Five officers facing internal discipline by the Baltimore Police Department in connection with the arrest and death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray in 2015 will have public departmental trials this fall and winter, according to the online trial board schedule and a police union attorney.

Three of them face termination — the most severe punishment now possible locally after city prosecutors failed to secure a single criminal conviction in the case. Officials have not announced findings in a separate federal investigation into Gray's death.

The administrative trial of Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., the driver of the police van in which prosecutors said Gray suffered his fatal neck injuries, is scheduled for Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.

Lt. Brian Rice’s trial is Nov. 13-17; Sgt. Alicia White’s is Dec. 5-11; Officer Garrett Miller’s is Dec. 18-19; and Officer Edward Nero’s is Dec. 20-21. The officers will attend their hearings.

The department’s online schedule lists the trials, but not the officers’ names. Michael Davey, an attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, confirmed the schedule. He otherwise declined to comment.

The specifics of the internal charges are not clear. Davey has previously said the officers are charged with “violations of policy and procedure,” but declined to elaborate.

By law, officers who are charged with internal infractions can accept recommended punishments or contest the charges before a trial board. All five chose trial boards.

The panels, which consist of three police officers, can acquit the officers or uphold the charges. If the charges are upheld, Police Commissioner Kevin Davis would determine the officers’ punishments.

A new state law made trial boards open to the public, but their outcomes remain secret. The trials will be held at City Hall, according to the online schedule.

Davis said Monday that a review of the officers’ actions by two outside police agencies found the officers had committed “several violations” of departmental policies. The discipline trials will provide them “the opportunity to address those findings,” he said.

He otherwise declined to comment. It was not clear who in the department would be leading the proceedings.

William H. “Billy” Murphy, the Gray family attorney, declined to comment.

Tessa Hill-Aston, president of the Baltimore branch of the NAACP, said she is glad the officers are facing discipline.

“The bottom line, like I’ve always said, is that Freddie is dead, and at the hands of the Police Department,” she said. “Someone should be held accountable, and if they couldn’t be held accountable in the court system, they should be held accountable internally.”

In Baltimore and across the country, Hill-Aston said, “we have to let the community see that when police do bad things and do not perform their jobs well, that there are some repercussions.”

The Baltimore Sun first reported in May that the five officers faced internal charges — and that Goodson, Rice and White face firing — after investigators from the Montgomery and Howard County police departments finished their review of the case. Nero and Miller, who made the initial arrest of Gray, face five days suspension without pay.

The Baltimore Police Department had asked the county police departments to conduct the internal investigation to avoid a conflict of interest.

Gray’s death in April 2015 sparked widespread protests in Baltimore, and rioting, looting and arson broke out on the day of his funeral. Millions of dollars in damage occurred in the city, which was put under a weeklong nightly curfew amid the unrest.

The five officers and a sixth were charged criminally in the case, with offenses ranging from misconduct to manslaughter and second-degree murder. All pleaded not guilty and none was convicted. Goodson, Rice and Nero were each acquitted in bench trials. Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby dropped the charges against White, Miller and the sixth officer, William Porter.

Porter had previously gone to trial, which ended with a hung jury and a mistrial.

Porter is not facing any internal discipline based on the findings of the investigation by the two county police agencies.

The police union previously denounced the department’s decision to bring internal charges against the officers and hold trial boards, saying the internal cases will “do nothing more than perpetuate a police force hesitant to exercise judgment when interacting with the public.”

The scheduled duration of the officers’ upcoming trials is unusual. Most trial board proceedings do not last more than one day. However, the cases against the officers charged in Gray’s arrest and death involve huge amounts of evidence, in part because they were tried in criminal court first.

Police reform advocates in the city have long pushed to put civilians on trial boards, but the local police union has rejected that idea and state law prohibits the city from putting civilians on the boards without the union’s consent.

City officials, including Davis and Mayor Catherine Pugh, have said they are pushing for the placement of civilians on the boards as part of the their ongoing contract negotiations with the union.

