Woman scales State House flagpole, removes Confederate flag

The Confederate flag was temporarily removed from in front of the South Carolina State House Saturday morning.

A small activist group out of North Carolina decided to take action today to "do what the SC legislature has thus far neglected to do," according to a news release.

Thirty-year-old Brittany Ann Byuarim Newsome of Raleigh, NC was about halfway up the more than 30-foot steel flagpole just after dawn Saturday when State Capitol police told her to come down. Instead, she continued climbing and removed the flag before returning to the ground.

Newsome and another man, 30-year-old James Ian Tyson of Charlotte, who had entered the wrought-iron fence surrounding the flag were arrested.

"We removed the flag today because we can't wait any longer," Newsome said. "We can't continue like this another day. It's time for a new chapter where we are sincere about dismantling white supremacy and building toward true racial justice and equality. Every day that the flag is up there is an endorsement of hate.”

Mobile users, tap here to see mugshots of the accused and more photos of the removal/arrest.

“We are regular human beings, daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, Carolinians, educators, and activist[s] —both black and white— who believe in the fundamental idea of humanity," a statement from the unnamed group said. "The flag we removed is one of the most familiar remnants of white supremacy that supports the idea that there is still a reigning group of individuals who control our freedom, while tacitly supporting white Americans when they commit heinous and racially charged hate crimes against Blacks and People of Color. We took this task in our own hands because our, President, Governor, mayors, legislators, and councilmen had a moral duty to remove the flag but failed to act. We could not sit by and watch the victims of the Charleston Massacre be laid to rest while the inspiration for their deaths continue to fly above their caskets."

“We call all people to join us and stand as a united front, to take an active role towards liberating ourselves through the dismantlement of the largest form of our oppression, white supremacy. Let this day be the start towards true human progress.”

The group had hoped the flag, which is protected by state law, would be absent from the pole for a planned flag supporter rally scheduled for later Saturday morning but that wasn't the case. A new flag was raised again a short time later.

A South Carolina Department of Public Safety spokeswoman said Newsome and Tyson have been charged with defacing a monument. They were released on $3000 bond each, both are allowed to leave the state but must return for their next appearance scheduled for July 27. The charge carries a a prison sentence up to three years and a $5,000 fine.
A crowd fund set up to pay for Newsroom's bail and legal expenses has been set up on the website Indigo. The "Bail for Brie Newsome" fund had raised more than $81,750 in ten hours.

Calls for removing the flag have been renewed since nine black churchgoers were killed in what police characterized as a racist attack at a Charleston church last week.

Copyright 2015 WIS. All rights reserved.

No Copyright Infringement Intended, Credit to WIS-TV in Columbia, South Carolina.

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Cuomo: 'Nightmare finally over'

 David Sweat, the second of two inmates who escaped from a New York prison, has been shot, according to authorities.

The shooting occurred in Constable, NY - two miles south of Canada. It was roughly about 30 miles west of the Clinton Correctional Facility. Police have not released the condition of Sweat, but reports say he was shot twice and has been transported to the hospital.

According to reports, Officer Sgt. Jay Cook of the New York State Police shot Sweat after he tried to run away. Sweat didn't appear to be armed.

Sweat, 35, is a convicted murderer and escaped from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, NY, with fellow inmate Richard Matt, 49, on June 6. Matt was shot and killed near Malone, NY, during a massive manhunt that combed the upstate wilderness.

Police believed Sweat was with him but had no evidence to confirm it. Police had said for days Sweat was confined, and it was just a matter of time before they uncovered his position. They had been using search dogs to track his scent, but the dogs could not locate it.

State police reported the two fugitives were trying to make their way to Canada. Police faced concerns that the men may have armed themselves with hunting rifles after finding DNA evidence in a cabin near Mountain View, NY, which is 14 miles from where Matt was fatally shot.

Matt was said to have stolen a 20-gauge shotgun from a cabin. Police said he was found to be suffering from what they believed to be food poisoning. An autopsy showed he had been shot in the head three times.

The cabin was equipped with a television, and authorities think the pair may have been able to watch news coverage of the manhunt.

The two escaped killers - described as extremely dangerous by New York State Police - are believed to have used power tools to escape the prison. The fugitives entered a two-foot pipe in the prison and exited from a manhole on the other side of the jail's walls.

