US city police apologises for NBA player's arrest
Washington, May 24: The police in US city of Milwaukee have apologized to NBA player Sterling Brown for his January arrest that started with a parking violation and escalated to include use of a stun gun, saying some members of the force had been disciplined.
The incident occurred in the early morning of January 26, when a policeman arrested Brown, 23, for parking his car in a space designated for the disabled in the parking lot of a local pharmacy, CNN reported.
"The department conducted an investigation into the incident which revealed members of the Milwaukee force acted inappropriately and those members were recently disciplined," Milwaukee Police chief Alfonso Morales said on Wednesday at a news conference.
"I am sorry this incident escalated to this level," he said, adding that the officers involved in the incident were disciplined for acting "inappropriately", without specifying what the disciplinary measures were.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett had also condemned the use of force in the incident, saying that he felt "offended" by what he saw in the video and that "Brown deserves an apology and I am very sorry the Milwaukee police treated him in the fashion he was treated".
Brown, a Milwaukee Bucks rookie, responded by saying that the incident was "an attempt at police intimidation" and said it "shouldn't happen to anybody".
"What should have been a simple parking ticket turned into an attempt at police intimidation, followed by the unlawful use of physical force," he said.
Brown further noted that "situations like mine and worse happen every day in the black community," adding "the common denominator in all of these situations has been racism towards the minority community, the abuse of power and the lack of accountability for officers involved".
Brown's team, the Milwaukee Bucks, labelled the incident "shameful and inexcusable".
In the footage, an officer was seen confronting Brown while asking for reinforcements. At one point, a group of policemen charged at the NBA player as one of the officers stunned Brown with a taser before handcuffing him.
The police previously said that Brown became confrontational, prompting the officers to tase and arrest him. He was not charged with a crime as a result of the incident, which prompted an internal affairs investigation, the report said.
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Karnataka cabinet approves formation of separate Dharwad Municipal Corporation
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a formation of separate Dharwad city corporation. Alongside, a 15% hike in fares across the four state transport corporations was also approved. The revised fares will come into effect on January 5.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, addressing the media at the Committee Hall of Vidhana Soudha, provided details about the decision. He explained that the last fare revision for BMTC was a decade ago when diesel cost Rs 60.98 per litre. Since then, operational costs have risen significantly.
Diesel expenditure for the four corporations has increased from Rs 9.16 crore to Rs 13.21 crore, and personnel costs have grown from Rs 12.85 crore to Rs 18.36 crore. The daily operational burden now stands at Rs 9.56 crore. The fare hike is expected to generate an additional Rs 74.85 crore in monthly revenue without burdening the state exchequer, as Rs 5,015 crore has already been allocated for the Shakti Yojana this fiscal year.
Minister Patil announced that the Cabinet has decided to bifurcate the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation into two independent municipal bodies.
The Cabinet approved the construction of a fishing port in Hejamady village, Udupi, with a revised estimate of Rs 209.13 crore. Additionally, Rs 84.57 crore has been sanctioned for the modernization and dredging of fishing ports.
In a move to strengthen cow shelters, Rs 10.50 crore has been allocated for projects in 14 districts. The Cabinet also approved constructing a building for Visvesvaraya Technical University in Chikkaballapur district at Rs 149.75 crore.
The Cabinet sanctioned a state-of-the-art bus stand in Bannimantap, Mysuru, at a cost of Rs 120 crore. Spread over 14 acres, the facility will include a divisional office, bus units, and commercial shops.
Approval was also granted to utilize Rs 137.85 crore, provided by the Union Finance Ministry under the Special Capital Assistance Scheme, for capital expenditure.
The Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board will use Rs 56.92 crore from its SCP/TSP scheme to supply bed sheets, mosquito nets, and clothing to government residential schools and hostels.
The Cabinet approved Rs 100 crore to construct new buildings for 200 veterinary institutions currently housed in rented or dilapidated structures, using NABARD assistance.
In Davangere, a site was allotted to the Karnataka Working Journalists' Association for constructing a civic facility. A plot in Avaragere village was also leased for 30 years at a concessional rate to Nayaka Vidyarthi Nilaya.
