Here are some of the top stories from the last week from NBC 6 News:
Miami Officer Relieved of Duty Amid Investigation Into Video of Rough Arrest at Publix
A Miami Police officer has been relieved of duty while the department investigates his rough arrest of a homeless man who was suspected of stealing chicken at a Publix that was caught on camera, officials said Wednesday.
The incident happened the evening of April 16 at the Publix at 1776 Biscayne Boulevard.
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According to an arrest report, the suspect, identified as as 58-year-old Willie Barbor, was seen grabbing a chicken from the deli and started eating it as he left the store.
Miami Private School Co-Founder Doubles Down on Debunked COVID Claims
Local
A private school in Miami that discouraged teachers from getting the COVID-19 vaccine and said it won't employ anyone who received it held a meeting with parents Thursday, where the co-founder clarified the policy but still stuck to the debunked side effects of the vaccine on fertility.
The Centner Academy sent a notice to parents on Monday informing them of a new policy for its two campuses for about 300 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Teachers or staff who have already taken the vaccine were told to continue reporting to school but to stay separated from students.
Co-founder Leila Centner told employees in a letter last week that she made the policy decision with a “very heavy heart." Centner asked those who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine to wait until the end of the school year, and even then recommended holding off.
Man Indicted in Fatal Shooting of 92-Year-Old Neighbor in Pembroke Pines
A 25-year-old South Florida man has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge for the shooting death last year of his 92-year-old neighbor.
Wesley James Perez was arrested two days after the body of Fernando Frias was found during a welfare check at his home in Pembroke Pines, investigators said. He had been shot 11 times, according to the arrest report. The grand jury handed down the indictment April 21.
Investigators learned Frias had been shot on Feb. 29, 2020. Another neighbor had called 911 after hearing gunshots. And the 911 dispatchers received several calls from someone who was speaking incoherently and then hanging up, the South Florida SunSentinel reported Wednesday.
Police traced those calls to Perez's home. When they arrived at his home, they found a fully-clothed Perez in the swimming pool rambling in Spanish. He was saying things like, “Fernando, do you know who I am,” “25 years,” and “40 by 40,” the arrest report said.
DEO Overpaid Millions in State Unemployment Benefits in 2020
We often hear about the challenges people face getting their unemployment benefits, but some received more money than they qualified for in 2020.
NBC 6 Responds found the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) paid millions in overpayments last year.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Florida paid more than $104 million in state reemployment assistance in 2020. That’s nearly nine times the amount paid the previous year, when far fewer people in the state applied for unemployment benefits. In 2019, the state overpaid $12,309,380 in state reemployment assistance.
How to Help India's COVID Crisis: What You Can Do
India is facing one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world, with deaths nearly tripling in the past three weeks and the country setting daily global records of new virus cases.
The crisis in India has pushed the country’s health system close to collapse, with hospitals scrambling for more oxygen, beds, ventilators and ambulances.
The number of deaths has topped 200,000 and cases surpassed 18 million, but experts believe those figures are misleading and say coronavirus infections and fatalities in India are severely undercounted.
As the country wrangles with an alarming increase in cases, here's what you need to know about India's COVID-19 crisis, as well as ways to help.
These Are the Best Hospitals in Miami-Dade and Broward
A safety report card for U.S. hospitals was released Thursday and 10 South Florida hospitals passed with flying colors.
The LeapFrog Group, a national watchdog organization, graded more than 2,700 hospitals across the U.S. based on several factors, including each facility’s ability to protect patients from preventable errors, accidents, injuries, and infections.
In Miami-Dade and Broward counties, 10 hospitals scored an “A,” 11 scored a “B” and 11 scored a “C.” No hospitals in the area were given a “D” or “F.”
