Latest Headlines
Hands On Atlanta helps individuals, families, corporate and community groups ...
Registration is open for the 29th annual Hunger Walk/Run which takes place ...
Moving Atlanta to Higher Ground: How Religion Inspires Positive Change
NEWNAN---The deadly fire that killed 5 people here Saturday morning has been ruled an accident...
Investigators say it started in the home's electrical box.
But the family continues to question whether there was a prior history with those problems.
Molly McCrary, 11, escaped the flames and was the only survivor.
And now her family and community are rallying around her and her other sisters.
Molly McCrary sits quietly, almost numb, as family, friends and total strangers come and go at her grandmother's home in Newnan.
They are there around the clock to show their love and support.
They bring food and clothing,
Sitting beside Molly, her two sisters Destiny and Erika, who were not at home when the fatal fire broke out.
But all three girls lost everything in the blaze.
The family has been overwhelmed they say with community support.
First a vigil Saturday night and now a constant stream of visitors.
Rozanne Arnold, Molly's aunt, provides the pillar of strength for the rest of the family
"You really don't know how much people can really care for you until tragedy--there has to be tragedy for us to come together. Some nice and caring people out there, very nice people," Arnold said.
"They have been so nice, pouring out gifts for the girls. I mean just an incredible way. They have been so nice," she added.
Most of the gifts, say family members, are coming from total strangers.
"They are pouring out, just so much, everybody in the community. They are helping out. You can tell people really care; it's been just so great. Clothes have been coming in, gift cards, and food. They have been very supporting," she said.
And the business community also stepped right in.
Retail giant Macy's quickly gave Molly and her sisters' generous gift cards, insuring they could immediately replace clothing and essentials.
And as the McCrary family continues to grieve, they keep one thing atop their minds:
"We all need to stick together and just be supportive for the kids.>
And continue to receive nonstop community support.
Marietta, GA--There may be just weeks left for students in Cobb County, but school board members have plenty of homework ahead.
They are holding a special meeting Monday at 1pm to tackle an 86. 4 million dollar deficit.
Two board members, Brad Wheeler and Kathleen Angelucci, met with 11Alive's Duffie Dixon Sunday to talk about the hard choices they face.
"The easy way is to take the big chunks. The hard work is going to be finding 50 thousand here, 100 thousand there. Those things add up," said Wheeler.
Some of those so called big chunks have already been suggested---some propose cutting arts, music, athletics or teacher positions.
Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinjosa has said previously that he believes some jobs will have to be eliminated at some point.
"We're going to have to use some reserves. But at the same time through attritions we're going to have to reduce positions," said Dr. Hinjosa.
Angelucci is not convinced. She said the board should look at anything and everything before even considering reducing the number of teachers.
"Less teachers means a higher number of kids per classroom and a less conducive environment for learning. I would be happy to go line by line through the budget to see what else we can cut first," said Angelucci.
Cobb County is the second biggest school district in the state...with an estimated 107-thousand students.
Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray (11) warms up prior to the 2012 SEC Championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports
ATHENS, Ga. -- With the NFL Draft front and center - - it is impossible not to think of UGA's fine senior QB to be Aaron Murray. He could have gone pro and made a lot of money.
Murray decided to stay in Athens and now the bar of expectation has been raised for the Bulldog season of 2013. On a campus of almost 35 thousand students -- he is the most famous, the "Big Man on Campus."
In state of almost 10,000,000 people he is a household name. And with fame comes self-imposed restriction out of personal necessity. Aaron Murray lives not as a 22 year old student/athlete these days. But more as celebrity-at-large, very large.
Aaron Murray's Twitter page has over 84K followers.
He recently tweeted this:
"Always drive by one frat house and see them throwing the ball around. Think they would get mad if I joined in?"
But he knows he can't do that anymore- - fame, notoriety, responsibility, precludes just being one of the guys.
Murray says," It's funny to drive and see guys throwing the ball something I have grown up doing my whole life doing and now the only time I play is at practice or during the game."
Playing QB at UGA has always been a big deal -- but nothing like it is now.
"My brother and sister go to UGA I hang with them a lot. I try to avoid conflict and try to avoid areas where a lot of people are and try to live a normal life," Murray said.
What does normal mean in Aaron Murray's world? It's hard to define. But this we know -- the NFL will have to wait another year.
Perfection, though -- is something everyone seems to demand in their QB. Last October after an early season loss to South Carolina and poor play, Murray's rented home was egged.
And at the same time his father in Tampa was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Last season will be forever defined by the SEC Championship game vs. Alabama. The Dawgs came out only a few seconds and yards short of a national title shot.
So here we are four months away from a new season with massive expectations for Georgia and Aaron Murray.
Aaron says he stays in contact with most of the former UGA QB's- - -Shockley, Greene, Zeire and others. They help him hold his responsibilities in perspective. This fall is going to be a lot of fun.
ATLANTA -- An 8-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix is being kept alive at the Fulton County animal shelter until it can be tested to help determine if the family dog mauled and killed a toddler at his home Wednesday afternoon.
Friday evening, 11Alive learned the dog has been acting "normal, like a family pet" in the days following the attack, according to Lara Hudson, executive director of Fulton Co. Animal Services.
MORE | Read portions of police report release by officials
RELATED | Police report released in pit bull attack that killed boy
Earlier Friday, the Fulton County Medical Examiner confirmed the 2-year-old's death was caused by the dog attack.
"Obviously, it's a tragedy," Sgt. Scott McBride told 11 Alive on Thursday.
"We're not looking to charge anyone, but we have to investigate every crime, especially the death of a 2-year-old; we're gonna look at every possible angle," he added.
Meanwhile neighbors in the Wexford town home subdivision near Union City are still trying to deal with what happened.
"It was really a shock, it was strange, you know, my heart goes out to the family because I have a child of my own," said Kendra Clopton.
She was among the first on the scene Wednesday when a neighbor across the street, Angela Rutledge, came out of her home screaming that the dog had killed her son.
Clopton said she never thought of the 8-year-old dog as aggressive.
"The dog was a family dog, so they always had the dog," Clopton told 11 Alive.
"The children was always happy to see the dog when she got home from school, when the baby was there; it was a complete shock, to this community it was a shock," she added.
The dog, which was removed by animal control officers, is now undergoing a series of behavior tests.
Animal control workers have also been affected by what happened.
"My heart goes out to the family and to everybody involved with this horrible tragedy," Animal Services Executive Director Lara Hudson told 11 Alive.
Fulton County Police expect autopsy results as soon as Friday and will hand over their evidence to the District Attorney's office, who will decide what to do with the case.
Meanwhile, police confirm they used a taser-type electronic stun gun on the child's father, Jeremiah Rutledge, when he tried to burst into the crime scene before it had been secured Wednesday afternoon.
They say he was hysterical and tried to push past them at the front and rear doors, at one point telling them to shoot him.
Sgt. McBride said the father was subdued for his and their safety, but will not be charged.
The mother was taken to South Fulton Medical Center by ambulance, "due to suicidal thoughts", according to the police report.
Authorities originally referred to the dog involved as a "Pit Bull", but dropped that description Thursday, referring to it as an "American Staffordshire Terrier mix".
ATLANTA -- Several of the mourners came up and asked the same question -- How did this happen?
It is hard for many to fathom how a loose tire can be so lethal but at 50 or 60 pounds and 80 mph -- a loose tire can back the same power as a cannon ball shot point-blank from a canon.
RELATED | Motorist killed by flying tire on I-85 Friday morning
On Friday morning, a pick-up truck in the northbound lanes had a wheel come right off. The tire then careened and bounced across several lanes including the highway's median wall before hitting the victim's vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Friday night, at the burial for 47-year-old Avila Masuda, it was still hard for many to believe that this morning Masuda was taking her daughter to school. And less than twelve hours later she was being laid to rest.It is the tradition of Islam to inter the body before the sun sets.
More than a thousand people came out to say good-bye to the teacher who friends say taught the Koran. It's hard for them to reconcile the sheer randomness of this tragedy.
MOBILE, Ala. -- Firefighters from Mobile, Ala., and U.S. Coast Guard crews are responding to explosions and a fire on two fuel barges in the Mobile River.
Mobile Fire and Rescue officials tweeted Wednesday night that two natural gas barges exploded and three people were hospitalized. Information on the extent of their injuries was not immediately available.Video from WALA-TV shows flames engulfing a large section of the barge. The news station reports the barge is on the east side of the river.
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Ofc. Carlos Vega said officials were on their way to the scene.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.
The explosion comes two months after a Carnival cruise ship was towed to Mobile after becoming disabled during a February cruise by an engine room fire. The ship is still undergoing repairs there.
NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 08: Billy Currington attends the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards on November 8, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BMI)
SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Country singer Billy Currington has been indicted in Georgia on charges that he threatened bodily harm to a man over the age of 65.
A Chatham County grand jury indicted Currington on Wednesday on charges of making terroristic threats and abuse of an elderly person. The indictment says only that Currington threatened "to cause bodily harm" to a man named Charles Harvey Ferrelle on April 15.
District Attorney Meg Heap spokesman Daniel Baxter says a warrant was being issued for Currington's arrest.
A representative for Currington did not immediately return a phone message. It was not known if he had hired an attorney.
Currington is a native of the Georgia coast. His hits include "Pretty Good At Drinkin' Beer," ''That's How Country Boys Roll" and "People Are Crazy."