NPR reported the governments of New York and Vermont worked closely in tandem during the search for Matt and Sweat. Some schools in the area of the prison canceled classes both due to safety and because police set up roadblocks, shutting down some routes to class.

The escape from the maximum-security facility has prompted authorities to seek for accomplices. Cuomo said the feat would have required assistance.

One theory swirling around the breakout involves a prison worker who worked regularly with Matt and Sweat.

Joyce Mitchell, a sewing instructor in the prison's tailor shop, was arrested Friday, June 12, and charged with helping the two escape. She pleaded not guilty in court on June 15.

Mitchell, 51, of Dickinson Center, New York, faces felony charges of aiding escape, promoting prison contraband and providing material assistance. Law enforcement sources said she gave hacksaw blades to the inmates, as well as eyeglasses with lights attached to them.

Investigators said Mitchell had a history of improper behavior with the prisoners, and she allegedly entered a sexual relationship with Matt.

An anonymous source told CNN that the escapees were planning to kill Mitchell's husband. The prison worker reportedly backed out of aiding the fugitives escape because she said she still loved her husband.

Investigators said that Mitchell was going to drive the convicted murderers seven hours away before she got cold feet.

According to NBC News, Joyce admitted herself to the hospital on June 6 because of "nerves." She was arraigned on charges in connection to the case June 12.

Copyright 2015 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.

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Severe weather causes major damage across Michigan

The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down in Washtenaw County, specifically the Freedom Township area.



NWS issued a Tornado Warning for that area just before 1:30 a.m. and it ran until 2:15 a.m.



Officials from the NWS do have to go out and survey the damage, but they said there was circulation that reached to the ground, and there was damage consistent with a tornado.



A confirmed tornado touched down in Millington, Mich., located in Tuscola County, about 80 miles north of Detroit. At least four homes were destroyed in that area. There was also another probably tornado in Sanilac County, and near Manchester in Washtenaw County.



This comes after a confirmed EF-1 tornado touched down for about 10 minutes in Portland, Mich. on Monday afternoon . It caused extensive damage in the town, located about 20 miles northwest of Lansing.



Officials say 70 homes, three churches and a dozen businesses sustained serious damage.



In all, there could be 4-5 tornadoes that touched down between Monday afternoon and early Tuesday morning across the state. Usually, according to Rexroth, Michigan sees 8-9 tornadoes in an entire year.



Damage from the tornadoes and severe storms across the region include localized flooding, uprooted trees, downed power lines and damage to buildings.



NO COPYRIGHT INFRIDGEMENT INTENDED, Credit to WXYZ-TV Channel 7 in Detroit,MIchigan and Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,



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Roof to appear on 9 murder counts; Charleston seeks unity

As Dylann Storm Roof awaited his first hearing on nine charges of murder, the people of Charleston sought Friday to repudiate whatever a gunman would hope to accomplish by killing black community leaders inside one of the nation's most important African-American churches.

"A hateful person came to this community with some crazy idea he'd be able to divide, but all he did was unite us and make us love each other even more," Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said as he described plans for an evening vigil at a sports arena near the church.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the state will "absolutely" want the death penalty for Roof, who opened fire after sitting through a Wednesday night Bible study session inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

A steady stream of people brought flowers and notes and shared somber thoughts at a growing memorial in front of the church, known as "Mother Emanuel" for its historic place among the sanctuaries of black society.

Roof, 21, had complained while getting drunk on vodka recently that "blacks were taking over the world" and that "someone needed to do something about it for the white race," according to Joey Meek, who tipped the FBI when he saw his friend on surveillance images.

Apprehended in North Carolina after a motorist recognized him and helped alert police, Roof was shackled, handcuffed and returned in a bulletproof vest Thursday to Charleston, where a bond hearing was scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday. Most such hearings are conducted by video link from the county jail where he is being held.

In addition to the nine murder counts, Roof is charged with possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, police said Friday. That's a common charge in South Carolina when a gun is involved, whether it was legally owned or not.

The victims included a state senator who doubled as the church's lead pastor, state Sen. Clementa Pinckney; as well as several other pastors and church elders, a library manager, high school coaches, a government administrator, a college enrollment counselor and a recent college graduate - six women and three men who initially welcomed Roof into the church.

