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Bodies of Arizona firefighters recovered

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 19:20:00 +0000

YARNELL, Ariz. (AP) — As the windblown blaze suddenly swept toward them, an elite crew of firefighting "hotshots" desperately rushed to break out their emergency shelters and take cover on the ground under the foil-lined fabric.

By the time the flames had passed, 19 men lay dead in the nation's biggest loss of firefighters in a wildfire in 80 years.

The tragedy Sunday evening all but wiped out the 20-member Granite Mountain Hotshots, a unit based in the small town of Prescott, Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said as the last of the bodies were retrieved from the mountain. Only one member survived, and that was because he was moving the unit's truck at the time, authorities said.

The deaths plunged the town into mourning, and Arizona's governor called it "as dark a day I can remember" and ordered flags flown at half-staff.

"We are heartbroken about what happened," President Barack Obama said while on a visit to Africa. He predicted the tragedy will force government leaders to answer broader questions about how they handle increasingly destructive and deadly wildfires.

Arizona tragedy: 19 firefighters killed in out-of-control wildfire

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 08:09:00 +0000

Gusty, hot winds blew an Arizona blaze out of control Sunday in a forest northwest of Phoenix, overtaking and killing 19 members of an elite fire crew in the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. for at least 30 years.

The "hotshot" firefighters were forced to deploy their emergency fire shelters - tent-like structures meant to shield firefighters from flames and heat - when they were caught near the central Arizona town of Yarnell, state forestry spokesman Art Morrison told The Associated Press.

The fire also destroyed an estimated 200 homes, Morrison said. Dry grass near the communities of Yarnell and Glen Isla fed the fast-moving blaze, which was whipped up by wind and raced through the homes, he said.

The fire still burned late Sunday, with flames lighting up the night sky in the forest above Yarnell, a town of about 700 residents about 85 miles northwest of Phoenix. Most people had evacuated from the town, and no injuries or other deaths were reported.

The fire started after a lightning strike on Friday and spread to at least 2,000 acres on Sunday amid triple-digit temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions.

Arpaio to return to work after suffering injury

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:53:00 +0000

PHOENIX (AP) — The sheriff for metropolitan Phoenix plans to return to work Monday after spending more than two weeks recuperating from a broken shoulder suffered when he fell while crossing a street on his wThay to lunch.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told The Associated Press that he remains in pain from the Feb. 28 injury, but is eager to return to work after spending about two days in a hospital and then two weeks at his Fountain Hills, Ariz., home.

"I am raring to go," Arpaio said in a phone interview Thursday. "I don't like staying home."

The 80-year-old sheriff said he tripped on a sidewalk near his headquarters on his way to a restaurant to get a quick bowl of soup. He fell on his shoulder, breaking it in two places. He said he came close to hitting his head on a curb, but was fortunate to walk away with no other injuries, besides a few scrapes.

"I am angry at myself. When you look at everything I have been through," he said, giggling, "and I get incapacitated by a sidewalk."

He said he was on light work duty during his two weeks of recovery at home, taking calls from staff members and dispensing with paperwork. His top aide continued leading the agency's day-to-day operations as he normally does.

Gabrielle Gifford’s shooter to be sentenced Thursday

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:44:00 +0000

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- The man who pleaded guilty in the Arizona shooting rampage will be sentenced Thursday for the attack that left six people dead and wounded former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others.

The sentencing hearing will mark the first time that victims will confront Jared Lee Loughner in court about the January 2011 shooting at a Giffords political event outside a grocery store in Tucson, Ariz.

Prosecutors say an unspecified number of victims will comment before U.S. District Judge Larry Burns sentences Loughner, though it's unknown whether Giffords or her husband plan to attend or have a statement read on their behalf. Three shooting victims have told The Associated Press that they intend to comment at the hearing.

