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NYC grand jury set in fatal chokehold

NEW YORK -- The Staten Island district attorney will open a grand jury investigation into the death of Eric Garner, who died during an encounter with plainclothes police officers last month.

The district attorney, Daniel Donovan, said Tuesday that his decision to impanel a grand jury was based on his office's investigation and a review of the medical examiner's autopsy.

In a video recording of the fatal encounter, Garner, who weighed more than 300 pounds, can be heard saying, "I can't breathe," over and over as officers subdued him. One of the officers placed him in what the police commissioner, William Bratton, later said appeared to be a prohibited chokehold.

The medical examiner's office ruled that Garner's death was a homicide, caused by the chokehold as well as compression of Garner's chest as officers subdued him.

Donovan's decision to present evidence to a grand jury could lead to criminal charges against the officer who appeared to have used the chokehold, Daniel Pantaleo. It is not clear whether other officers at the scene are also targets of the investigation.

Ohio River oil spill shuts water valves

CINCINNATI -- An estimated 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of fuel oil spilled into the Ohio River, leading authorities to shut off water intake valves for both the Ohio and Kentucky sides of the waterway to protect water supplies, and a 15-mile section of the river was closed to allow cleanup.

The spill from a Duke Energy power plant in New Richmond, about 20 miles southeast of Cincinnati, happened around 11:15 p.m. Monday, said Duke spokesman Sally Thelen. She said the spill at the W.C. Beckjord Station occurred during a routine transfer of fuel oil from a larger tank to smaller ones and was stopped within about 15 minutes.

Local, state and environmental agencies were at the scene Tuesday, and the Coast Guard said Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy has assumed responsibility for the spill cleanup.

The spill comes just weeks after about 400,000 people in Toledo were left without clean tap water when toxins produced by algae got into the city's water supply.

Water quality scientists from the Greater Cincinnati Water Works continued monitoring the river in conjunction with the Northern Kentucky Water District. Rocky Merz, a spokesman for the city, said no threats to drinking water have been found.

3 women rescued in Arizona floods

PHOENIX -- Arizona authorities on Tuesday rescued two women and three dogs from a flooded house north of Phoenix after more than 4 inches of rain pummeled some areas of the state.

Television footage showed the residents in New River, about 30 miles north of Phoenix, waving a white towel out of a window as floodwaters raged around the house. A helicopter hovered above and lowered a rescuer onto the roof.

A separate rescue played out as water submerged a minivan and authorities pulled a woman from the vehicle.

A Section on 08/20/2014

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