GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
MGN Online NEW YORK (AP) – In a conference room on Manhattan’s West Side, police investigators and the white officer accused of putting an unarmed black man in a fatal chokehold sat down for the first time to go frame by frame through the amateur video of an arrest gone wrong. The closed-door viewing this week marked the start of the New York Police Department’s internal affairs probe to determine whether Officer Daniel Pantaleo and at least six other officers will be disciplined for their roles in Eric Garner’s July 17 arrest and death on Staten Island. The internal inquiry was on hold pending the outcome of a grand jury investigation into whether Pantaleo should face criminal charges. Two days after the grand jury decided not to indict Pantaleo, police investigators started their work. Except for Pantaleo, any officer who testified in the grand jury was given immunity from criminal prosecution. The police investigation could result in departmental charges such as excessive force or abuse of authority. Such charges could bring public trials, and if the officers are found guilty, they face a range of potential penalties – from reprimands and loss of vacation days to forced retirement or dismissal. Police Commissioner William Bratton has said the NYPD investigation could be concluded within a few months – well ahead of any decision by federal prosecutors on whether to bring a civil rights case. And he has made clear he has the last word on any officer discipline. Supporters of Garner’s family and others have questioned whether due process – both for the family and the officers – is possible in a case that’s sparked nationwide protests on excessive force and accusations by NYPD officers and union officials that Pantaleo is being railroaded. “Any examination of this that leads to the officer being disciplined and hopefully losing his job would be a good outcome for the family,” said Garner family attorney Jonathan Moore. “But we don’t hold much faith in the police department investigating their own.” The video shot by a bystander shows Pantaleo and his partner, Justin D’Amico, in plain clothes trying to arrest Garner on suspicion of selling untaxed, loose cigarettes. After the 350-pound Garner refuses to be handcuffed, Pantaleo wraps his arm around Garner’s neck and starts to pull him down as others pile on and force him to the ground. At least six other officers appear on tape amid the ruckus, including Sgt. Dhanan Saminath, the supervising officer. Also shown are another sergeant, two patrolmen in uniform and two other officers. At least one officer is black. Some play active roles in the takedown, others direct foot traffic and stand by. Garner can be heard repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe,” before he goes limp. The medical examiner later found that a chokehold – along with Garner’s poor health – resulted in his death. The police patrol guide explicitly bars officers from putting “any pressure on the throat or windpipe, which may prevent or hinder breathing or reduce intake of air.” It further warns officers that they are required to “intervene if the use of force against a subject clearly becomes excessive. Failure to do so may result in both criminal and civil liability.” Pantaleo has told the grand jury and internal affairs investigators that he used a takedown maneuver called a “seat belt” taught at the police academy – not a chokehold – to try to subdue Garner because he was resisting arrest, his lawyer said. He also denied intending to harm Garner and said he believed Garner was breathing because he could still speak. The attorney, Stuart London, said the internal affairs questions for his client were “straight down the middle.” The investigators went through the video, frame by frame, while asking Pantaleo to explain his actions, London said. The interview lasted about two hours. There was no response to a phone message left for D’Amico’s attorney. Sergeant’s Benevolent Association head Ed Mullins has said the sergeants did nothing wrong. A second tape showed at least four EMTs from Richmond University Medical Center arriving on the scene. One checks the pulse of the motionless, unresponsive Garner, who is handcuffed and on his side, but they take no immediate steps to treat him. They are heard commenting that he was breathing and urging him to get into a stretcher on his own power. When Garner doesn’t respond, he’s turned on his back and heaved onto a stretcher by an EMT and officers. Garner was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour later. The Fire Department of New York, which dispatches EMTs that work for private hospitals, restricted the four from going out on 911 calls. Last month, two were reinstated. The others remain temporarily assigned to non-medical roles at the hospital. None were suspended from work. Richmond University Medical Center said at the time it was undertaking a comprehensive review, but the hospital refused to respond to questions on their investigation. For police officers, the results of the NYPD’s internal process often are “a foregone conclusion, depending on the signals people get from the police commissioner,” said Norman Siegel, a prominent civil rights attorney. “In the end, there’s a lot of people who want this cop fired,” he said of Pantaleo. “I don’t know whether that’s justice or vengeance.”