News Roundup

Published for NC Criminal Law on October 09, 2020.

Yesterday afternoon, federal and state officials announced that 13 men had been arrested and charged with various criminal offenses arising from plots to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, kill law enforcement officers, and attack the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.  Many of those arrested were affiliated with a group known as the Wolverine Watchmen that has been described as an extremist private militia.  Six men are facing federal kidnapping conspiracy charges and six others have been charged with a Michigan state terrorism offense.  The federal criminal complaint is available here.  Keep reading for more news. Asheville.  Last month the News Roundup noted an Asheville Citizen-Times report that about 13% of the Asheville Police Department had resigned since June.  WLOS has a pair of stories this week that provide more context for the departures.  In one, former Asheville Police Sergeant James French attributed the resignations to community members viewing officers in a negative light after recent protests against disparate policing in the city and around the country.  French also said that officers did not feel supported by elected city leaders. In the other story, City Manager Debra Campbell said that the city is concerned and dismayed by the number of departures but noted that it is a trend that other communities across the country are seeing.  Campbell said that Asheville officers are appreciated and respected, and said that efforts to reimagine how the city responds to certain emergency or public safety situations shouldn’t be viewed as a withdrawal of support for police. [...]