California rocked by 5.3-magnitude earthquake centered near Bakersfield
(NEW YORK) — Kern County was hit by a 5.3-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday night, centered in Lamont, California, not far from Bakersfield, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The 5.3 earthquake hit at 9:09 p.m. PT and was followed by several aftershocks.
The Earthquake was felt across Los Angeles and down into Orange County.
More than a dozen aftershocks took place following the main quake, including one measuring 4.5-magnitude, and another one at 4.1, both located in the same area as the main quake.
There continue to be tremors in the Grapevine area, which is between Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, and Kern County, the USGS reported.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office told KABC7 Los Angeles there were no reports of damage in LA County so far. The LA Fire Department, however, is in earthquake mode.
(NEW YORK) — Ernesto has been downgraded to a tropical storm after passing over the Caribbean island of Bermuda as a hurricane without causing major damage.
The storm — which over the past week has caused major power outages and flooding in Puerto Rico and Bermuda — looks set to pass the Canadian coast on its way into the northern Atlantic by the middle of the coming week.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of this year’s Atlantic season. It made landfall in Bermuda early on Saturday, dumping 7 to 9 inches of rain and flooding parts of the island. The British Overseas Territory avoided major damage, and Ernesto is now some 200 miles northeast of Bermuda.
As of Sunday morning, Ernesto had winds of 70 mph and was moving slowly — heading north-northeast at only 9 mph — though it is predicted to pick up speed in the course of the day. Increased speed may see Ernesto again cross the 74 mph sustained winds threshold to return to Category 1 hurricane status.
All tropical alerts associated with Ernesto have now expired, with the storm far out at sea. A new tropical storm watch may be issued for southern Newfoundland later today, according to the National Hurricane Center.
But high surf and life-threatening rip currents are still anticipated over the next couple of days along the U.S. East Coast.
The entire Atlantic coast from Florida to Maine is under a high risk rip current alert on Sunday.
“Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are likely,” the National Hurricane Center warned, “which means life-threatening rip currents are likely, and dangerous for all levels of swimmers.”
Ernesto is expected to pass close to southern Newfoundland as a post-tropical cyclone by Monday night.
(SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) — Newly released police body camera footage shows Sonya Massey interacting with police officers 16 hours before she was fatally shot in her Illinois home on July 6, when deputies responded to her 911 call of a suspected prowler.
In the course of the video, which was obtained by ABC affiliate WICS and is about 45 minutes long, an upset Massey is seen outside of a home on July 5, the day before Sean Grayson, the now-former Sangamon County deputy, shot her.
“I don’t know where they at,” Massey said in the video, referring to her children.
“They’re at their dad’s house,” an officer said to Massey. “They’re worried about you too. Everybody just wants you to be OK. That’s all it is.”
That encounter happened after Massey’s mother Donna called 911 to report that her daughter was having a mental health episode. In the video, Sonya Massey appeared to be troubled about the utilities being turned off at her home.
“When I got home, I ain’t got no hot water, ain’t got no lights,” Sonya Massey said in the footage. “I had to throw away all of the food.”
At one point in the video, Sonya Massey told officers she had been taking her medicine.
“When’s the last time you took your medicine?” one of the respondents asked.
“Last night,” Sonya Massey responded.
When Donna Massey called 911 on July 5, she pleaded with the law enforcement not to hurt her daughter.
“She’s been mentally, having a mental breakdown,” Donna Massey said on the 911 call obtained by ABC News. “She thinks everybody’s after her.”
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump was retained by Sonya Massey’s family soon after her death.
“Sonya Massey’s family is devastated by this new footage, which shows clearly that she was in the midst of a mental health crisis,” Crump told ABC News in a statement on Thursday. “Deputy Sean Grayson’s decision to use deadly force against a woman in distress remains inexcusable, unacceptable, and criminal. Grayson must continue to be held responsible for his actions that killed Sonya, who was in desperate need of help.”
Hours later, at 12:49 a.m. on July 6, Sonya Massey called 911 herself to report a disturbance.
“It sounds like somebody was banging on the side of my house. I don’t know,” Sonya Massey said when calling 911. “Could y’all come and see?”
Grayson, 30, and a second, unnamed Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to her 911 at her Springfield home.
Body camera footage showed Massey, who was unarmed, saying “Please, don’t hurt me,” to the two responding deputies once she answered their knocks on her door.
“I don’t want to hurt you, you called us,” Grayson said.
Seen later in the video, while inside Massey’s home as she searched for her ID, Grayson pointed to a pot of boiling water on her stove.
“We don’t need a fire while we’re in here,” he said.
Massey then poured the water into the sink.
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” she said.
Grayson then shouted at Massey and threatened to shoot her, the video shows, and Massey apologized and ducked down behind a counter, covering her face with what appears to be a red oven mitt. She briefly rose, at which time Grayson shot her three times in the face, the footage shows. The former deputy failed to render aid.
Grayson said he feared for his life during his encounter with Massey, according to documents released by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office last month.
“While on scene, I was in fear Dep. [redacted] and I were going to receive great bodily harm or death. Due to being in fear of our safety and life, I fired my duty weapon,” Grayson wrote in his field case report.
Grayson is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He is being held without bond and has pleaded not guilty.
According to police records, Grayson worked at six police departments in four years, was charged with two DUIs and was discharged from the army for serious misconduct. Grayson’s next court appearance is Oct. 21.
“The biggest question is: How did this man ever get hired in law enforcement?” James Wilburn, Sonya Massey’s father told ABC News in an interview in July. “But here’s a man who, in four years, he’s been in six different departments.”
ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin and Kimberly Randolph contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Francine is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane on Tuesday as it takes aim at the Gulf Coast.
By Tuesday night, Francine is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph.
Landfall is expected on Wednesday in Louisiana, between Cameron and Morgan City, as a Category 2 hurricane.
Heavy rain and strong winds are already lashing South Padre Island, Texas, on Tuesday morning.
Up to 1 foot of rain is forecast for parts of Louisiana from Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Flash flooding will be a significant threat on Wednesday for New Orleans, Lake Charles and Alexandria, Louisiana as well as Jackson, Mississippi.
Storm surge could reach 10 feet along the Louisiana coast.
By Thursday, flooding rain will spread into the Mississippi River Valley, bringing up to 6 inches of rain to Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Paducah, Kentucky.