Pence tells grads to ready for combat
WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Vice President Mike Pence told the most diverse graduating class in the history of the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday that the world is "a dangerous place" and they should expect to see combat.
"Some of you will join the fight against radical Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.
Pence congratulated the West Point graduates on behalf of President Donald Trump.
More than 980 cadets became Army second lieutenants in the ceremony at West Point's football stadium.
Pence noted that Trump has proposed a $750 billion defense budget for 2020 and said the United States "is once again embracing our role as the leader of the free world."
"It is a virtual certainty that you will fight on a battlefield for America at some point in your life," Pence said. "You will lead soldiers in combat. It will happen. Some of you may even be called upon to serve in this hemisphere."
The class was the most diverse in West Point's history, and Pence said he wanted to acknowledge "the historic milestones that we're marking today."
The 2019 cadets included 34 black women and 223 women, both all-time highs since the first female cadets graduated in 1980. The academy graduated its 5,000th woman Saturday.
Gunfire hits 10 people outside N.J. club
TRENTON, N.J. -- At least two gunmen fired into a crowd outside a bar in New Jersey's capital city, wounding 10 people, two critically, but the motive for the shooting remains unknown, authorities said.
Mercer County prosecutor Angelo Onofri said a vehicle pulled up to the corner outside Ramoneros Liquor and Bar in Trenton about 12:25 a.m. Saturday and the shooters fired more than 30 bullets before fleeing.
Five men and five women were taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds. Two of the men were listed in critical but stable condition while the other victims were in stable condition.
Police director Sheilah Coley said police were looking at surveillance footage and trying to identify the vehicle. The state police agency is providing help in patrolling the city, she said.
Mayor Reed Gusciora said police were investigating whether gang rivalries could have been behind the shooting.
Coley, however, cautioned that some witnesses reported that the driver of the car had been beeping the horn because traffic was backed-up.
"So we're not saying that this is road rage and we're not saying that this is a retaliation, because the truth of the matter is we just don't know at this point," she said.
Hiker lost 2 weeks in Hawaii found safe
WAILUKU, Hawaii -- A Hawaii woman has been found alive in a forest on Maui island after disappearing more than two weeks ago.
Amanda Eller was found injured in the Makawao Forest Reserve, The Maui News reported Friday.
Family spokesman Sarah Haynes confirmed she spoke with Eller's father, John. Eller was airlifted to safety.
The physical therapist from the Maui town of Haiku was last seen on May 8. Her white Toyota RAV4 was found in the forest parking lot with her phone and wallet inside.
Javier Cantellops said he was searching for Eller from a helicopter along with Chris Berquist and Troy Helmers when they spotted her about 3:45 p.m. near the Kailua reservoir, according to Maui Police Department spokesman Lt. Gregg Okamoto and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The Maui Fire Department took Eller to a hospital for evaluation, Okamoto said in a statement.
Her mother told The Maui News that Amanda Eller survived by staying near a water source and eating wild raspberries and strawberry guavas. She even ate a couple of moths, Julia Eller said.
Police chief 'sorry' for targeting reporter
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco police officers union demanded Saturday that the chief of police resign, accusing him of blaming officers for raids that he ordered in an effort to find out who leaked a police report to a freelance journalist.
Chief William Scott acknowledged Friday that the searches at the home and office of journalist Bryan Carmody were probably illegal and apologized for the way his department handled the investigation, telling the San Francisco Chronicle, "I'm sorry that this happened."
Carmody was handcuffed for hours on May 10 while police, armed with a sledgehammer, searched his home and office to uncover the source of a leaked report on the unexpected death of the city's former public defender. Officers subsequently removed dozens of Carmody's cameras, cellphones, computers and other equipment.
Media organizations across the country criticized the raids as a violation of California's shield law, which specifically protects journalists from search warrants. Because the warrants are under seal, it's not known what information police provided to support the searches or to what extent they disclosed that Carmody is a journalist.
The 2,200-member San Francisco Police Officers Association said Saturday in a statement that Scott was actively involved in directing the investigation. Because the chief's office issues press credentials, the union alleged that Scott knew Carmody was a journalist and did not disclose that fact to the sergeant who wrote the search warrant.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports
A Section on 05/26/2019