It’s Thursday, June 16th – and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - A shooting Wednesday night involving a Miami-Dade Police officer killed one man who investigators say was armed with knives.
Miami-Dade Police said the scene took place just after 8 p.m. in an apartment complex in the 8000 block of Southwest 149th Avenue. According to police, officers responded after 911 calls said there was a violent disturbance and a woman screaming inside the apartment. Officers attempted to make contact with residents inside before entering. Once inside, they found 21-year-old Richard Hollis armed with two knives. Police attempted to deescalate the situation before an officer was forced to open fire. Hollis was taken to Kendall Regional Trauma Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
No. 2 - A Miami Beach apartment building was evacuated Wednesday after a partial roof collapse.
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City officials said the four-story, 54-unit building at 700 Euclid Avenue received an unsafe structure notice that required residents to vacate it immediately. No injuries were reported but two units physically impacted by the collapse have been condemned, officials said. The collapse happened in an area where the building’s electrical systems merge, so Florida Power & Light shut down the building's power, officials said. The city is working with the building’s owners who have agreed to provide temporary housing as required by municipal code.
No. 3 - The FDA began to green-light the COVID-19 vaccine for infants, toddlers and children five and under.
An FDA Vaccines Advisory Committee reviewed hours worth of data from Pfizer and Moderna Wednesday that showed high efficacy at preventing hospitalization and death. Data also showed minimal side effects from the shot and no severe complications. The committee voted unanimously 21-0 to approve both vaccines for children six months to five years old. Moderna’s vaccine would be administered in two doses, each one is one-quarter the dose of the adult version. Pfizer’s vaccine is a three-dose series, each dose about one-tenth of the adult shot.
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No. 4 - A South Florida man pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges related to trying to get $5,000 from a state senator after threatening to release what he said were sexually explicit photos of her.
Jeremy Kamperveen, 20, of Plantation, entered an open plea in Broward County circuit court, according to court records. He was facing charges of extortion, unlawful use of a two-way device and cyberstalking. The open plea means he has no deal with prosecutors, and his attorney, Michael Heise, said Kamperveen faces up to 21 years in prison at a July 19 sentencing hearing. Kamperveen was arrested in November. A Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest report didn't identify the victim, but Florida Sen. Lauren Book, whose district includes part of Broward County, released a statement several weeks later saying the threatening messages had been sent to her.
No. 5 - Imagine spending decades behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit. That’s the story of Thomas James, who was recently exonerated after being locked up for 32 years for murder.
Now, as he tries to build his life back, he faces another challenge — getting compensated for the years he lost. And he is not the only one. James is just one of many who feel the system failed them once again after finally proving their innocence. Under Florida law, people who have been exonerated can receive up to $2 million dollars in compensation, but there are restrictions. There is a 90-day deadline to file for compensation and those with a prior violent felony or more than one don’t qualify. Click here for James’ emotional words in a report from NBC 6’s Heather Walker.
No. 6 - Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger says the LGBTQ pride flag is not scheduled to fly on the town's property in the month of June, which is Pride Month.
In Tuesday’s commission meeting, Danzinger cited a recent Supreme Court opinion in which the court determined the city of Boston couldn’t choose to fly some flags from outside groups while choosing not to fly others, as the flags were not deemed government speech. The flag flew on Surfside property for the first time in June 2021 after a request made by former commissioner Tina Paul. Surfside spokesperson Frank Trigueros says the town has no written flag policy.
