TIMELINES 11/6/14

Carbon monoxide leak forces evacuation, hospitalization of Nanuet family

A carbon monoxide leak sickened a Nanuet family of seven on Monday, landing them in the hospital but causing no deaths.

The incident began when the sister of the homeowner of 9 Louise Place began to vomit and feel light-headed. She was brought to Good Samaritan Hospital at around 5:45 a.m. and returned home, but reported more symptoms shortly thereafter.

After the initial scare, seven other members of the family-which included three young children and four adults-were taken to Westchester Medical Center with similar symptoms later that morning. No life-threatening cases were reported among the family

Orange & Rockland, responding with Spring Valley fire volunteers and Clarkstown police, discovered a malfunctioning furnace leaked carbon monoxide throughout the house and caused the family’s illness. After the discovery, first responders vented the building.

Tappan Zee construction tugboat sinks in Upper Nyack

A tugboat which was assisting in the construction of the New Tappan Zee Bridge took on water during a spate of high winds and sank on Sunday

The boat, called “Prospector,” was docked at Petersen Boatyard and Marina in Upper Nyack when winds reaching up to 85 mph created 7-to-8 foot swells, flooding the boat and bringing it down. Nobody was on board at the time of the accident.

Coast Guard investigators concurred with Tappan Zee Constructors’ assessment that the unusually strong weather led to the accident. The state Department of Environmental Conservation is also expected to conduct its own investigation to determine if there had been any spillage of fuel or other pollutants.

The sinking is the latest of several boat-related accidents connected to construction activites. In March, a barge carrying steel pipes broke loose from its moorings and drifted downriver until it was recovered an hour later.

Before that, a barge broke loose in September 2013 and was recovered after being reported by an onlooker. In January of the same year, two barges broke loose during a snowstorm and drifted down to the Bronx before they were recovered.

Former security guard speaks out on Obama elevator ride

A former private security guard and alleged convicted criminal who was terminated after it was revealed he rode an elevator with Obama while armed told his side of the story, arguing he was wrongfully fired.

According to former Center for Disease Control security guard Kenneth Tate, he was assigned to watch Obama in September during an elevator ride at the CDC’s headquarters for a brief on the ebola epidemic. After the ride, he attempted to take a picture of Obama as he was entering his limousine, but was pulled aside by angry Secret Service guards for getting too close.

Tate was later questioned and eventually forced to relinquish his CDC badge. He received a letter of termination the next week. Tate argued he was floored by the seemingly disproportionate punishment, arguing the ordeal had been “unjust” and “a nightmare.”

Tate also disputed-and at least one superior with the private security firm he worked with confirmed- that previous reports that he was a convicted felon had been inaccurate. Though Tate had been brought in on various charges, he was never convicted.

The investigator general’s office of the Department of Homeland Security is currently looking into the incident.

Islamic State militants massacre over 300 members of Iraqi tribe

In one of the single bloodiest days in Iraq, Islamic State militants killed 322 members of a single tribe as punishment for their resistance against the terror group’s push into western Anbar Province.

Iraqi security forces confirmed on Sunday that the Albu Nimr, a U.S.-allied Sunni tribe numbering around 10,000 in total, were subject to a systematic massacre after their defeat at the hands of the IS. According to reports, around 200 were found in mass graves outside Hit, an Albu Nimr stronghold which remained secure until food and ammunition began to run low.

In addition to the graves found in Hit, another 48 tribesmen were publically executed after being paraded through city. More Albu Nimr gravs were found in nearby Ramadi.

The Albu Nimr have a long history of armed opposition to larger governing bodies in Iraq. They rebelled against Saddam Hussein in 1995 and continued to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq, former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s Shiite-led government and most recently the Islamic State.

Accused Pennsylvania cop-killer found and arrested

A man accused of shooting one Pennsylvania State Trooper dead and seriously injuring another was captured near a defunct airport hangar on Thursday evening.

Eric Matthew Frein, 31, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service, who had a team stationed at the abandoned Birchwood-Pocono Airpark when they spotted him in an open field near a hangar. After the Marshals instructed him to surrender, Frein knelt down, raised his hands and identified himself, after which he was captured.

Frein, a self-taught survivalist, ambushed the two troopers outside the Troop R Barracks in Blooming Grove with a rifle, killing Tooper Bryonn K. Dickson, 38. After the attack, he retreated into the Pocono Mountains while police engaged in a 48-day manhunt, tracking tips, sightings and suspected traces of his presence, including weapons and explosives he left behind.

Frein, who was placed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list while he was at large, stands charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder, homicide and attempted homicide of a law-enforcement officer, possession of weapons of mass destruction, possession of an instrument of crime, reckless endangerment, and other charges. Prosecutors have indicated they will seek the death penalty if Frein is convicted.

Falling tape measure kills man in New Jersey

A bizarre accident occurred in Jersey City on Monday when a tape measure fell 400 feet from a building under construction and killed a man who stood below.

