A New York City teen accused of starting a fire at a housing project in the city’s Brooklyn borough that killed an officer has rejected a plea deal of 22 years in prison, going against his lawyer’s advice to take the deal, the New York Post reports.  Marcell Dockery, now 18, reportedly told authorities that…

Paramus Catholic High School’s Rashan Gary, widely regarded as the top high school athlete in the country, was the target of a threat left on the voicemail of the New Jersey school’s athletic department by someone identifying himself as a fan of Clemson University, a school Rashan had been looking into, NorthJersey.com reports.  The 58-second message…

Angry parents and other community members flocked to the First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Sunday, demanding action after at least five students, ages 6 to 10, at Hobgood Elementary School were handcuffed and detained Friday, the Daily News Journal reports.  The students, the report notes, were accused of not stopping a fight that…

A Philadelphia man is facing multiple charges, including third-degree murder, after confessing to accidentally shooting his 4-year-old daughter, who died inside her home in the Kensington neighborhood, Philly.com reports.  Other charges filed against Maurice “Stephon” Phillips, 30, early Monday are involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly…

Tina Carruthers, 25, one of the two survivors of the Feb. 20 Kalamazoo, Mich., shooting spree allegedly by an Uber driver, spoke out about her painful and emotional recovery at a press conference from the Borgess Medical Center, NBC News reports.  Carruthers said that her daughter’s “beautiful smile” has helped her through the traumatic experience.…

The Arizona Department of Corrections has fired 13 people involved in two separate inmate suicides for not doing their jobs after an investigation into the deaths led to damning evidence, Fox 10 reports.  One of those cases involve 25-year-old Cynthia Apkaw, who was serving time for aggravated assault at Arizona’s Perryville women’s prison. Video evidence shows…

After months of negotiations and litigation, the University of California and the family of university football player Ted Agu, who died after a team drill in 2014, have settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $4.75 million, SFGate reports.  Agu, then 21, died shortly after an off-season conditioning workout outside the Memorial Stadium. His parents filed…

The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that a former Inkster, Mich., police officer convicted of the brutal roadside beating of a black motorist during a traffic stop can serve part of his prison term in a boot camp, overturning a lower court judge’s sentencing, Reuters reports.  William Melendez, who has been in jail since his…

High levels of lead have been detected at some schools in the Detroit Public Schools district, with water test results released Thursday showing that about 15 buildings tested positive for high lead levels, including one where a drinking fountain recorded 100 times the allowable limit, the Detroit News reports. On Wednesday it was revealed that…

Two toddler sisters were victims of an apartment fire in New York City’s Bronx borough after they were left trapped inside after their mother went to the Laundromat across the street, police said Thursday, CBS New York reports. The girls’ mother was seen on surveillance footage at the Laundromat across the street at the time…