Sopranos Actor Gets Reduced Sentence for Deadly Robbery

Deputy marshal also wounded in St. Petersburg shootout

(NEWSER) - A wanted man hiding in an attic sparked a shootout with authorities, allegedly killing two officers and wounding a deputy US marshal. Officers were attempting to arrest Hydra Lacy Jr, 39, on an aggravated battery charge in St. Petersburg, Fla., this morning; officials believe Lacy was the first to shoot. Ultimately more than 100 rounds were fired, the AP reports. Lacy was found dead in the attic after being barricaded inside for hours, during which police shut off the home's electricity and water. More»

90-year-old found bound, beaten in home

(NEWSER) - New York police suspect a prostitute and her male cohort of strangling a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor at his Upper East Side apartment this week, the New York Post reports. The pair allegedly stole a car and credit cards from Felix Brinkmann, who periodically brought prostitutes home and, during the Holocaust, was ordered to the gas chamber five times—but survived each time because of his electrical engineering skills. More»

(NEWSER) - Summer heat brings people onto the streets—and the murder rate up, the New York Times reports. In the city, September is historically the worst month for homicide, according to an analysis of police data. August is a close second. And the deadliest time? 10pm on a September Saturday. “Homicides vary with social acting,” a criminology professor said. “It evolves from interactions.” More»

Former narcotics officer was to testify against other 'dirty' cops

(NEWSER) - A corrupt ex-cop's arrest yesterday in the murder of his girlfriend has dealt a fresh blow to the NYPD's battered image, the New York Daily News reports. Former narcotics officer James Bowens resigned from the force last year after being charged with stealing cash and crack to give to informants. He agreed to testify against former colleagues in a plea deal, now jeopardized by the death of his lover. More»

Nine-year-old pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his dad and a friend

(NEWSER) - The mother of a 9-year-old Arizona boy accused of shooting to death his father and a family friend says her son should not have been allowed to plead guilty without her consent—and she wants him back in school, reports ABC News. The child avoided a murder trial by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of negligent homicide, and is back home. But he can't attend school until authorities determine he poses no threat to himself or others. More»