quote captures the dance: "These days the word ["redistribution"] is particularly toxic at the White House, where it has been hidden away to make the Affordable Care Act more palatable to the public and less a target for Republicans.... But the redistribution of wealth has always been a central feature of the law and lies at the heart of the insurance market disruptions driving political attacks this fall." The obvious: The core goal of Obamacare is the redistribution of wealth. The writhing: Obama lied, only he had to lie because of those wretched Republicans.

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A&E Celebrates Christmas By Showing 25 Episodes In A Row Of “Duck Dynasty”

“I think, honestly, it’s A&E trying to play both sides of the coin,” [said Cate Meighan, senior writer for Celeb Dirty Laundry]. 

“They’ve come out and not supported Phil’s statements… however they’re also looking at the backlash from the fans, and they have a huge amount of backlash from the fans... It is really a money thing... You’re going to have the same people tuning into ‘Duck Dynasty’ that always have and the same people not watching that always have.”

She said at the end of the day, the series will likely continue if the advertisers continue rush to air ads during the series.... “Unfortunately people are secondary,” she said. “At the end of every single thing that we see it’s about the money and the advertising.”

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Obama Gives Christmas Salute To Military Families

President Obama spent Christmas afternoon speaking to more than 500 servicemen and their families gathered in a dining facility at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, a quick drive from the Obama's vacation home in Kailua.

Obama, with Michelle, at his side, thanked the military families for the sacrifices they have made to keep the nation secure. The audience assembled in the dining hall was made up mainly up Marines but the event also was open to Army, Navy and Air Force families.

The president said he knows “a lot of our friends and comrades” are raising their families here while others are serving in Afghanistan and other far-flung places.
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2014 Will Be Even Worse For Our President

It's true that Obamacare has been a debacle, wrapped in a catastrophe, shrouded in a disaster. But it's also become clear that it was founded upon a lie: Obama's "if you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it" statement was named by PolitiFact its lie of the year for 2013. Many Americans have already learned that their individualplans are being cancelled because they don't live up to Obamacare, causing enough chaos that the Obama administration has had to give certain people a last-minute "waiver" of the mandate that they buy insurance. But many more problems have just been kicked down the road -- into 2014 -- by Obama's unilateral decision. Ironically, the White House and Democrats were, just a couple of months ago, calling Republicans who wanted to delay the mandate anarchists and terrorists, and loudly proclaiming that Obamacare was "the law of the land."

Regardless, the mandate delay doesn't solve problems, it just kicks the can down the road. And, as Bloomberg's Megan McArdle notes, the White House seems to be reacting to short-term political problems, rather than shoring up the system in ways that will make it work better:

However incoherent these fixes may seem, they send two messages, loud and clear. The first is that although liberal pundits may think that the law is a done deal, impossible to repeal, the administration does not believe that. ... This is at best, damage control. Which suggests that the administration is expecting a fair amount of damage.

I think that's right, and the damage will come in 2014. What we've seen so far, most likely, isn't the worst of it.

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Speeding Fines On Christmas? Some Fla. Drivers Get Lottery Tickets

MELBOURNE, FLA. – Police in a central Florida city have been issuing scratch-off lottery tickets instead of speeding fines to Christmas Day travelers.

By early Wednesday afternoon, Melbourne Police officers had handed out 30 lottery tickets along with warnings to drivers caught speeding or violating other traffic laws.
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My Twilight Years

As I enjoy my twilight years, I am often struck by the inevitability that the party must end. There will be a clear, cold morning when there isn't any "more".

No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "Did you hear the one about....." This is true for marriages, family relationships, and, especially, old friendships.

It seems to me that one of the important things to do before that morning comes, is to let every one of your family and friends know that you care for them by finding simple ways to let them know your heartfelt beliefs and the guiding principles of your life so they can always say, "He was my friend, and I know where he stood."

So, just in case I'm gone tomorrow, please know this.......I voted against that incompetent, stupid, lying, insincere, double-talking, radical socialist, terrorist excusing, bleeding heart, narcissistic, scientific and economic moron currently in the White House!

