What You Need to Know
By Jullian Aiden Bravo
@Mr_Reporter_
1. Supervised Heroin Sites:
In an attempt to reduce rampant heroin use in the Seattle area, a task force is recommending the creation of heroin sites where heroin addicts can use heroin under medical supervision. The task force is also recommending the expansion of drug treatment and prevention programs as well as increasing access to Naloxone—an overdose-prevention drug—and undoing laws that limit the number of patients at methadone clinics. In 2015, the number of heroin-related deaths in King County, Seattle was 132—less than 156 deaths in 2014 yet higher than the 99 heroin-related deaths in 2013. King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray support the creation of supervised heroin sites. If established, these sites would be a first for the U.S.
“If it’s a strategy that saves lives,” Constantine said at a news conference, “Then regardless of the political discomfort I think it is something we have to move forward.”
- Source: Seattle Times
2. Civilian killed, Officer Hurt During Charlotte Protests:
A civilian was shot during a night of protests in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sep. 21. According to the city, the event was a civilian on civilian shooting. The civilian was taken to a hospital and placed on life support but later died Sep. 22. One officer was injured and taken to a hospital—his condition is unknown. The protests came after the fatal police-involved shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. Scott, a black man, was reading a book as he waited for his son to come from school when a police officer shot him, according to his family. Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney said Scott was armed before being shot by a black officer who told Scott to drop the gun, which was found at the scene. Protests soon followed prompting Gov. Pat McCrory to declare a state of emergency.
- Source: CNN, The Associated Press (AP)
3. Trump on 'Stop and Frisk' Policing:
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump embraced 'stop and frisk' methods Sep. 21 at a predominately black church. His statement is in response to a question a listener asked regarding crime in black communities. 'Stop and Frisk' policing is a contentious method as it gives police the authority to stop, search and question pedestrians for weapons or contraband. The method gained traction in New York but criticism has led to a reduction in practice. Protests have also sparked in New York after the use of such methods as they tend to single out minorities.
- Source: Reuters
4. Heavy Airstrikes In Aleppo, Syria:
The once thriving and bustling city of Aleppo—now a divided battlefield between U.S. backed rebels and Russian backed Syrian forces—crumbles as airstrikes pound buildings and massacre civilians. In the northern district, at least 13 people were killed in the worst airstrike in months. Skirmishes also broke-out in the southern district where rebels and government forces are fighting for control. There have been attempts to bring humanitarian aid to the millions of civilians stuck between the restless violence. However, no convoy has yet reached the war-battered city.
- Sources: BBC News