north miami

Here is a picture of the incident that took place in North Miami where the Police shot an unarmed black man.

In the broad daylight of July 18, 2016, the North Miami police shot and injured an unarmed black man named Charles Kinsey while he was treating an autism patient on the Northeast 14th Avenue. A cell phone video, showing moments before the gunshot depicts Charles Kinsey was lying on his back, both hands raised in the air, while another man sitting near him cross-legged. Charles Kinsey is an African-American who works as a behavior therapist at the MacTown Panther Group Homes. As per police reports, they were alerted by a 911 call that a disturbed man is walking around with a gun, threatening suicide. However, Kinsey during his interview to local TV news Channel 7 WSVN from his hospital bed, said, the white man sitting next to him was his patient named Rinaldo and the reported gun was actually a toy truck. There was no need for guns. As per police sources, the officer had intended to shoot the patient, whom he thought could harm Kinsey, but accidentally he shot Kinsey instead. Jonathan Aledda, a 30-year-old SWAT team member with four years experience on the job, went on leave amidst public protest. He was the man behind the gunshot.

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Here is a picture of Charles Kinsey, a black therapist shot by North Miami police while his hands were up in the air as he was trying to calm an autistic patient.

On Monday, July 18, 2016, Charles Kinsey, an African-American, who works as a behavior therapist at the MacTown Panther Group Homes was shot in the leg by North Miami police while he was trying to calm a white person, a sudden victim of autism on the Northeast 14th Avenue. As per police reports, they were alerted by a 911 call that a disturbed man is walking around with a gun, threatening suicide. The police officer (Jonathan Aledda ) had intended to shoot the patient, whom he thought could pose a danger, but accidentally shot the caregiver instead who kept his hands high in the air. However, Kinsey said that man was one of his patients, Rinaldo, and the reported gun was actually a toy truck. According to Kinsey's attorney, the policed fired two or three shots before hitting Kinsey once in his right leg. The incident till the shootout started, was recorded on a cellphone video which shows Kinsey is lying on the ground holding both hands in the air, next to a 23-year-old man with autism who sits near him cross-legged, not responding to orders to lie on the ground. The video went viral and sparked outrage nationwide.

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The power of Haitian or Creole Radio stations can no longer be underestimated in Florida, in the United States or anywhere where there is a large community of Haitians.

Radio is the most effective method of communication if you want to reach the Haitian community. Whether you are in Haiti or anywhere in the world; if you want to stay connected with Haiti or the Haitian community, there is no other option.

In Miami it is no different. Specially in this city where you find the largest concentration of Haitians in one area, Radio has become even more important. For 30% of North Miami's residents, Créole is the primary and perhaps only language they speak.

During local or national elections, these radio stations become the deciding factors as to whether or not you will be elected. Candidates who run for office in North Miami depend on Haitian radio to present themselves to listeners.

There Haitian radios hold huge influence. What they say, whether true or not, is received by their Créole-speaking audience and based on that, they make their choices between the candidates. Some people complain of the fact that they don't get a fair hearing on Haitian radio, specially if the show host has close ties to an opponent.

Those ties may include payout or special deals between the candidates and the radio hosts.

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Here is a picture of Haitian-American Jean Coty Ridore who was the School Principal at North Miami Adult Education Program. He was arrested for corruption

Jean Coty Ridore (38), the principal of North Miami Adult Education Center has been arrested on Monday, October 5th, on multiple felony charges, such as accepting unlawful compensation, official misconduct and grand theft. Multiple law enforcement agencies are investing his conduct after receiving anonymous complaints about his hiring and employment practices. Ridore used to pay employees who did not show up to work and some employees used to receive higher than their real wage so that Ridore can collect his kick back from them; some even lost their jobs who earned the ire of Ridore. On Monday he was arrested on complaints that he took $1,000 in cash to hire a no-show employee and then arranged for illegal kickbacks from the man. North Miami has suspended this year's (2015-16) grant funding of about $100,000 to the school. Ridore with salary around $110,000 had been with the school since July 2005; he was in charge of more than 400 employees.

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Here is a picture of Little River Center located in Little Haiti in Miami, at the corner of 2nd Avenue NE and 79th Street. In March, 2015 it was sold for $6.2 million

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Here is a picture of Mayor Lucie Tondreau before her arrest by FBI for mortgage fraud. She was the first Haitian-American woman to hold the position. She has been a Haitian activist in the Haitian community in Miami for several years

Her three other co-conspirators were Karl Oreste, Marie Okechukwu Josiah and Kelly Augustin.

Oreste used to identify residential properties in South Florida that were open to sale. Oreste and Tondreau advertised the unique services offered by KMC Mortgage. They recruited some paid individuals who posed as the borrowers of KMC Mortgage. The conspirators prepared loan applications for these straw borrowers with false information which were submitted to various mortgage lenders throughout the United States. Once these loan applications were approved, the lenders wired loan funds to O.J. Odunna, and other title companies for closing. The conspirators created and submitted several duplicate HUD-1 Settlement Statement Forms where the price of the property was grossly inflated and it represented many false cash and down payments of earlier loans by the straw borrowers to close obligations which they never made. The disbursed portion of the loan amount was channelled through Oreste's corporation to the conspirators' bank and other accounts. A substantial portion of the funds went to Tondreau's bank accounts of the LTO Investment Corporation. It has been estimated that the lenders have suffered a loss amounting around $8 million. If convicted, the conspirators may face a maximum term of 30 years in prison.

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Some might liken the actions of one former candidate for the mayor of North Miami to the fox and the sour grapes. However, Kevin Burns attests that his lawsuit against new mayor, Lucie Tondreau is not a petty action, but out of deep concern for the upholding of integrity of the city's leaders. The suit claims that the mayor was not in residence in the city for a full year, as is claimed by her and mandated by the rules. The records indicate Tondreau at a 1005 NW 128th Terrace address, but the new mayor has yet to comment on the issue.

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Political operative Nacivre Charles, better known as "Charlie," is under fire and under investigation by the State Attorney's Office.

Some how, this investigation is involving current Mayor of North Miami Mayor Lucie Tondreau. According to the report, Nacivre Charles was Lucie Tondreau campaign treasurer earlier this year.

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Here is a picture of Ms. Lucie Tondreau, the former North Miami Mayor. She is charged for participating in an $11 million mortgage fraud scheme.If convicted, Ms. Tondreau could spend up to 30 years in prison

Disgraced and ousted former Mayor of North Miami Lucie Tondreau is set to begin trial for fraud shortly. The jury selection has begun for a group of Ms. Tondreau's peers who will decide whether she was guilty of being part of a mortgage scheme that defrauded some $11 million or not. If convicted, the suspended mayor could spend up to 30 years in prison. While Karl Oreste, her business partner, has pled guilty, Tondreau turned in a plea of not guilty for the charges.

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Here is a picture of the new Mayor of North Miami Introduction Ceremony. This took place in North Miami City Hall

Mayor of North Miami Joseph Smith Introduction Ceremony

It is hoped that, following the introduction ceremony for Mayor-elect of North Miami Dr. Joseph Smith, he will be able to rebrand the image of North Miami after the 'bad leadership' attested to by former challenger and one-time mayor, Kevin Burns. Burns was undoubtedly referring to Mayor Smith's predecessors Andre Pierre, who during his time referred to the daughters of a councilman as prostitutes and issued police-like badges to his staff members, as well as ousted former mayor Lucy Tondreau, who was found in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme valuing $8 million.

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