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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 6 February 2018

Sledgehammered police cars raise concerns for officer safety

By CLAUDIA LAUER on a chase and engaging work environment for our
Associated Press in a standoff that ended police officers,” Cordova
DALLAS (AP) — A man when a police sniper shot wrote in an emailed state-
walked into a downtown and killed him. He had said ment.
Dallas police substation he was upset about losing She said a bond package
parking lot with a sledge- custody of his son after an approved by voters last
hammer, broke windows arrest. year will allot more than
and windshields, and City officials said in the $6.7 million for additional
caused thousands of dol- following days that they security improvements in-
lars in damage to a dozen planned to upgrade secu- cluding parking lot secu-
police cars, police officials rity measures at headquar- rity, fences, bollards and
said. ters and the seven substa- access gates. The projects
Gregory Simpson, 58, of tions. are scheduled to begin this
Dallas, was arrested early Renewed calls for security spring but are spread over
Sunday and charged with upgrades were issued after several years.
criminal mischief caus- the July 7, 2016, sniper at- Mata said since the 2015
ing damage of more tack on officers who were incident there have been
than $2,500 and less than This photo provided by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department working at a rally against at least four other incidents
$30,000. But police union shows Gregory Simpson, of Dallas, who was arrested and police violence. Four Dal- at substations, including a
officials said Monday that charged after walking into a Dallas police substation parking lot las officers and one transit suspect shooting a substa-
the sledgehammer inci- and damaging 12 police cars with a sledgehammer on Sunday, officer were killed and nine tion from a moving vehicle,
dent was just the latest Feb. 4, 2018. other officers were wound- a man driving into the park-
since city officials promised (Dallas County Sheriff’s Department) ed during the attack and ing lot of another with sev-
to upgrade security at po- the Dallas Police Associa- oritized for months. ensuing standoff. eral guns, a man who set
lice department facilities tion, posted pictures to “The mayor and council The city has allocated $3.4 himself on fire outside of
after a 2015 shooting at- Twitter of some of the dam- members got in front of mi- million to enhance lobby a station and the sledge-
tack outside the depart- age— concave sledge- crophones and cameras security at those facilities hammer incident Sunday.
ment’s headquarters. hammer imprints on wind- and said that protecting including ballistic protec- “I know in the bond pack-
Details of the incident Sun- shields, windows and cars. officers was their number tions and more control to age they have funds allo-
day were not immediately They also posted a picture one concern. Very little if access. cated for security measures
available. An arrest affida- of three orange cones anything has been done, The work started in Octo- and I believe they want to
vit had not been posted to blocking an entrance to now here we are,” Mata ber 2017 and is expected do this over a period of
online court records as of the garage next to a sign said. to finish in May 2018, said years,” he said. “The city
Monday afternoon, and a saying only police person- In June 2015, James Boul- city spokeswoman Monica keeps rolling the dice and
call to an attorney repre- nel were allowed. ware fired multiple shots Cordova. Work at half of hoping that nothing bad
senting Simpson was not Association President Mi- at the Dallas Police Head- those facilities has been happens. But if this lack of
immediately returned. chael Mata said union of- quarters, squad cars and completed, she said. security isn’t fixed, it’s going
Representatives of the ficials have been asking for officers from an armored “The City of Dallas is com- to turn into a deadly force
city’s largest police union, security upgrades to be pri- van before leading police mitted to providing a safe confrontation. q

Woman with $559M Powerball ticket wants to stay anonymous

By K. McCORMACK the ticket following the Jan. in her ticket yet, but she Charlie McIntyre said in a complaint said.
Associated Press 6 drawing, the nation’s showed lottery officials a statement. Lottery officials “She wishes to remain in
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A eighth-largest lottery jack- photocopy of the front. She consulted with state law- New Hampshire and give
New Hampshire woman pot. She thought she was said lottery officials told her yers and said they must back to the state and com-
who says she has a Pow- required to do so as direct- they would be compelled process the winning ticket munity that has given so
erball ticket that won a ed by information on the to disclose her identity if “like any other,” he said. much to her.”
$559.7 million jackpot state lottery commission’s someone filed a Right to The woman described The filing says she has set
wants a court order allow- website. Know request. Her lawyers herself as a life-long New up a trust and plans to con-
ing her to stay anonymous, Under New Hampshire law, argue her privacy interest Hampshire resident and tribute a portion of her win-
saying she made a “huge a lottery winner’s name, outweighs the insignificant “engaged community nings to charity.
mistake” in signing the tick- town and prize amount are public interest in disclosing member.” William Shaheen, whose
et without consulting a law- public information. But af- her name. “She wishes to continue this law firm is representing the
yer first. ter the woman contacted “While we respect this play- work and the freedom to woman, had written a blog
The woman, identified as a lawyer, she learned that er’s desire to remain anon- walk into a grocery store post shortly after the draw-
Jane Doe, filed a complaint she could have shielded ymous, state statutes and or attend public events ing urging the winner not to
last week in Hillsborough Su- her identity by instead writ- lottery rules clearly dictate without being known or sign the ticket immediately
perior Court in Nashua say- ing the name of a trust. protocols,” New Hampshire targeted as the winner of because of the confidenti-
ing she signed the back of The woman hasn’t turned Lottery Executive Director a half-billion dollars,” the ality rules.q