"The suspect entered the group and was accepted by them, as they believed that he wanted to join them in this Bible study," she said. Then, "he became very aggressive and violent."

President Barack Obama pointed to lax gun controls as a factor in the slayings, and complained that Washington politics have shut down efforts to require universal background checks for gun purchases. The candidates campaigning to replace him largely avoided mentioning guns at all.

Roof said he used birthday money from his parents to buy a .45 Glock pistol before the attack, Meek said. He must have hidden the weapon, because Charleston County Coroner Rae Wilson said he didn't initially appear threatening to the church members.

Meek called the FBI after recognizing Roof in the surveillance footage, down to the stained sweatshirt he wore while they played Xbox videogames the morning of the attack.

"I didn't THINK it was him. I KNEW it was him," Meek told The Associated Press after being interviewed by investigators.

It's not clear whether Roof had any connection to the 16 white supremacist organizations operating in South Carolina, but he appears to be a "disaffected white supremacist," based on his Facebook page, said Richard Cohen, president of Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama.

On his Facebook page, Roof displayed the flags of defeated white-ruled regimes, posing with a Confederate flags plate on his car and wearing a jacket with stitched-on flag patches from apartheid-era South Africa and Rhodesia, which is now black-led Zimbabwe.

His previous record includes misdemeanor drug and trespassing charges.

Spilling blood inside a black church - especially "Mother Emanuel," founded in 1816 - evoked painful memories nationwide, a reminder that black churches so often have been the targets of racist violence.

A church founder, Denmark Vesey, was hanged after trying to organize a slave revolt in 1822, and white landowners burned the church in revenge, leaving parishioners to worship underground until after the Civil War. The congregation rebuilt and grew stronger, eventually winning campaigns for voting rights and political representation.

Pinckney recalled his church's history in a 2013 sermon, saying "we don't see ourselves as just a place where we come to worship, but as a beacon and as a bearer of the culture."

"What the church is all about," Pinckney said, is the "freedom to be fully what God intends us to be and have equality in the sight of God. And sometimes you got to make noise to do that. Sometimes you may have to die like Denmark Vesey to do that."

Pinckney, 41, was a married father of two and a Democrat who spent 19 years in the South Carolina legislature after he was first elected at 23, becoming the youngest member of the House.

The other victims were Cynthia Hurd, 54; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Myra Thompson, 59; Ethel Lance, 70; Susie Jackson, 87; and the reverends DePayne Middleton Doctor, 49; Sharonda Singleton, 45; and Daniel Simmons Sr., 74.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the attack would be investigated as a hate crime.

Contributors include Alex Sanz, Meg Kinnard and David Goldman in Charleston, South Carolina; Mitch Weiss in Columbia, South Carolina; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama; Eric Tucker in Washington; and Jacob Jordan in Atlanta.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Leaders react to Charleston mass murder

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley teared up alongside Charleston city leaders, as she spoke about the horrific murder that left nine people dead.

"We woke up today and the heart and soul of South Carolina was broken," she said.

On this day it didn't matter if you were a Republican or a Democrat. Leaders from both sides came together for solace, unity, and prayer.
"The arrest of this awful man is part of our - for all of us in this community and in our country - to begin the the necessary process of our healing, together," Mayor Joe Riley said.

Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen and his team have been working non-stop, through the night, to catch the man they believe took the lives of nine innocent people at Mother Emanuel Church.

"It's a very tragic situation," he said. "A horrific situation. One that has touched the heart and soul of every person who lives in this community."

Leaders say the lives lost in this church will have a ripple effect across the country.

"Parents are having to explain to their kids how they can go to church and feel safe." Haley said "And that's not something we never think we would have to deal with."

With heavy hearts, community leaders are working together to ensure Charleston, and the country, will see a better day.

"Mother Emanuel Church and its congregation has risen before in flames, from earthquake, and other dark times to give hope to generations of Charlestonians," President Obama said. "With our prayers and our love and the buoyancy of hope, it will rise again, now, as a place of peace."
Copyright 2015 WCSC. All rights reserved.

