Latest / Crime Stories with Nancy Grace / Iryna Zarutska's Alleged Killer  Deemed Incompetent For Trial | Crime Alert Saturday Update 04.11.26

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Iryna Zarutska's Alleged Killer  Deemed Incompetent For Trial | Crime Alert Saturday Update 04.11.26 · Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

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  Speaker 1: Crime Alart hourly update, breaking crime news Now.
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  Speaker 2: I'm Sidney Silvoni. A complex legal battle is unfolding over
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  Speaker 2: the death of a twenty three year old Ukrainian refugee
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  Speaker 2: in Charlotte. After a state court ruled the suspect incompetent
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  Speaker 2: to stand trial, federal prosecutors are stepping in to ensure
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  Speaker 2: the case does in stall indefinitely. On August twenty second,
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  Speaker 2: twenty twenty five, Irena Zarutska was traveling on the Links
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  Speaker 2: Blue Line when, according to investigators, thirty four year old
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  Speaker 2: de Carlos Brown Junior pulled a knife and stabbed her
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  Speaker 2: three times without provocation. The sheer randomness of the attack
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  Speaker 2: left passengers in a state of shock.
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  Speaker 1: Charlotte nine one one police fire medic You said a
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  Speaker 1: mail stout is the one for no reason?
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  Speaker 3: Did an need medic?
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  Speaker 2: You glieve it?
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  Speaker 1: Okay?
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  Speaker 2: Calin Brown was apprehended moments later, but the road to
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  Speaker 2: a conviction has hit a major snack. This week, court
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  Speaker 2: documents revealed that a state evaluation determined Brown is incapable
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  Speaker 2: to proceed in his upcoming criminal trial, effectively halting the
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  Speaker 2: North Carolina prosecution. The defense has pointed to a long
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  Speaker 2: history of mental illness, supported by Brown's own statements to
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  Speaker 2: authorities and family members. A year before the attack, Brown
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  Speaker 2: called nine to one one from a hospital claiming he
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  Speaker 2: was being manipulated by external forces, leading to a welfare
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  Speaker 2: check and Brown's arrest.
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  Speaker 1: My body got exposed to the SEIO. I need you
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  Speaker 1: guys to investigate them. It's not if I get.
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  Speaker 2: A mroy and they see what the see what it is,
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  Speaker 2: what they gonna say.
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  Speaker 1: We gotta get.
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  Speaker 2: Surgery and get that out so we can investigate what the.
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  Speaker 1: Has on your back.
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  Speaker 4: He's being arrested for missus nom on one excuse as
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  Speaker 4: I told you you didn't have a police emergency and
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  Speaker 4: that if you call back over some nonsense that we
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  Speaker 4: would have to arrest you for issues in.
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  Speaker 2: Nam on one. While the state case is stalled, the
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  Speaker 2: Department of Justice is moving forward. Assistant Attorney General Harmeit
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  Speaker 2: Dillon confirmed that the state's competency ruling is completely separate
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  Speaker 2: from federal proceedings. Brown remains in federal custody, and the
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  Speaker 2: US Attorney's Office in Charlotte is preparing for its own
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  Speaker 2: independent psychiatric evaluation. Even while behind bars, Brown has continued
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  Speaker 2: to deny personal responsibility for the killing. In a jailhouse
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  Speaker 2: call to his sister, he blamed his actions on materials
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  Speaker 2: he believes were implanted in his brain. Because Brown is
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  Speaker 2: in federal custody, the state's process for restoring his competency
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  Speaker 2: is currently on hold. The move by the doj ensures
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  Speaker 2: that even if the state case remains frozen, the federal
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  Speaker 2: charges provide a parallel path towards a resolution. More crime
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  Speaker 2: and justice news after this from Honolulu. A verdict has
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  Speaker 2: finally come down in a case that turned a scenic
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  Speaker 2: birthday hike into a bloody struggle for survival on Ouahu's cliffs.
