Ernesto weakens to tropical storm after lashing Bermuda as hurricane
(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.) — Former Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson said he feared for his life during his encounter with Sonya Massey, the mother of two who he fatally shot in her home after she called 911 to report a prowler, according to new documents released by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).
The documents are a compilation of field case reports from various deputies who were called to the scene following the shooting of Massey, who was shot in the head during the July 6 incident. Included in the reports is an account from Grayson, who now faces three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in Massey’s death. The former deputy is being held without bond while awaiting trial.
“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’s report detailed his account of what happened when Grayson and a fellow Sangamon County deputy were called to Massey’s home.
“I approached the house and knocked on the door multiple times. I could see someone moving around inside the residence, but no one would open the door,” Grayson wrote.
After Massey, 36, came to the door, Grayson asked her a few questions, according to bodycam video of the exchange reviewed by ABC News. The then-deputy wrote in his report that “it seemed as if Sonya’s mind was all over the place and not able to focus or have a conversation. Sonya stated she was doing OK and had taken her medicine.”
Once inside the home, the unnamed deputy who was with Grayson checked the home for a possible intruder while Grayson spoke with Massey. While talking to Massey, Grayson said he heard a crackling noise, then noticed a large metal pot of “unknown liquid” on the stove. He asked the other responding deputy to turn the stove off before a fire started in the residence, according to the report.
That is when Massey, who’d been sitting on the couch, went to the kitchen to turn off the stove, the video shows. She grabbed the large pot and walked toward the sink, acting as if she was going to pour out the water in the sink, according to Grayson.
“With both hands on the pot, Sonya turned to face me holding the pot,” the deputy wrote. “I feared Sonya was going to throw boiling liquid on to us, causing great bodily harm to or death.”
“I advised Sonya to put the boiling liquid down. Sonya stated she was going to rebuke me in the name of Jesus. She stated this twice,” Grayson wrote. “I interpreted this to mean she was going to kill me.”
At that point, Grayson said he drew his weapon and pointed it at Sonya, giving her verbal commands to drop the pot of boiling liquid. Upon seeing his weapon, Massey crouched down. Body camera video of the incident recorded Massey repeatedly apologizing to the deputies.
“Sonya stood up from a crouched position, grabbing the pot, raising it above her head and throwing the boiling substance at me. I was in imminent fear of getting boiling liquid to my face or chest, which would have caused great bodily harm or death,” Grayson wrote in his report.
“I fired my duty weapon in Sonya’s direction. I observed Sonya fall to the ground behind the counter,” Grayson said.
A review of Grayson’s body camera footage, case report, use of force report, as well as evidence from the unnamed attending deputy who was present during the incident, concluded that Grayson had violated SCSO policies and procedures.
The internal investigation, conducted by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department Division of Professional Standards, found Grayson had violated policy by immediately escalating to deadly force, citing that “body camera video shows that the inappropriate escalation of force set in motion a series of events that led to Deputy Grayson shooting the decedent in the head,” despite Massey’s “non-aggressive behavior.”
The department also found that Grayson did not abide by the Sheriff’s Office Standard of Conduct after his body camera recorded statements made by him that violated policy, including calling Massey by expletives, and saying, “I’m not even going to waste my med stuff then,” after bringing his medical kit and not providing aid to Massey.
Grayson also violated the department’s policy and procedures for providing medical aid and response when he discouraged his fellow attending deputy from providing aid to Massey, saying, “nah, headshot dude; she’s done,” “let her just, there is nothing we can do,” and letting approximately 3 minutes, 40 seconds go by between the time Massey was shot and when Grayson brought in his medical kit, according to the investigation.
Additionally, Grayson was found to be in violation of policy by not having activated his body camera until after shooting Massey, as well as insubordination after refusing to answer questions during his internal affairs interview.
Sean Grayson’s attorney declined ABC News’ request for comment.
(KANNAPOLIS, N.C.) — Escaped murderer Ramone Alston, who escaped from custody Tuesday morning while being transported to a medical appointment at a North Carolina hospital, has been caught, authorities said.
Ramone Alston was captured shortly before 2 a.m. Friday morning at a hotel on Cloverleaf Parkway in Kannapolis, North Carolina, following an operation involving FBI Charlotte SWAT agents, Kannapolis Police and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, according to a statement from the North Carolina Department of Corrections.
Shortly after, Jacobia Crisp, a female acquaintance, was arrested in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive, officials said.
Alston will be charged with felony escape from prison and is being taken to a high security unit in the state prison system where he will resume serving his life sentence for first degree murder and will await court appearances for his escape charges.
Alston was convicted of shooting and killing a 1-year-old girl on Christmas Day in 2015 and is serving a life sentence.
The infant victim, Maleah Williams, had been playing outside with her Christmas toys when she was struck by gunfire, her mother previously told Raleigh ABC station WTVD.
Alston, 30, broke away from a corrections officer while being escorted to UNC Hospital in Hillsborough on Tuesday, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
“He had freed himself from leg restraints and, still in handcuffs, jumped out and ran into adjacent woods,” the department said in a statement.
Director of Orange County Emergency Services Kirby Saunders said state, local and federal law enforcement teams searched hundreds of acres for Alston, using aerial assets including helicopters, canine resources and ground searchers.
“He’s unpredictable — we don’t know what he’s going to do, so he should certainly probably be considered dangerous,” Keith Acree, a spokesperson for the Department of Adult Correction, said in a press briefing earlier this week. “People make rash decisions at a time like this; he’s already made one very large rash decision this morning.”
Alston was taken into custody without injuries to anyone.
“I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and effort from hundreds of local, state and federal public safety officers who helped in the search and investigation that returned Alston safely to custody,” said Todd Ishee, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. “This was an incredible collaborative effort of many people and agencies.”
ABC News’ Jason Volack and Julia Reinstein contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — A New York City teacher was struck by a stray bullet on the eve of the first day of school while setting up his classroom, police said.
The bullet flew through the window of the sixth-floor classroom, striking the 33-year-old teacher in his right hand, police said.
The incident occurred shortly before noon Wednesday at a middle school in the Bronx borough, according to the NYC Department of Education.
The bullet is believed to have been fired from an elevated surface a long distance from the school, M.S. 391, police said.
“The school was not targeted,” Deputy Chief Keiyon Ramsey with the NYPD’s Patrol Borough Bronx told reporters during a news briefing Wednesday.
The teacher suffered a graze wound to the palm of his right hand, Ramsey said. He was transported to a local hospital in stable condition and has since been released.
One fired bullet was recovered from the classroom and is being processed, Ramsey said.
Police are working to determine where the bullet came from and who fired it, according to Deputy Chief Louis Deceglie with the NYPD’s Detective Bureau Bronx Commanding Officer.
“We are currently searching all rooftops nearby, looking for both ballistic evidence and video evidence,” Deceglie told reporters during Wednesday’s briefing.
No students were in the classroom at the time of the shooting, as school does not start until Thursday. Additionally, no students were around the school at the time, Ramsey said.
“This egregious display of violence is both upsetting and reprehensible,” the DOE said in a statement. “NYPD immediately responded to the scene where one educator sustained non-life-threatening injuries. We will provide support additional support to this school community.”
There will be additional school safety agents and police officers at the middle school for the first day of school on Thursday “out of an abundance of caution,” Ramsey said.