news4's michael george is live in downtown brooklyn where today's daredevils are set to face a j. udge. michael? >> reporter: police climb the bridge trying to get that perfect selfie. two guys from connecticut are now getting a tour of another new york landmark, the brooklyn courthouse. these two tourists left the brooklyn bridge in handcuffs. police said they were caught scaling the brooklyn bridge, all to get the perfect photo of the sunrise. >> we want to document everything. it's the culture we're in right now. >> reporter: police say shawn cody and scott lockett, both beams of the brooklyn bridge, standing right over traffic. can you imagine going to these lengths to get a good picture? >> no. my life is way too precious. >> reporter: when the officer asked the two men to come down, they did, and they ended up getting charged with trespassing and public endangerment. the nypd takes action like this seriously. >> they said. strange stuff happens in the city. >> it's scary. you could get hurt. >> reporter: these stunts have become a recurring problem. there was a russian climb

we're in downtown brooklyn where that man is expected to be a arraigned a little bit later today. >> reporter: joshua colon has a long history of arrests. the 24-year-old did not say anything to reporters as he was led out of the precinct earlier this morning. police tracked him down hiding in a brooklyn apartment last night. just released from jail last week after serving 30 days. he also served six months in state prison for selling drugs before that. he has more than two dozen arrests. now he's accused in a deadly carjacking that took the life of 63-year-old philip dellegrazie. police say colon jumped into off. dellegrazie caught up with him at a light and tried to pull him out, but he fell in the street. colon ran over him killing him. friends call dellegrazie a hard working family man. the suspected carjacker expected to face a judge a little bit later this afternoon. live in downtown brooklyn, news4 new york. >> there is another slashing on a subway to tell you about. two men stole his bag and it happened on the two train. we have more on the men police want to find. >> reporte

kemberly richardson at the federal courthouse in downtown brooklyn with the latest. >> just moments ago dennis murphy, jr. left the courthouse late this afternoon. a federal judge set bail bond at $50,000. murphy left the courthouse with his wife and his father. no one wanted to comment. if the allegations about the former jetblue pilot are true, he put countless people's lives in jeopardy including 151 passengers on the plane he was piloting back in april of last year. that's when federal authorities maintain murphy failed a field sobriety test. he blew a .11. when it comes to flying a plane, anything more than .10 is intoxicated. he was behind the controls of flight 584 from orlando to jfk, complaint, murphy's co-pilot saw him drinking an unknown beverage from a cup before and during the flight after taxiing to the gate, murphy was selected and officials say he failed the test. earlier that same day, april 21st of 2015, murphy piloted another flight, flight 583 from jfk to orlando with 119 passengers onboard. murphy was arrested at his home in new jersey this morning. at the time of t

eyewitness news reporter at the courthouse downtown brooklyn with us. no worries. >> reporter: there wasn't much of a chance to mount that good clear and it is graphic and now police officer joel edward faces as much as a year in jail. >> the judge spoke quietly, but has been seemed moved by the video. >> it was a difficult situation, but that he would stop on the head of the man being restrained by the other police. >> and a cell phone video that clearly shows them in that control of police officers on the ground. in handcuffs when then police officer joel edwards steps over and stops on his head. another officer appears to push edward away. >> the kick occurred while he was lying on the belly under the control of the other police officers. it was a sudden and gratuitous kick that appears to have actually interfered with the other officers actions. >> he was left bloodied by the kick. he acknowledges though that he was resisting the officers. >> i regret that for what happened. >> reporter: whatever he was doing that he did not deserve this. that day a

live in downtown brooklyn. what went wrong. >> the hardest hit areas have been to be brooklyn. time and again we heard of complaints from voters in all of the boroughs and here in brooklyn, especially. they encounter the kind of problems that would really prevent you from being able to cast a ballot. hours late , voting books missing, machines malfunctioning. specifically here in brooklyn. hundred and 26,000 voters were removed from the voting rolls or their party affiliation was changed without their consent. it's five times more than the amount they received in the 2012 general election. now, city controller promises a hold on it. >> i would find it to be highly unusual. if anyone tempered in that way, i have decided to audit the management and operations of the new york city board of elections. we are going to go in and asked some tough questions. you had to be a registered party to vote. if this was an open primary, if you are able to vote for whichever wanted, that might have made things easier.it would not have solved all the problems like volunteers not showing up to ope