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  Speaker 2: A jury has found anesthesiologist Gerhardt Koenig guilty of attempted
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  Speaker 2: manslaughter for a brutal attack on his wife, Ariel along
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  Speaker 2: the Polypuoka Trail. Now this wasn't the second degree attempted
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  Speaker 2: murder conviction prosecutors were gunning for. After eight hours of deliberation,
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  Speaker 2: the jury opted for the lesser charge, citing extreme mental
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  Speaker 2: or emotional disturbance. The facts of March twenty fourth, twenty
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  Speaker 2: twenty five are harrowing. What was supposed to be a
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  Speaker 2: birthday hike ended with Ariel Koenig fighting for her life.
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  Speaker 2: She testified that her husband looked her in the eye,
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  Speaker 2: said you you're done, and tried to hurl her off
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  Speaker 2: a cliff before bashing her head with a rock.
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  Speaker 1: Hi, I'm currently beating attack on help of Polytuca where
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  Speaker 1: there's a man turning to kill her. She one all
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  Speaker 1: over her, say where did you dad, pollypook of the
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  Speaker 1: hike a look out? Okay? So polyloon lookouts on the
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  Speaker 1: Polypooka hike and he's he's currently attacking her. Okay, where
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  Speaker 1: and how far is the hike guard the entrance wire?
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  Speaker 1: We're probably like five minutes into the hike really quickly. Okay,
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  Speaker 1: what are you seeing? We heard her streaming help and
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  Speaker 1: then we thought that over her and then she crawled
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  Speaker 1: out with over her face, saying that I'm trying to
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  Speaker 1: kill her and did I know him?
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  Speaker 2: I don't know That call placed by one of two
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  Speaker 2: women who stumbled upon the scene. They found Koenig straddling
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  Speaker 2: a blooded Ariel. Prosecutor Joel Garner told the jury the
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  Speaker 2: attack was so violent pieces of the rock actually broke
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  Speaker 2: off into Ariel scalp. Throughout the three week trial, the
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  Speaker 2: defense painted a very different picture Gerhard took the stand himself,
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  Speaker 2: claiming he was the victim that Ariel tried to push
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  Speaker 2: him off a cliff during a selfie and hit him
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  Speaker 2: with a rock first. His attorney, Thomas O'take, slammed the prosecution,
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  Speaker 2: accusing them of spinning a he said she said story
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  Speaker 2: to fit a predetermined theory, but the jury heard a
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  Speaker 2: different story from Koenig's own son, a Meal. He testified
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  Speaker 2: that his father called him on FaceTime right after the
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  Speaker 2: incident and confessed, saying Ariel had been cheating on him
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  Speaker 2: and that he had tried to kill her. The motive
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  Speaker 2: a crumbling marriage in an emotional affair Ariel was having
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  Speaker 2: with a coworker. Ariel described a home life defined by
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  Speaker 2: Koenig's controlling behavior and constant demands for physical intimacy. As
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  Speaker 2: a verdict was read Wednesday, Gerhard Koenig dropped his head
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  Speaker 2: into his hands, Facing up to twenty years in prison
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  Speaker 2: for Ariel. The chapter is closing. She has filed for divorce,
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  Speaker 2: surviving a birthday hike that was nearly her last. What
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  Speaker 2: began as a sunny Easter Sunday celebration in Long Beach
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  Speaker 2: ended in a disturbing discovery that has left alone community
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  Speaker 2: in shock. At around five pm yesterday, a family gathering
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  Speaker 2: at DeForest Park took a tragic turn during an Easter
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  Speaker 2: egg hunt. Witnesses say children were scouring a dirt path
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  Speaker 2: for colorful eggs when they stumbled upon what appeared to
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  Speaker 2: be human remains. The family immediately alerted authorities, describing the
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  Speaker 2: find as a human skull, possibly that of a young child,
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  Speaker 2: with smaller bones located nearby. Images from the scene were
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  Speaker 2: a stark contrast of holiday joy and grim reality, showing
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  Speaker 2: plastic Easter eggs scattered just feet away from the discovery site.
