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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 15 December 2021

Kentucky safety agency to review tornado deaths at factory

(AP) — Kentucky’s work- astation that stretched from
place safety agency will State and local officials say Arkansas, where a nursing
look into the deaths of the company told them that home was destroyed, to Illi-
eight people who were all other workers have been nois, where an Amazon dis-
killed at a candle factory accounted for. Initially, au- tribution center was heavily
during the violent weath- thorities feared a much high- damaged.
er that spawned tornadoes er death toll at the factory
in five states, the governor because dozens of employees Across Kentucky, about
said Tuesday. were working late to make 24,000 homes and businesses
candles for holiday orders. were still without electricity
Gov. Andy Beshear told re- But Louisville Emergency Tuesday, down slightly from
porters that the Kentucky Management Director E.J. the day before, according to
Division of Occupational Meiman said late Monday poweroutage.us.
Safety and Health Com- that authorities now “have a
pliance would undertake a high level of confidence that The tornadoes also killed at
monthslong review of the nobody is left in this build- least six people in Illinois;
deaths, which happened at ing.” four in Tennessee; two in Ar-
the Mayfield Consumer kansas, where the governor
Products factory as storms Mayfield, home to 10,000 said nursing home workers
raked the area starting Friday residents and the candle fac- shielded residents with their
night. tory, suffered some of the own bodies; and two in Mis-
worst damage in the country. souri.
The governor said that such
reviews are done whenever Beshear’s comments come The federal Occupational
workers are killed on the job. as workers, volunteers and Safety and Health Adminis-
members of the National tration announced Monday
“So it shouldn’t suggest that Guard fanned out in Ken- that it had opened an inves-
there was any wrongdoing. tucky to start the long re- tigation into the collapse of
But what it should give peo- covery process. The tornado the Amazon warehouse in
ple confidence in, is that we’ll outbreak that killed at least 88 Edwardsville, Illinois.
get to the bottom of what people — 74 of them in Ken-
happened,” he said. tucky — cut a path of dev-

Prosecutors at Kim Potter trial document her Taser training

(AP) — The suburban off several nights of angry correct?” Gray asked. was appropriate under the her favor because of her posi-
Minneapolis police of- protests in Brooklyn Center. circumstances,” Chu said. tion.”
ficer who shot and killed It happened while a white for- “Yes,” Flesland said.
Daunte Wright with her mer officer, Derek Chauvin, She also denied prosecutors’ Chu also ruled Tuesday that
handgun when she said was on trial in nearby Min- Later, when Gray asked request to question police of- if Potter is convicted of one
she meant to use her Taser neapolis in George Floyd’s Flesland what he thought of ficers about union member- or both of the counts against
was fully trained in her death. Potter, he said: “She’s a good ship. They argued that Pot- her, she would preside over a
department’s policies on cop. She’s a good person. ter had roles in the union, separate trial to determine if
the proper use of force, The defense has called the She’s a friend. I have no con- including as president, that there were aggravating fac-
including the stun guns, a shooting a horrific mistake, cerns going to calls with her.” gave her an elevated level of tors that would allow Chu to
police commander testi- but has also asserted that Pot- Prosecutors objected. respect among her cowork- give Potter a sentence above
fied Tuesday. ter would have been within ers. They wanted to ask of- what the state’s guidelines
her rights to use deadly force Flesland also testified that ficers about it so that jurors suggest.
Kim Potter, who resigned two on Wright because he might he and the police chief at the could evaluate any potential
days after she shot Wright, have dragged another officer, time had gone to Potter’s bias toward Potter. Prosecutors had been oper-
was trained in on policies then-Sgt. Mychal Johnson, house the day of Wright’s ating under the impression
even as they evolved during with his car. shooting because “we had Chu said she rejected the that these issues would be
her 26-year career, Brooklyn been told she had hurt her- motion because Potter is no presented during this trial,
Center Police Commander Prosecutors introduced sev- self.” That line of question- longer connected to the po- but without the jury present,
Garett Flesland testified. Pot- eral documents Tuesday that ing was cut off after prosecu- lice union in any way and defense attorney Earl Gray
ter repeatedly signed docu- Flesland testified showed tors objected. testifying witnesses “couldn’t said Potter had never agreed
ments acknowledging the Potter’s repeated certifica- possibly be biased to testify in to that.
policies, he said. tions on Taser training, and Earlier Tuesday, Judge Regi-
her awareness of the warn- na Chu denied two motions
Potter, 49, is charged with ings for their use — includ- filed by prosecutors. One was
manslaughter in Wright’s ing a certification the month designed to limit the opinion
death on April 11 after he was before Wright was shot. of witnesses who are not tes-
pulled over for having ex- tifying as experts. That came
pired license plate tags and an On cross-examination, Pot- after Johnson, who is now
air freshener dangling from ter attorney Earl Gray ham- a major in a sheriff’s office
his rear-view mirror. Video mered away at her right to near Minneapolis, testified
captured the moments when use force. He repeatedly de- last week that Potter’s actions
Wright pulled away from of- scribed the situation as one were authorized under state
ficers who were trying to ar- in which Potter was trying law. Johnson was not testify-
rest him on an outstanding to stop a wanted person who ing as an expert on the police
warrant, with Potter shout- was trying to flee from the use of force.
ing “I’ll tase you!” and then police and who could have
shooting Wright with her put a fellow officer at risk of “I’m not going to preclude
handgun. being dragged by a car. any of the officers from tes-
tifying that, based upon their
Potter is white and Wright “You’ve got to save that offi- training and experience, that
was Black, and his death set cer that’s laying over the seat, deadly force or use of Taser