police say that he shot after pulling a gun in front of officers in downtown brooklyn. this happened at the farragut houses and officers had stopped one man for a warrant and then his friend allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband. three officers opened fire, shooting him in the hand. both men were arrested. >>> both sides are now appealing a judge's decision after the sentencing of former shooting of akai gurley. yesterday liang was sentenced to community service and five years probation. that came after a judge reduced his manslaughter conviction, instead convicting him of criminally negligent homicide. liang shot and killed akai gurley when he fired a shot inside the stairwell at the pink houses in brooklyn. gurley's mother called the sentencing an insult to her son's life. >> i never expected this to happen, never. never. i'm just confused on what happened, what made the charges be reduced? >> liang plans to appeal his conviction. the brooklyn d.a. also plans to appeal the ruling after the judge reduced the conviction decided on by a jury. >>> 6:38. president obam

over the undecided with the new york pry pair days away. >>> our eyewitness news reporter is in downtown brooklyn tonight, lucy. >>> joe and sandra with the new york state primary on tuesday right around the corner hillary clinton went to the west coast this weekend to fill up her war chest while bernie sanders flew to the vatican to meet the pope. did return in time in brooklyn heights. >> we have more people in jail than any other country on earth. justice, race and inequality. >> we're all as a society, when some kid gets picked up tonight for possession of marijuana will have a criminal record for his whole life and other people destroy the economy nothing happens to them. >>> raced back after a whirlwind trip to the vatican. >> i wanted him to know howappreciative i was in raising consciousness and levels of incoming wealth and equality. >> pope francis making it quite clear he was simply being courteous. >> it is called good manners not getting mixed up in politics. if anyone thinks that greeting someone in politics think should see a psychiatrist. >>> hillary clinton was on the west coast

newscopter7 is live over a protest in downtown brooklyn. they walked off the job after two unions did not reach an agreement with management. august. different states. non-union workers to replace those who are on strike. earlier we showed you bernie sanders with the workers. hillary clinton has also said she supports them. >>> new at noon, new jersey police say bogus bomb threats triggered evacuations in at least 13 schools in bergen and passaic counties this morning. the schools affected were in fairlawn, elmwood park, lodi, fort lee, leonia, englewood, hackensack, and hasbrouck heights. some of the school districts are on spring break this week. these are just the latest threats phoned in to northern new jersey schools over the last few months. >>> new fallout from an investigation involving high ranking members of the nypd. we've learned that deputy chief andrew capul has been transferred and being reassigned to an administrative position pending further review. federal investigators are four nypd commanders from brooklyn south to see i

juliet: teresa pila joined us in downtown brooklyn with more. >> reporter: what a mess. a lot of people feel they were robbed of their basic right, the ability to cast a ballot in an easy and efficient way. the city comptroller said this with chaos and confusion yesterday being echoed by voters who feel they were shut out. >> we tried to put our ballot in the scanner. the scanner would not take our ballot. >> reporter: the kind of complaint heard time and again tuesday. their primary ballot. >> they said do emergency ballots, in won't be counted until after 9:00 or 10:00. how fair is that? >> reporter: the state attorney general's office that it has been overwhelmed by voter complaints. 700 by phone and email at last count, 5 times more than what the state received during the 2012 general election. now the city comptroller scott stringer is promising an investigation. >> every management and operation of the new york city board of elections, we are going to go in and have tough questions. >> reporter: including why some polling places open two hours late or another votin

. >> their first meeting happened in a morning ceremony celebrating the fdny donors in downtown brooklyn. the new york blood center said firefighters donate bone marrow and stem cells more often than any other single group in the city. their job is saving lives and they do it in many ways. >> they sure do. >>> when new york 6 returns, the message the gaming town wants to send up the shore. >>> but first here's a look at what's on nbc tonight, and all across new york families are coming back to time warner cable. join them, and switch right now. we have trucks standing by, and can for $89.99 a month you'll get 100 meg ultra-fast internet, and unlimited calling. twc's home wifi is so strong we can use all our devices at the same time. so we can all watch whatever we want. and that's kinda cool. call now. for $89.99 a month you'll get internet, tv and phone. there's no contract, no risk and our money-back guarantee. come back today and we'll give you free installation with our exclusive one-hour arrival window. feels good to be back. come back today and get installed as early as today. at n

