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CLOSE In Indianapolis, the fight continues over how to address crime as homicides increase. Indianapolis Star Dae’vion Pullum got two cakes on his birthday growing up. One was decorated with Spiderman frosting. The other? The Incredible Hulk.  His mom Betty Davis said her son insisted on the two sheet cakes. Even beyond his birthday, he went back and forth telling his mom he was Spiderman or The Hulk. Hulk smash. Spidey senses tingling. Repeat. “He just thought that’s who he was,” Davis said. “That boy was just ... he was more than goofy.”  This week, Davis finds herself again in the familiar routine of gathering superhero-themed memorabilia for her son.  But this time they’re for his funeral.  Pullum, 21, was found dead in the parking lot of a Cumberland apartment complex about 8:10 p.m. Feb. 25. Davis said her son was shot twice — grazed in the arm, then hit in his torso. Those involved took his wallet and phone, but left behind his Nintendo Switch. Also notably missing was one of his wheat-colored Timberland shoes.  Dae'vion Pullum on his 4th birthday, pretending to be the Incredible Hulk. Pullum was found dead on Feb. 25 in the parking lot of a Cumberland apartment complex. No arrests have been made yet in the case. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Betty Carter.) They then left the young man to bleed out next to a car.  A resident returning home from work saw Pullum’s body and called 911. Law enforcement in the small town that straddles Marion and Hancock counties noted how young Pullum appeared, sprawled on the ground.  “Whoever did this, they dumped him in the street," Davis said. " And just left him there.” Cumberland and Hancock County residents responded in shock to the violence that ended the young man's life.  Fatal shootings that have plagued the greater Indianapolis area are becoming "too close to home," some commented on Facebook. He was "just a baby," others noted.  Cumberland Police Chief Suzanne Woodland said detectives are investigating leads and developing suspects in the case, but many loose ends remain. No arrests have been made, and police are unsure if the motive was merely a robbery.  “It’s hard to see parents lose a child. He was so young,” Woodland said. “My heart goes out to them for sure, and we’re working as hard as we can to bring justice.”  Davis' last text to her son was a little over 20 minutes before he was shot, asking if he’d like half or a whole plate of the chicken and spinach dinner she cooked that night for him and his six siblings. He never responded.  Trending: Everyone counted these kids out. But this 38th Street football team defies expectations The giving kind He made friends everywhere, despite transferring from school to school and moving across the country from San Diego to Indiana, Davis said.  “He just had that personality you can fall in love with,” she said. “No matter where he went. He had teachers who loved him, counselors, friends, just anybody.”  If a friend was missing a jacket on a cold day, Davis said Pullum would hand them his coat. If someone went hungry and didn’t have much money, Pullum would decide on a food spot within their budget.  Dae'vion Pullum, 21, was shot and killed in a parking lot in Cumberland on Feb. 25. His mother remembers him as her "goofy" and "lovable" oldest son, who loved to dress up. (Photo: Betty Carter) Pullum briefly played football in middle school before finding his niche on the Arsenal Technical High School basketball team. He initially avoided the sport after a coach labeled him “too short” to play in third grade.  “I said ‘Never let nobody tell you what you can’t do,’” Davis remembers telling him. “You can do anything you want to do, if you just put your mind to it.”  Just starting his future Davis said her son wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do with his life upon his 2017 graduation. He’d been working since he was 14 years old, starting in a summer job at a food truck alongside his uncle. The summer job took him to Kansas City, Buffalo, Atlanta, Augusta, Florida and Texas. He later switched to a job at Kroger, followed by a gig at his stepdad's Crossroads dairy farm in Indianapolis.  With the money he earned as a teen, Pullum insisted on buying his own school clothes and paying for half his cellphone bill.  “He was trying to be a man, so I let him,” Davis said. “We always had that agreement.”   Most recently Pullum worked as a forklift operator in manufacturing jobs and set a goal this year to finally pick up a trade in truck driving and construction.  “He was just on his way to take care of his business,” Davis said.  Others are reading: Man dead after shooting following 'verbal altercation' on near Indy's northeast side Instead, the 21-year-old known for his keen fashion sense and expansive shoe collection will be laid to rest at a funeral service Saturday. He’ll be dressed in some of his favorite clothes, including a pair of ripped jeans with rhinestones on the side. A rack of his favorite 21 shoes will be nearby — a nod to the 21 Gun Salute. "He had so many shoes," she recalled fondly. "Before they even came out, he had them."  The most surprising element in the aftermath of his death, Davis said, is the number of people who have paid their respects. From his name written on a beach in California where he grew up, to people reaching out from Louisiana and Texas, to a crowd of his friends showing up at balloon release in his memory last week.  "Go DayDay," the crowd chanted in the live streamed tribute as they held balloons in Pullum's favorite colors, red and blue. It's a testament, Davis believes, to how many lives her son touched in just 21 years.  Contact Sarah Nelson at snelson1@gannett.com. Read or Share this story: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2021/03/05/daevion-pullum-family-remembers-killed-cumberland-indiana/6911437002/