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Charleston shooting suspect Dylann Roof due in court in Charleston Friday

The Columbia area man accused of shooting and killing nine people in a downtown Charleston church on Wednesday night is now back in the Lowcountry after being arrested in North Carolina. He is scheduled for a bond hearing Friday afternoon. 

At about 6:15 p.m., Dylann Roof boarded a plane accompanied by law enforcement officials in Shelby, N.C. at Cleveland County Regional Airport. Nearly one hour later, the 21-year-old man arrived in Charleston and is being detained at the Al Cannon Detention Center. 

During a quick first appearance in a Cleveland County, NC courthouse, Dylann Storm Roof chose not to fight extradition and then began the trip back to a city and state that is still in shock after what police call a hate crime took place at one of the oldest black churches in the South.

Law enforcement took the 21-year-old into into custody in Shelby, NC on Thursday morning during a traffic stop. Shelby, which is west of Charlotte, is approximately 245 miles from the shooting scene.   

According to a police source in Charlotte, Roof made a stop in Charlotte before he was caught saying he "was here in Charlotte at one point because they got him using his credit card,"

Another source says police received information Roof was traveling along Highway 74. Police sources say law enforcement tracked Roof after he allegedly ditched his cellphone and was using someone else's phone.

According to Shelby Police, officials got a call just after 10:30 a.m. from Kings Mountain Police saying a business believed they had seen Roof's car. Shelby Police spotted him around ten minutes later driving west along East Dixon Boulevard, in Shelby.

He was pulled over, identified and arrested at 10:49 a.m. He was cooperative during the arrest.

Click/tap here to see more pictures of Roof and images from the Shelby. NC arrest scene

Prior to the discovery of Roof, an active manhunt was taking place in several locations in the Midlands and across the state.

Public records show Roof was most recently arrested in February on drug charges. According to a spokesman for the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, he was booked in the detention center on February 28 and again on April 26 after being arrested by the Columbia Police Department.  

According to Lexington School District One, Roof attended White Knoll High School for at least part of his 9th grade year. He also spent time at Carolina Spring Middle School and White Knoll Elementary.

He also spent several others inside Richland School District One. "According to information provided by the Office of Research, Power School records indicate that Dylann attended Rosewood in the fifth grade, Hand in the 6th and 7th grades and Dreher from March 1 – May 29, 2010," district spokeswoman Edith Caudle said.

Roof's last known address is a home on Garners Ferry Road in Eastover.

When WIS attempted to speak with Roof's father at a Columbia house, he refused. According to a law enforcement official, SLED had been at that home for several hours on Thursday.

The shooting, which law enforcement has classified as a hate crime, took place at Emanuel AME Church on Calhoun Street in downtown Charleston around 9:00 p.m.

Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen said officers arrived to find eight people dead inside the church. A ninth victim was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Click/tap here to see images from the shooting scene

According to officials, the shooting occurred during a prayer meeting at the church.

The shooter stayed at the church for about an hour before shooting six women and three men, including the church's pastor state Sen. Clementa Pinckney.

Early Thursday morning, authorities released several surveillance images of Roof and his vehicle.

Copyright 2015 WIS. All rights reserved. WBTV contributed to this report.

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Church shooting suspect locked up at Charleston Co. detention center

The 21-year-old man accused of shooting nine people at a historic downtown Charleston church has been locked up at the Al Cannon Detention Center following his extradition from North Carolina. 

Charleston County Sheriff's Office officials said Roof will be held in isolation at the center.

Roof is expected to have a bond hearing on Friday, and will be charged with nine counts of murder.

Attorneys say Dylann Roof waived extradition in a Cleveland County courtroom in North Carolina early Thursday afternoon. Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen said Roof was taken into custody just after 11 a.m. following a traffic stop in Shelby, North Carolina.

On Thursday afternoon, the Charleston County Coroner's Office identified the nine people who were killed at a shooting at the Emanuel AME Church.

Coroner Rae Wooten said the following died from Wednesday night's shooting: 54-year-old Cynthia Hurd, 87-year-old Susie Jackson, 70-year-old Ethel Lance, 49-year-old Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 41-year-old Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 26-year-old Tywanza Sanders, 74-year-old Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr. (who died at MUSC), 45-year-old Sharonda Singleton and 59-year-old Myra Thompson.

