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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 18 april 2017

1 dead, 2 hurt after Army helicopter crashes in Maryland

LEONARDTOWN, Md. (AP) ally falling off the helicop-
— A Black Hawk helicopter ter,” she said.
crashed onto a golf course Harper said she didn’t see
in Maryland during a rou- smoke or flames, “just piec-
tine training flight Monday, es falling out of the sky.”
killing one crew member Shortly after, emergency
and injuring two others, vehicles started rolling in,
the U.S. Army said. she said.
The cause of the crash Army investigators were
is under investigation, driving around the course
the U.S. Army Military Dis- in golf carts Monday eve-
trict of Washington said in ning, placing evidence
a statement Monday eve- markers near pieces of de-
bris.
ning. A team from the Army
“We are deeply saddened Combat Readiness Center,
by this loss within our com- in Fort Rucker, Alabama,
munity,” said Maj. Gen. will be on site Tuesday to
Bradley A. Becker, com- conduct the investigation,
manding general, Joint the Army’s statement said.
Force Headquarters Na- The incident comes less
tional Capital Region and than two weeks after a
the U.S. Army Military Dis- military jet crashed in a
trict of Washington. “Our Investigators examine debris that fell on the Breton Bay Golf and Country Club after an Army wooded area just outside
condolences go out to the UH-60 helicopter from Fort Belvoir, Va., crashed, Monday, April 17, 2017, in Leonardtown, Md. a suburban Washington
families and friends affect- (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) neighborhood. The pilot,
ed by this tragedy, and our tween the third and fourth Dorothy Harper, who lives “I was outside in my front who was on a training mis-
team is focused on sup- holes of the course in Leon- across the street from the yard when I saw the he- sion, ditched his jet. He was
porting them during this ardtown, about 60 miles golf course, said she saw licopter come over right treated for minor injuries,
difficult time.” (97 kilometers) southeast of the helicopter just before it across the street from my and no one else was in-
Three crew members were Washington, D.C. crashed. house. I saw pieces actu- jured in that incident. q
aboard the UH-60 Black-
hawk. The Army said one Arkansas court halts 2 executions set for Monday night
person is in serious condi-
tion and one is in critical KELLY P. KISSEL ing access to independent tual disability. impending execution.
condition. SEAN MURPHY mental health experts by This was just the latest set- Also, a federal judge has
They are being treated at Associated Press defendants. The U.S. high back for the state’s plan halted all of the planned
the R Adams Cowley Shock VARNER, Ark. (AP) — The court is set to hold oral ar- to execute eight prisoners executions on different
Trauma Center at the Uni- Arkansas Supreme Court guments on April 24. before its supply of the sed- grounds. The state has ap-
halted the executions of Three Arkansas justices dis-
ative midazolam expires pealed that ruling to the
versity of Maryland Medi- two men originally sched- sented, with Associate Jus- at the end of the month. 8th U.S. Circuit Court of
cal Center in Baltimore. uled to be put to death tice Shawn Womack writing If court proceedings are Appeals, which hadn’t
They were not identified, Monday night, putting an- that Ward and Davis “had pushed into May, Arkan- weighed in as of mid-after-
pending notification of rel- other legal roadblock in their day in court, the jury sas won’t be able to carry noon.
atives. place in the state’s plan spoke, and decades of ap- out the executions with the The state was still moving
The aircraft was from the to conduct eight lethal in- peals have occurred. The drugs it has on hand. forward with plans to con-
12th Aviation Battalion, sta- jections before its supply of families are entitled to clo- The Arkansas high court al- duct the Monday night
tioned at Davison Airfield, a key drug expires at the sure and finality of the law.” ready had issued one stay executions in the event
Fort Belvoir, Virginia. end of April. Justices in a The inmates’ attorneys ar- for Ward after a Jefferson that all stays were lifted. A
Kevin Bowen, who works 4-3 decision granted stays gued that their clients were County judge said she spokesman for Arkansas
in the pro shop of the Bret- Monday afternoon for Don denied access to indepen- didn’t have the authority Attorney General Leslie
on Bay Golf and Country Davis and Bruce Ward. The dent mental health experts, to halt Ward’s execution. Rutledge had no immedi-
Club, said he saw the he- inmates wanted stays of saying Ward has a lifelong Ward’s attorneys have ar- ate comment on the latest
licopter “flying kind of low” execution while the U.S. history of severe mental ill- gued he is a diagnosed stays, saying the office was
and then “saw it spinning” Supreme Court takes up a ness and that Davis has an schizophrenic with no ra- still reviewing the court’s or-
before it went down be- separate case concern- IQ in the range of intellec- tional understanding of his der. q