Fire/rescue crews on Sierra Trail at the location of the dog attack. (Duffie Dixon/11Alive News)
SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, GA -- Police said a 2-year-old boy was attacked and killed by a pit bull at a subdivision in south Fulton County Wednesday afternoon.
Police said a woman called 911, saying her child had been attacked by a dog. The call came from the area of Sierra Trail, off of Stonewell Tell Road near Union City.
Investigators said the mother was at home with her child and the dog at about 1:30 Wednesday afternoon. She said that when she left the room to go to the restroom, everything was okay, but that when she returned to the room, it was clear that the dog had attacked the child and killed him.
Officers were able to corral the dog in the bathroom when they arrived at the home, where it was kept until Animal Control arrived to take the dog.
Investigators said the dog had been a part of the family for the past eight years.
The dog was taken to the Fulton County Animal Shelter, where it will be kept in isloation for the time being.
Officers were not certain if the dog would be destroyed or not.
Police said the Fulton County Medical Examiner has been called to the scene.
ATLANTA -- There may soon be a new part of the downtown skyline.
Our partners at the Atlanta Business Chronicle report a company called Pacific Development has filed plans for an 180-foot-tall wheel called "SkyView".
The company already has Ferris wheels operating in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Florida.
The project is slated for downtown on the corner of Luckie Street, Centennial Olympic Park Drive, and Nassau Street.
The amusement would feature fully-enclosed, climate-controlled gondolas that fit six people each.
What do you think? Vote in our poll here.
(Cherokee County Sheriff's Office)
CANTON, Ga. -- A former PTA treasurer has been charged with stealing money from two Cherokee County schools.
Kim Turman was arrested Monday by detectives with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
PHOTOS | Mug Shots: See 'em to Believe 'em
Sheriff's Lt. Jay Baker said Turman, 40, is accused of taking more than $12,000 from Indian Knoll Elementary School's PTA and nearly $5,900 from the Sequoyah High School Girls Soccer Booster Club, when she was the treasurer for both organizations.
She has been charged with two counts of felony theft and has since been released from the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center on $52,000 bond.
Baker said both Georgia PTA and the soccer booster club are cooperating with the sheriff's office in their investigation.
ATLANTA (AP) - Charges have been dropped against a metro Atlanta minister and his brother who were accused of bilking members of their congregation out of thousands of dollars.
RELATED | Bishop Wiley Jackson indicted in investment scheme
Rev. Wiley Jackson, of the Gospel Tabernacle Cathedral and his brother, Rodney, were accused of selling investments without a license. DeKalb County District Attorney's officials Tuesday said the two have repaid investors $90,000.
An eight-count indictment charged the two with selling investments in their company, Genesis LLC and receiving at least $12,000 from investors beginning in 2002.
Authorities say the Jacksons paid seven investors from an escrow account.
REX, Ga. -- One person is dead after a triple shooting at a Clayton County gas station on Monday night.
According to Clayton County Police, the shooting happened at the Texaco Gas Station on the 6500 block of Highway 42 near I-675 around 8:30 p.m.
Authorities say three people were shot and two of them sustained "serious injuries." One person was dead when authorities arrived on the scene.
One victim was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center, while the other was transported via ambulance to a local medical center.
The identities of the victims and the deceased have not been released to the public, at this time.
Authorities have not established a suspect or a motive in this incident.
Scott Buimi (Forsyth Co. Sheriff's Office)
DECATUR, GA -- A DeKalb County police officer arrested in Forsyth County last week had a nearly exemplary work record during most of his 27 year police career, according to his personnel file obtained through an Open Records Act request.
MORE | Cop who pointed gun at McDonald's customer will lose certification
Sgt. Scott Biumi "is an excellent CID supervisor" wrote Lt. J.M. Fagan in Biumi's May 2012 evaluation. The evaluation concluded that Biami "far exceeds standards."Biami was arrested last week in Forsyth County and charged with felony aggravated assault. Investigators say surveillance video showed Biami brandishing a pistol at a McDonald's restaurant patron parked at a window of a drive-thru. Investigators said Biami was angry that the patron was taking an excessive amount of time at the window.
Biami is now suspended with pay from DeKalb PD. The Peace Officers Standards and Training Council has suspended his police certification.
Biumi signed up for DeKalb's police academy in 1987. He's been with the department ever since. As of May 2012, he was a supervisor in the criminal investigations division.
In November 2007, then-chief Terrell Bolton wrote Biumi commending him for "representing the DeKalb County Police Department in such a positive manner." Bolton wrote another letter commending Biumi in October 2008. "I continue to receive numerous positive comments and accolades on your behalf," Bolton wrote.
On June 20, 2006 Biumi wrote a two-line letter of resignation. Eight days later, a psychiatrist wrote that Biumi "is currently under my care. The medications that have been prescribed for Mr. Biumi do not impair his judgment and / or should not affect his ability to do his job." The same say, June 28, Biumi wrote a letter rescinding his resignation.
Biami's personnel file shows few blemishes.
In 1989, he was suspended for one day for failing to show up for a court date. Twice, he was given "written counseling" for fender benders he had in police vehicles.
One of two bombs exploding at Boston Marathon
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Atlanta has always had a very vibrant running community.
However, over the last 40 years one man has been the Pied Piper of his own local version of Hamelin.
In the 1973, Jeff Galloway finished fifth in the Boston Marathon. And on Monday night, he gathered about 100 friends and customers from his running store in the Ansley Mall to run for Boston.It was a night of meaning for those who live running and love the symbol of their sport -- the Boston Marathon.
"I'm changing when all of a sudden a huge explosion and it was like a war zone," said Dennis Murray.
The war zone for Murray of John's Creek was the finish line. He just cleared the area long enough to collect his seventh Boston Marathon medal
"Sirens came and everything else and tried to find my wife in 45 minutes and it was panic city ."
Mike Wien and his friend Bishop Leatherbury were there too. They traveled to run and they did.
"I expected Boston to be an incredible experience and it was," said Mr. Leatherbury
But this experience was different for Mr. Leatherbury. It was an event on his bucket list which looking back is scary. Fate for both Bishop and Mike Wien had a different twist on Monday, April 15.
"People who run marathons are living with purpose full. They lead great lives," stated Mr. Wien.
He finished ten minutes ahead.
After the blast, Mr. Bishop was 1/4 of a mile behind, but the explosion changed everything. He was done. He wasn't allowed to finish.
But first, a run on an Atlanta evening.
"When I passed the finish line -- I received a medal," Wien said.
"But I'll tell you what there is someone out there who deserves this medal a lot more than me because he ran 26.2 miles. Would you welcome my friend, Bishop Leatherbury."
ATLANTA -- Actress Reese Witherspoon and her husband James Toth were arrested in Fulton County early Friday morning.
Toth was arrested for DUI and Witherspoon for obstructing an officer.
It happened around 12:40a.m. Friday on Peachtree Road.
Toth was driving and was pulled over after swerving in and out of the lane.
On April 19, 2013 at approximately 0040 hours, I was patrolling north on Peachtree Road. I observed a silver Ford Fusion fail to maintain its lane while it traveled in the left lane.
The Fusion traveled on the white dashed line that separated the left and center lanes with its passenger's side. I followed behind the Fusion in the left lane.
The Fusion traveled over the dashed line on the right side again. As we negotiated a left curve, the Fusion traveled on top of the double yellow line that separated the northbound and southbound lanes with its driver's side tires.
As we continued to travel northbound, the Fusion's left turn signal blinked on then off. The Fusion traveled on the double yellow line again.
As we negotiated a sharp right curve the Fusion crossed into the center and straddled the solid white that separated the left and center lanes. The fusion crossed the double yellow line again with its driver's side tires.
I initiated a traffic stop. The Fusion pulled to the right into the driveway to the Walgreen's. The Fusion was partially in the northbound right lane of Peachtree Road.
I approached the driver, Mr. James Joseph Toth, and told him that I needed to see his license. Mr. Toth handed me his license and I explained the reason for the stop.
As I explained the reason for the stop, I observed that Mr. Toth's eye lids were droopy. Mr. Toth's eyes were bloodshot and watery. I smelled the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Toth's breath. I asked Mr. Toth how much he had to drink. Mr. Toth stated a drink.
When asked where he had his drinks, Mr. Toth looked at the passenger, Mrs. Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, and she began to answer.
Mrs. Witherspoon stated that he had his drink at a restaurant. Mrs. Witherspoon stated that the drink was consumed two hours prior to the incident.
I asked Mr. Toth if he would perform field sobriety. Mr. Toth gave verbal consent. I had Mr. Toth back his car into the driveway of the Walgreens to get it out of the roadway.
Mr. Toth was medically qualified for field sobriety. Mr. Toth performed all field sobriety asked of him.
Just before Walk and Turn, Mr. Toth stated that he had a problem with his left leg. I asked Mr. Toth if it would prevent him from continuing and he stated that it would not.
I asked Mr. Toth if he wanted to continue with the tests. Mr. Toth stated that he did. Before we began field sobriety, Mrs. Witherspoon got out of the vehicle.
I told Mrs. Witherspoon to stay in the vehicle and she sat back in the vehicle. I observed that Mr. Toth was chewing on something and asked if him if it was gum.
Mr. Toth stated that it was a mint.
