CALIFORNIA
LA settles manhunt lawsuit
The city of Los Angeles reached a $4.2 million settlement with a mother and daughter who were injured when police mistakenly opened fire on them while they were delivering newspapers during the manhunt for disgruntled ex-cop Christopher Dorner, officials said Tuesday. The money will be split evenly, with $2.1 million going to each woman, said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the city attorney’s office. The agreement must still be approved by the Los Angeles City Council.
VIRGINIA
Four accused in hazing deaths
Police arrested three men and sought a fourth Tuesday after two Virginia State University freshmen were swept away while trying to cross a swift, rain-swollen river as part of an initiation rite. The body of one freshman, identified as Marvell Edmonson, 19, of Portsmouth, was recovered Monday. The search continued Tuesday for the second, Jauwan M. Holmes, 19, of Newport News. The four suspects are connected to an organization known as “Men of Honor” that conducted an initiation Saturday that required seven male VSU students to walk through the rushing rapids of the Appomattox River, police said. While some were pulled to safety, two were swept away.
UTAH
Female teacher accused of rape
A Utah woman who taught and coached girls’ basketball at a high school is accused of raping a female student. Courtney Louise Jarrell, 22, had sexual encounters at her home with a 17-year-old girl who attends Riverton High School, where Jarrell taught math and coached the sophomore girls’ basketball team, prosecutors said. Jarrell was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with rape and forcible sexual abuse. Jordan School District spokeswoman Sandy Riesgraf said Jarrell resigned from the school Friday.
MINNESOTA
Schools get bulletproof whiteboards
A Minnesota school district where two students were killed in a 2003 shooting unveiled a new device Tuesday aimed at adding a last-ditch layer of safety for teachers and students: bulletproof whiteboards. The Rocori School District has acquired nearly 200 of the whiteboards, made of a material touted by its manufacturer as stronger than that in police-issue bulletproof vests. The 18-by-20-inch whiteboards can be used by teachers for instruction and used as a shield in an emergency.
CALIFORNIA
Woman sentenced in funeral scam
A 70-year-old woman was sentenced Tuesday to 1½ years in prison and ordered to pay more than $315,000 in restitution for defrauding insurers by faking deaths and staging sham funerals while she worked at a Los Angeles mortuary. Jean Crump, 70, was one of several people involved in the elaborate scheme to bilk insurance companies out of $1.2 million, authorities said. The group prepared bogus death certificates for at least two fictitious people, bought a burial plot, and in one instance buried a casket in a phony funeral, authorities said.
WASHINGTON
Soldier’s defense seeks new expert
Attorneys for the U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians during a 2012 rampage have asked that a new psychiatric expert be appointed in the case. Emma Scanlan, an attorney for Robert Bales, made the request during a hearing Tuesday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Seattle. Citing attorney-client privilege, Scanlan did not say why the request was made. The defense team provided its reasons to the judge — but not prosecutors — in a confidential court filing.
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