All-male Dance Squad Rejected By Alabama

MOBILE, Ala. - An all-male dance squad that wore skimpy Santa costumes during a Christmas parade in Alabama has been asked not to show up for a New Year's Eve event.

AL.com reported Tuesday that the Downtown Mobile Alliance rescinded an invitation for the Prancing Elites to perform at the Moon Pie Over Mobile parade after the group's performance in the southwest town of Semmes.

Performers wore snug white shorts under hip-high Santa jackets as they performed a gyrating dance routine some considered inappropriate for the setting.
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New Email Scam Looks Like It's From Amazon, Wal-Mart

WASHINGTON - It's the time of year for email scams, especially given how much more people are shopping and sharing their bank information with stores. This time around, the fake emails look like they're coming from big box stores.

The scammers are going for the big fish -- the stores most Americans have shopped at this season, Amazon and Walmart.

"You may think you bought something at Walmart and they're telling you you can return it, but you have to act now because we're going to deduct something from the amount you paid," says CBS technology analyst Larry Magid. "That's an incentive for people to click, so they can get their money."

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SOMEONE SHOT SANTA WITH A PELLET GUN — AND A LOCAL NEWS CREW CAPTURED IT ALL ON VIDEO

A man dressed as Santa Clause was shot with a pellet gun in Washington, D.C. Tuesday morning during a toy giveaway — and the entire incident was captured on video by a local news crew.

Video shot by a WJLA photographer shows the Santa actor waiving his hands shouting “Merry Christmas” in a Southeast D.C. neighborhood. Suddenly, however, he stops, groans in pain and claims someone “just shot me.”

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IRS RULE MAY ALLOW POLITICAL TARGETING

Barack Obama’s Internal Revenue Service was caught this year targeting conservative groups with harassment that included invasive probes into the content of prayers and unwarranted delays.

That issue is being worked out in court. But the IRS, nevertheless, remains on the attack, proposing new regulations that would silence the president’s critics.

Mathew Staver, founder and chief counsel of Liberty Counsel, said that after “being caught intentionally targeting conservative groups in the prior two elections, now the president wants his IRS to totally silence the voices of his political adversaries.”

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Santa Obama Gives Pay Raise To Federal Workers

Just in time for Christmas, President Obama signed an executive order on Monday giving a 1 percent pay raise for federal employees. The raise follows a four year hiatus from salary increases for federal workers, although most federal employees have apparently seen their pay increase via promotion or performance. The first increased paycheck will kick in on January 1.

President Obama’s reward to the federal workforce follows his longstanding belief that government work ought to be a first option for Americans. Nonetheless, Obama’s decision to raise federal pay only widens the income inequality gap between federal workers and private sector employees; as of 2011, the average private sector employee made $59,804 in salary, and $28,000 in benefits, while the average federal workers made $74,436 in salary and $40,000 in benefits.

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We’ve seen so many police abuse lawsuits settled before making it to trial where cops admit no wrongdoing while guiltily dishing out thousands of taxpayer dollars that it’s surprising to see one actually make it to trial.

And it’s absolutely flabbergasting to see it result in a cop ordered personably liable.

The cop is none other than Sterling Wheaton of the Atlantic City Police Department, whom we became familiar with back in September when he drove up to a group of five fellow officers beating on a suspect and sicced his dog on him in an incident caught on surveillance video.

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CARSON: The feeling behind ‘Merry Christmas’

When I was a kid growing up in Detroit and Boston, there were multiple Christmas celebrations in public school. Everyone participated in the celebrations, including the Jews and the many individuals of Middle Eastern descent.

Christmas carols were sung, presents were exchanged and food was consumed in a partylike atmosphere. There were very few people stoking the fires of sensitivity or trying to make everyone feel different. There’s nothing wrong with diversity, but there is also nothing wrong with unity and enjoying overarching fun and good will. When someone said “Merry Christmas,” it was regarded as a salutation of good will toward everyone, whether they believed in Christ as their savior or not.

