PHOENIX, Arizona - October 14, 2010 - A Phoenix police officer has been indicted on a second-degree murder charge for the on-duty shooting of an unarmed suspect during a violent encounter in which he also shocked the victim with a stun gun and killed his dog, officials said Thursday.

Officer Richard Chrisman was served a summons on the indictment and was not taken into custody, said his defense attorney, Craig Mehrens. The indictment also charged him with aggravated assault and misdemeanor cruelty to animals.

NEW YORK (PNN) - October 14, 2010 - The fiancée and friends of an unarmed man killed in a 50-bullet police shooting on his wedding day said they wanted justice. The legal system gave them money - more than $7 million. The city did what it has done time and time again: pay.

Nearly $1 billion has been paid over the past decade to resolve claims against the nation's largest police department, according to an investigation by The Associated Press. Some smaller departments also shell out tens of millions a year in payouts, but New York's spending on police claims dwarfs that of any other U.S. city.
Taxpayers foot the bill - New York officials say the payments cost less than insurance would, and officers themselves don't usually bear personal responsibility.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - October 12, 2010 - Lower Merion School District has settled the webcam case that made national headlines after students accused school officials of spying by using the webcam installed on school-issued laptops.

The School District Board approved a $610,000 settlement Monday night.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - October 12, 2010 - A suburban Philadelphia township is considering whether to fine people who don't lock their car doors.

Commissioners in Upper Moreland Township are debating an ordinance that would require people to lock their car doors when parked in public areas or face a citation and a $25 fine.

LONDON, England - October 10, 2010 - Mobile phone firms have been accused of concealing warnings about the health risks of using their handsets.

A warning that Apple’s popular iPhone should be kept at least 15mm away from the body is buried deep inside the manual.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - October 8, 2010 - A state lawmaker claims Philadelphia police officers "began yelling profanities, obscenities and making threats of physical harm" to him when he stopped to watch them "roughly frisking" an older man, who also is black.

State Rep. Jewell Williams claims the officers took money from the older man's pockets and were letting it blow away, and abused him when he told bystanders to "leave the man's money alone."

CHARLESTON, South Carolina - October 8, 2010 - A South Carolina man says his constitutional rights have been violated after he was told by his local government to remove the Bible-themed signs he had posted on his property.