BROWARD COUNTY PBA DAILY CLIPS May 3, 2017
MEDIA OUTLET: Sun Sentinel HEADLINE: Torch run brings out hundreds BYLINE: Helen Wolt LINK: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/hollywood/fl-dff-torchrun-0503-20170502- story.html STORY: Broward County's finest recently joined forces for the 34th annual Law Enforcement Torch Run as agencies from across the county pounded the pavement to benefit the Special Olympics. Hundreds of officers participated in parts of a 29-mile trek started in Hallandale Beach and finished at the Palm Beach County line where the live torch was handed off to be carried north. "It's a great event that all of our agencies in the state coordinate," said Hollywood Police Lt. Thea Basler. She said this year's turnout outnumbered that of 2016. The procession included bicycles, police vehicles and SWAT trucks. Department of Corrections personnel briskly walked the route. Police property manager Elizabeth Kamerick ran Hollywood's 4.9-mile leg between Hallandale and Dania beaches. She said she appreciates the support from bystanders on the sidelines as the racers jog. New York man faces charges in MLK Day ride Wilfredo Garcia, Jr., faces charges of reckless driving and fleeing in the illegal ATV and dirt bike ride on Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Two police academy students from Sweden also volunteered to join the run. "It's a great idea and a fun thing to do. It's not so usual to do running in Sweden for a cause," said Lina Zachhau. "This is very exciting." Torch Run Director Lt. Steve Feeley of the Broward Sheriff's Office said the fundraiser is a byproduct of law enforcement. "It's really no different than what is done every day by police all over the world. Our mission hasn't changed. We protect and serve our society, and that includes everyone," Feeley said. The Torch Run is the signature event of the law enforcement community's year-round support for Special Olympics Florida. Funds are generated through local events such as Tip-A-Cop, where police officers serve as waiters at area restaurants to generate tips. The Hollywood department went the extra mile by putting on a car wash which raised $700 for the Special Olympics in addition to its participation in Tip-a-Cop events, Basler said. Special Olympics Florida in Broward County offers year-round training and competition in 22 sports for over 4,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities. 1
The Broward Law Enforcement Torch Run is part of a 1,400-mile statewide relay that culminates at the opening ceremonies of the Florida Special Olympics Summer Games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista on May 19. "A special bond between law enforcement and the [Special Olympics] athletes is what makes the Torch Run what it is," Feeley said. 2
MEDIA OUTLET: Sun Sentinel HEADLINE: Suspect in drunken-driving crash that killed Delray officer is arrested BYLINE: Ryan Van Velzer and Linda Trischitta LINK: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/delray-beach/fl-pn-delray-officer-fatal20170502- story.html STORY: A woman accused of drunken driving in the crash that killed off-duty Delray Beach Police Officer Christine Braswell has been arrested in Broward County. Key West Police had earlier obtained an arrest warrant for 32-year-old Lacy Morris on charges of DUI manslaughter following the April 8 crash that killed Braswell, 40, and critically injured fellow officer Bernenda Marc, 25. Records show Morris was booked into a Broward jail shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on four charges associated with a Monroe County warrant and is being held on bonds totaling $170,000. Morris had a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 in the crash, police said, citing drug-test results they obtained this week. The legal limit is 0.08. Morris also faces charges of DUI serious bodily injury, DUI property damage and possession of marijuana, said Alyson Crean, Key West police spokeswoman. The crash happened about 1:30 a.m. on April 8 at White Street and Truman Avenue in Key West. Morris, of Summerland Key, and Kerby Brown, 43, of Fort Lauderdale, were in a Nissan Altima on their way to get fried chicken when they collided with Marc and Braswell, who were riding a Yamaha scooter, police said. Witnesses told police the sedan crossed the eastbound lane directly in the path of the scooter, according to an incident report. Investigators found a shadow mark from the scooter s brakes that stretched 20 to 30 feet. They also estimated the scooter was traveling 25 mph, the posted speed limit. At the time, police said they suspected Morris may have been intoxicated, describing extremely red, glassy and bloodshot eyes and a faint odor of alcohol, according to the report. Morris refused to perform field sobriety exercises or allow a blood sample to be taken and asked for a lawyer, police said. As everyone waited at the crash scene, a prosecutor obtained a judge s signature on a search warrant and the blood was taken from Morris. Investigators also said they found a marijuana cigarette on the floor of the Nissan s driver s side and smelled its odor emanating from the vehicle. Morris attorney, Evan Hoffman,Hoffman said no one should rush to judgment until all of the evidence has been collected. Let s take everything with a grain of salt, he said. There are so many things that could have happened in that accident. 3
Delray Police declined to comment on the arrest warrant, citing the ongoing investigation. 4
MEDIA OUTLET: Miami Herald HEADLINE: Legislature can t agree how to spend $83 billion, so session goes to overtime BYLINE: Kristen M. Clark, Steve Bousquet And Michael Auslen LINK: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article148047684.html STORY: TALLAHASSEE - Florida s legislative session will head into overtime after two top Republicans privately negotiating billions of dollars worth of spending and substantive policy failed to meet a deadline to get an $83 billion budget done Tuesday night, so that the session could have ended on time on Friday. As time expired Tuesday, Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, and House Appropriations Chairman Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, both said the 60-day session would have to be prolonged, but they didn t yet know for how long. We will definitely not complete the budget work prior to the end of Friday, Negron told reporters Tuesday evening a few hours after House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O Lakes, downplayed the increasingly expected delay by saying an on-time budget was still 90 percent likely. But earlier in the day, Trujillo was already guaranteeing that lawmakers would remain in Tallahassee for longer than they had planned. We ll extend at least a day, but I think one day max, Trujillo told the Herald/Times. That would push the session into Saturday, but Trujillo then said lawmakers would maybe lay [the budget] on the table and come back Monday, which would require