By the same token, if someone wished you a happy Hanukkah or a Muslim greeting, and you did not belong to that particular group, certainly no one saw a reason for offense or for ascribing hateful motives to the greeter. I believe most people say “Merry Christmas” because they want to invite others to partake of their joy.
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SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEIZE CASH, DRUGS, AND UNTAXED CIGARETTES DURING A TRAFFIC STOP



On December 22, 2013 deputies from the Somerset County Sheriff's Office stopped a Chevy Tahoe for traffic violations in Westover. A probable cause search revealed 469 cartons of untaxed Virginia cigarettes, marijuana, and almost $10,000 in cash. The driver, Mansour Shabaik who is from New York told deputies he spent nearly $20,000 on the untaxed cigarettes, and planned to sell half of the cigarettes in New York, and ship the other half back to family members in Egypt. Shabaik was charged with possession, and trafficking untaxed cigarettes, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Shabaik was later released on a $25,000 unsecured bond pending court actions.

Court Warns Obama That He Is Abusing Power

Two months ago, the DC Federal Appeals Court ruled that ObamaCare’s mandate to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives could not be imposed on the business organizations Freshway Foods and Freshway Logistics of Sidney, Ohio. The Court ruled that “…forcing those owners to provide the coverage would violate their individual First Amendment rights allowing for the protection of their religion.”

Then, on December 16th, Judge Brian Cogan made his U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York “…the first court to hold that participating in Obama’s scheme to provide free birth control is a substantial burden on the free practice of religion…” Not only did Cogan strike down Obamacare’s contraception mandate as applied to religious non-profit organizations, he also “…sent a strong signal that federal courts were losing patience with President Obama’s many stitches of executive power.”

Prior to the December 16th ruling, administration attorneys argued that because Congress refused to institute a contraception mandate which satisfied White House demands, Obama was somehow “…authorized to enforce his contraception mandate in the manner he did.” In short, Barack should be allowed to ignore both the law and constitutional limits on Executive power if Congress doesn’t satisfactorily submit to his wishes.

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Lincoln Man Charged After Troopers Recover Over 2,000 Bags Of Heroin

Location: Houston Street, Millsboro, DE

Date: Tuesday, December 24, 2013, at 9:10 p.m.

Defendants, Charges, and Bail Information:
Donald R. Hester, 35, of Lincoln, DE (photo attached)
Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (2 counts)
Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 5 Quantity
Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (3 counts)
Failure to Signal a Lane Change
Driving at an Unreasonable Speed
Committed to Sussex Correctional Institute on $65,802 secured bail.

Resume: Millsboro – A Lincoln man was arrested Tuesday evening after he abandoned over 2,000 bags of heroin in a parking lot before a traffic stop.

The incident began at 9:10 p.m. when a Trooper observed a 2001 Cadillac Seville turn right from West Dupont Boulevard onto Wharton Street without displaying a turn signal. The Trooper pulled behind the Cadillac and activated his vehicle's emergency lights in order to initiate a traffic stop.

Instead of stopping, the Cadillac immediately made a right turn onto Houston Street and fled at a high speed. The Trooper momentarily lost sight of the vehicle, but found it stopped in a parking lot off of Houston Street.

As the Trooper drove into the parking lot the Cadillac began to speed away, but the Trooper pulled in front of the Cadillac, blocking its exit. The Trooper ordered the driver, Donald R. Hester, 35, to exit the vehicle, and he was taken into custody.

After Hester was detained, two Millsboro police officers arrived to assist. When they inspected the area of the parking lot where the Trooper initially saw the Cadillac stopped, they found two plastic grocery bags. One contained 2,292 bags (34.38 grams) of heroin, and the other contained 119 grams of marijuana. A search of Hester's vehicle resulted in the recovery of an additional 46 grams of marijuana and $2,312. Additionally, Hester was found to have $1,977 in his pants pocket.