eyewitness news reporter tim fleischer was there and he joins us live from downtown brooklyn. >> as you point out, it was a very emotional trial, especially as the surviving officer took the stand and testified in the trial. they also remembered the fallen officer and then they watched the horrifying pictures as these officers struggled in this apartment fire. >> reporter: as rosa rodriguez and her partner dennis huerra took the floor they were overcome by thick smoke when the >> can't breathe. >> reporter: they immediately radioed for help. we were able to walk in the hallway but couldn't breathe well. dockery is accused of setting a mattress fire and now on trial for murder, arson, and assault. >> it's a difficult day for every new york city police officer in that courtroom. >> reporter: the officers in the thick choking smoke tried to find the emergency exit. i was holding on to him because i couldn't see. we were calling for help. then officer guerra's haunting last words on a radio transmission. 85. 85. the last call for help. >> this family had to sit there and watch the last step

live outside of court in downtown brooklyn, andrew siff. one of the strangers he shot breaks down in tears. explaining the memories he can never erase. >>> plus, a grandmother trapped in the woods for nine days with no food new york city watt , no water and no direction. >>> we made the 50s today. the temperatures will just keep rising beyond this. the problem is the nighttime. i'll let you know what you have to watch out for again tonight coming up in the forecast. >>> a special birthday gift for a long island woman. in new york state, we believe tomorrow starts today. all across the state, the economy is growing, with creative new business incentives, and the lowest taxes in decades, attracting the talent and companies of tomorrow. like in buffalo, where the largest solar gigafactory in the western hemisphere will soon energize the world. and in syracuse, where imagination is in production. let us help grow your company's tomorrow - she says their names. trayvon martin shot to death. dontre hamilton unarmed. sandra bland... did nothing wrong. and makes their mothers' fight for just

eyewitness news reporter dray clark is live now outside clinton's headquarters in downtown brooklyn. dray. >>reporter: well, good morning, lori. hillary clinton definitely defended her home turf well with a very decisive win. meanwhile, for bernie sanders he's still in the running, but barely. new yorkers came through for hillary clinton in a big way, taking her one step closer to getting her party's nomination. >> new yorkers, you've always and i've always tried to have yours. today, together we did it again and i am deeply, deeply grateful. >>reporter: bernie sanders was hoping for an upset win in the primary which could have changed the trajectory of the race. sanders' campaigned hard in new york, drawing crowds in the thousands, but in the end he suffered a double-digit loss. >> today we took secretary clinton on in her own state of new york and we lost. >>reporter: clinton supporters have now stepped up their calls for sanders to get out of the race. to stay in, they sairks would be destructive. >>reporter: bernie sanders flew back to vermont late last night in order to have tal

cbs 2's dick brennan is live in downtown brooklyn with the late details. dick. >> reporter: the hearing was to decide were to throw out the conviction of officer peter liang. he was convicted of shooting the defense says a juror lied while being chosen saying that nobody in his family had been accused of a crime but later the juror told a newspaper that his father went to prison for 7 years for accidentally shooting someone and he said that a police officer should be treated like everyone else. now, at today hearing vargas said he wasn't close to his father and wasn't aware of the pass. his attorneys also questioned vargas about possibly anti- police facebook postings. now, where do we go from here? nobody knew that the hearing would take so long so it's going to go until tomorrow. it's just adjourned about 15 minutes ago. the hearing resumes tomorrow on whether to throw out the case. what's interesting is that liang was supposed to be sentenced tomorrow. now, that is postponed until april 19th as we await a ruling in this hearing. live in downtown brookly

let's go to arthur chi'en, who is live in downtown brooklyn, tonight. good evening, arthur. >> there have been some many twists. the mother of akai gurley calling this an injustice, showing that officer's lives are valued above black individuals. peter liang faced a complicated case. the district attorney asked in the sentencing guidelines that he not be given prison time. the judge went along with that and reduced the manslaughter conviction that was handed down to criminally negligent homicide. that was a reduction in the crime. he waived six months of house arrest that had been requested by the district attorney's the judge did increase the number of community hours to be served from 500 to 800. the central part of this, what happened here was not intentional but criminally negligent. >> he was entering with a serious mind to do his job of protecting the people of the pink houses. shooting that gun and killing somebody was probably the last thing in his mind. >> reporter: the reaction to the judge's decision showed the pressure on this case. supporte

