News Roundup

Stops are down but traffic fatalities are up. According to this article from The New York Times, local law enforcement data collected from cities across the county reflects a decline in the number of traffic stops police are making since before the pandemic. Data from the 30 largest U.S. cities reveals a rise in road deaths over the same time span. The writers suggest that the correlation indicates police have responded to the pandemic and the recent police reform movement by declining to confront reckless drivers. Recent deaths on North Carolina roads reflect this trend. The Gaston Gazette reports that Herman “Dennis” Kiser, 68, was killed last Saturday when a tow truck attempted to pass his tractor on a rural road. Scottie Brooks, the driver of the tow truck, has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle. The Charlotte Observer reports that a street race between teenage drivers on Sunday morning resulted in the death of Robert Birch, 81, who was making a U-turn. Both teenagers have been charged as adults with felony hit-and-run, street racing, and no operator’s license. Read on for more criminal law news. Flown the Coop. A raid by law enforcement on a rural property in Granville County not far from Wake Forest interrupted a weekend cockfight, according to this story from The News & Observer. The fights were scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and featured a $50,000 grand prize. Around 2:00 p.m., acting on an anonymous tip, deputies swarmed the property located at [...]