Local and VCU
Man shot in Richmond’s East End
A man was hospitalized Tuesday after being shot in Richmond’s East End.
Richmond police Capt. David L. Martin said the man was taken to VCU Medical Center with a bullet wound to his upper right leg, an injury that was not believed to be life-threatening.
The shooting occurred at 10:14 p.m. on the 3300 block of Bunche Place.
The victim, 29, told police that he and a friend were walking in the neighborhood when they saw two other men come out of an apartment and walk toward them. At that point, the victim said, one shot was heard.
The victim told police he knew the two men but didn’t see either of them holding a gun, Martin said.
Detectives are pursuing leads in the case.
Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Chesterfield man shot by police is charged with seven new offenses
A fugitive shot and seriously wounded by police Oct. 1 after authorities said he drew a weapon at members of a task force sent to arrest him in Chesterfield County has been charged with more than a half-dozen offenses, police said Wednesday.
Thomas G. Wells, 32, has been served with warrants charging him with brandishing a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance, obstruction of justice and two counts of felonious assault of a police officer.
Wells was wanted in Chesterfield for grand larceny and assault and in Fairfax County for failing to appear in court for a larceny charge.
Wells survived the shooting and was listed in serious but stable condition at VCU Medical Center. His shooting is being investigated by Chesterfield police.
Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch
BET co-founder apologizes for making fun of Deeds’ stammering
Billionaire Sheila Johnson, a backer of GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, apologized Wednesday for imitating the stammer of Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds.
Johnson mimicked Deeds’ halting speaking style to underscore her view that the state senator from Bath County isn’t taking firm stands on issues.
In a conference call with reporters, Deeds strategist Mo Elleithee says Johnson’s imitation was offensive, particularly to Virginians with speech impediments.
The video of Johnson, a broadcast executive and investor, is now showing up on Democratic blogs.
Prepared by a Deeds tracker who followed Johnson and McDonnell to a recent event in Hampton Roads, the video was turned over to bloggers by the Deeds organization.
Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch
National and International
Tropical Storm Henri weakening in the Atlantic
Forecasters say Tropical Storm Henri is weakening in the Atlantic Ocean and is likely to be short-lived.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Wednesday morning that the storm was about 375 miles (605 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands.
The storm is moving toward the west about 15 mph and is expected to stay to the north of the Lesser Antilles.
Its maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts.
Forecasters say the eighth named storm of the Atlantic season is expected to dissipate by Thursday.
Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch
NYC undercover stings expose ‘gun show loophole’
Investigators hired by New York City conducted stings at gun shows in states that have not closed the “gun show loophole” and found some vendors openly selling weapons to buyers who admitted they could not pass background checks.
The stings, described in a city report released Wednesday, were conducted at seven gun shows in Tennessee, Ohio and Nevada. Those states are among the many that permit private unlicensed dealers, known as “occasional sellers,” to sell weapons at gun shows without conducting background checks.
Gun-control advocates say the loophole makes it easier for criminals to acquire guns and prevents law enforcement from being able to trace those weapons if they are used in crimes.
Nine states, including New York, have passed laws to close the loophole, requiring background checks on at least all handgun purchases at gun shows.
Brief by The Associated Press
Taliban said they’re no threat to other countries
Afghanistan’s insurgent Taliban marked the eighth anniversary of the U.S. invasion Wednesday saying they have no “agenda” to harm other countries but would continue fighting as long as America and its allies remain in the troubled nation.
The Taliban insistence that it would pose no threat to other countries appeared aimed at countering suspicions that the Islamist movement would support al-Qaida’s global jihad if they returned to power. Supporters of the war fear that al-Qaida would regain its once-dominant position in Afghanistan if the Taliban topple the U.S.-backed Afghan government.
In an Internet statement Wednesday obtained by the SITE Institute, a U.S. group that monitors terror messages, the Taliban said their goal was “independence and establishment of an Islamic system.”
Brief by The Associated Press