As I performed HGN on Mr. Toth, Mrs. Witherspoon got back out of the vehicle. I had to tell Mrs. Witherspoon several times to get back into the vehicle before she did so. I told Mrs. Witherspoon that I would arrest her the next time she got out of the vehicle. I finished HGN with Mr. Toth.
I went and explained to Mrs. Witherspoon the reason why I wanted her to stay in the vehicle. The reason was for my safety. Mrs. Witherspoon stated, "Yes sir."
I went back to Mr. Toth and continued field sobriety. During the rest of field sobriety, I observed that Mr. Toth had a hard time listening to and following my directions. Mr. Toth wanted to finish the rest of the tests on the sidewalk next to the Walgreen's building.
After I had administered the PBT, Mrs. Witherspoon began to hang out the window and say that she did not believe that I was a real police officer. I told Mrs. Witherspoon to sit on her butt and be quiet. I placed Mr. Toth under arrest for DUI. When asked his age, Mr. Toth stated that he was 42 years old. I had Mr. Toth sit on my push bumper.
Mrs. Witherspoon got out of the vehicle and walked up to me and Mr. Toth. I asked, "What had I already told you?" Mrs. Witherspoon asked what was going on. I told Mrs. Witherspoon that Mr. Toth was under arrest.
I told Mrs. Witherspoon to get back into the car. Mrs. Witherspoon stated that she was a "US Citizen" and that she was allowed to "stand on American ground." I put my hands on Mrs. Witherspoon's arms to arrest her.
Mrs. Witherspoon was resistant but I was able to put handcuffs on her without incident due to Mr. Toth calming her down.
Mrs. Witherspoon asked, "Do you know my name?" I answered, "No, I don't need to know your name." I then added, "right now."
Mrs. Witherspoon stated, "You're about to find out who I am." I stated, "I am not worried about you ma'am." I stated, "I already told you how things work." I told Mrs. Witherspoon that she was obstructing my investigation of Mr. Toth. I placed Mrs. Witherspoon in the rear of my patrol car on the right side.
At approximately 0100 hours, I read Implied Consent Notice/Suspects Age 21 Or Over from the orange card dated 06/08 and requested breath. Mr. Toth gave a verbal "yea." I took Mrs. Witherspoon out of the right side and placed Mr. Toth in the right side of the rear of my patrol car.
As I put Mrs. Witherspoon in the left side rear of my patrol car, she told me her name. Mrs. Witherspoon also stated, "You are going to be on national news." I advised Mrs. Witherspoon that was fine.
CPL Land # 570 met with me and transported Mrs. Witherspoon to Atlanta Pre-Trial Jail without incident.
The vehicle was turned over to Futo's Wrecker Service. The backseat passenger was released to a taxi cab.
I transported Mr. Toth to the Atlanta Pre-Trial Jail. I set up the Intoxilyzer 5000 for the test. Mr. Toth gave two samples.
Mr. Toth's lowest sample was 0.139 grams. Mr. Toth was turned over the jail staff without incident.
For 77 years, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival has taken place in Atlanta and has grown to be a favorite for all residents. Thousands of people packed Piedmont Park on Sunday to enjoy the festivities and sunshine. The 2013 springtime fest had plenty to pick from, offering artwork and jewelry from all over the country, live music, food from vendors, disc dogs and activities for kids.
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
ATLANTA -- Flight delays were presant but tolerable Sunday at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport as federally mandated furloughs kept some air traffic controllers at home.
Federal authorities predict the situation will worsen as air travel picks up during the week. Monday morning will bring an onslaught of business travelers to the world's busiest airport.
Some travelers feel the federal government could have made cuts in areas that would have had less of an effect on travelers.
"I believe you could probably make different allocations of money," said Alan Nicholson. "Seems to me if you're going to inconvenience the public you're doing it to bring the most attention to the public."
Another traveler was more blunt, suggesting that the federal government needed to get out of the business of regulating air travel.
"They need to privatize it," said David Smejkal. "Everything functions better when it's privatized. Once you get politicians involved it's a train wreck."
Federal transportation officials have said Atlanta's airport could feel the brunt of the furloughs. Air traffic controllers will have to stay home one day every two weeks. Officials have said it could close Atlanta's fifth runway on occasion.
Sunday, some flights to New York were delayed an hour or more, but there were not widespread delays.
Federal authorities have said while Atlanta could experience a maximum of three hour delays, the average would be 11 minutes.
People watch as SWAT team members search for 19-year-old bombing suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev on April 19, 2013 in Watertown, Mass. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
BOSTON -- The arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ended the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers, but it set in motion an equally intense phase of the case that will begin with the grilling of the man who -- for now at least -- is the only surviving suspect.
RELATED | In Atlanta, all eyes on Boston
PHOTOS | Bombing suspect captured in Watertown
An indication of the complex investigation ahead came Friday night, when an Obama administration official told NBC News that Tsarnaev would not be given a Miranda warning when he is physically able to be interrogated after receiving medical treatment.
Instead, the official said, the government will invoke a legal rule known as the "public safety exception," which will enable investigators to question Tsarnaev without first advising him of his right to remain silent and to be afforded legal counsel.
The exemption can be invoked when information is needed to protect public safety. In this instance, the government believes it's vital to find out if Tsarnaev planted any other explosives before his capture or whether others might have plotted with him to do so, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Tsarnaev's older brother, Tamerlan, was killed in a shootout with police early Friday, and it was not clear until late Friday that authorities would be able to question their remaining prime suspect.
Until shortly before his capture around 8:45 p.m. ET, the wounded and bleeding Tsarnaev exchanged gunfire with authorities in Watertown, Mass., while sheltering in a plastic-wrapped pleasure boat.
Officers on the scene and the brass in the command center were both clearly elated by the outcome.
"We always want to take someone alive so we can find out what happened," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said at a media briefing an hour later, "and we can hold them to justice."
High Value Detainee Interrogation Group
The rule waiving the Miranda warning does not set a precise limit on how long a suspect can be interrogated before being advised of his rights, but it likely buys authorities no more than 48 hours.
During that time Tsarnaev, 19, will be questioned by a federal government team called the High Value Detainee Interrogation Group, consisting of officials of the FBI, CIA and Defense Department. Though he will not have a lawyer present, any statements he makes during the questioning will be admissible in court.
Among the questions investigators are certain to focus on is whether he and his brother had help in plotting or carrying out the terrorist attack at the finish line of the marathon. The dual blasts from pressure cookers packed with explosives and shrapnel killed three people and injured 176.
That question took on more urgency when police in New Bedford, Mass., south of Boston, announced Friday evening that three people there had been taken into custody as part of the bombing investigation.
In addition to possible co-conspirators in the U.S., the interrogators also will want to know whether the brothers, both ethnic Chechens, received any assistance from overseas.
Travel records obtained by NBC New York showed that Tamerlan Tsarnaev left the country for six months in 2012, flying to Moscow on Jan. 12 and returning on July 17. Where he went and what he did after his arrival in Russia could expand what so far has been a domestic manhunt into a global one.
Enemy combatant?
Suspicions that the elder brother could have received terrorist training or support abroad were heightened Friday, when an official familiar with the matter told NBC News that a foreign government had expressed concern in 2011 that Tamerlan Tsarnaev could have ties to terrorism. The official said the FBI investigated, but found no such links and reported the findings back to the foreign government.
Even if authorities determine that the Tsarnaevs received support from an overseas terrorist organization, the Obama administration official said the government will not seek to declare him an enemy combatant and try him before a military commission, as it has done with senior al Qaeda officials captured overseas and imprisoned at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Administration officials see that scenario as a non-starter, the official said, particularly given the fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is an American citizen, naturalized last September.
Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona issued a statement late Friday urging that the administration hold Tsarnaev as an enemy combatant.
"It is absolutely vital the suspect be questioned for intelligence gathering purposes. We need to know about any possible future attacks which could take additional American lives," said the statement, posted on Graham's Facebook. "The least of our worries is a criminal trial which will likely be held years from now."
Mass of evidence
At the same time they are seeking to uncover the bombing suspects' motives and determine whether they had a support network, investigators will continue to collect and analyze vast amounts of forensic evidence from crime scenes stretching across three cities.
In addition to processing evidence from the bombings, FBI technicians will analyze hundreds of hours of video camera recordings from private and public surveillance and traffic cameras as they attempt to trace the brothers' movements - both after the attack and before it.
Investigators also will obtain and assess phone records, seeing who the brothers were in contact with in the weeks and months leading up to the attacks.
Only when they have scrutinized every bit of data, and explored every lead, will they turn over the mountain of evidence they have assembled to prosecutors. It will be up to them to decide what charges the younger Tsarnaev should face and whether to seek the federal death penalty in a state where life in prison is the maximum sentence that can be imposed.
But despite such a massive expenditure of time and technological know-how, they may never answer the most haunting question surrounding the case, as President Barack Obama noted.
"Why," he asked during a brief statement on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's arrest late Friday, "did young men who grew up and studied here as part of our communities and country resort to such violence?"
ATLANTA-- After the drama and the terror that unfolded in Boston over the past week, runners in the Midtown Running Club knew they had to send a message-to the people of Boston and those terrorizing them.
"I just had to do something to feel like I was carrying on and doing my part and not letting terrorism stop me," runner Brandi Gilbert said.