Hester was transported to Troop 4 and charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance in a tier 5 quantity, possession of marijuana, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to signal a lane change, and driving at an unreasonable speed. He was committed to Sussex Correctional Institute on $65,802 secured bail.

An Incredible Christmas Story From A Viewer

So a 4 year old boy (as he held up 3 fingers) just broke/healed and made my Christmas. I stopped to gas up the car on base just now and the woman next to me is having a melt down. She is in tears, kicking the trash can and pump....I give her my best "its ok, holidays get to everyone look" when her son rolls his window down in the back seat. He smiles a huge blue eyed smile at me and says hi. I smile back and say Merry Christmas. His very anxious mom finally tried to smile and asked if I could keep a quick eye on him while she ran in (her card wasn't working). Since my gas was pumping and we were on base I said 'of course' and turned back to the boy.
He looks up and tells me he saw Santa last night. I ask him if he is ready for Santa to come and he says "NO, that's why I had to talk to him last night. We made a deal that he would take my toys to my Nana's house for when I get home. Mommy and me are taking daddy back home after his chopper crash and she says Santa can't come to the room we are in".

Well my throat swelled shut and I couldn't see through the tears as my head reeled from this angel picking his dads remains up with his mom. I busied myself so I didn't sob and swiped my card and began pumping gas in her car. An active duty guy next to us heard the boy and saw my distress and came right over and bent down to say hi. This young boy says "HI, my daddy looks like you at work too" and this Sgt says "I know he does ......your dad was a great man who loved you and mommy very much. Its hard for mommy right now but you promise to be a little soldier and remind mommy all the time how much daddy loves you both". This man looks at me with total understanding. We both know only too well how many families come through here.

I am sobbing just telling this story and you should have seen the snotty mess I was there............but I believe I got my Christmas miracle. I am touched beyond words at what is really important.

Be KIND....be FORGIVING.....be CARING.....and remember we all have demons and issues. Check on the lonely old lady next door, donate a blanket to a homeless person, buy someone dinner that looks down on their luck AND remember what it is like to be a truly GOOD person to another human being.

Regulators Approve Hike In Cost Of First-Class Stamps

Mailing a letter is about to get a little more expensive.

Postal regulators on Tuesday approved a price hike of 3 cents for a first-class stamp, bringing the charge to 49 cents a letter.

The independent Postal Regulatory Commission said the change was justified by severe mail volume decreases since 2008. The new price is effective Jan. 26 and will last no more than two years, allowing the Postal Service to recoup $2.8 billion in losses.

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85-Year-Old Woman Flown To Wrong Destination For Christmas…But That's Only Part Of The Shocker

Maria Nieves’ daughter sent her 85-year-old mother an index card with her name, flight information and final destination prior to her holiday trip. The index card wasn’t just a precaution though.

Nieves had accidentally flown to the wrong location before, and the family felt equipping her with this information could prevent it in the off chance it might happen again. It didn’t.

Even with this information in her possession, available for any airport employee to cross check, instead of ending up in Fort Meyers, Fla., Nieves landed in Pittsburgh, Pa., Sunday night.

She had flown to the wrong destination — again.

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SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEIZE CASH, DRUGS, AND UNTAXED CIGARETTES DURING A TRAFFIC STOP



Somerset County (MD) Sheriff's Office

SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEIZE CASH, DRUGS, AND UNTAXED CIGARETTES DURING A TRAFFIC STOP

On December 22, 2013 deputies from the Somerset County Sheriff's Office stopped a Chevy Tahoe for traffic violations in Westover. A probable cause search revealed 469 cartons of untaxed Virginia cigarettes, marijuana, and almost $10,000 in cash. The driver, Mansour Shabaik who is from New York told deputies he spent nearly $20,000 on the untaxed cigarettes, and planned to sell half of the cigarettes in New York, and ship the other half back to family members in Egypt. Shabaik was charged with possession, and trafficking untaxed cigarettes, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Shabaik was later released on a $25,000 unsecured bond pending court actions.

