The Weekly Briefing 🇺🇸
Chicago Officer Killed
A Chicago police officer was killed and another critically injured Saturday after a suspect in custody opened fire on officers at a North Side hospital, according to WGN-TV. The suspect — initially brought in for medical treatment in connection with a robbery — passed a weapons screening upon arrival but later obtained a gun and shot both officers before fleeing the scene. The officer who died was a 38-year-old, 10-year CPD veteran; the injured officer is a 57-year-old with more than 20 years on the force. The suspect was taken into custody shortly after and a weapon was recovered. No hospital staff or patients were injured. Superintendent Larry Snelling said: “Every day that an officer gets up and puts his or her uniform on, they don’t really know if they’re ever going to return home.” 💙🖤 More here
Police Tackled Gunman
A gunman was confronted and tackled by law enforcement near a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday evening before reaching the ballroom where President Trump and hundreds of journalists and officials had gathered, according to the New York Times. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was carrying a shotgun, handgun, and knives, and fired at least once before being subdued. A Secret Service officer was shot in his protective vest and was in good condition. Allen, who had been staying at the hotel as a guest, was taken into custody without being shot and transported to a hospital for evaluation. Washington’s interim police chief described him as a lone actor, and charges include using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer. 🔗 More here
Broken Windows Still Works
Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton argues in The Telegraph that the Broken Windows policing strategy — addressing low-level disorder alongside serious crime — remains the most effective approach to reducing crime, rooted in the principles of Sir Robert Peel, the father of modern policing. Bratton credits the approach with driving a 46% crime reduction in New York City between 1990 and 1996, and argues that the post-2020 trend of decriminalizing quality-of-life offenses in many American cities directly contributed to the surge in violent crime that followed. He warns that any police strategy that ignores disorder while focusing only on serious crime is “doomed to failure,” and that restoring public trust requires addressing what people experience in their neighborhoods every day — not just what crime statistics reflect. 🪟 More here
Cops Still Beat Alternatives
A University of Pennsylvania criminologist argues in Vital City that civilian alternative response programs are “badly oversold” as replacements for police in social service roles, and that cities should think carefully before expanding them. Professor Jerry Ratcliffe points out that more than 60% of police calls involve crime, quality-of-life issues, or situations with the potential for either — leaving far less room for diversion than advocates claim. He cites Eugene, Oregon’s widely praised CAHOOTS program, which was shut down in 2025, and notes that claimed diversion rates of up to 23% are disputed, with more realistic estimates in the 3-8% range. A year-long Philadelphia study found that combined police-social work teams outperformed police-only teams in connecting vulnerable people to services, but that institutional failures — overcrowded shelters, limited treatment capacity — undermined both models equally. Ratcliffe concludes that the case for alternative response as a scalable, cost-effective replacement for police “is grounded in weak analysis,” and that improving police training and recruitment may yield greater returns than building costly parallel systems from scratch. 🔗 More here
New: Colonel Matthew Birmingham
Chemical Drones Stolen
Fifteen large agricultural drones capable of spraying up to 40 gallons of liquid chemicals over a 15-acre area in seven minutes were stolen from a New Jersey shipping company in late March by a suspect using a fraudulent bill of lading and a fake confirmation email, according to the New York Post. The FBI is investigating and has raised concerns that the drones — valued at roughly $870,000 total — could be weaponized as delivery platforms for chemical or biological agents. A retired FBI agent called it a “potential nightmare scenario,” noting the drones are industrial sprayers, not hobby aircraft, and are designed to carry and disperse significant amounts of liquid quickly and with precision. The FBI declined to comment on any investigation. 🔗 More here
ChatGPT Probed in Shooting
Florida’s attorney general has opened a criminal investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT after prosecutors reviewed messages between the chatbot and the man accused of killing two people at Florida State University last year, according to the New York Times. The messages show the suspect asking ChatGPT about a gun’s power at short range, ammunition, how the country would react to a shooting at Florida State, and when the student union was busiest — all on the day of the attack. Attorney General James Uthmeier said if a person had been on the other end of those exchanges, “we would be charging them with murder,” and his office plans to subpoena OpenAI for internal records and policies on handling users who may pose a threat. OpenAI denied responsibility, stating the chatbot provided factual responses to questions available across public internet sources and did not encourage harmful activity. 🔗 More here
Chief Kathy Lester to Retire
Chief Fights Back After Firing