Gilbert made an elaborate yellow shirt to show solidarity with the people of Boston. The normally light-hearted Runningnerd's 5k struck a serious tone with a banner filled with signed messages to the people of Boston. Blue and yellow pieces of fabric were given to the runners to attach to their numbers.
"We all felt affected by what happened on Monday," Race Director Tes Sobomehin said. "We knew we had to do something, we just want to send the message that we will continue to run."
Many said they felt a sense of closure knowing the attackers had been killed or captured by Friday night. They also said thinking of the Boston victims helped them run faster than ever.
CNN is reporting that Dzhokar Tsarnaev suffered an injury to his throat and may not be able to talk.
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia) said the Obama administration needs to go further to limit Dzhokar Tsarnaev's rights as part of the Boston Marathon bombings investigation.
"I urge this administration to do the right thing and deem this suspect as an enemy combatant so that we get as much intelligence as legally possible before the suspect is Mirandized," Sen. Chambliss said in a statement released on Saturday.
Late in the day, CNN reported that Tsarnaev suffered an injury to his throat and may not be able to talk, according to a federal source.
But prosecutors have already announced they're prepping a special team called the "High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group" to go in as soon as possible.
The special interrogators are not required to read his Miranda rights, including his right to remain silent and the right to have an attorney present.
"They want to understand the entire scope of this network so they can learn from this and stop it the next time," saidTodd Stein, who teaches national security at Georgia Tech. "They want to exhaust every possible lead before shutting down the interrogation of this individual."
Stein said the high-value interrogation team was created by the Obama administration three years ago.
"It was a direct response to the Christmas day bombing, and a lot of heat they got from Congress over the fact that they did not use all the information they possibly could to stop the next terrorist attack," Stein told 11Alive's Jennifer Leslie.
In that case, the suspect was Mirandized early on, and critics saw a missed opportunity.
"Given what we know, and more importantly don't know, about Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother, this terrorist should be fully interrogated as an enemy combatant before any consideration is given to providing Miranda warnings," Sen. Chambliss said in his statement. "I am disappointed that it appears this administration is once again relying on Miranda's public safety exception to gather intelligence which only allows at best a 48-hour waiting period that may expire since the suspect has been critically wounded."
Tsarnaev's father has told reporters he wants his son to tell everything and be honest.
But he doesn't have to talk, regardless of whether he hears his Miranda rights.
NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. -- The National Weather Service confirm an EF-2 tornado touch down in Newton County on Friday afternoon.
About 12 homes were damaged by the twister that tore through through Mansfield on Friday around 2 p.m.
An elderly woman who had been trapped in her home was transported to Clearview Medical Center in Monroe after breaking her leg during the storm, according to Kevin O'Brien, Newton County Fire Chief.
A number of homes surrounding the immediate damage are being evacuated as a precaution. Responding crews report seeing live wires on the ground.
The strength of the tornado has not yet been determined.
People watch as SWAT team members search for 19-year-old bombing suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev on April 19, 2013 in Watertown, Mass. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) - Police say the 19-year-old suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings exchanged gunfire with law enforcement for an hour while holed up in a boat before being captured.
Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis says the suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was hospitalized late Friday in serious condition.
Police announced via Twitter that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was in custody. His brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan, was killed Friday in a furious attempt to escape police.
The brothers are suspects in Monday's marathon bombings, which killed three people and wounded more than 180 others. The men are also suspected of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer in his vehicle late Thursday.
RELATED | Boston bombing suspect remains on the loose
The burst of activity came at the end of a tense day in and around Boston, and less than an hour after police announced that they were scaling back the hunt because they had come up empty-handed following an all-day search that sent thousands of SWAT team officers into the streets and paralyzed the metropolitan area.
The brothers are suspects in Monday's marathon bombings, which killed three people and wounded more than 180 others. The men are also suspected of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer in his vehicle late Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police officers run towards a home they believed 19-year-old bombing suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev may be hiding on April 19, 2013 in Watertown, Mass. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
ATLANTA -- The main bar at Manuel's Tavern is something of a legend around Atlanta. The Poncey-Highland pub is a noted gathering place, where people watch everything from Falcons games to presidential debates.
Friday night was no different. Around the smokey bar, over pitchers of beer, all eyes were on Boston.
MORE: Police say Boston bomb suspect in serious condition
"I used to live in Watertown, about five blocks away from where all of this is going down," said bar-goer Lisa Heydet. "I've been on my phone trying to get through to my peeps up there and make sure everybody's safe."
By the time people settled into the barstools at Manuel's, the manhunt had been underway for hours. For many in the bar, the entire day was spent glued to a television or smartphone, hungry for more information. It only seemed natural, they said, to continue the watch at Manuel's.
"I have a lot of friends that this directly involves," said Jacquie Smyth, a 2009 graduate of Boston College. "I have a couple of friends that weren't allowed to leave their building. For me, this is very personal."
Long-time bartender Bobby Agee said for much of the night, at least one of the main bar's two television sets was tuned to a news station. About two hours in, the other TV was changed to show the Braves-Pirates game. Surprisingly, Agee said, most eyes remained glued to Boston coverage.
For many in Manuel's Friday night, the arrest of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev brought a welcome sense of relief. A much-needed resolution.
"I just wanted to jump up and down, seeing everybody cheer in relief," Heydet said.
Now it's time for the next step, she said. "Getting justice."
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A road rage case, for all to hear: the Gwinnett County 911 recordings of Saturday's confrontation between two drivers on Highway 78 even include the sound of a gunshot.
No one was seriously injured, somehow.
The first of the 911 calls begins with the screams of the caller.
The caller is driving on Highway 78, and she says a man -- identified later by police as 26 year old Thomas Burt -- is getting out of his car at a stop light, he has a handgun, and he is walking up to another man who is in his own car -- identified by police later as 66 year old Tom Curlee.
"Oh my God, oh my God... Hello! Hello!"
(911 Operator) "What's wrong?"
"There's a young guy, he's wearing a t-shirt, he's out of his car, he's pointing a gun on an elderly man, it's a black truck."
The loud pop of a gunshot interrupts the caller.
"Oh my God!"
(911 Operator) "Is that a gunshot, Ma'am?"
"He just shot! He just shot! You heard the gunshot? He just shot at the guy!"
Police say Burt shot twice at Curlee's car.
Curlee was not shot.
____________________
From Wednesday: "Road Rage Leads to Gunshots at Busy Intersection"
____________________
Another woman, driving with her daughter, calls 911:
"We were just passing through the intersection of [Highway] 78 and Killian Hill, and we saw this crazy man shooting at another man in a car.... He was reaching in the man's window... He was holding a gun and then after we passed it he shot it. I saw the glass break, in my mirror. [My daughter] saw it, looking back."
Other witnesses call 911, too.
Then Curlee calls 911, sounding calm.
"Ma'am, I just had a guy pull up behind me and tried to run me off the road, to start with. And he pulled up behind me at the red light, there, got out of his vehicle, came up with a pistol and shot two of my windows out, and threatened to kill me.... I was trying to roll up the windows, and he got his hand in there and just ripped out the driver's window, and then shot out the passenger window right behind me. Put the gun right up to my cheek bone and said he wished to kill me.... The guy, he's driving on [Highway] 78, and he's crazy."
After that, Burt calls 911 and tells the operator he shot at Curlee in self-defense.
"I just had an altercation with somebody in traffic. And they stabbed me in the hand a couple of times.... I can't stop because this guy's chasing me.... He got mad at me in traffic, and I went and talked to him, and he stabbed me in the (expletive) hand.... He cuts me off and starts cursing me, and I asked him what was the problem, and the next thing I knew he stabbed my ass.... I mean, I shot at him, yes Ma'am."
Police Corporal Jake Smith says investigators concluded Burt made up the self defense alibi.
"Through the investigation, they determined that was just not true. Inside Mr. Burt's vehicle they actually found a pocket knife with blood on it, and the investigation revealed essentially that Mr. Burt had stabbed himself in the hand as part of this story that he concocted."
And at least one of the 911 callers says it was Thomas Burt who was driving erratically down Highway 78.
The charges against him include aggravated assault.
Burt remains in the Gwinnett County jail.
No bond has been set.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Air traffic controller furloughs scheduled to kick in on Sunday could result in flight delays of more than three hours in Atlanta, as well as significant delays in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York-area airports, federal officials said Thursday.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Huerta said they have no choice but to cut controller staffing by 10 percent, which will reduce how many planes airports can handle. But a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, a trade association for the airline industry, said the furloughs are unnecessary and airlines are considering suing the government.
Without the furloughs, FAA officials could find no way to cut $637 million from the agency's budget as required by automatic, across-the-board spending cuts approved by Congress, LaHood and Huerta said at a media briefing.
Calling the automatic spending cuts "a dumb idea," LaHood said his department, which includes the FAA, has done "everything possible" to find the money.
"If we had had our way, we probably wouldn't be sitting here," he said. "This is a fluid situation, but we want the traveling public to have the best information."
In the most extreme case, the furloughs could delay flights up to 210 minutes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, depending upon the time of day and other factors. The FAA said, however, that the average delay will be far less, about 11 minutes.
Associated Press
WATERTOWN, Mass. (NBC News) -- Police, federal agents and even National Guardsmen descended on a Boston suburb where there were reports of violence, gunshots and two loud booms Thursday night into early Friday morning - all following the fatal shooting of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer.