The officers’ administrative trials follow an investigation into the Baltimore Police Department by the U.S. Department of Justice, launched after Gray’s death and the subsequent unrest. The federal investigation concluded there has been widespread unconstitutional and discriminatory policing within the department. The city is now under a consent decree with the Justice Department mandating sweeping reforms.

On the day of Gray’s funeral and the start of the rioting in Baltimore in April 2015, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced a federal investigation by the Justice Department and the FBI into Gray’s death to determine whether his federal civil rights had been violated. The Justice Department on Monday declined to provide an update on the status of that investigation.

Mayor: St. Louis 'on edge' awaiting police shooting verdict

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The mayor of St. Louis says the city is "on edge" as it awaits a verdict in the first-degree murder trial of former police officer Jason Stockley, in part because of a troubled history of justice in St. Louis and nationwide.

Stockley is accused of fatally shooting Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. The case was heard last month, but it's unclear when Judge Timothy Wilson will issue a verdict.

Activists have threatened civil disobedience if Stockley, who is white, is acquitted in the death of Smith, who was black.

"We're all on edge because we have watched, in this country and in our region, that legal decisions can and do result in families and sometimes entire communities being left without a sense of justice," Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a statement and video. "That can and has resulted in protests and demonstrations."

The St. Louis region was in the spotlight in 2014 when 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed, was fatally shot by white officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting and a grand jury's decision not to indict Wilson led to months of racially charged protests.

"The worry and anxiety we are feeling today is not without cause, and it did not start with Ferguson," Krewson said. "It has its roots in the story of our country. I hope we will all learn more about the laws and policies that closed the doors for some, while leaving them open for others."

Stockley and his partner saw Smith involved in what they thought was a drug transaction at a fast-food parking lot in December 2011. Smith sped away, nearly striking the officers. After a chase, Stockley shot Smith while Smith was still in his car.

Stockley testified that Smith had a gun, but prosecutors alleged that Stockley planted the weapon found in the car. They also cited dashboard camera video in which Stockley threatened to kill Smith less than a minute before doing so.

Krewson, 64, who is white, was elected earlier this year in part because three black Democratic rivals split the African-American vote. She has pledged to help ease the racial divide in St. Louis. The city has a nearly evenly split population of blacks and whites among its 316,000 residents.

Shortly after her election, Krewson created a position of director of racial equity and priority initiatives. She hired Nicole Hudson, who was previously active in reform efforts in Ferguson.

Cops: College guard shot self on campus, blamed "black man"

ST. PAUL -- Police in Minnesota say a campus security guard who claimed he had been shot by a "black man in a hoodie" actually shot himself, reports CBS affiliate WCCO.

Police said they arrested 25-year-old Brent Patrick Ahlers after he admitted he accidentally shot himself on duty Tuesday night at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.

Ahlers had previously said he was shot in the shoulder by a person he confronted in a wooded area on campus, according to WCCO. The report led to a campus-wide lockdown, and dozens of officers went building-to-building searching for the "suspect."

St. Paul Police say Ahlers eventually confessed to making up the story because he brought his gun to campus and was afraid he would lose his job. Firearms are prohibited on campus.

Ahlers is facing a misdemeanor charge of falsely reporting a crime.

St. Paul Police officer Mike Ernester said the false shooting report led to heightened concerns on campus.

"It had basically 1,800 students held captive in their dorm rooms," Ernester said. "It had residents of the community fearful that a suspect was on the loose and they could be victimized at any moment."

University president Becky Roloff said the suspect worked at the college for 15 months and had no previous reports of misconduct. She added that "while we are distressed and saddened that this incident occurred, we are relieved that no other members of the community were injured."

When asked about what Trump said, Mayweather told Hollywood Unlocked, via Chris Yuscavage of Complex.com (Warning: Link contains explicit language):

"People don't like the truth... He speak like a real man spoke. Real men speak like, 'Man, she had a fat ass. You see her ass? I had to squeeze her ass. I had to grab that fat ass.' Right? So he talking locker room talk. Locker room talk. 'I'm the man, you know what I'm saying? You know who I am. Yeah, I grabbed her by the p---y. And?'"