Roof from Lexington, South Carolina was wanted for the murder of nine people at Emanuel AME Church. Authorities identified Roof as the shooting suspect Thursday morning. He was described as a white male, 21 years old, slender/small build, gray sweat shirt, blue jeans and clean shaven, and believed to be driving a dark in color Hyundai Elantra with vehicle tag LGF330.

Public records show Roof was most recently arrested in March in Lexington County on drug charges.

According to police, nine people were killed after shots were fired during a prayer meeting inside Emanuel AME Church on Calhoun Street around 9:05 p.m. Chief Mullen said officers arrived to find eight people dead inside the church. A ninth victim died later at a nearby hospital.

Three people survived the attack, Mullen said. 

Mullen said Roof sat through an hour-long bible study before he began shooting church members. He then fled the scene. 

Charleston Police released surveillance photos of the suspectduring a 6 a.m. news conference. He was later identified by authorities shortly after 10 a.m. 

Mullen said the shooting occurred during a prayer meeting at the church. 

"We woke up today and the heart and soul of South Carolina was broken and so we are grieving and we have some pain we have to go through," said Gov. Nikki Haley on Thursday. "Parents are having to explain to their kids how they can go to church and feel safe and that's not something we ever thought we would deal with. Having said that we are a strong and faithful state. We love our state, we love our country and most of all we love each other."

WATCH: Live 5 News continuing coverage

The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime, Mullen said.

"This is clearly a tragedy in the City of Charleston," Mullen said."We are all praying and our hearts go out to the victims and their families as well as this entire community...When officers arrived they found a number of victims inside and we had also individuals who were transported to the MUSC emergency trauma center. As the investigation continued we were able to determine that there were eight deceased individuals inside of the church."

According to Mullen, one victim was transported to MUSC where they later died.

"We have investigators that are out tracking, leads are coming in and we will continue to do that until we find this individual who carried out this crime tonight and bring him to justice," Mullen said Wednesday night. "This is a tragedy that no community should have to experience. It is senseless, it is unfathomable that somebody in today's society would walk into a church when people are having a prayer meeting and take their lives."

"This is a most unspeakable and heartbreaking tragedy," said Mayor Joe Riley. "People in prayer on Wednesday evening. A ritual of coming together, praying and worshiping God, and to have an awful person come in and shoot them is inexplicable. Obviously, the most intolerable and unbelievable act possible."

SLIDESHOW: Shooting reported at downtown Charleston church

"The only reason someone could walk into a church and shoot people praying is out of hate, the only reason," Riley said. "It is the most dastardly act that one can possibly imagine, and we will bring that person to justice as soon as possible."

A helicopter assisted law enforcement on the scene. Witnesses reported a big police presence was seen at the Emanuel AME Church on Calhoun Street. The FBI and the Chaplain service are also on the scene. 

"We have all the resources that are available to us, not only locally but from the state as well as federal agencies," Mullen said. "We have resources that are being flown in right now from Washington, D.C. that will help us not only track leads but also work this investigation. And I can say that we will put all effort, we will put all resources and all of our energy in finding the individual who committed this crime tonight."

"The message to the community is that this is an opportunity for us all to unite because of a significant tragedy that has occurred," Mullen said.

Mullen said he can understand the anger and upset throughout the community, but he urged calm and unity to pray for the families and help police track down the person responsible.

"And what we need is for the community to look at this and say, 'We have had enough of this violence, and if we stand up together, we can stop this violence.' And that's what we need the community to do," he said. 

Cornell William Brooks, president and CEO of the NAACP, released a statement echoing those sentiments.

Brooks said while he is outraged over the hate crime, the NAACP is sending their prayers and condolences to the victims and their families.

Calhoun Street between Meeting Street and Anson Street, as well as Anson Street between Calhoun Street and George Street remain closed while police continue to investigate.

Man cleared following arrest on scene; Bomb threat called in

A man matching the suspect's description who was initially arrested at the scene has been released.

The man, identified as local photographer Austin Rich, says he was released after being questioned by police officers.

Around 11:30 p.m., police began pushing media and bystanders across Meeting Street after officers say a bomb threat was reported in the area of the crime scene. Officials announced Thursday at 12:45 a.m. the bomb threat had been called off.

Copyright 2015 WCSC. All rights reserved. 

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