The 24-year-old had pleaded guilty three months ago to 19 federal charges under an agreement that guarantees he will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. The deal calls for the dismissal of 30 other charges and a sentence of seven consecutive life terms, followed by 140 years in prison.

Both sides reached the deal after a judge declared that Loughner was able to understand the charges against him. After the shooting, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and underwent forcible psychotropic drug treatments.

Ariz. shooting spree suspect incompetent for trial

Wed, 25 May 2011 19:47:47 +0000

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the suspect in the Tucson shooting rampage that wounded U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is mentally incompetent to stand trial, putting the criminal case against him on hold indefinitely.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns means Jared Lee Loughner, 21, will be sent to a federal facility for up to four months in a bid to restore his competency.

Loughner, dressed in a khaki prison suit and sporting bushy, reddish sideburns, was removed from the hearing after an outburst and had to watch part of the proceeding on a TV screen in another room. Burns had Loughner escorted from the courtroom after Loughner lowered his head and said what sounded like: "Thank you for the freak show. She died in front of me." His head was inches from the table in front of him.

Loughner was later brought back into the courtroom, and the judged told him he had a right to watch the hearing. Burns asked Loughner if he wanted to stay in the courtroom and behave or view the proceeding on a screen in another room.

Loughner responded: "I want to watch the TV screen."

Jared Loughner indicted on 49 charges

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:40:00 +0000

The suspect in the Tucson shootings that critically wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was charged on new counts that include the murders of a federal judge and a congressional aide, according to an indictment released Friday.

A federal grand jury returned the 49-count indictment Thursday, charging Jared Lee Loughner in the deaths stemming from a Jan. 8 shooting at a political event held by Giffords outside a grocery store.

The latest indictment charged the 22-year-old Tucson man with murder in the deaths of U.S. District Judge John Roll and Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman. Loughner also faces new charges of causing death to or injuring participants at a federally provided activity.

Loughner had pleaded not guilty to earlier federal charges of trying to assassinate Giffords and kill two of her aides.

His attorney, Judy Clarke, didn't immediately return a call and e-mail left at her office Friday.

Federal prosecutors haven't yet said whether they will seek the death penalty against Loughner. But legal experts believe it's a virtual certainty.

In all, 13 people were wounded and another six people, including a 9-year-old girl, died in the attack.

Jared Loughner pleads not guilty in deadly Arizona massacre

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:14:00 +0000

Wearing his characteristicly creepy grin, the man accused of carrying out the mass shooting in Tucson pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he tried to kill Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and two of her aides.

The plea by Jared Lee Loughner marked his second court appearance since he allegedly shot the congresswoman and 18 others at Giffords' meet-and-greet event on Jan. 8 outside a grocery store in Tucson. Six people died, and 13 others were wounded.

Loughner faces federal charges of trying to assassinate Giffords and attempting to murder two of her aides. He will later face state charges dealing with other victims.

U.S. District Judge Larry Burns of San Diego asked Loughner attorney Judy Clarke whether there was any question about her client's abilities to understand the case against him.

"We are not raising any issues at this time," Clarke said.

Investigators have said Loughner was mentally disturbed and acting increasingly erratic in the weeks leading up to the shooting. If he pleads not guilty by reason insanity and is successful, he could avoid the death penalty and be sent to a mental health facility instead of prison.

Jared Loughner appears in federal court

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:53:00 +0000

The suspect in a deadly Arizona shooting is in a federal courtroom facing charges of attempting to assasinate a congresswoman.

Jared Loughner entered the courtroom handcuffed and wearing an inmate uniform. His head is shaved and he has a cut on his right temple.

As he walked in, he looked straight at the crowd. His lawyer, a woman, whispered to him.

The 22-year-old is accused of killing six people on Saturday -- including a federal judge -- and injuring 14 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Jared Loughner being held without bail

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:41:00 +0000

The suspect in a deadly Arizona shooting is being held without bail and has been assigned a lawyer who defended Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Timothy McVeigh.