news4's gus rosendale was in downtown brooklyn with these details new at 5:30. >> the pilot in question was arraigned here in federal court a short time ago. he and his family declined comment but court papers speak volumes. jetblue pilot dennis thomas murphy, jr. and ccused of flying under the influence after flying o flights from new york to orlando. murphy blew a .11 blood alcohol contest. a second test registered a little lower, at .091. the co-pilot observed murphy drinking an unknown beverage from a cup before and during jetblue flight. pilots are prohibited from flying within eight hours of drinking alcohol. in 2015, there were more than 56,000 tests. that included everyone, flight attendants, mechanics, and that latest number included ten pilots. the person arrested here is released on $15,000 bond. he did not enter a plea, but we're told he quit his job with jetblue. >> in a statement, jetblue said it has a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy. the airline said murphy was immediately removed from service following that breathalyzer test. >>> new tonight, a father accused of s

eyewitness news speaking to the man tonight and he's in downtown brooklyn. >> the whole reason you talk to prospective jurors, to find out peter's lawyers saying one perspective juror lied about it, and they want a mistrial? >> i'd rather tell the judge. >> he was reluctant to talk about what he told the judge during jury selection but got over it. >> i don't think i lied. he sat on the jury that convicted peter of shooting a girly in a stairwell. during selection, he was asked if he knew anyone convicted of a major crime and he said i'm talking about close family or yourself. vargas answered no but his biological father served time in prison for an accidental shooting. >> you didn't know him? >> i know of him. did you know him? >> did you meet him? >> i met him but i never lived with him. new trial. he may have wanted to make sure the police officer got convicted. >> i wanted to be an jury. i've been through the process and i've been on two cases, this is the second case. did i lie to get on the case? >> absolutely not? >> the district attorney's officer issued a statement and we'll re

we're live in downtown brooklyn this morning, i'm diana rocco, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> all right, diana, thank you. >>> and the man accused of steal ago flatbed truck, running over its owner and killing him faced a judge in brooklyn. cops say 24-year-old joshua cologne admitted to detectives that he stole philip delagratzi's truck, in hoping to find something of value to sell for drugs. while the 63-year-old was running after cologne, he fell and was hit by the truck. cologne was arraigned last night on several charges including murder and grand larceny. >>> indictments have been handed down for three people accused of embezzling $7 dlf 50,000 from a nonprofit organization and queebs an an acid attack on its owner to cover up the crime. speak when she arrived home. she was working at the healing arts initiative when a man stleu a chemical mixture at her that seriously burned her face and body. >>> happening today, a first vote on whether those costumeed characters and painted topless women in times square should be designated to one area. the city's transportation committee votes

when i walked downtown brooklyn february 20, i was called a nigger. do you understand? i have given solidarity to the family. the families there in the flesh. i was disrespected. so there's no way you can tell me, we're all people of color. all people of color. if we have to get together -- and this is what the justice for akai gurley family and every , everyone hasv been saying, let's not make this a race issue. we're all human. that fatal night, akai gurley, .eter liang, he heard a sound his partner did not hear that sound. amy: i want to ask john liu on that night in 2014 when officer liang killed akai gurley, his first action as he said, this was a mistake that he fired accidentally cut was not to immediately get a to the man he shot, but to text his union rep. can you explain this, john liu? >> no, i cannot expend it at all. there's a justification for that. if in fact he did text his union rep of 40 thing. we do know he did not apply cpr. if you are an officer, you don't have a luxury of saying your training was inadequate or you were in shock. he should have done

eyewitness news reporter diana rocco is live now in downtown brooklyn. diana. >>reporter: lori, good morning. this morning peter liang's attorneys say that that juror had good reason for bias. they believe he lied to get on the jury, and this morning they want a mistrial. but now that juror is talking to eyewitness news. >> i believe i answered truthfully. >>reporter: michael vargas says he didn't do anything wrong when he was questioned prior to serving on the jury that convicted former nypd officer peter liang. court documents show vargas was asked, have you or anyone very close to you been accused of a crime. his answer, not that i know of. later the judge says i'm talking about close family or yourself. vargas' response, no, no. however, vargas did not mention his now-deceased father had served time for an accidental shooting. in orphanages says it never occurred to him. >> mr. vargas never raised me. he wasn't my father. in my mind i don't have parents. >>reporter: liang's attorneys are also pointing at facebook posts that they consider anti- police as a p

andrew siff has details from downtown brooklyn, andrew? >> it will all be up to the judge tomorrow afternoon. minutes ago, eric adams emerged from a meeting with 60 business leaders from the chinese american community african-american community all would be the sentencing of meter liang this week. they're also concerned with the possibility the conviction will overourned. two months after a brooklyn jury found en overturned. >> you think the judge will throw out this case? >> i think there's an extremely strong argument for if. >> the judge must determine tomorrow why this juror failed to disclose his own father had been convicted of manslaughter. >> i think this is a huge concern for the prosecution and for the quest for justice. >> vargas declined to talk on