Gary Anderson, 58, had arrived at the site at 70 Christopher Columbus Drive to deliver a shipment of wallboard. The tape measure fell from the belt of a construction worker at the top of the tower and struck a piece of metal before landing on Anderson’s head.

Anderson, who was not wearing a safety helmet, was knocked unconscious and brought to Jersey City Medical Center, where he died. According to AJD Construction, which manages the work at the site, all workers are required to wear helmets at the location. They went on to state that they were unsure why Anderson was not wearing one.

Possible FBI misconduct leads to release of convicted drug dealers

An investigation into alleged misconduct on the part of an FBI agent has led the Bureau to release about dozens convicted and suspected drug dealers cases in and around Washington D.C. and has endangered several pending drug cases.

The agent’s name and the misconduct have not been elaborated upon, but it is known that the agent has been suspended indefinitely and has not yet been criminally charged. As a consequence, about 12 cases associated with the agent are now under review, with the suspects transferred from prison to home detention or other facilities.

Though the U.S. attorney’s office for the district announced it is conducting a case-by-case review, courts have neither dropped charges against defendants nor overturned existing convictions. Defense counsels for the convicts and defendants are now awaiting more information on the circumstances of the agent’s misconduct in hopes of dismissals or overturned convictions.

Among the releases are suspects nabbed in several high-profile busts. One, which involved breakup of a 13-person drug and identity theft ring, resulted in the release of five convicts who had pled guilty. In another case involving a 12-person drug ring, eight convicts who had pled guilty were similarly shown to have been released.

President signs disaster declaration to help small Hawaiian town fight lava flows

President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration on Monday to provide federal assistance to a small Hawaiian town struggling against a creeping lava flow.

Lava from the Kilauea volcano on the island of Kauai has been creeping toward the town of Pahoa since a new lava vent opened on June 27. Since the lava began to approach, about 50 households have been evacuated.

Though the flow has been somewhat stalled and diverted, it remains in close vicinity to the town and continues to pose a threat. In addition to the evacuation orders, Hawaii has called on the National Guard, which provided 83 troops to protect residents and prevent looters from raiding evacuated houses.

The Kilauea volcano has been slowly and gradually erupting since 1983.

Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security emerges as likely replacement for Holder

With Attorney General Eric Holder preparing to vacate his position as soon as a replacement is found, a lead candidate for the position has emerged in the form of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Sources told the New York Post this week that Mayorkas was a lead contender for the position, due partly to his extensive experience in law enforcement and an endorsement from the National Fraternal Order of Police, the country’s largest police officers’ organization.

Mayorkas might also be tapped due to his extensive administrative experience in Washington D.C. Before serving as the second-in-command of Homeland Security, he was director of U.S. citizenship and immigration services in the District. Mayorkas was promoted to this position from a position in President Obama’s Justice Department review team.

Though Mayorkas was described as a favorite by the source, other candidates are also anticipated to be in the running. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Loretta Lynch, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez have also been floated as candidates for the post.

Voters in Oregon, Alaska, Washington D.C. approve full legalization of marijuana

In a broad victory for supporters of legal cannabis, voters in Oregon, Alaska and Washington D.C. approved high-profile referendums on Tuesday which would allow the consumption of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes.

In both Oregon and Alaska, voters approved personal possession for adults over the age of 21. Manufacture and sales of the substance would also be permitted through newly-created regulatory framework, which will likely include large sales taxes to reap revenues for the states.

Washington D.C.’s proposal does not allow for legal sales of cannabis but does allow legal transfers of cannabis, possession of a maximum of two ounces of marijuana and cultivation of up to six plants. Though the measure passed with popular support, it must still weather a 60-day Congressional review and presidential approval. Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris has already pledged to challenge the measure in Congress.

Other marijuana-related votes saw mixed results across the country. Florida pot proponents voters failed to secure the required 60 percent support for a state medical marijuana measure, while recreational use in Maine was voted down in Lewiston and up in South Portland. In the Territory of Guam, voters approved cannabis for limited medical use.

Bratton chooses new NYPD Deputy Commissioner

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton chose Ben Tucker as his new deputy commissioner on Wednesday, replacing another cop who unexpectedly turned down the promotion last week.

Tucker, who formerly served on the Civilian Complaint Review Board and the city’s Human Rights Commission, accepted the promotion after Chief of Department Philip Banks III unexpectedly turned down the offer, allegedly due to disagreements over the limits of his authority.

The rejection allegedly set off a firestorm at City Hall, where DeBlasio and Bratton scrambled to find a replacement to appease both police officers and minority residents calling for more reform and representation within the upper ranks. However, according to DeBlasio representatives, no such arguments took place.

The new deputy commissioner joined the department in 1969 and worked in the 24th, 77th and 69th precincts before leaving the force in 1991. Before his return in early 2014, he was a senior researcher at New York University and Columbia University, taught at Pace University, and spent time working with the U.S. Justice Department, the city Department of Education and the federal office of National Drug Control Policy.