The large law-enforcement presence gathered in Watertown, Mass., just a few miles from the shooting on MIT's Cambridge campus, where two men had reportedly shot at police officers.
The Watertown scene was marked by reports of rapid gunfire and explosions.
FBI and local police told NBC News they were looking for a connection between the Boston Marathon bombs and the incidents in Watertown and at MIT. "Dozens and dozens" of federal agents had been dispatched to the crime scenes.
A law enforcement source said one of the suspects had been shot.
Watertown resident Andrew Kitzenberg says he had a "clear line of view" of what he said looked "like a pressure cooker bomb."
Local resident Andrew Kitzenberg described a police standoff outside his house, where two shooters and police engaged in gunfire for several minutes.
The gunmen used "bombs that looked like grenades," Kitzenberg told NBC News.
Kitzenberg said when he looked out the window he saw two people taking cover between a black Mercedes SUV and a sedan, and watched them shooting 70 or 80 yards toward six Watertown police vehicles.
"They engaged in gunfire for a few minutes," Kitzenberg said. "They were also utilizing bombs, which sounded and looked like grenades, while engaging in the gunfight. They also had what looked like a pressure-cooker bomb."
He said the pair took cover behind the Mercedes SUV and were shooting westward toward the police officers. They also had backpacks.
"It was a firefight," he added. "There was a long exchange of gunfire."
Police with guns drawn search for a suspect on April 19, 2013 in Watertown, Mass. Earlier, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus police officer was shot and killed late Thursday night at the school's campus in Cambridge. A short time later, police reported exchanging gunfire with alleged carjackers in Watertown, a city near Cambridge. It's not clear whether the shootings are related or whether either are related to the Boston Marathon bombing.
One of the shooters then ran toward the officers, while the other got into the SUV.
The person on foot later fell to the ground, but Kitzenberg said he was unable to tell whether he had been tackled or shot.
The other drove the SUV through the line of police cars at the end of the street, he added.
Kitzenberg said that while he had a "very clear view of the shooters," he couldn't see their faces but described them as "average size, average height."
During the gunbattle, a bullet ended up in the wall of Kitzenberg's apartment, which is on the 2nd and 3rd floors of a multi-family home.
The tense situation in Watertown followed an hours-long lockdown at MIT, where a campus police officer was shot and killed while investigating a disturbance on the Cambridge campus.
As investigators swept the campus, there were reports of violence and an extremely heavy police presence in Watertown, which is only a few miles away.
The events began unfolding with reports of shots fired on the MIT campus at 10:48 p.m. ET, and the situation remained "active and extremely dangerous" for hours, according to MIT's emergency website. It was later reported that a campus officer had been fatally shot several times.
Associated Press
OXFORD, Miss. -- A man in Mississippi has been arrested and accused of sending letters with suspected ricin poison to President Barack Obama and other leaders.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen said the man was arrested Wednesday. His name wasn't immediately released publicly.
Authorities still waited for definitive tests on the letters to Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., which had raised concern Wednesday at a time when many people were jittery after the Boston bombings.
An FBI intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said those two letters were postmarked Memphis, Tenn.
An explosion slammed a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, just outside of Waco Wednesday evening. (KXAS)
WACO, Texas -- Authorities say an explosion at a fertilizer plant near Waco, Texas, has injured several people.
A dispatcher with the West, Texas, Fire Department says the explosion happened Wednesday night at a fertilizer plant in the community north of Waco. She says any casualties would be taken to hospitals in Waco.
Gayle Scarbrough, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety in Waco, told television station KWTX that DPS troopers have been transporting the injured to hospitals in their patrol cars. She says six helicopters were also en route.
KWTX reports that the explosion at West Fertilizer was reported at around 7:50 p.m. in a frantic call from the scene.
DeKalb County Detective Sgt. Scott Biumi, mug shot, Forsyth County Jail, Wednesday, April 17, 2013
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. -- A police officer who was waiting in the drive-thru line at a McDonald's restaurant in Forsyth County is accused of pulling a gun on the customer ahead of him because the officer was angry at having to wait for his food.
The off-duty officer is Detective Sgt. Scott Biumi, 48, of the DeKalb County Police Department. Biumi is charged with felony aggravated assault on the customer. 11Alive News was not able to reach him for comment Wednesday night.
"He put his hand right here," said the customer, 18 year old Ryan Mash, pointing to his upper chest and shoulder area, "then he pulled the gun and put it, pointed it at, like, my neck area."
Mash is a high school senior who also works at that McDonald's, on Old Atlanta Road in south Forsyth county.
It was April 9, a Tuesday night, at 10:30.
Mash was not working that night.
He drove two friends to the McDonald's and they were in his Ford 150 pickup truck, at the head of the line, at the window, when the man they now identify as Biumi pulled up behind them in a black Chevy Impala.
"And we were waiting on them to cook the food. And the cop -- I didn't know at first that he was a cop -- pulled up behind us and waited about two minutes, two to three minutes.... And he got out and started yelling, yelling at us, 'Stop holding up the drive-thru line,' this that and the other. He walked back over to his car, got back in, and I said, 'Sorry for the inconvenience, Sir.' And he goes, 'Who has the loud mouth?' And I was, like, 'I said that,' not being smart or anything. He's like, 'Well, you never know who you're messing with.' And I was just like, 'No, Sir, I don't.' He goes, 'Keep your mouth shut.' I was like, 'I'm sorry.' He's like, 'Well, you don't know who you're messing with. And there's some crazy people out there.' And that's when he pulled the gun on me, and kept on yelling at me for about thirty more seconds. And then walked off."
Then the man got back into his car and drove away.
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office incident report quotes Mash and other witnesses as recalling that Biumi said to them, "You don't know who you are [expletive]-ing with," and "You never know who you are [expletive]-ing with."
One of Mash's friends had noticed a police badge on the man's belt as the man reached into the pickup with his gun.
Mash and his friends got the tag number and description of the man's car.
McDonald's got the video.
The video shows a man in a business suit standing outside the driver's side of the vehicle that's at the drive-thru window, pulling a gun and leaning into the vehicle, pointing the gun at the driver.
Forsyth County Sheriff Duane Piper traced the man's license plate to the DeKalb County Police Department, and Biumi. Then the teens who were in the pickup truck, the Sheriff said, identified Biumi from a photo lineup. The Sheriff arrested Biumi Wednesday.
"We believe, right now, that it was his duty weapon, and a DeKalb-County-issued vehicle that he was in," Sheriff Piper said.
Piper said he does not believe that Mash and his friends did or said anything to provoke Biumi, or to make him think they might be criminal suspects endangering his life. And Piper said witnesses never heard or saw Biumi identify himself a police officer.
"Terribly disappointing," Sheriff Piper said. "It's a betrayal of a trust to the public. We're expected to handle ourselves correctly in high-stress situations, and it's very disappointing that an officer would snap like this. It's a break in judgement that can't be excused."
"I was scared, I was very scared," Mash said. "For sure, I didn't want to die that night." He chucked for a moment, then quickly got serious again. "I didn't know what he was doing. So I stuck my hands up and said, 'I'm sorry, Sir. I don't want any problems.' And he's like, 'Okay, then. Then watch who you're talking with.' And then walked off."
Forsyth County Sheriff's deputies arrested Biumi in DeKalb County Wednesday morning, and booked him in the Forsyth County jail.
DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander placed Biumi on administrative leave with pay while the case is investigated.
Chief Alexander said Biumi has been on the force for more than 20 years.
"I'm just not going to stand for any behavior that goes outside that of the scope of the law," Chief Alexander said Wednesday, quickly adding, "we have to remember these are allegations that are being investigated" and Biumi is presumed innocent.
Alexander said Biumi never told his superiors about the allegations from last week. Alexander said he learned about them only when investigators from Forsyth County contacted DeKalb about Biumi.
Biumi was released from the Forsyth County jail Wednesday afternoon on a $22,000 bond.
"I'm always respectful with the cops, and they're always respectful back to me," Mash said. "And I look at them the same way now.... [But] I think he should have his gun revoked, and his badge. He shouldn't be serving in our community, because you never know, he could get angry at somebody for speeding, and pull a gun on him."
And Mash said if he could speak directly with Biumi, he'd try again to convince him he wasn't talking back to him. "I would tell him that I wasn't being a smart-ass to him."
ATLANTA -- Officials said a man was burned at the Veterans Empowerment Thrift Shop on Memorial Drive in the Edgewood section of Atlanta Tuesday afternoon.
An Atlanta Fire Department spokesperson says a worker was burned on his face and arm after opening some type of package.
The worker had burns and was taken to the hospital and is stable. Three other workers were inside the store but were not hurt.
Investigators say the package was not a bomb. One investigator told 11 Alive's Kevin Rowson "the package had toys in it and some kind of either fireworks or pyrotechnic device. When the victim opened the box it flared up."
The investigator told Rowson there was no device inside the box and it doesn't appear that someone was being targeted.
The store is run by the Veterans Empowerment Organization of Georgia, Inc.
The organization provides transitional housing for homeless vets.
This is their only store, staffed solely by volunteers.
Memorial Drive was closed outside the shopping center where the thrift store is located near Maynard Terrace. It was shut down for almost four hours.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A third defendant charged with the hazing death of a Florida A&M drum major has pleaded no contest in an Orlando courtroom.
Caleb Jackson pleaded no contest to manslaughter and felony hazing Tuesday in Orange County court.