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  Speaker 2: Long Beach police responded quickly, cordoning off the trail and
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  Speaker 2: calling in the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner to take
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  Speaker 2: over the scene. Michael Fuentes was nearby celebrating with his
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  Speaker 2: own family when he overheard about their discovery. Walking our
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  Speaker 2: friends at ABC seven through what happened next.
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  Speaker 3: Were literally like like like three like spots down and
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  Speaker 3: the family was over there, like they had like put
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  Speaker 3: the eggs down, and then the kids were finding them
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  Speaker 3: and I don't know where which here, Like, hey, damn, mom,
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  Speaker 3: there's like some bones over there, you know, And yeah,
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  Speaker 3: we just everybody went over there. They called the police
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  Speaker 3: and then that's that's when they showed up, and it
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  Speaker 3: was really tragic. I started crying to hurt my soul.
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  Speaker 2: You know. Neighbors who returned to the park later that
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  Speaker 2: evening expressed heartbreak not only for the person whose remains
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  Speaker 2: were found, but for the children who made the discovery.
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  Speaker 2: Local resident Christopher Cain called the incident terrible, noting that
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  Speaker 2: no child should ever have to witness something so haunting
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  Speaker 2: while simply trying to enjoy a holiday at this hour.
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  Speaker 2: The Long Beach Police Department says the investigation is ongoing.
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  Speaker 2: The Medical Examiner's office is working to officially identify the
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  Speaker 2: remains and determine a cause of death. As of now,
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  Speaker 2: police have not released any information regarding how long the
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  Speaker 2: remains may have been in the park or if they
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  Speaker 2: are linked to any active missing persons cases. Violence erupted
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  Speaker 2: outside an East Harlem grocery store early Monday morning, ending
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  Speaker 2: in a police involved shooting after a man allegedly charged
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  Speaker 2: officers with a massive kitchen knife. According to the NYPD,
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  Speaker 2: the chaos began around one fifteen am inside the City
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  Speaker 2: fresh Market on East one hundred and twentieth Street. Police
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  Speaker 2: say a fifty three year old man became irate and
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  Speaker 2: disorderly during a verbal argument with another person, forcing store
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  Speaker 2: employees to physically remove him from the building.
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  Speaker 4: Following the dispute, the mail suddenly became irate and disorderly
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  Speaker 4: and how to be physically removed from the store by
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  Speaker 4: multiple employees. A short time later, the subject returned to
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  Speaker 4: the store. When he returned, he had a large kitchen
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  Speaker 4: knife in his hand and was banging on the extoria
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  Speaker 4: exterior glass of the window with the knife.
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  Speaker 2: The situation escalated minutes later. Investigators say the man returned
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  Speaker 2: to the market armed with a thirteen inch kitchen knife.
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  Speaker 2: Terrified employees locked the doors and called nine one one.
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  Speaker 2: When officers arrived just after one thirty am, they repeatedly
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  Speaker 2: ordered the man to drop the weapon.
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  Speaker 4: The officers gave multiple verbal commands to the knife and
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  Speaker 4: attempted to create physical distance between himself and the subject,
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  Speaker 4: but the subject quickly advanced towards the offices with the
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  Speaker 4: knife extended.
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  Speaker 2: Out Instead, police say the suspect quickly advanced toward them
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  Speaker 2: what the knife extended, one officer opened fire, striking the man.
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  Speaker 2: The suspect was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he underwent
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  Speaker 2: surgery and is currently listed in critical but stable condition.
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  Speaker 2: While his name has not been released, the NYPD confirmed
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  Speaker 2: he has a history of prior arrests and was well
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  Speaker 2: known to law enforcement.
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  Speaker 4: Once again, we are reminded of the dangers that our
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  Speaker 4: officers confront every time they put on their uniform, and
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  Speaker 4: this morning was no different.