Jared Loughner entered a Phoenix courtroom Monday handcuffed and wearing a tan inmate uniform. His head is shaved and he has a cut on his right temple.

The 22-year-old is accused of killing six people on Saturday and injuring 14 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

His expression was impassive as he walked in, looked straight at the crowd at the back of the room packed with reporters, then turned around to speak to his attorney, Judy Clarke. He responded "yes" when asked if he understood his rights.

The courtroom was under heavy guard with about a dozen U.S. marshals.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

PHOENIX (AP) -- The suspect in a deadly Arizona shooting is being held without bail and has been assigned a lawyer who defended Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Timothy McVeigh.

Judge blocks parts of Arizona immigration law

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:22:00 +0000

A judge has blocked the most controversial sections of Arizona's new immigration law from taking effect Thursday, handing a major legal victory to opponents of the crackdown.

The law will still take effect Thursday, but without many of the provisions that angered opponents -- including sections that required officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws. The judge also put on hold a part of the law that required immigrants to carry their papers at all times, and made it illegal for undocumented workers to solicit employment in public places.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton put those controversial sections on hold until the courts resolve the issues.

Opponents say the law will lead to racial profiling and is trumped by federal immigration law.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Judge hears arguments on Arizona immigration law

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:31:00 +0000

A judge held two hearings in a courtroom packed with spectators and top Arizona officials Thursday on whether the state's new immigration law should take effect amid a flurry of legal challenges against the crackdown.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer attended the second hearing, as did the U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Dennis burke.

Judge Susan Bolton did not issue a ruling at the end of the first hearing. The afternoon hearing focused on the U.S. Justice Department requesting a preliminary injunction blocking key sections of the law from taking effect next week.

During the morning hearing, Bolton told lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union that she's required to consider blocking only parts of the law, not the entire statute as they had requested. She said the law has a section allowing parts to still take effect even if other parts are struck down.

ACLU attorney Omar Jadwat said the law's provisions are supposed to work together to achieve a goal of prodding illegal immigrants to leave the state. He called it unconstitutional and dangerous.

Most of the controversy about the law centers on provisions related to stops and arrests of people, new crimes related to illegal immigrants, and a requirement that immigrants carry and produce their immigration papers.

Arizona immigration law gets first major court hearing

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:20:00 +0000

A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday over whether Arizona's new immigration crackdown should take effect later this month, marking the first major hearing in one of seven challenges to the strict law.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also will consider arguments over Gov. Jan Brewer's request to dismiss the challenge filed by Phoenix police Officer David Salgado and the statewide nonprofit group Chicanos Por La Causa.

The judge said last week she wasn't making any promises on whether she will rule on the officer's request to block enforcement of the law before it takes effect July 29.

The law requires police, while enforcing other laws, to question a person's immigration status if officers have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally. It also makes it a state crime for immigrants to not carry immigration documents.

Supporters say the law was needed because the federal government hasn't adequately confronted illegal immigration in Arizona, the busiest illegal gateway for immigrants into the United States. Opponents say the law would lead to racial profiling and distract from police officers' traditional roles in combating crimes in their communities.

Obama to send 1,200 troops to Mexico border

Tue, 25 May 2010 20:07:00 +0000

President Barack Obama will send 1,200 National Guard troops to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border, an administration official and an Arizona congresswoman said Tuesday, pre-empting Republican plans to try to force votes on such a deployment.

Obama will also request $500 million for border protection and law enforcement activities, they said.

The National Guard troops will work on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support, analysis and training, and support efforts blocking drug trafficking. The troops will temporarily supplement border patrol agents until Customs and Border Patrol can recruit and train additional officers and agents to serve on the border, the administration official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of a public announcement, disclosed the plans shortly after Obama met at the Capitol with Republican senators who pressed him on immigration issues including the question of sending Guard troops to the border.

Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl have been urging such a move and Republicans planned to try to attach it as an amendment to a pending war spending bill.