In Other News: Overweight firefighter sues over harassment; Newly remodeled Washington Monument elevator breaks down

Published 6:13 pm Sunday, September 22, 2019

Florida officer suspended after arresting two kids, ages 6 and 8, at school

A Florida police officer was suspended after he arrested two young children in school last week, including a 6-year-old who was acting out because of an apparent medical condition, a relative and police said. Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón said in a statement that the reserve school resource officer, Dennis Turner, did not obtain the approval of a commanding officer before making the arrests on Thursday, as department policy requires. Turner was suspended while the department conducts an internal inquiry, Rolón said. “The Orlando Police Department has a policy that addresses the arrest of a minor and our initial finding shows the policy was not followed,” Rolón said. “As a grandparent of three children less than 11 years old this is very concerning to me.” — NBC News

Tlaib says she’s ‘in such disbelief’ Pence brought eight cars to Michigan island where they are banned

Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib said she’s in “disbelief” Vice President Mike Pence was accompanied by an eight-car motorcade during his visit to an island in her home state where vehicles are banned. “Disgusting. I am in such disbelief that this was allowed to happen,” the freshman representative tweeted. “This Administration doesn’t care about the law (you know, the U.S. Constitution), so it shouldn’t surprise me so much that they don’t care about our history or traditions,” she added. The cars arrived with Pence when he attended the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island last weekend. — The Hill

Washington Monument elevator briefly breaks down after years of elevator renovations

Days after it reopened to the public, the elevator inside the Washington Monument temporarily broke down on Saturday, park officials said. The monument — the tallest building in Washington, D.C. — opened on Thursday after a three-year renovation in which its elevator and security systems were upgraded. On Saturday, however, “The elevator was down for about an hour, but came back online,” the National Park Service (NPS) wrote on Twitter. “No evacuation via the stairs was necessary. We apologize to our visitors who were inconvenienced. Normal operations have resumed and tours are running on schedule.” — Fox News

350-pound firefighter sues his colleagues over harassment

A Long Island, New York, firefighter is taking his colleagues to court for what he says was incessant teasing about his weight. The New York Post reported Saturday that John Munro filed a discrimination lawsuit in federal court against fellow firefighters in the Suffolk County hamlet of Hauppauge. The nearly 350-pound Munro says he was called names like “cow” and harangued for taking up two seats in the fire truck. Munro’s attorney, Joshua Frank, says that after his client asked for an investigation, somebody tampered with his rope and harness. Munro is a volunteer at the Hauppauge Fire Department. He seeks unspecified damages. — ABC News