Common Core: A Slippery Slope

If advocates admitted that it increases Washington’s power, we could have a better, more honest debate.

Since the effectively national Common Core education standards were unveiled in 2010, advocates have insisted that they’re a “state-led” effort. President Obama declared in the 2011 State of the Union address that “these standards were developed . . . not by Washington, but by Republican and Democratic governors throughout the country.” This past June, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan thundered: “The federal government didn’t write them, didn’t approve them, and doesn’t mandate them, and we never will. Anyone who says otherwise is either misinformed or willfully misleading.”

Tony Evers, state superintendent for Wisconsin, told the Wisconsin legislature: “To those who are concerned that the Common Core represents too much ‘federal intrusion’ . . . let me say clearly that I was not coerced by the federal government to adopt the Common Core and I didn’t adopt” it in response to the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top” federal grant program, which rewarded states for adopting the Common Core. It’s apparently just a coincidence that Wisconsin adopted the standards on June 2, 2010, the day they were released — as promised in the state’s “Race to the Top” application. Just as it’s presumably a coincidence that Kentucky adopted the standards before they were released — a move celebrated in its Race to the Top application.

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ObamaCare Botch Fuels Dem Feud In Maryland

The botched ObamaCare rollout that has given Republicans a hammer going into the 2014 election cycle is now splitting Democrats in deep-blue Maryland, as the problems become political fodder for next year's gubernatorial race.

Despite Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley being among the first to embrace the Affordable Care Act and create an online exchange, the state-run site has had a disastrous start, like the federal exchange. This has left gubernatorial frontrunner and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who helped lead the local ObamaCare launch, taking hits from fellow Democrats.

“It’s almost like a Saturday Night Live skit,” primary challenger and Attorney General Doug Gansler told reporters last week. “It’s comical that it’s not working. … It’s tragic for folks who don’t have access to health care.”

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SFD Calls For Service 12-24-13 & 12-25-13

  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 23:02:21Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: E Church St and priscilla St Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 20:43:37Nature: Pro Qa EmsCity: Salisbury
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 19:59:49Nature: Sexual AssaultCity: Salisbury
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 16:04:23Nature: InjuryCity: Salisbury
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 15:01:15Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 11:07:19Nature: Diabetic DifficultyCity: Salisbury
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 10:34:51Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 08:27:55Nature: Unconscious SubjectCity: Salisbury
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 03:13:43Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
  • Wednesday December, 25 2013 @ 02:56:13Nature: Psychiatric EmergencyCity: Salisbury

  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 23:58:38Nature: OverdoseCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 22:28:29Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: E Salisbury Pkwy and naylor St Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 22:28:21Nature: Pi AccidentCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 20:45:21Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 18:16:16Nature: Heart PatientCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 17:44:03Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 17:41:52Nature: Pro Qa FireAddress: 2702 N Salisbury Blvd Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 16:20:29Nature: HemorrhagingCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 15:20:26Nature: SeizureCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 15:15:19Nature: Psychiatric EmergencyCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 13:34:16Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: 2740 N Salisbury Blvd Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 11:56:20Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: Priscilla St and n Salisbury Blvd Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 11:32:09Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 11:09:42Nature: Subject Locked In A VehicleAddress: 2720 N Salisbury Blvd Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 11:06:26Nature: Heart PatientCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 07:08:07Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 06:14:02Nature: Pro Qa EmsCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 03:31:25Nature: Heart PatientCity: Salisbury
  • Tuesday December, 24 2013 @ 02:55:06Nature: Pro Qa EmsCity: Salisbury

Cop Tells College Grad ‘You’re Lucky I Didn’t F-ing Shoot You’ After Raiding Wrong House

Man held at gunpoint in handcuffs on his own front lawn

Connor Guerrero didn’t exactly get an apology after police erroneously raided his home last week and handcuffed him on his front lawn.

Instead, Guerrero says a Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy told him he should be grateful he wasn’t killed.

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