BESSEMER, Ala. – Some Democratic members of Congress and national union leaders on Friday sought to rustle up support for unionizing a massive Amazon facility outside Birmingham, comparing Alabama workers’ organizing campaign to the civil rights movement. Mail voting by about 6,000 workers at the sprawling distribution facility began in February and runs through the end of March. It’s the largest organizing attempt in Amazon’s history, carrying high stakes for the second-largest employer in the country, which has a record of crushing unionizing efforts at its warehouses and its Whole Foods grocery stores. The outcome is critical for Amazon and organized labor in general. If the Alabama effort succeeds, it could set off a chain reaction across Amazon’s operations nationwide, with thousands more workers demanding better working conditions and seeking collective bargaining. It also would be seen as a boon to other labor sectors in the historically anti-union South and beyond. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, whose Alabama congressional district includes the Bessemer facility, welcomed four fellow members of the House Democratic Caucus to draw attention to the vote. Sewell noted that the delegation’s visit comes days before Selma, her hometown, commemorates Bloody Sunday and the Voting Rights March of 1965. “These workers are following a rich tradition ... of crusading against something that is wrong,” Sewell said, echoing some workers’ contention that Amazon’s working conditions and pay are inadequate. “The world is watching Alabama once gain," she said. "Birmingham, Bessemer, it's so important that the world knows that once again Alabama is standing up for civil rights and human rights.” Reps. Nikema Williams of Georgia, Cori Bush of Missouri, Andy Levin of Michigan and Jamal Bowman of New York traveled to Alabama to meet with Amazon employees and officials from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union that is seeking to organize workers. The group gathered at the union headquarters and also went to an intersection outside the Amazon complex. The visit comes ahead of next week’s expected House vote on the PRO Act, a union-backed proposal intended to strengthen workers’ ability to organize into collective bargaining unions. Lawmakers said they expect the measure to pass the Democratic-controlled House but acknowledged it faces an uphill battle in the 50-50 Senate, where Republican opposition is likely enough to prevent the act from securing the 60 votes required to pass most major legislation. At the Alabama facility, a majority of the 6,000 workers would have to vote “yes” to organize the facility. Amazon sought unsuccessfully to delay the vote and to require in-person voting. The company, which has seen profits and revenues spike upward during the pandemic, has campaigned hard to persuade workers that a union will only cost them money. Company officials say workers already get what they’d seek with a union: benefits, career growth and pay that starts at $15 an hour. Others dispute that. Levin, the Michigan congressman who was once a union organizer, called it “the most important election for the working-class people of this country in my lifetime.”

State - Regional Posted: Mar 5, 2021 / 05:37 PM EST/ Updated: Mar 5, 2021 / 05:38 PM EST CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46) – The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department is looking for a man who they say is prone to hitting beauty shops. Raymond Glover has 23 warrants out for his arrest and that’s just in North Carolina. Glover is also wanted in South Carolina. Detectives say the suspect likes to rob beauty stores.  “He targets the Ulta Beauty stores, were he’s stolen almost $85,000 in product from this business,” says Det. Adrian Johnson from Charlotte Crime Stoppers. If you know where Raymond Glover is call Crime Stoppers 704.334.1600 or submit an anonymous tip to the P3 tips app. There is a cash reward for any info leading to arrest.