MORE | Full FAMU hazing coverage
His attorney said last week that he would plead guilty, but attorney Chuck Hobbs says he instead decided that it would be in Jackson's best interest to change that plea.
Jackson had been held in Leon County Jail on a violation of probation since his arrest.
FAMU drum major Robert Champion died in Orlando in November 2011 after he collapsed following what prosecutors say was a savage beating during a hazing ritual.
Eleven other former Florida A&M band members are still facing charges of manslaughter and felony hazing.
(The Associated Press.)
Former UGA Coach Jim Donnan (Getty images)
MACON, Ga. -- Former University of Georgia football coach Jim Donnan and a business partner have been formally indicted with operating an alleged Ponzi scheme.
MORE | Feds bring fraud charges against ex-UGA coach Jim Donnan
The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia says Donnan and Greg Crabtree were charged in an eighty-five count indictment returned against them last week and unsealed Tuesday.
The indictment charges the two men with operating an alleged pyramid or "Ponzi" scheme between 2008 and 2010.
The two are accused of managing the fraud through a West Virginia-based company, GLC Limited. Investigators said Donnan and Crabtree told investors that GLC was in the wholesale liquidation business and earned "substantial profits" by buying leftover merchandise from major retailers and reselling those products to discounters.
Donnan and Crabtree promised investors rates of return that ranged anywhere from 50 to 380 percent. However, according to the SEC, only $12 million of the $80 million raised from nearly 100 investors was actually used to purchase leftover merchandise, and the remaining funds were used to pay fake returns to earlier investors or stolen for other uses by Donnan and Crabtree.
Both are charged with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, the unlawful transportation of interstate securities, and money laundering.
BOSTON -- Police in Boston said at least three people were killed after two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday. At least 100 people have been reported hurt.
WATCH LIVE COVERAGE HERE
MORE | Social Media photos, coverage
HELP DESK | Locating family, friends after Boston bombing
About two hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another explosion could be heard a few seconds later.
The Boston Marathon said that bombs caused the two explosions and that organizers were working with authorities to determine what happened.
The Associated Press said late Monday afternoon that at least two unexploded devices were found and being dismantled in Boston.
In a news conference, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said a third explosion had taken place, at the JFK Library. Davis said he was not certain if the JFK Library incident was related, but that authorities are treating it as if it is. The Boston Police later said it was an unrelated fire.
Davis called the situation an ongoing event and advised people to make their way home or back to their hotels.
Officials advised people not to congregate in large groups in or around the area.
A reporter for WHDH says that multiple injuries have occurred at a building adjacent to the area. The Associated Press reports bloody spectators were being carried Monday to the medical tent that had been set up to care for fatigued runners. Police wove through competitors as they ran back toward the course.
Jackie Bruno, reporter for NBC-owned New England Cable News, said on Twitter that she saw people's legs blown off.
"Runners were coming in and saw unspeakable horror," she said.
Dr. Alisdair Conn, chief of emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, characterized the blasts as a military-style bombing.
"This is like a bomb explosion we hear about in the news in Baghdad or Israel," he told reporters.
"There are a lot of people down," said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg. A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.
The American Red Cross and Google have both set up person-finder sites to provide information for individuals trying to track down friends or relatives who may have been near the finish line.
Will Ritter, the spokesman for a Massachusetts Senate candidate, told NBC News that he heard what sounded like two explosions and saw smoke rising near the Boston Public Library. He said that he saw three fire engines and police running to the site.
"We heard two really large explosions in rapid succession, about a second apart from each other," Ritter said. "Everybody kind of ducked and hit the ground."
President Obama, speaking early Monday evening from the White House, said, "We will find out who did this and hold them accountable."
A House Homeland Security Committee official told NBC News that Boston firefighters reported discovering an undetonated device at an intersection near the finish.
The Boston police bomb squad was en route. Boston police confirmed there was an incident but did not immediately give details. Police, fire and medical technicians were responding. New England Cable News reported that the emergency response came within seconds.
Federal authorities told NBC News that they had no immediate information. In New York, a spokesman told Reuters that police were deploying counterterrorism vehicles around landmarks, including prominent hotels.
The Associated Press says cell phone service in parts of Boston
have been shut down to prevent possible remote detonations of additional explosive devices.
Police in New York City and London are stepping up security following explosions at the Boston Marathon.
Chief NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said critical response teams are deployed around the city until more about the explosion is learned. Officials are stepping up security at hotels and other prominent locations.
British police also say they are reviewing security plans for Sunday's London Marathon. It's the next major international marathon. A London Metropolitan Police spokesman says police are working with marathon officials to review security plans.
Visitors are being cleared from around the area of the White House as a precaution, said NBC's Chuck Todd. Todd says the area in front of the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington has been cleared and lined with security tape.
The National Hockey League announced late Monday afternoon that Monday night's game between the Ottawa Senators and the Boston Bruins, set to be played at Boston's TD Garden, has been postponed.
Later Monday in a press conference, Boston police said the investigation is still very active. They have yet to confirm the number of explosives that were placed near the finish line of the race.
Police said this case is not going to be easy or regular, and that the area will remain closed for the night. They are investigating the properties along Boylston Street.
(The Associated Press and NBC News contributed to this report.)
Amy Bartholomew and Bryan Koepp
ATLANTA -- Atlanta is no stranger to big races and the support for the Boston community after Monday's bombings has poured in.
361 people from Georgia were registered to run the race.
RELATED | MARTA increasing security after Boston bombings
Bryan Koepp and his wife Amy Bartholomew are two of the Georgia residents who were at the Boston Marathon during the bombing.
Bartholomew had already finished the race and was getting a massage when the explosion occurred. Koepp was in the grandstands near the finish line watching runners complete the race. Both are safe Monday night.
Bartholomew finished her run about 90 minutes before the blasts. She was in the VIP tent near the finish line.
"The blast almost rattled me right off of the massage table," said Bartholomew. "There was a panic with people looking out of the tent door. You could see the smoke over the finish line."
"All I saw was an explosion and a rain of bricks and glass came down," said Koepp. "Some of the things you saw were pretty horrifying. I saw a young boy about 7 who had a head injury."
Shawn Hardister of Dunwoody finished the race about 45-minutes before the explosions. He was waiting a couple of blocks from the finish line to reunite with his family.
"Heard two loud explosions that sounded like cannons," said Hardister. "I saw a lot of people with shocked looks on their faces and then a barrage of ambulances."
Hardister said he and others were escorted away from the area. It took him about an hour to reunite with his wife, son, and two daughters.
"Jennifer and Elizabeth showed up a little teary-eyed," said Hardister. "They were happy to see me."
Chattahoochee High School graduate Danielle Norris, who is in Boston to attend art school, was a quarter mile from the Boston Marathon finish line. She and friends considered moving closer but decided against it.
"We hear two explosions that sounded exactly like cannonball blasts like you would hear in a movie about battleships," said Norris.
Mike Noopi of Atlanta was also in the grandstands waiting for his wife to finish the marathon. The blast caused ringing in his ears.
"I tried to keep things calm," said Noopi. "In that moment I was kind of numb. I was more numb than scared."
RELATED | 2 killed in Boston Marathon bombing
PHOTOS | Boston Marathon bombing
SOCIAL MEDIA | Boston Marathon bombing
HELP DESK | Locating loved ones at Boston Marathon
Mike Beaudreau, a former Gwinnett County Commissioner, has been reported safe after running the marathon. Fellow Gwinnett resident Joseph Wilson, a spectator, is also safe.
Mylaps, a sports timing company with North American headquarters in Atlanta, had several staff at the finish line. The company's CEO was also running the race. All are safe but extremely shaken up.
Do you know someone who ran the Boston marathon? Let us know they are ok, click here to send us an email.
A metro Atlanta running company has planned a moment of silence and memorial run to show solidarity with victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
Nathan Haskins, general manager of Big Peach Running Co. in Midtown Atlanta, says the chain of stores has organized a moment of silence and memorial run slated to begin Tuesday at 7 a.m. Haskins says Tuesday's run is expected to last for at least one mile.
Haskins says a Big Peach group run leader was one of 346 Georgians who registered for the marathon, and one of the company's general managers was in the stands before the explosions. Haskins says both left the area before the blasts and have been accounted for.
Here are some of the statements from local leaders:
"My prayers go out to the people of Boston, and especially to those who were killed or injured in today's attack. As the evidence mounts that this was a terrorist attack, our intelligence and law enforcement agencies must do whatever is necessary to find and interrogate those responsible so we can prevent similar attacks," said US Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) in a statement.
"We are deeply saddened to hear the news of today's events in Boston," said Atlanta Track Club Executive Director Tracey Russell. "Safety at every Atlanta Track Club event is our top priority. As it relates to security with any large-scale event in Atlanta, we work very closely with the City's Police and Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Service units, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and additional government agencies. Our hearts go out to the entire Boston community and the victims affected by this tragedy."
"My thoughts and prayers are with the City of Boston today and all those who have been affected by today's tragic events. I am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of life and injuries suffered by so many people. Here at home, the City of Atlanta's First Responders are currently taking additional measures to enhance the safety of our citizens and protect them from senseless acts of violence," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in a statement.
