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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 20 July 2022
Sheriff says prison reform advocate committed ‘evil act’

By TRAVIS LOLLER of damage to the build-
Associated Press ing. To arrive at a charge
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A of vandalism over $250,000,
prominent prison reform prosecutors said they will
advocate committed an show that the entire facil-
“evil act” when he dis- ity had to be re-keyed at a
guised himself as a con- cost of just over $291,000.
struction worker to hide Defense attorney David
guns, handcuff keys and Raybin noted that an ear-
hacksaw blades inside the ly news release from the
walls of an under-construc- sheriff’s office said that be-
tion Tennessee jail, Nash- tween 85 to 100 locks would
ville Sheriff Daron Hall testi- need to be replaced, while
fied in court Tuesday. Alex the final total included re-
Friedmann is charged with keying 1,800 locks.
vandalism over $250,000 in The government also ar-
a case that Deputy District gued that Friedmann’s
Attorney Amy Hunter told vandalism includes more
the jury in opening state- than $300,000 in personnel
ments would sound like a costs incurred when sher-
“made up case from a Hol- iff’s officers reviewed thou-
lywood movie.” sands of hours of surveil-
Hunter said Friedmann had lance video.
already been going in the Alexander Friedmann listens during the first day of his trial at the Justice A.A. Birch Building in Ben Raybin said in opening
building for several months Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Associated Press statements that the state is
when a sheriff’s office of- overcharging Friedmann.
ficial first noticed in De- et, ripped them up and ate have provided him with couple of weeks before the He urged the jury to look to
cember 2019 that two keys them, Hunter said. information,” Hall testified. facility was scheduled to the law and only hold Fried-
were missing from a set of As an activist against prison “We knew we were not open. Speaking to report- mann responsible for the
keys at the new $150 mil- privatization, Friedmann talking about some casual ers after his testimony Tues- actual physical damages
lion Downtown Detention had worked with Hall on the occurrence here.” day, Hall said they were just to the jail.
Center. Surveillance video future of another Nashville Much of what Friedmann “two weeks away from a Sheriff Hall testified he
showed the same person jail — one that had been did in the jail is undisputed. massive loss of life.” made the decision right
who took the keys entering privatized but was returning It is on camera. His mo- But defense attorney Ben away to change all the
the jail numerous times and to the control of the sheriff’s tives are unknown. There Raybin told the jury in locks as a necessity for be-
doing some type of work office. That is why Hall knew were no written records dis- opening statements that ing able to open and use
on the walls. When he en- the security breach was se- covered that explained a their job is not to determine the new jail.
tered again on Jan. 4, 2020, rious when he learned the plan, and Friedmann is un- the morality of what Fried- “There were many times
Friedmann was stopped in intruder was Friedmann. likely to testify at trial. Hall mann did. Since the facts when I thought we would
a secure area while the po- “We knew if Alex Fried- has suggested Friedmann are not in dispute, the main never reopen the building
lice were called. During the mann had been up to was planning a massive question for the jury will be and it would sit vacant for
wait, Friedmann took jail any good, he would have jailbreak. The theft of the whether the government is the rest of my tenure” he
schematics out of his pock- come to us and we would keys was discovered just a exaggerating the amount said.q

Wildfire burns homes around lake in

Texas amid high heat

burned about 500 acres (1,600 hectares) as of mid- fire warning for northern
(202 hectares) and was day Tuesday, and crews us- and central Texas and
10% contained Tuesday, ing bulldozers were digging western and eastern Okla-
forest service spokesman containment lines while fire homa for Tuesday.
Adam Turner said. trucks and aircraft worked “We are experiencing dry
Firefighting crews were to extinguish the flames, fuels to a level that we
working around the clock, the forest service said. haven’t seen in the past 10
focusing on protecting No injuries have been re- years,” Turner said.
In this image taken from video, a structure burns during a wildfire threatened homes in re- ported from the fires, and “Any spark that lands in tall
in Palo Pinto County, Texas on Monday, July 18, 2022. sort subdivisions along the their causes were under grass or even lands in some
Associated Press lake’s western shore, the investigation. A combina- short grass right now is li-
forest service said. tion of near-record- and able to spark.”
By TERRY WALLACE and Many of the residents re- Eight structures are known record-high temperatures Wildfires and intense heat
KEN MILLER turned home Tuesday, but to have been lost to its approaching 110 degrees in Texas and some other
Associated Press the area remained under flames, but it was not clear Fahrenheit (43 degrees parts of the United States
A wildfire has burned at a voluntary evacuation no- how many of those were Celsius) combined with come as unusually hot, dry
least five homes and re- tice, the Texas A&M Forest residences or businesses, breezes gusting as high as weather has gripped large
sulted in about 300 homes Service said. state forest service spokes- 30 mph (40-50 kph) and swaths of Europe since last
being evacuated around The fire at Possum King- woman Mary Leathers said. drought conditions to leave week, triggering wildfires
a lake in north Texas amid dom Lake about 70 miles The fire, which began Mon- the region ripe for fire, the from Portugal to the Balkans
sweltering temperatures (113 kilometers) west of day afternoon, was just forest service said. and leading to hundreds of
and dry conditions, authori- Fort Worth, which began 10% contained after black- The National Weather Ser- heat-related deaths.q
ties said. Monday afternoon, had ening about 4,000 acres vice has issued a Red Flag