other news, a man was shot and wounded by police after pulling a gun in front of officers in downtown brooklyn, happened at the house as police say when officers stopped a man for a warrant that man's friend pulled a gun from his waistband. three officers open fire shooting him in the hand both men were arrested. >>> strong reaction tonight some of the it angry to a judge throwing out the jury's manslaughter conviction against peter liang and lowering the charge to negligent homicide. given probation not prison for the deadly shooting of a housing project in brooklyn. here is jim dollen. peterlyage liang is a convicted wasn't intentional. >> always treated people fairly with respect. the shot was accidental. i apologize -- >>> then the judge threw out the manslaughter conviction which a jury decided in february insteaddeclared the cop guilty of lesser charge criminally negligent homicide. >> i'm just confused on what happened, what made the charges be reduced? >> decision led to clashes between protesters and police, a radio reporter got shoved to the ground before order was restored, shot and

tracie strahan is in downtown brooklyn. >> reporter: this all stems from a high rise fire out in coney island, brooklyn two years ago. the emotions certainly still fresh. today we will hear from officer she will take the stand and talk about the fire that claimed the life of her partner. officer rodriguez was critically injured as well in that fire. released from the hospital, but she and her partner, officer dennis guerrero were the ones who responded to the fire in an apartment building on surf avenue on coney island. both of them took the elevator up to try to evacuate the building but were overcome by smoke when the doors opened. officer guerrero died from his injuries three days later. investigators have ruled that fire was arson and they charged marcell dockery, then 16 years old at the time, with murder, arson and reckless endangerment. dockery allegedly started that fire by setting a mattress on fire. that's something he confessed to. his attorneys however now say that that confession was coerced. already three witnesses have taken the stand in the case today, in addition to of

live in downtown brooklyn, pei-sze cheng, news 4 new york. >>> happening now, the search is on for the suv behind a deadly t and run on long island. security video shows the fatal deliberation in east patchogue. a man was h'm from behind. you see the driver speeding off in an suv and see there it has vious damage to its hood and front grill. investigators believe that's a blue ford explorer, possibly model year 2002 to 2005, somewhere in there. >>> quite a sight in lower manhattan. more than two dozen drug suspects in handcuffs and leg major drug takedown. we'll have much more on this story on news 4 at 5: . >> de> overseas, the taliban is now claiming responsibility forsin attack in afghanistan that killed at least 28 people. militants detonated a bus full of explosives outside a 'eyt government security agency in kabul today. anyd then stormed inside. there was a ceremony going on inside to mark the completion of a training course for staff and guards, more than 300 other people were wounded. >>> look at that. ecuador, rescuers pulling rubble where they were trapped for more than 32

we'll continue to follow the breaking news from downtown brooklyn.ie sanders has a rally, hillary clinton also on the campaign trail. we're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back. ♪ the nissan rogue with intuitive all-wheel drive. take on the unexpected. ♪jake reese, "day to feel alive"♪ ♪jake reese, "day to feel alive"♪ ♪jake reese, "day to feel alive"♪ try your favorite ranch with a fresh taste so crisp, you'll be surprised it doesn't crunch. hidden valley cucumber ranch. just one of our delicious ranch flavors. our cosmetics line was a hit. the orders were rushing in. i could feel our deadlines racing towards us. we didn't need a loan. we needed short-term funding fast. building 18 homes in 4 ½ months? that was a leap. but i knew i could rely on american express to help me buy those building materials. am helped me buy the inventory i needed. our amex helped us fill the orders. just like that. another step on the journey. will you be ready when growth presents itself? realize your buying power at open.com ifor all the wrong reasons.gi

alice gainer is live in downtown brooklyn with the details. >> reporter: dennis murphy just exited the federal courthouse here in brooklyn with his wife. he actually switched clothes with his father to try to throw the media off. he was arrested at his home this morning in new jersey. last april the jeff jetblue pilot was pulled from his -- -- last april the jetblue pilot was pulled from his flight for random alcohol testing and had a concentration of .111 complaint. any individual with a blood alcohol content of .10 or more alcohol content on gum he had been chewing. his copilot, according to the drinking an unknown beverage from a cup before and during both of those flights. now, his first flight that day was from jfk to orlando. had about 119 passengers on board. the second flight was from orlando back to jfk with 151 passengers on board. short time ago. we tried questioning him about the charges he is facing. explain it. >> where are you working right now? >> no comment. >> do you have anything to say to the passengers? >> no comment. >> reporter: 15 years in jail if convicted. he