Fired Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge has released a recording of her pre-disciplinary hearing, directly contradicting the city’s stated reasons for her termination, according to WKRC. At the center of the dispute is the city’s 2025 Summer Safety Plan, which Theetge says she opposed because crime data didn’t support it and the department lacked the staffing — noting officers worked 23,000 hours above their normal schedules in August alone. On the issue of Fountain Square patrols, Theetge says details were filled before City Manager Sheryl Long’s urgent texts, while Long’s termination letter says she had to “beg” for coverage. Theetge also alleges Mayor Aftab Pureval told Long “it’s me or you, one of us gotta go” following a Fountain Square shooting. Her attorney said lawsuits will be filed in both state and federal court next week. 🔗 More here
Dallas Chief Marks Year One
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux marked his first year on the job pointing to a drop in violent crime, a decade-high staffing level, and the removal of more than 350 violent offenders from the streets through federal partnerships, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. The department hired 407 new officers over the past 12 months and recorded 43 fewer murders than the prior year. Comeaux also created a Homeless Outreach Team to clear encampments and connect individuals with resources. He reaffirmed his decision not to partner with ICE under the 287(g) program, stating the department’s focus is on serving Dallas residents. Looking ahead, priorities include improving response times, continued recruitment, and preparing for the FIFA World Cup. 🔗 More here
Oakland Chief Lands in Fremont
Six weeks into his new role, Fremont Police Chief Floyd Mitchell is settling in after his brief and unexpected departure from the Oakland Police Department, where he resigned after 18 months, according to KTVU Fox 2. Mitchell pointed to a 25% crime reduction during his Oakland tenure, while a criminal justice professor suggested he left because he wasn’t able to do the job he envisioned. In Fremont, Mitchell is focused on retail theft, reckless driving, and a local unhoused population estimated at 800 people, and has already begun expanding the traffic enforcement unit. 🔗 More here
Portland Police Face $17M in Cuts
Portland Police Chief Bob Day warned Thursday that proposed budget cuts of more than $17 million will reduce services and increase response times for lower-priority calls, as the city seeks to close a projected $160 million budget shortfall, according to KGW. The cuts include an 80% reduction to the Public Safety Support Specialist program — which was projected to handle 25,000 calls this year for stolen vehicles, missing persons, and minor collisions — eliminating 34 full-time positions. Additional reductions include a 35% cut to training and supplies, 20% to technology and fleet, and cuts to victim services and precinct administrative staff. Day said the department is already operating lean: “Every cut we make is a cut to the bone.” The city council must adopt a final budget by June 17. More here
Neighbors Cheer Arrest
Palantir Exposes Infractions
The London Metropolitan Police have launched investigations into hundreds of officers after deploying Palantir’s AI software to identify misconduct and criminal behavior within the force, according to The Guardian. In just one week of surveillance using existing internal data, the tool uncovered wrongdoing ranging from work-from-home violations to corruption and criminal offenses — resulting in the arrest of three officers on charges including fraud, sexual assault, and abuse of authority. Among the findings: 98 officers assessed for shift-roster manipulation for personal gain, 500 more receiving prevention notices for the same offense, 42 senior officers investigated for falsely claiming office attendance, and 12 officers facing gross misconduct charges for failing to disclose Freemasonry membership. Met Commissioner Mark Rowley said the technology allows the force to “identify risk earlier, act faster and be fairer and more consistent.” 🔗 More here
Wearable Tech for Road Workers
Researchers at Morgan State University in Maryland are testing a wearable warning system designed to alert highway construction workers to approaching vehicles before they become a danger, according to Government Technology. The system uses lidar sensors and a predictive algorithm to deliver simultaneous alerts through a flashing beacon, a haptic wrist buzz, and a siren — providing redundancy to ensure workers are warned regardless of what they are doing. During a recent six-day test, more than 50,800 vehicles passed through the work zone, with 288 traveling 45 mph or faster. The technology comes as work zone fatalities remain a persistent problem — Maryland lost nine highway workers last year, Virginia logged 17 work zone fatalities, and Oregon recorded a five-year high in work zone crashes in 2024. ⚠️ More here
Deputy Killed in Shootout
A LeFlore County (OK) deputy was killed and a Wister police chief was injured last Sunday after officers responding to a welfare check were immediately fired upon by a suspect who then barricaded himself inside a home, according to KOKH. Deputy Thomas “Walker” LeMay was pronounced dead at the scene, while Wister Police Chief William “Andy” Thompson was transported to a local hospital. The suspect, 36-year-old Edgar Lara, opened fire as soon as officers arrived. The LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office described LeMay as “a true servant of the people, a loving son, brother, and father to his most precious baby girl.” 💙🖤 More here