Skip to content

Deputy Attacked in ‘Apparent Ambush’ in California, Officials Say

Justice Department Watchdog Probing Handling of Stone Sentencing

The Justice Department has launched an internal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the handling of the criminal case of Roger Stone, former political adviser to President Donald Trump. The probe by the department’s inspector general will reportedly look into Attorney General William Barr’s February decision to override a sentencing recommendation for Stone made by rank-and-file prosecutors. The prosecutors recommended a sentence of seven to nine years in prison for Stone, but the department later filed another recommendation asking for a lighter sentence. The DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General would not “confirm or deny the existence of any ongoing investigation” to The Epoch Times. Meanwhile, DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told media outlets that they “welcome the review.” She did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment. The revelation…

Deputy Attacked in ‘Apparent Ambush’ in California, Officials Say

A 911 call in California appears to have been made as part of a planned ambush just three days after two sheriff’s deputies were shot in an unprovoked attack in Compton, Los Angeles County.

The Kern County Sheriff鈥檚 Office received a call of a suspicious vehicle off Moneta Avenue at around 1:14 a.m. on Tuesday, prompting deputies to respond.

When the first deputy arrived, he began to investigate the vehicle and found it was reported stolen.

“Almost immediately after discovering the vehicle was stolen, an adult male began charging at the deputy from the opposite direction of the vehicle in an 鈥媋pparent ambush,” the sheriff’s office public information officer said in a statement.

The officer fired his weapon several times.

The suspect, a 31-year-old Hispanic male, was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspect was slated to be booked into the Kern County Jail for felony assault charges, the sheriff’s office said.

The deputy, who did nothing to provoke the attack, was placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

Officials see similarities between the attack and the one that took place in Los Angeles County over the weekend.

“At this point, it is very similar to a copycat style of what happened in LA the other day,”聽Joel Swanson, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, told 23ABC.

“The deputy involved was on a completely unrelated call when a subject rushed up to him from behind. The deputy didn’t know what he was doing or what he was armed with at the time, so this is a very similar type scenario.”

Detectives are working on finding out who made the 911 call, and from where.

“This initially started out as a very benign call and then it escalated very quickly from there so the deputies just never know what they are going to be getting into on each call for service they go to,” he added.

Anyone with information was asked to contact authorities.

The gunman who shot the Los Angeles County deputies is still being sought. The reward for information that leads to his arrest and conviction eclipsed $300,000 on Tuesday.

Follow Zachary on Twitter: @zackstieber

Focus News: Deputy Attacked in ‘Apparent Ambush’ in California, Officials Say

Daimler to Pay $2.2 Billion in Diesel Emissions Cheating Settlements

WASHINGTON—Daimler AG will pay $2.2 billion to resolve a U.S. government diesel emissions cheating investigation and claims from 250,000 U.S. vehicle owners, court documents show. The German automaker and its Mercedes-Benz USA LLC unit disclosed on Aug. 13 it had reached a settlement in principle resolving civil and environmental claims tied to 250,000 U.S. diesel cars and vans after the automaker used software to evade emissions rules. Daimler said in August expected costs of settlements with U.S. authorities would total $1.5 billion, settling with owners will cost another $700 million and also disclosed “further expenses of a mid three-digit-million EUR (euro) amount to fulfill requirements of the settlements. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen said the settlements, which follow a nearly five-year investigation, will “serve to deter any others who may…