2 LAKE WALES OFFICERS SHOT BY MAN WHO CALLED 9-1-1 FOR HELP
Authorities say a 59-year-old man who called 9-1-1 asking for help shot at police officers as they arrived at his central Florida home. Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez says officers John Schwarze and Benjamin Metz were injured in a gun battle that lasted about 15 minutes on Tuesday evening. He says “by the grace of God” the officers weren’t killed. They were taken to the hospital Tuesday night for treatment. Velasquez says the John Goepferich was shot by police officers. His injuries were not life-threatening. Officers don’t know why he started shooting.
CHAT ROOM TERROR SUSPECT WANTS COMPUTER EVIDENCE TOSSED OUT
A Kenyan man charged in the U.S. with attempting to support foreign terrorist organizations is asking a judge to throw out key computer-related evidence against him. A hearing is set Wednesday in Miami federal court for 27-year-old Mohamed Said, who attorney says authorities cannot prove that Said was the person using certain computers during online chats with an undercover FBI employee. Said’s lawyer says prosecutors cannot conclusively show it was Said who participated in the chats.
FLORIDA SUPREME COURT TAKES UP CHALLENGE TO NEW DISTRICTS
The Florida Supreme Court is taking up a legal challenge to the state’s congressional districts. The high court will hear arguments Wednesday in a long-running legal battle over whether the Florida Legislature followed voter-approved standards for drawing the boundaries for the state’s 27 congressional seats. A circuit court judge ruled last summer there was enough evidence to show that Republican consultants helped make a “mockery” of the process and ruled that two districts were invalid.
JETBLUE OPENS NEW TRAINING FACILITY IN ORLANDO
JetBlue Airways has opened a lodge at its Orlando support center. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $25 million facility was held last week at the airline’s campus at Orlando International Airport. The 115,000-square-foot building has 196 rooms, including a kitchen, fitness center and outdoor-activities space. The lodge will attract 7,000 JetBlue crewmembers and other visitors each year.
MIAMI’S WHITESIDE, PHOENIX’S LEN FINED BY NBA
Phoenix Suns center Alex Len has been fined $20,000 for initiating an altercation with Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside and attempting to take him to the floor. Whiteside has been fined $15,000 for escalating the incident by wrestling Len to the floor during Monday’s game at Miami. Suns forward Markieff Morris has been fined $15,000 for his flagrant-2 foul for making excessive contact above the shoulders with Heat guard Goran Dragic. The fines were announced Tuesday by NBA executive Rod Thorn.
