Addressing the public for the first time on the Today show, the volunteer deputy who killed Eric Harris in Tulsa, Okla., claimed that it was not his intention to kill the unarmed man and that he is in shock, USA Today reports. Robert Bates, 73, said Friday morning that he is not quite sure how…

Friday ends the week but brings in a fresh start for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who will be reinstated by the NFL as an active player, CNN reports. Peterson was first placed on an exempt list in September, which kept him off the field while keeping his paycheck intact. However, after he pleaded…

Aaron Hernandez has been found guilty of first-degree murder by jurors after a lengthy trial in Fall River, Mass., CNN reports.   The conviction means that the former New England Patriots tight end faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of Odin Lloyd, whose body was found in June…

A Baltimore man is currently hospitalized at Maryland Shock Trauma in a medically induced coma with spinal injuries after an arrest by police Sunday, WJZ reports. According to the news station, 26-year-old Freddie Gray’s condition raises question about what happened to the young man after his arrest that landed him in the hospital. Gray’s godbrother,…

One of the biggest school cheating scandals in the country has come to a close with a Fulton County, Ga., judge handing out varying sentences to eight of 11 Atlanta school employees convicted in the case, Education Week reports. According to the report, Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter showed some leniency toward those who took…

The Missouri man who stabbed his ex-wife and her male friend repeatedly over child support is scheduled to be put to death on Tuesday, Reuters reports.  Andre Cole’s ex-wife, Terri, survived the attack, but the male friend did not, and Cole was convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree assault, among other charges, the wire notes.…

A Michigan middle school student won’t be returning to school Monday because he was the target of repeated bullying and racial harassment at his suburban school, WDIV reports. Phoenix Williams, a 13-year-old at Bloomfield Hills Middle School, has come forward with his story after capturing students’ racist taunts on his cellphone. The video shows his…

For Charleston, S.C., attorney David Aylor, it was over as soon as he saw the disturbing video that showed North Charleston, S.C., Police Officer Michael Slager opening fire on 50-year-old Walter Scott, shooting a reported eight times as Scott was running away. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Beast, Aylor didn’t go into details…

Before North Charleston, S.C., Police Officer Michael Slager fatally shot 50-year-old Walter Scott, he had been subject to two complaints, including a separate complaint about inappropriate use of force, for which the 33-year-old cop was exonerated, NBC News reports. According to documents released by the North Charleston Police Department, the news site notes, the U.S.…

Two black women filed a complaint with the Transportation Security Administration claiming that their sisterlocks made them targets for TSA agents at airports. Now, they say, their complaint has prompted the agency to put measures in place to stop the singling out of women based on hairstyles, Raw Story reports. It all started when Malaika…