ELECTION 2022-NORTH CAROLINA-SENATE
NC governor backs Beasley as Senate primary field clears
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gov. Roy Cooper has given former North Carolina Chief Justice Cheri Beasley his endorsement for the U.S. Senate. His video message Wednesday attempts to secure a smoother path for Beasley to become the Democrats’ nominee to fill the seat of Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who isn’t seeking reelection. Cooper appointed Beasley to the top spot on the state Supreme Court in 2019, making her the first Black female chief justice in North Carolina history. She’s been in private practice since narrowly losing an election to the post the next year. Cooper says Beasley has what it takes to win the Senate spot this fall.
POLICE SHOOTING-STORE
Durham police: Officers fatally shoot man attacking clerk
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Durham police say officers shot and killed a man who was attacking a convenience store clerk. Police say officers dispatched to a Circle K on state Route 54 around 3 a.m. Wednesday for a report of an attempted suicide were told a man was cutting himself inside the store. Officers found the door locked and saw a man attacking the clerk with a sharp weapon. Police say officers fired shots at the man attacking the clerk. The clerk was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and the man died at the scene. Police say the officers involved have been placed on routine administrative leave with pay. The State Bureau of Investigations and the police department are investigating.
AP-US-REDISTRICTING-NORTH-CAROLINA
Judges let North Carolina GOP redistricting plans stand
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina judicial panel has refused to throw out redistricting maps drawn by the Republican-controlled General Assembly, rejecting arguments that the lines were illegal because they were politically stacked for the GOP. The Tuesday decision by the three trial judges followed a quick trial last week. The ruling will be appealed by the advocacy groups and voters who challenged the new congressional and legislative lines in court. The state Supreme Court had ordered the trial judges to rule by Tuesday, apparently to discourage further delays in the 2022 election schedule. The March primary elections already have been postponed to May.
AP-US-ELECTION-2022-NORTH-CAROLINA-CAWTHORN
Candidacy challenge process for NC Rep. Cawthorn delayed
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A formal challenge of North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s qualifications to run for Congress has been delayed while redistricting litigation is pending. The challenge was filed by a group of voters over Cawthorn’s involvement in the Washington rally last January that preceded the Capitol riot. Three trial judges granted on Tuesday a motion from the State Board of Elections to postpone this and other candidacy challenges for now to avoid possible redos if redistricting lawsuits result in new boundary lines. Cawthorn is running in the newly created 13th District. Challengers said the first-term Republican can’t run because he fails to comply with a portion of the 14th Amendment.
FATAL SHOOTING-SHERIFF’S DEPUTY
North Carolina deputy makes frantic 911 call after shooting
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — An audio recording shows that an off-duty North Carolina sheriff’s deputy had a frantic conversation with a 911 operator after fatally shooting a Black man last weekend. The deputy was heard saying the pedestrian jumped on his vehicle and broke the windshield. Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Hash can then be heard becoming more agitated while telling the operator that “there’s tons of cars and people gathering.” Fayetteville police said Monday that a preliminary investigation determined Jason Walker ran into traffic and jumped on a moving vehicle Saturday. Protesters have disputed the police department’s account of what happened.
OFFICER SHOOTING-NORTH CAROLINA
Knife-wielding man shot by North Carolina police officers
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina police chief says a knife-wielding man was shot and wounded by an officer after he ignored commands to drop the weapon. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson told a news conference Tuesday evening that officers received multiple 911 calls at around 1:32 p.m. in response to a traffic accident along Interstate 440. Patterson said when officers arrived and saw the man, he was holding a knife and walking away with a small child. The man ignored commands to drop the knife, and swung it at officers when they tried to take him into custody. Patterson says that’s when one of the officers shot him.
AP-US-BOOKS-GRANT-HILL-
Hall of Famer Grant Hill’s memoir ‘Game’ coming out in June
NEW YORK (AP) — Grant Hill’s path to the NBA Hall of Fame had plenty of pain along with all the highlights. Hill has a deal with Penguin Press for the memoir “Game,” scheduled for June 7. It’s billed by the publishers as a full, frank story that covers both the pinnacle of success and the depths of personal trauma. Hill will tell about helping Duke University win back-to-back NCAA titles and his achievements with professional teams like the Detroit Pistons. He will also discuss the ankle problems that plagued him for years and the health struggles of his wife, Tamia Hill.
CYBER CRIMES-NORTH CAROLINA
NCSBI gets record number of online child exploitation tips
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation says it has received a record number of reports of suspected online child exploitation for a second year despite many students’ return to classrooms and parents’ return to offices. According to an NCSBI news release, its Computer Crimes Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force continue to see an increase in the number of CyberTips via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBI received 12,760 tips. That’s an increase from 9,308 in 2020 and 4,930 in 2019. Kevin Roughton, special agent in charge, says the numbers indicate the problem is serious.
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