Mayweather and Trump are at least acquaintances after the undefeated boxing champion visited the then-president elect Nov. 16, eight days after Trump had been elected.

In the interview, Mayweather also said he attended Trump's inauguration Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.

"I just wanted to say I did it one time in my life," Mayweather said of the inauguration, per Yuscavage. "It didn't matter who the president was. I just wanted to go to be a part of it, to see how it is."

Trump has attended several Mayweather fights, including his 2015 bout against Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas

According to Randell Minott A police officer pulled him over for a signal violation. He mentions that the officer stopped him for the violation even though nobody was behind him to warn with the signal. Minott states the violation is not the issue he has with the officer but rather the officer walked up to his car window with his gun drawn.

A man stabbed his girlfriend to death in Alexandria, Virginia, early Thursday, according to police, and her friends say she had been trying to leave him and he lashed out.
Dasheria Barksdale, 30, died after Melvin Williams, 23, stabbed her in an apartment on the 900 block of N. Henry Street in North Old Town, the Alexandria Police Department said. A friend who tried to help Barksdale also was stabbed and was in critical condition.
"He was saying, 'I told you, it's 'til death do us part, it's 'til death do us part. I told you I'm gonna kill you,'" a second friend, Shakiylah Edwards, told News4 about the horrific attack she also tried to stop.
Police have not yet spoken about a motive in the crime.

Fairfax County, Virginia, is sprawling but has only two domestic violence shelters. Bethany House of Northern Virginia sheltered 43 women and 57 children last year, but they got calls for help for more than 300 people. "To be able to say yes to even two or three more families would make a world of a difference for a mom who is trying to flee," the organization's executive director told News4's Julie Carey.

Williams turned the knife on himself, and he also was in critical condition, police said.
Edwards sobbed as she spoke about her desperate attempts to get her friend out of a room she said Williams pulled Barksdale into.
"I was trying to pull her out, but every time I pulled, he would stab. So, I just had to leave her," Edwards said, in apparent shock.

Barksdale had been trying to break things off with her longtime boyfriend, her friends said. But he returned to the apartment last night and put a knife to the young woman's throat.
"She did leave him, and he came back and killed her," Edwards said.
Edwards' brother, Darrell Edwards, tried to intervene.
"The door slammed and half of us are shut out, half of us are shut in, and we just heard screaming," Shakiylah Edwards said.

Williams had a cloth soaked in lighter fluid that he threatened to light, she said.
"I don't know where I found the strength. I bust through the door and all I see is my brother jumping out the window, because apparently he had been stabbed by Melvin," Shakiylah Edwards continued.
When police arrived after a call about 1:30 a.m., they found Darrell Edwards on the ground beneath the second-floor window from which he had jumped.
Barksdale was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Darrell Edwards underwent surgery, but his sister said she believed he would pull through.
Williams is in a hospital and is in police custody.
Williams is well-known in the apartment complex. People who know him said he previously acted violently. On Tuesday, he threw Barksdale's kitten and two ferrets out of a window, her friends said. The kitten had to have a leg amputed, and one ferret ran off. Barksdale's friends questioned why he wasn't arrested or jailed then.
Outside the homes Thursday afternoon, Barksdale's friends mourned the sudden loss.
"She was a beautiful person and had a beautiful smile. She will be missed," friend Jerry Blake said.
"She was so sweet. She didn't deserve it. She just wanted some peace," Shakiylah Edwards said.

Mike Epps is officially divorced from his wife of 12 years, Mechelle McCain Epps.

While Epps is walking away with 10 properties in Indiana as well as a 2016 Mercedes, 2015 Jeep Cherokee, ’79 Caddy and 2011 Suzuki chopper, his ex-wife is getting a generous settlement as well.

