Armed with a hairbrush and potentially dangerous--the aftermath of a Brooklyn teen's death by police

Apparently, even hair supplies qualify as a good reason for gunfire.

The New York City Police Department is fighting claims that they are trying to cover up what really happened in a Brooklyn killing last week, in which police fatally shot a mentally ill teenager under the assumption that he had a gun. It later turned out to be a hairbrush.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly continues to stand by his stance that the police were justified in the shooting. He later released tapes of the conversation between the teen's mother and police officials, to back up his earlier statements that the mother told the police he had a gun.

"What [Police Commissioner Kelly] is engaged in is a public campaign of misdirection and misinformation and because of that misdirection, because of that misinformation, Police Commissioner Kelly is actively engaged in a cover up," said Marq Claxton of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement.
In an interview with NY1 Friday night, the mother of the teen, Denise Owens, confesses that she is still trying to comprehend how her 911 call could have gone so awry.

"I just want answers to actually what went wrong," said Denise Owens.

What is Torture?

Amnesty International is holding an open discussion on torture. It's at 8 PM, this Monday, at Earl Hall.

Garcia and Rodriguez in the Top Ten

Two Hispanic last names, Garcia and Rodriguez, now fall under the top 10 most popular American surnames. Smith is still number one, but it has fallen increasingly over the years while names like Martinez and Hernandez have risen significantly, reflecting the change in our country's demographics. People no longer 'Anglicize' their names like they used to at Ellis Island. Check the rest out for yourself here.