Police in Norristown have arrested a trio of teens wanted in connection to the Feb. 19 robbery and assault of the owner of Mama Venezia's Pizzeria, authorities said. Brothers Justin and Kevin Cassidy, both 19, of Aston (Delaware County), are in police custody, as of March 4, according to the Norristown Police Department. A third suspect, Justin Croson, 19, of Seven Valleys (York County), turned himself in to authorities on March 5, police said. Surveillance footage shows a group of men looking through Mama Venezia's Pizzeria and later running into the establishment with masks, 6abc reports. The group is later seen running out of the pizzeria after owner Ying Ngov, a 56-year-old immigrant from China, told the outlet they stole beers from her. Ngov ran out after the suspects with a snow shovel, but one of the men retaliated by violently pushing her to the ground, 6abc says. Ngov was able to get up, but not before another man was caught on video punching her in the face to which she then dropped to the ground and received a beatdown by the group, the outlet reports. Ngov told the outlet that she blacked out and hopes to be paid for the beers by the group who brutally beat her. Both Cassidy brothers were arraigned before Magisterial District Justice Francis Lawrence, who assigned each a $40,000 cash bail, police said. The brothers were sent to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Croson was arraigned before Magisterial District Justice Francis Lawrence, who assigned him a $25,000 bail, police said. His bail was posted and he was released from custody.  A condition of the suspects' bail was that they are not permitted to return to Norristown unless attending a court proceeding, have no contact with the victim, the victim’s family members, or business, police said. "The Norristown Police Department would again like to thank the citizens and community of Norristown, for the outstanding assistance and support they provided, not only to the police department but also to the victim. This investigation would not have been successful without their help," police said in a press release. "Additionally, the NPD detective division would like to thank the numerous residents from the Aston area who provided us with so many valuable leads on the Cassidy brothers’ whereabouts. Speaking with these tipsters, they were appalled by the Cassidy brothers' actions and wanted to help bring them to justice." Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.

The Willows Inn — Lummi Island’s nationally renowned fine dining establishment — has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit for alleged wage theft. In the lawsuit, filed in 2017, former employees accused Willows Inn head chef/co-owner Blaine Wetzel and management for “failing to pay minimum wage for all work performed, overtime wages, and to provide or pay for rest and meal breaks under Washington law.” A settlement was agreed upon by both parties in October 2020. The lawsuit — which the Seattle Times first reported — is related to a labor violation notice the restaurant received around the same time, roughly four years ago. That year, the Willows Inn doled out $149,000 in unpaid wages and damages to 19 kitchen staff members, following a Department of Labor investigation. In its report from 2017, the Labor Department claimed Willows Inn “violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay overtime and minimum wage to its employees.” According to the 2017 DOL report, the Willows Inn violated labor laws by having its “stages” — culinary interns who generally work for free in fine-dining restaurants — work for as many as 14 hours a day, with no overtime, and day rates as low as $50. In response, the restaurant nixed its staging program, but denied any wrongdoing — and continues to push back on the allegations today. “After over three years of lawyers defending us against these claims, we were moved to settle due to current and mounting legal fees,” Wetzel told Eater Seattle, emphasizing that the allegations “are in no way accurate.” He added that the wording used in the lawsuit “is a tool that this specialized law firm uses to greatly exacerbate a citation we received from 2016.” Wetzel also stated that the restaurant has not allowed any “staigiers” or “unaccredited interns” since receiving the labor department’s citation in 2016 and currently follows all Washington State wage and labor laws. The Seattle Times reports that 99 non-supervisory employees were identified as members of the class-action lawsuit, and will receive a portion of the settlement sum, recovering about 75 percent of lost wages. Under the terms of the agreement, it’s documented that Wetzel and the defendants are not admitting to any wrongdoing, and the former employees who initially filed the suit are bound by a non-disclosure provision. After COVID measures delayed its usual annual opening plan in March 2020, the Willows Inn resumed service in a limited capacity last summer. As a seasonal operation, it is currently closed for the winter. Eater Seattle reached out to the attorney representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit and will update this article as more info is provided. Sign up for the newsletter Eater Seattle Sign up for our newsletter. 2579 West Shore Drive, Lummi Island,, WA 98262 (360) 758-2620