–Mike Epps’ wife says she’s blindsided by divorce: ‘I didn’t know we were separated’–

For the next six and a half years, Epps will be paying $25,000 per month in spousal support, though he does not have to keep paying that if she remarries. He also has to pay $15,000 per month for child support for their two kids in addition to paying for their private schooling. She will also get to keep a 2014 Bentley, 2013 Mercedes, 2015 Toyota Prius and a 2013 Land Rover.

They will be selling their family home and splitting the profits.

As for the kids, they have settled on joint custody and are working out the details of the physical custody of the children.

Trump expected to lift ban on military gear to local police forces

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration Monday lifted a controversial ban on the transfer of some surplus military equipment to police departments whose battlefield-style response to rioting in a St. Louis suburb three years ago prompted a halt to the program.

The new plan takes effect immediately and fully rolls back an Obama administration executive order that blocked armored vehicles, large-caliber weapons, ammunition and other heavy equipment from being re-purposed from foreign battlefields to America's streets.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who led the campaign for the program's reinstatement, outlined the President Trump's new executive order Monday in an address at the annual meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation's largest police union.

The administration's action, first disclosed by USA TODAY, would restore "the full scope of a longstanding program for recycling surplus, lifesaving gear from the Department of Defense, along with restoring the full scope of grants used to purchase this type of equipment from other sources,'' according to a administration summary of the new program recently circulated to some law enforcement groups.

"Assets that would otherwise be scrapped can be re-purposed to help state, local and tribal law enforcement better protect public safety and reduce crime."

The FOP and some other law enforcement groups have long been pressing for a reversal of the Obama administration policy, arguing that access to such equipment was needed, especially in cash-strapped communities, to better respond to local unrest.

Civil rights advocates, however, warned that the program's reinstatement threatened to inflame tensions in minority communities where such equipment has been deployed in the past.

"It is both exceptionally dangerous and irresponsible for the administration to lift the ban on the transfer of certain surplus military equipment to state and local law enforcement organizations,'' said Janai Nelson, associate director of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. "Just a few summers ago, our nation watched as Ferguson raised the specter of increased police militarization. The law enforcement response there and in too many places across the country demonstrated how perilous, especially for black and brown communities, a militarized police force can be.''

Nelson said the timing of the president's decision, against the backdrop of unrest in Charlottesville, Va., "reflects this administrations now open effort to escalate racial tensions in our country.''

Local access to the high-powered gear was put on national display in 2014 in Ferguson, Mo., where armored vehicles and heavily-armed police clashed with protesters for days following the police shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old black man by a white officer.

The deployment of such equipment, President Obama argued at the time, cast the police as an "occupying force,'' deepening a divide between law enforcement and a wary community.

"We've seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like they're an occupying force, as opposed to a force that's part of the community that's protecting them and serving them," Obama said in announcing the ban in 2015.

The military gear ban was among a host of policing reform recommendations to flow from a White House advisory group formed in the aftermath of the Ferguson rioting.

The Task Force on 21st Century Policing, chaired by former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and Laurie Robinson, a former assistant attorney general, called on law enforcement officials to "minimize the appearance of a military operation'' when policing mass demonstrations.

"Avoid using provocative tactics and equipment that undermine civilian trust," the task force urged.

The previously-banned equipment also included tracked armored vehicles, bayonets and grenade launchers.

The Obama order did allow for the limited use of other surplus — aircraft, wheeled tactical vehicles, mobile command units, battering rams and riot gear — on the condition that such equipment was approved by the federal government.

The surplus sharing agreement, also known as the "1033 program," was created by Congress nearly 30 years ago as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. It was originally intended to assist local law enforcement in drug investigations.

The program was expanded in 1997 to include all local law enforcement operations, including counter-terrorism. Since then, according to the government, more than $5 billion in gear has been transferred to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies.

"Much of the equipment provided through the 1033 program is entirely defensive in nature ... that protect officers in active shooter scenarios and other dangerous situations," the Trump administration proposal says.