Police-killing protests flare in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS -- Protests over the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown migrated to St. Louis on Tuesday as demonstrators continue to press for broader changes to local and federal law enforcement.
About 100 protesters marched Tuesday from St. Louis City Hall to the downtown federal courthouse several blocks away. They were calling attention not only to Brown's death but also to the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Kajieme Powell by St. Louis police 10 days later.
The demonstrators want amnesty for protesters arrested by St. Louis police since Brown's Aug. 9 shooting by Ferguson officer Darren Wilson. The St. Louis police force was among many local departments summoned for crowd control.
Protesters also called for creation of a civilian review board to monitor St. Louis police shootings and other uses of force.
Perry: Kitty, not state, to pay legal tab
MIDLAND, Texas -- Indicted Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday that he believes taxpayers should have picked up his legal tab but opted to use campaign funds "to keep from having folks grouse about it."
The possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate told reporters in Midland that he had considered it appropriate for state funds to pay his legal fees because a criminal investigation dealt with his official duties as governor.
Perry has pleaded innocent to two felony charges of abuse of power. At least $80,000 in taxpayer dollars have been spent on his defense so far. Perry said Tuesday that he hadn't yet decided if that money would also come from his campaign funds.
After fielding questions over who would pay for a new team of high-powered attorneys, Perry announced last week that campaign funds would start paying the bill.
He is charged with abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public servant, both felonies. If convicted, Perry could face up to 109 years in prison.
Mexican leader hears 'Free our Marine'
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto met Tuesday with lawmakers and swapped praise with Gov. Jerry Brown, but not all legislators rolled out the welcome mat at a luncheon held on the final day of his visit to California.
About 150 people, many waving American flags or holding signs, rallied across the street from the historic Stanford Mansion to call for the release of a Marine who is being detained in Mexico.
At least three Republican lawmakers rejected the lunch invitation from Brown as a way to protest Mexico's incarceration of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, who has been held since April after crossing the border with weapons.
A total of 19 Assembly Republicans who planned to attend the lunch signed a letter to Pena Nieto demanding the release of the Marine.
While the demonstrators were kept across the street from the mansion, their chants of "Free our Marine" could be heard at the outdoor wine-and-appetizers reception that was being held for Pena Nieto. The governor, president and lawmakers then dined under an outdoor tent on smoked chicken, locally grown tomatoes and squash, and wine from Napa Valley vineyards.
Rights inquiry sought in store shooting
CINCINNATI -- An attorney for the family of a man fatally shot by police while holding an air rifle inside a Wal-Mart called on the U.S. Justice Department to open a civil-rights investigation and assess whether the shooting was justified and whether race played a factor.
The attorney, Michael Wright, and the family of 21-year-old John Crawford III criticized Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's handling of the case and his announcement Tuesday that a veteran Ohio prosecutor is leading the investigation and would present evidence to a special grand jury on Sept. 22.
Crawford, who was black, was fatally shot on Aug. 5 at a Wal-Mart in the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek. The two officers involved are white.
Beavercreek police have said the shooting was justified because Crawford was waving the air rifle at customers and refused their commands to drop it.
Wright said that Crawford was innocently holding an air rifle that was for sale in the store while talking on the phone, "doing nothing more or less than shopping."
-- COMPILED BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS
A Section on 08/27/2014