at least an additional three days. Amid the budget gridlock, lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to each side s top priority: the Senate s $800 million water storage reservoir to reduce pollution south of Lake Okeechobee, and the House s proposal to expand the homestead property-tax exemption to $75,000, subject to voter approval in 2018. But that wasn t enough to overcome unresolved differences in spending for healthcare, environmental programs and higher education. The biggest sticking point in negotiations: Cuts to hospital funding. A broad budget agreement reached last week by the House and Senate included $650 million in cuts to Medicaid. But they still haven t agreed on how to put those cuts or a potential $1.5 billion from a federally approved Low Income Pool into effect. The healthcare budget is the biggest one left some issues tied to that, Corcoran said. LIP, hospital cuts, all of those things. Because healthcare makes up one-third of the state s budget, disagreement there can cause the entire spending plan to grind to a halt as it did in 2015, when the Legislature was forced to reconvene in a June special session to pass a budget. That year, the House adjourned and left Tallahassee three days early. 5
This now marks the second time in three years that lawmakers have been unable to complete their one constitutional obligation to pass a balanced budget in the regular 60-day session. Senate Democratic Leader Oscar Braynon, of Miami Gardens, said that Democrats were ready to stay in Tallahassee as long as they have to. All my members have been prepared for summer, for special session. That s not a threat to us, Braynon said. If it s a terrible bill, terrible budget, we re willing to stay. Corcoran and Negron have not met face-to-face in public since they took charge of the budget impasse Sunday afternoon at which point Corcoran described their private talks as volatile. With no viable budget compromise on the horizon, lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol were already preparing Tuesday morning to stick around past Friday. House Democrats spoke about talk of being here this weekend, while Senate Democrats said a three-day extension was being discussed. Thonotosassa Republican Sen. Tom Lee, a former Senate president and budget chairman, told reporters that from his experience, lawmakers were too behind schedule to finish on time and that he would support extending the session. I was musing on the floor that I wish somebody would let us know, because I know I m going to need some new underwear come Saturday, Lee joked. And I don t know whether I need a one-pack, a three-pack or what. We ve got to get prepared for some overtime. For the session to have ended on time, Negron and Corcoran would have needed to agree on a final budget and allowed time for staff to finalize the written bill and publish it online before the end of Tuesday, so lawmakers could have had the constitutionally required, 72-hour cooling-off period before voting on the budget on Friday. The Legislature can now extend the session by a three-fifths vote in both chambers a move lawmakers can exercise only once. If there s still no agreement after that, the extreme scenario would be for Gov. Rick Scott to issue a proclamation convening a special session, which would mandate that lawmakers return to Tallahassee and agree on a budget before June 30, the end of the budget year. It s better to get it right than to get it fast, Lee said Tuesday, echoing comments that Negron has made. I think we re better off extending session than trying to come back up. It takes so much longer, under our rules, to get things in the procedural posture to hear them, so you can t have a special session that lasts less than 10 days. It s much easier if we have a landing spot, if we can see the finish line to just stay an extra day or two and get it done, or come back on Monday for a vote, he said. Lee added that some lawmakers will potentially have no place to stay, though, if session is prolonged. Several members live in hotel rooms during session, and Florida State University has its graduation ceremonies this weekend, so rooms are hard to come by. 6
MEDIA OUTLET: ABC Miami (Channel 10) HEADLINE: Woman arrested in crash that killed Delray Beach police officer BYLINE: Peter Burke LINK: http://www.local10.com/news/crime/woman-arrested-in-crash-that-killed-delray-beach-policeofficer STORY: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A woman wanted in connection with a motor scooter crash that killed a Delray Beach police officer who was on vacation in Key West has been arrested, police said. Lacy Morris, 32, of Sugarloaf Key, was taken into custody in Broward County, Key West Police Department spokeswoman Alyson Crean said Tuesday night. Police earlier in the day obtained an arrest warrant for Morris, who faces a charge of DUI manslaughter in the death of Officer Christine Braswell. Braswell and fellow Officer Bernenda Marc were on vacation together and riding a motor scooter April 8 when they were struck by a 2006 Nissan Altima being driven by Morris. According to a crash report, Morris was driving west on Truman Avenue when she turned into the path of Braswell and Marc, who were traveling east on a Yamaha Zuma. Officer Jesse Young wrote in his report that Morris' eyes were "extremely red, glassy and bloodshot." Young wrote that he also smelled alcohol on her breath when she spoke. Morris told Young that she was turning into the parking lot of a nearby Dion's Quick Mart because she and a passenger wanted to get some fried chicken, the report said. Morris claimed that she thought the scooter was speeding but thought it had plenty of time to stop and that it wouldn't crash into her car, Young wrote. During a search of the car, another officer found "a fresh but barely smoked marijuana cigarette" on the driver's side floorboard, the report said. Braswell, who joined the Delray Beach Police Department in 2005, was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where she later died. Officer Christine Braswell was killed and Officer Bernenda Marc was seriously injured in a motor scooter crash in Key West. Marc was treated at Jackson South Community Hospital and later released. Morris refused to perform a field-sobriety test or submit to a blood sample, so police obtained a search warrant from a judge to have a paramedic draw her blood, the report said. Police said toxicology reports showed that Morris had a blood-alcohol content of 0.17 percent. The state legal limit is 0.08. Morris' attorney told Local 10 News that he had been in constant contact with authorities in the Florida Keys, but police decided to obtain a warrant before waiting on all the evidence. 7
"At no point was she fleeing," attorney Evan Hoffman said. Hoffman said she was visiting friends and family in Broward County at the time of her arrest. Morris was expected to be transferred from the North Broward Bureau jail in Pompano Beach to a Monroe County jail. 8