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U.S. NEWS Saturday 2 december 2017
Mayor: New York inferno sparked by amateur bladesmith

reported that three build- Gomes, 51, was charged
ings were destroyed, 18 with felony reckless en-
others were damaged and dangerment and misde-
at least 20 people were dis- meanor arson. He pleaded
placed. The city is under a not guilty at his arraign-
state of emergency. ment Thursday night and
“It is the worst disaster the was jailed on $15,000 bail,
city has ever seen,” Mayor the newspaper reported.
Shawn Morse told reporters A preliminary hearing was
at an evening news confer- scheduled for next Tues-
ence. day.
Morse said John Gomes, of Assistant police Chief Tom
Cohoes, apparently was Ross called the fire uninten-
trying to bend metal in an tional, or “reckless arson.”
attempt to imitate the His- “We often tell people we
tory Channel television se- don’t allow open burns in
ries “Forged in Fire” when the city and they often say,
he started a barrel fire in ‘What’s the worst that could
his backyard that quick- happen?’” Morse said.
COHOES, N.Y. (AP) — An by an amateur bladesmith day afternoon in down- ly spread. The TV series is “Well, this open burn just
inferno that destroyed or who apparently was trying town Cohoes, just north of about bladesmiths com- caused millions of dollars
damaged nearly two doz- to imitate something he Albany, and was stoked by peting to create “history’s of damage and destroyed
en buildings in a city in up- saw on TV, officials said. 20 to 30 mph winds. most iconic edged weap- half our downtown.”q
state New York was sparked The blaze broke out Thurs- The Times Union of Albany ons.”
Lawsuit: Police used stun gun on man without provocation

By DAKE KANG said in a statement. “These The lawsuit claims Wright the incident, is then seen official business and resist-
Associated Press officers’ illegal treatment tried to tell the officers he getting out of the car and ing arrest were dropped by
CLEVELAND (AP) — A black of people in the city must had a colostomy bag and dropping to the ground. prosecutors in June.
man says in a federal law- stop.” staples in his stomach when Flagg said in a police re- The lawsuit seeks an un-
suit that police officers in a The lawsuit accuses the of- Flagg uses a stun gun on port he thought Wright was specified amount of dam-
Cleveland suburb used a ficers of violating his civil him and Williams squirts him reaching for a gun. ages and demands that
stun gun and pepper spray rights. It also accuses the in the face with pepper Wright was treated at a Euclid institute police
on him without provoca- Euclid Police Department spray. Wright, who had sur- hospital and taken to jail. reforms.q
tion. of engaging in a pattern of gery several weeks before Charges of obstruction of
The civil rights lawsuit filed excessive use of force and
Thursday by 36-year-old malicious prosecution, es-
Lamar Wright says two Eu- pecially against black peo-
clid police officers lied and ple, along with a failure to
falsely charged him with hold officers accountable
crimes after he pulled into for misconduct.
a driveway to use his cell- Police spokesman Mitch
phone in November 2016. Houser said the city doesn’t
Police claimed they sus- comment on pending liti-
pected Wright of being gation. He said neither of
involved in drug trafficking the officers involved in
and feared he had a gun. Wright’s arrest, Kyle Flagg
No drugs or weapons were and Vashon Williams, were
found in Wright’s rental car. disciplined afterward.
The lawsuit is the latest ac- Wright feared the two of-
cusation of excessive use- ficers, dressed in street
of-force against Euclid po- clothes, were carjackers
lice. A police officer was and started to drive away
fired in October after dash but stopped and raised his
cam footage showed him hands when he realized
repeatedly punching an who they were, the lawsuit
unarmed black man during said.
a traffic stop. The family of Body camera footage
23-year-old Luke Stewart, shows Wright immediately
who was black, sued Euclid complying when Flagg
in October after an officer opens the driver’s door and
fatally shot him while they orders Wright to turn off the
struggled for control of a engine. Flagg is then seen
car. grabbing Wright’s left arm
“I filed this case to stand and pushing him against
up against police brutal- the steering wheel.
ity, and to stand with other Wright can be heard yell-
victims of senseless attacks ing that Flagg was hurting
by officers from the Euclid his arm while Flagg orders
Police Department,” Wright him to show his right hand.