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  Speaker 2: Inspector Andrew Nato confirmed no officers were injured in a
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  Speaker 2: Monday morning news conference, praising officer's quick response and rendering
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  Speaker 2: medical aid to the suspect immediately after the shooting. Investigators
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  Speaker 2: recovered seven shell casings at the scene, and the investigation
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  Speaker 2: remains active. Newly released body camera footage captures the moments
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  Speaker 2: before and after Tiger Wood's arrest following a rollover crash
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  Speaker 2: in Florida. Woods slammed into a trailer, flipping his SUV
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  Speaker 2: while driving on Jupiter Island north of Miami last Friday.
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  Speaker 2: According to an arrest affidavit, Woods told a deputy he
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  Speaker 2: did not notice the trailer in front of him slowing
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  Speaker 2: down because he was looking at his phone and changing
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  Speaker 2: the radio station. You tell me what happened with the crash.
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  Speaker 3: I was looking down on my phone, changed the radio station,
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  Speaker 3: and I can.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, So you were looking down at your phone and
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  Speaker 1: changing yours radio station? Alrighty.
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  Speaker 2: The Martin County Sheriff's Office footage shows deputies administering field
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  Speaker 2: sobriety exercises to Eldrick Tiger Woods. Woods is seen moving
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  Speaker 2: his head during a vision test and then miscounting during
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  Speaker 2: a coordination sequence. A deputy writes that Wood's bloodshot, glassy eyes,
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  Speaker 2: and extremely dilated pupils contributed to their conclusion he was impaired,
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  Speaker 2: along with two high dracodone pills found in Wood's pocket.
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  Speaker 1: So at this time, can you believe your normal facencies
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  Speaker 1: are appaired? Okay? Substance the rescue of the U Yes, Sir.
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  Speaker 2: Woods told deputies he had not consumed any alcohol, but
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  Speaker 2: had taken a few prescription medications earlier that day, the
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  Speaker 2: names of which are redacted in the footage, with the
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  Speaker 2: exception of ibuprofen. At the Martin County jail, Woods blows
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  Speaker 2: a zero point zero zero zero on two samples, indicating
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  Speaker 2: no alcohol on Wood's breath, but the golf champ refused
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  Speaker 2: to submit to a urine test. The footage reveals Wood's
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  Speaker 2: first call after the crash was reportedly to Donald Trump.
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  Speaker 2: Mister Woods, mister Woods, did you hang out down here
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  Speaker 2: with us?
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  Speaker 1: Please?
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  Speaker 3: Thank you?
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  Speaker 1: Thank you so much?
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  Speaker 3: All right, got it, all right?
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  Speaker 4: Check it?
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  Speaker 3: But soet, I just keep you down here with us, please, yeah,
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  Speaker 3: I'll just talking to the President.
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  Speaker 2: The White House has not responded to questions about the
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  Speaker 2: alleged phone call. President Trump later publicly expressed concern and
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  Speaker 2: caled Woods a good friend. Following his arrest, Woods can
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  Speaker 2: be seen sitting without visible distress in the back seat
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  Speaker 2: of a sheriff's cruiser. Are you cool back there?
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  Speaker 4: Nope, he said, no.
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  Speaker 2: Can you feel an owl?
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  Speaker 3: Yes?
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  Speaker 4: Okay? Perfect my phone?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, sir, right here, yep, give me one moment then
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  Speaker 2: we'll be out of here.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, thank you.
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  Speaker 2: While seated in the back of the cruiser, Woods hiccups
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  Speaker 2: and sporadically closes his eyes, at one point, leaning back
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  Speaker 2: and keeping them shut for several seconds before facing forward again.
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  Speaker 2: The eighty two time PGA Tour winner is charged with
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  Speaker 2: two misdemeanors, driving under the influence with property damage in
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  Speaker 2: refusal to submit to a lawful test, pleading not guilty
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  Speaker 2: to both offenses. For the latest crime and justice breaking news.
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: Be sure to follow the Crime Alert hourly update on
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: your favorite podcast app with this crime Alert, I'm Sidney Sumner.