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Los Angeles is seeing an alarming trend in gun violence this year, according to a report from USC.In the first two months of this year, Los Angeles Police Department officers fielded 570 reports of shots fired, up 88% from the 303 incidents during same time frame in 2020 -- and 267 people were hit by gunfire, a 141% increase from the 111 people wounded in the time frame in 2020, it was reported Thursday. Homicides in Los Angeles are also up, according to Crosstown, a nonprofit news organization based out of the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, in partnership with the Integrated Media Systems Center at the Viterbi School of Engineering. It covers the neighborhoods of Los Angeles through data.Through Feb. 27 of this year, 64 people had been killed in the city, an increase of 39% from the 46 homicides at the same time last year, Crosstown reported."We continue to struggle with homicides and shooting violence,'' LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the Los Angeles Police Commission on Feb. 23, adding, "We have a concern about the level of violence that is still ahead of last year.''RELATED: LAPD sees dramatic spike in number of shooting cases, mostly in South Los Angeles The shootings come as the city has experienced a nearly 26% drop in overall crime during the first two months of the year. But the rise in gun violence is causing concern among community members and police, especially in the South Bureau.LAPD Deputy Chief Regina Scott, commanding officer of LAPD Operations-South Bureau, told the Police Commission that through Feb. 13, the bureau had recorded a 165% increase in shots fired and a 358% spike in victims shot while walking down the street or sitting in cars or homes."If you compare South L.A. to the rest of the city, we represent 65% of the city's shooting victims,'' Scott said at the Feb. 23 meeting. "In just six weeks, we've had 110 victims shot compared with just 24 last year. These are numbers we haven't seen since the late nineties or early 2000s.''Scott said the increase is being driven by a phenomenal number of weapons,'' along with disruptions to the community due to COVID-19 and corresponding economic problems.Community leaders are clamoring for assistance in combating the growing number of struggles, including everything from the need for food assistance, housing insecurity and violence. Andres Ruiz, an attorney and public safety chair for the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council, expressed concern over the 46% rise in shots fired in the area -- 19 this year, up from 13 in 2020. He said he sees the increase in crime as a call for help."We are living in an era where people don't know how they are going to pay their bills, facing eviction and hunger, and individuals resort to survival tactics,'' Ruiz said, stressing he was speaking for himself, and not the council."We need to understand what is going on in neighborhoods to understand how to help heal the community so these issues aren't happening,'' Ruiz said.Skipp Townsend, executive director of 2nd Call, a gang intervention nonprofit, told the Police Commission that intervention workers can facilitate meetings and allow people to discuss their grievances. He added that they also teach young people how to deal with their emotions so they don't respond to violence with more violence."I believe it takes the community to save the community,'' Townsend said at the Police Commission meeting. I found that the healing process hasn't started, but it's hard to heal when it's constantly occurring every day.'' Copyright © 2021 by City News Service, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Police in Chester County are seeking the public's help identifying a man who they say stole $2,000 worth of cold/allergy medicine from a local CVS. A male suspect was caught on surveillance footage grabbing a large amount of cold/allergy medicine valued at approximately $2,284 at the CVS on West Lincoln Highway on Feb. 7, according to West Whiteland police. The suspect reportedly left in an unknown model black car, police said. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect is asked to contact Detective Anthony DeLuise at adeluise@westwhiteland.org or (484)-875-6023. Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.

Police in Norristown have arrested a trio of teens wanted in connection to the Feb. 19 robbery and assault of the owner of Mama Venezia's Pizzeria, authorities said. Brothers Justin and Kevin Cassidy, both 19, of Aston (Delaware County), are in police custody, as of March 4, according to the Norristown Police Department. A third suspect, Justin Croson, 19, of Seven Valleys (York County), turned himself in to authorities on March 5, police said. Surveillance footage shows a group of men looking through Mama Venezia's Pizzeria and later running into the establishment with masks, 6abc reports. The group is later seen running out of the pizzeria after owner Ying Ngov, a 56-year-old immigrant from China, told the outlet they stole beers from her. Ngov ran out after the suspects with a snow shovel, but one of the men retaliated by violently pushing her to the ground, 6abc says. Ngov was able to get up, but not before another man was caught on video punching her in the face to which she then dropped to the ground and received a beatdown by the group, the outlet reports. Ngov told the outlet that she blacked out and hopes to be paid for the beers by the group who brutally beat her. Both Cassidy brothers were arraigned before Magisterial District Justice Francis Lawrence, who assigned each a $40,000 cash bail, police said. The brothers were sent to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Croson was arraigned before Magisterial District Justice Francis Lawrence, who assigned him a $25,000 bail, police said. His bail was posted and he was released from custody.  A condition of the suspects' bail was that they are not permitted to return to Norristown unless attending a court proceeding, have no contact with the victim, the victim’s family members, or business, police said. "The Norristown Police Department would again like to thank the citizens and community of Norristown, for the outstanding assistance and support they provided, not only to the police department but also to the victim. This investigation would not have been successful without their help," police said in a press release. "Additionally, the NPD detective division would like to thank the numerous residents from the Aston area who provided us with so many valuable leads on the Cassidy brothers’ whereabouts. Speaking with these tipsters, they were appalled by the Cassidy brothers' actions and wanted to help bring them to justice." Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.

High-5 to the rolling 25 promotions and new gigs in the Loss Prevention and Asset Protection industry. On behalf of...

Director – Asset Protection Programs and Infrastructure Location: Seattle, WA The Director of Asset Protection Programs and Infrastructure will lead, develop,...

The U.S. economy added 379,000 jobs in February as the pandemic’s grip loosened and the hospitality sector began to recover. ...

U.S. employers added a surprisingly robust 379,000 jobs last month in a sign the economy is strengthening as virus cases...