"Our hearts are heavy upon learning of the tragedy that occurred in Boston today. I ask that my fellow Fulton County citizens join with me in prayer this evening for our friends, family and fellow citizens who have lost their lives or sustained injuries as a result of this senseless incident. Our thoughts are also with the first responders who place their own lives at risk to restore safety," said Fulton County Chairman John Eaves.
Suspect stole bag from doctor's truck
NEWNAN, Ga -- A Newnan dentist wants to thank police for helping him get thousands of dollars back that was stolen from his vehicle. The suspect who stole the money probably never realized he threw it all away. And he probably doesn't realize the theft is all on surveillance video.
Dr. Artie Ricaud left his dental practice on Tuesday when he realized he left his sunglasses in his office. Dr. Ricaud left a personal bag in his pickup truck because he was just running back inside for a few minutes. Now he realizes it was a mistake.
"You think I'll put it in just for two minutes, just for three minutes but, no, you lock the door the minute you leave," Dr. Ricaud said.
Within minutes of leaving his truck a suspect opened the passenger side door and removed Dr. Ricaud's bag. Inside the bag was a bundle of cash Dr. Ricaud just withdrew from the bank to pay for a car he was purchasing. His wallet was also in the bag. "I just put it in the bag to go bring back to the bank and this happened," he said. "I was devastated to say the least."
Newnan police were called to the scene and immediately began searching the area for the suspect. Another officer, Sgt. Chad Wood looked at the surveillance video from Dr. Ricaud's office and saw the direction the suspect headed.
Sgt. Wood followed the suspect's path looking in trash cans and dumpsters for any evidence the thief may have discarded. Across the street from Dr. Ricaud's office is a county library. When Sgt. Wood looked inside a trash can in front of the entrance he found something.
"When he looked in this trash can, which was outside, he discovered the bag that had been taken out of the truck," said Newnan Deputy Chief Rodney Riggs.
Dr. Ricaud's wallet was inside the bag but the cash in his wallet was gone. But what the suspect didn't realize was that a bundle of cash, almost ten times what was in the wallet, was still in a side pocket in the bag.
"When he saw the money (in the wallet) he took that out, put the wallet back in and threw the bag away," Deputy Chief Riggs said. "He was unaware that the bag contained a substantial amount of money that was still there."
"I mean that was just awesome," Dr. Ricaud said. "To get that back, to get the bag back, I mean eighty percent of the money back is great."
Dr. Ricaud wants to find some way to pay Sgt. Wood back. But Deputy Chief Riggs said his officer was just doing his job. "We're just happy to be able to return the money to the victim," he said. "Though he didn't get it all back, he got the majority of it back.
Dr. Ricaud is insistent and said he would donate $1,000 dollars to Sgt. Woods favorite charity.
There's only one thing that could top his appreciation and that would be the capture of the suspect who stole his bag. Police gave 11 Alive News a copy of the surveillance video and are hopeful someone will recognize him and call them.
You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kgrowson
(WXIA) -- News outlets across the nation, both national and local, have received much in the way of questions and criticism over the past week regarding coverage - or the lack of it - of a horrific murder trial in Philadelphia, and the spotlight it has placed on the widely controversial topic of abortion.
Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, is on trial, charged with the murder of seven babies and a woman he was treating at his clinic. The babies were allegedly born alive during the process of being aborted at the clinic.
According to our sister publication the Asbury Park Press, an unlicensed doctor and untrained aides worked long, grueling hours and performed often gruesome work, being paid for not much more than minimum wage, and paid by Gosnell under the table. Broken equipment and non-sterilized instruments were used and reused at the clinic, according to investigators. A grand jury report said throughout the clinic, jars, bags and plastic jugs containing fetal remains were scattered in cabinets, in a freezer, in the basement.
A total of eight former clinic employees may face prison time for their roles at the clinic.
According to the Associated Press, unlicensed Pittsburgh doctor Stephen Massof, 50, said he couldn't get a medical residency job in the US after finishing medical school in Grenada. He said he began working for Gosnell as a "backup plan" after spending six months tending bar. Massof said he killed two babies by snipping their spinal cords, as he said Gosnell taught him to do.
Another unlicensed doctor, Eileen O'Neil, 56, from Louisiana, had given up her medical license in 2000 while dealing with "post-traumatic stress syndrome." Though she continued working for Gosnell, according to a colleague, O'Neill became more upset at the line of people who came to Gosnell's clinic for painkillers, and was angry that Gosnell was not helping her to regain her medical license.
"She said: 'All I do is break my neck for him all the time, and he never does anything for me. I'm going to have to do something about it,'" front desk worker Tina Baldwin testified this week, recalling a conversation with O'Neill.
Baldwin, like colleague Latosha Lewis, had trained to be a medical assistant at a vocational school before beginning work for Gosnell in 2002. Baldwin handed out drugs at the clinic's front desk while Lewis helped perform ultrasounds, administer meds and deliver babies. Lewis said she worked from 10 a.m. until well after midnight, making $7 to $10 per hour.
Baldwin now faces at least a year in prison, perhaps longer, after she pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and Pennsylvania state charges that include corruption of a minor. Baldwin's 22 year-old daughter Ashley went to work for Gosnell when she was 15 because she was interested in medicine. Before long, Ashley was working past midnight - and missing school - to help Gosnell perform abortions. Ashley was one of the few workers at the clinic not charged after a February 2010 FBI raid shut down the clinic.
The raid found the Women's Medical Society -- a clinic in a low-income neighborhood of West Philadelphia where illegal and late-term abortions were performed under dangerous conditions.
A 2011 grand jury report revealed the abortions and conditions at the clinic in graphic and disturbing detail. The report said that some abortions were done so late that Gosnell allegedly cut the babies' spinal cords while they were still breathing. The 281-page grand jury report calls the clinic a "baby charnel house," with furniture and blankets stained with blood. It said the clinic reeked of urine, and feces were everywhere, thanks to the cats allowed to roam and defecate freely in the clinic.
"The real business of the "Women's Medical Society" was not health; it was profit. There were two primary parts to the operation. By day it was a prescription mill; by night an abortion mill. A constant stream of "patients" came through during business hours and, for the proper payment, left with scripts for Oxycontin and other controlled substances, for themselves and their friends. Gosnell didn't see these "patients"; he didn't even show up at the office during the day. He just left behind blank, pre-signed prescription pads, and had his unskilled, unauthorized workers take care of the rest. The fake prescriptions brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year," the report said.
Most doctors will not perform late second trimester abortions. Later abortions - in the third trimester - are completely illegal. Gosnell looked at this as an opportunity, according to the grand jury report, "The bigger the baby, the more he charged."
Gosnell defense attorney Jack McMahon says no babies were born alive at the clinic, and that unforeseen complications caused the overdose of the woman who died.
"Just because the place was less than state-of-the-art doesn't make him a murderer," McMahon said in opening statements last month.
Despite the gory and according to some, sensational details of the case, very little national coverage has been seen of the case outside the Philadelphia area.
An opinion column in our national sister publication, USA Today last week chastised national media outlets for airing very little in the way of coverage of the trial, while other stories took up space on America's front pages.
"This should be front page news," said USA Today columnist Kirsten Powers. "You don't have to oppose abortion rights to find late-term abortion abhorrent or to find the Gosnell trial eminently newsworthy. This is not about being "pro-choice" or "pro-life." It's about basic human rights."
Many news outlets, both national and local around the nation (and including 11Alive), have received plenty of emails, Tweets and Facebook posts taking them to task for not covering the trial. And while many local outlets around the nation have taken a back-seat approach to the trial, since it is not local outside of the Philadelphia area, thanks to the outcry, national outlets have started paying attention to the trial.
CNN aired special reports during both Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper's programs late last week. Large newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post have started covering the trial with its horrific details.
The Gosnell trial continues this week in Philadelphia, and in addition to coverage from 11Alive's national news partners - CNN, USA Today and NBC News - more extensive local coverage can be found from our news partners in the Philadelphia area - NBC television station WCAU, and newspapers The Asbury Park Press and The Wilmington News-Journal.
If convicted, Gosnell faces the death penalty.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Athens-Clarke County Police say 79-year-old Alfred Killian was last seen driving a faded red, 1991 GMC Sonoma in the area of Ebenezer Baptist Church on North Chase Street in Athens.
He is a black male, 5'11" tall and weighs 200 lbs.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Athens-Clarke County Police or call 911.
11Alive News
SUWANEE, Ga. -- Police have confirmed 55-year old Lauren Holman Brown was the suspect who held firefighters hostage in Suwanee Wednesday.
On Friday afternoon, Brown's family released a statement:
The family would like to express its appreciation to the Gwinnett County Police and Fire Department for all they did to bring this situation to resolution and for their support of our family. We are very grateful that no one else was killed during the standoff.
A SWAT team stormed the house on Walnut Grove Way in Suwanee just after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
PHOTOS | Firefighters held hostage
During the Thursday afternoon press conference, 11Alive learned more details of the standoff.
Wednesday, dispatchers got a call from Brown at 3:41 p.m. He was complaining of chest pains. Firemen arrived to Brown's home at 3:48 and found him lying in bed. At 3:52, Brown produced a handgun and took the five firemen hostage.
Shortly after, Brown demanded the routine fire truck and ambulance be removed from the front of his home. He released one firefighter to do so, leaving four hostages inside.
Brown made an order that service be restored to his utilities, including cable and phone. At that time, negotiators began making contact with the gunman.
