It’s Wednesday, April 21st - and NBC 6 has your top stories for the day.
No. 1 - Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man’s neck in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S.
Chauvin, 45, was immediately led away with his hands cuffed behind his back and could be sent to prison for decades. The verdict — guilty as charged on all counts, in a relatively swift, across-the-board victory for Floyd's supporters — set off jubilation mixed with sorrow across the city and around the nation. Hundreds of people poured into the streets of Minneapolis, some running through traffic with banners. Drivers blared their horns in celebration.
No. 2 - South Florida community leaders and organizations -- as well as lawmakers and law enforcement officials -- are reacting to the conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer in the killing of George Floyd.
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The former officer, Derek Chauvin, was found guilty Tuesday of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of Floyd last May. For former ACLU attorney and Miami-Dade community activist Melba Pearson, the verdict brought out years of emotions. South Florida criminal defense attorney Richard Della Fera told NBC 6 that no legal maneuvering can overcome what jurors see with their own eyes. Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said the conviction didn't come as a surprise to the majority of law enforcement officials in the country. To hear more reaction, click here for the story as NBC 6 News has complete team coverage.
No. 3 - Police are searching for suspects after a man was pistol-whipped and robbed outside a Miami-Dade hotel in a crime that was caught on camera.
The incident happened around 1 a.m. back on Feb. 1 at the Rodeway Inn at 148 Northwest 167th Street. Miami-Dade Police said the victim was standing outside the main entrance to the hotel when he was approached by one suspect who pulled out a gun and demanded his belongings before hitting him in the face with the gun. The victim was knocked to the ground and unconscious, and that's when a second suspect approached and helped the other suspect remove the victim's belongings, police said. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered in the case, and police are asking anyone with information to call Miami-Dade crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
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No. 4 - The Naples Police Department is looking for a mysterious woman advertised around Golden Gate and East Naples, promising to solve relationship problems using “witchcraft services,” according to police.
The woman reportedly swindled more than $100,000 combined from at least 10 victims in an elaborate and disturbing scheme, the Naples Police Department reported. According to police, ads were found in free Hispanic newspapers, radio ads on local Hispanic radio stations and laundromats and stores in the Golden Gate and East Naples area. The media ads were published in December 2020 leading to the in-person scam beginning mid-January 2021. Anyone with information or who can identify the woman in the composite sketches is asked to call the Naples Police Department at 239-213-4844 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
No. 5 - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday that requires online retailers and other out-of-state merchants to collect sales tax, a move that could add about $1 billion annually to state revenues.
The law requires out-of-state retailers to collect taxes on purchases bound for a Florida address. Florida had required sales taxes to be paid to the state by the purchaser. The new bill shifts that burden to out-of-state retailers or online marketplaces, which will have to collect state and local sales taxes much like brick-and-mortar stores do. The sales tax collections will first go towards the state's unemployment trust fund, which has seen a steep drop amid the coronavirus pandemic. Once the unemployment fund is shored up, revenues generated by the measure would go to the state's General Fund.
No. 6 - Weatherwise, wet weather sticks around for much of Wednesday across South Florida with rain chances increasing throughout the day. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.