Negotiators continuously tried to convince Brown to let the four hostages go, but he refused. Brown told police that he was in control - the authorities were not.
As the evening came, Brown ordered that food be delivered to the home for him and his hostages at 6:30 p.m. SWAT members arrived under the guise that they were bringing him food from his choice restaurant, Captain D's Seafood Kitchen.
Upon delivery at 7:30, SWAT initiated their operation and quickly evacuated the firemen who Brown let go to receive the food when it arrived.
SWAT entered Brown's home to begin their rescue. Police used a flash-bang grenade to distract the suspect when they felt the firefighters were in "immediate danger."
Brown fired at the first officer to enter the room, striking him in the arm. That officer returned fire and killed Brown.
Brown had set a second deadline for 7:30 p.m., when he wanted his demands met. However, authorities believed Brown would not release the hostages even if his demands were met.
During the standoff, Brown requested rope and tape to restrict the firefighters' movements. Police later found a total of six guns inside Brown's home.
Police said Brown wanted his family to know what was going on, but he never made his ultimate goals clear.
At the time of the standoff, family members of the personnel were notified. Police will not release the name of the officer injured who killed Brown, nor the names of the hostages until Friday at the earliest.
Police said they're saddened that the standoff ended in a death, but they are thankful for the rescue of all firemen taken hostage. Authorities said the firefighters remained calm throughout the incident, which helped tremendously.
Cpl. Jake Smith said the investigation is nowhere near closed, and they have yet to learn of Brown's mental health history. The gunman was struggling with financial issues, but police have yet to determine exactly what those were.
When dispatchers were called to the scene, police said they were unaware if power was on or off at Brown's home, partially because the standoff began during daylight. They found that Brown lived alone.
According to authorities, the responding Fire Station 10 had resumed normal operation before the standoff came to a close, and is still running normally today.
The police chief said Brown claimed to have been planning this event for several weeks. It is believed that Brown had occupied the home for more than a decade.
According to neighbors, the house recently began to look unkempt and that the grass hadn't been cut.
According to property tax records, Brown's home was foreclosed on last November and the mortgage switched hands from Wells Fargo to Freddie Mac.
Although Brown demanded that the lights and utilities be cut on to release the firefighters, neighbors say they saw the lights on in the house as recently as Tuesday.
The family of Brown released the following statement on Friday night, "On behalf of the family of Lauren Brown: The family would like to express its appreciation to the Gwinnett County Police and Fire Department for all they did to bring this situation to resolution and for their support of our family. We are very grateful that no one else was killed during the standoff.
This is the only statement that we will be issuing to the media.
We ask that you please respect our desire for privacy so that we can process the events and begin the healing process."
(USA TODAY) AUGUSTA, Ga. - Three players and an entire country well-versed in Masters heartbreak will start Sunday's final round with a good chance to change the narrative.
On a Saturday that was largely overshadowed by a controversy surrounding Woods' scorecard, it was Snedeker emerging as a co-leader with 2009 champion Cabrera at 7 under par, with Adam Scott a shot back in third and Jason Day two shots back in a tie for fourth.
All three of those players, besides Cabrera, have held the Masters lead on Sunday in recent years only to come up just short, or in Snedeker's case, implode in crushing fashion in 2008.
LEADERBOARD: The 77th Masters
Meanwhile, after going 0-for-76 in previous Masters, Australia will have representatives in three of the top five slots starting the final round with Day, Scott and Marc Leishman, who shot even-par 72 on Saturday and sits tied with Day at 5 under.
That foursome will try to beat Cabrera, who tied for the lead at 7 under with a birdie on No. 18 and hold off Matt Kuchar (4 under after a 69) and Woods, who is 3 under after carding a 70.
Though Woods will get plenty of attention from the leaders, there's a good chance someone will emerge with a first major title, which would be especially meaningful given their histories at Augusta National.
Snedeker, who won the FedExCup playoff last year and the $10 million prize that goes with it, still is probably best known for breaking down in tears during his post-round CBS interview after shooting 77 in 2008 as Trevor Immelman won the green jacket.
"I had no clue what I was doing in 2008. None," Snedeker said. "I had no game plan, no idea of when to be aggressive, when not to be aggressive, how to play this golf course the way you're supposed to play it. I have a clear focus on what I'm supposed to do (Sunday). If I do that, I love my chances of winning this golf tournament."
Though Snedeker hasn't truly contended on a major championship Sunday since 2008, he looked extremely solid Saturday, recording pars on his first 12 holes, then making routine birdies on the reachable par-5s, Nos. 13 and 15. But the highlight of Snedeker's day came on No. 16, the 170-yard par-3, when he stuffed his approach to within 3 feet and tied for the lead. Snedeker, who struggled with a rib injury leading up to the Masters, hasn't made a bogey since the ninth hole Friday.
"My short game is in really good stead, and I'm excited," Snedeker said. "I'm mentally fresh, I'm physically fresh, and this is what I've worked my whole life for is (Sunday)."
Scott has been in position to win a handful of majors lately, most notably last summer's British Open, when he collapsed with four consecutive bogeys down the stretch after looking like a sure winner. The 32-year-old also had a great chance to put on a green jacket in 2011, when he led by two after a birdie on No. 16, only to watch from the clubhouse as Charl Schwartzel passed him with an unprecedented run of four birdies at the end.
"I felt like I did everything I could, and it wasn't enough; that's how it goes sometimes," Scott said. "But it's going to take a great round. There are too many great players right there. I know someone else is going to play well, so I'm going to need to have a career round, and that's what these big events do. It's a career round that makes them a champion."
With the greens playing fast and difficult - the lowest score among the contenders Saturday was Tim Clark's 67 - Scott said he played conservatively and tried to be selective about when to fire at pins. But his putter came alive with a 12-footer for birdie on No. 15 and a 30-footer on 17, which puts him in right in the hunt again at a major.
Though Scott hasn't closed the deal yet, he has shifted his focus to preparation and scheduling to gear up for major championships the last few years, and he keeps showing up on the leaderboard.
"I've had less chances to win tournaments but more chances to win majors," Scott said. "Everything I'm doing seems to be getting me there right at the end."
His countryman Day also was right in the thick of the race in 2011, sharing second with Scott, and following it up with a second-place finish at the U.S. Open. Day, 25, has continued to be one of the world's best players following that breakout performance but has only one PGA Tour win to his credit.
"It's a great opportunity for all of us," Day said. "There's been some great, so many Aussies in the past that have had an opportunity to win the Masters and fell short a little bit. So if it happens tomorrow, that's great. If it doesn't, then we're going to keep plugging away."
Starting the third round with the lead, Day made 12 consecutive pars and got to 7 under with a birdie on the 13th. But three-putt pars on the last two holes left him tied for fourth, which was disappointing considering he hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation.
Cabrera, who hasn't been in contention much the past few years, has a good chance to ruin the story line for a potential Masters breakthrough. Despite his history of showing up in big events - in addition to his Masters victory, he won the 2007 U.S. Open - Cabrera has one top-20 finish in seven PGA Tour events this year. Last season he missed the cut or withdrew from 11 of 20 tournaments while struggling with a variety of injuries. Cabrera came into Augusta ranked 269th in the worldbut is always dangerous at a course like Augusta, where his prodigious length off the tee gives him a lot of birdie opportunities.
"I don't think it's a big advantage that I've won before," he said. "It's more about patience."
The biggest story of the day was the two-stroke penalty assessed to Woods on Saturday morning after the tournament's competition committee reviewed his drop on the 15th hole. The penalty left Woods five strokes behind the lead, and his third-round performance didn't do much to make up the deficit.
Whereas Woods thought a number of good shots went unrewarded in Friday's wind, his ball-striking was uneven Saturday. After making birdie on the first hole, Woods bogeyed Nos. 4, 9 and 11 to fall back to even for the tournament. He birdied both par-5s on the back nine, as well as the tough par-3 No. 12, but had to get up-and-down for pars on the last three holes.
Woods never has won a major coming from behind, and he'll start Sunday with six players in front of him.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- The officer and perpetrator in Friday night's officer-involved shooting and chase have been identified.
Curtis Hicks, 52, of Marietta, shot Alpharetta Police Officer David Freeman five times during a routine traffic stop in downtown Alpharetta.
According to Alpharetta Police, the shooting happened on Main Street in the parking lot of a Christian bookstore. Hicks was stopped by Freeman for an expired tag before he opened fire.
Nearby is a DUI school where instructor Lynn Hayes said she and her students heard the string of gunfire. Fellow officers rushed to aid Freeman, and found he had been shot several times.
Police later confirmed Freeman took five gun shots - wounds to his left shoulder, right elbow, the lower abdomen, the left leg above the knee and a bullet-graze on his back.
Immediately after the shooting, Hicks led additional police officers on a brief high-speed pursuit. It appeared he had no intentions of stopping.
The chase ended when Hicks wrecked on GA400 SB, just north of the Northridge exit.
On the scene of the wreck Hicks was shot and killed by authorities after he exchanged fire with the officers who had responded to the accident.
Police said during the chase, Hicks continued to shoot at them, and one of his bullets hit a passing female driver in her hip.
The officer and the woman were transported to North Fulton Hospital where they are both in recovery. Traffic on GA400 was re-routed to the Holcomb Bridge Road exit.
The investigation has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
As of Saturday afternoon, the family of Freeman would not speak to the media, and preferred to not be contacted regarding the incident.