cbs 2 news' magdalena doris joins us live in downtown brooklyn outside the >> reporter: mary, the decision between prison and probation judge. both supporters are planning to be here in court. officers are standing by which barricades are up. brooklyn supreme court is prepared for crowd reaction as the former police officer is death. at send temperaturessing, the judge has the option to send him to jail for a maximum of 15 the brooklyn district attorney is proposing house arrest and probation. the family is concerned that they may not find the justice they seek, speaking directly to the district attorney. >> you hoodwinked us. >> that's right. >> people of color, your kind. >> reporter: conversely, there have been protests in the chinese community, claiming he is being punished as a scapegoat for the sins of other bad cops in recent times. in november 2014, he fatally during a patrol of a dimly lit stairwell of the pink houses. supporters say it was a tragedy. >> so many police officers have committed all kinds of brutal violence against civilians but his was indeed an accident. >> reporte

. >>> and in downtown brooklyn dozens of bernie sanders suyopporters took to the streets complaining about alleged irregular lites in ities irregularities. they were wrongly purged from the polls. 126,000 registered democrats had been removed from the rolls in br oooklyn since november, but those people either died, moved or changed their registration, they were told, but demonstrators are not buying that. >> people are really angry, and they're fed up with being ignored. >> new york attorney general eric schneiderman announced he's launching his own investigation. he's deeply troubled by the volume of voting irregularity >>> still to come, time is running out. the search for survivors following that devastating earthquake in ecuador quick noose -- kicks into high gear. >>> and the latest school district in the area shutting off the water fountains after high levels of lead. >>> plus, how far would you go to get viagra? in one state you may first have to get a notarized note from >>> tonight, we are getting a look at the aftermath of a deadly crash in kwaens. a car hit the median on

live outside of court in downtown brooklyn, andrew siff news4 new york. >>> tonight the water scare in new jersey is expanding. lead has been found in the water in more schools. says the water fountains have been shut down after voluntary testing showed lead levels above the safety threshold. high levels of lead were also found at three other schools, parsippany and parsippany hills high school and central middle school. the drinking water at the middle school was not impacted. >>> lessons in safety are being taught in our city to week. and international counter terrorism conference is being held over the next couple of days. today jeh johnson joined bill bratton at the conference. they said that conferences like this lead to collaboration which terrorism. >> in an urgent situation, the relationships that are made her, pick up the phone. the idea that you can call directly and reach somebody instead of going through the hierarchy of going up and then down. >> bratton says the ninth will exercise on may 15th, similar to the one held last november. >>> pretrial hearings in the george was

this is outside of the prince street station here florida downtown brooklyn and the nr and the p with't know how you handl there's people saying just take the "p." so they're sitting down there for hours weighing for the train. but hey. >> lots of confusion for tourists but a fleiss tribute to prince. >> exactly. >>> another nice tribute or it's turned into a tribute anyway. most of our passport photos look like a mugshot. prince's looks like a glamour shot taken earlier this year in february. time called it the most prince photo ever. it's now circulating as people wonder how he looked so good in a passport photo. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> this morning on "world news now," the death of a legend. what we're learning overnight about the mysterious details surrounding prince's death. just ahead. >> also this half hour, the political firestorm on the campaign trail. >> that's right. the war of words between donald trump and ted cruz as they weigh in on the issue of transgender people using bathrooms as clinton hopes for sanders to drop but is bernie ready to give up just yet? >> putting the "m" back i

arthur chi'en is in downtown brooklyn to explain the decision. >> reporter: the conviction stands in this case. all it centers around a question that was asked during jury deliberation, has anyone close to you been convicted of a crime? juror no. 9 answered no. but his father was serving time. with barely a pause, the judge ruled defense claims that marco vargas' -- the reaction immediate. >> it was a simple yes or no question. it wasn't really open to personal interpretation of what your family relations are. >> the omission came up after the verdict this year. defense attorneys presented antipolice posts by the 62-year-old carpenter on his facebook page to paint a picture the judge said the defense fell short of his legal standard. the case has touched off a complicated network of police brutality nerves and racial inequality sensitivities of an often quiet minority inner city, the asians. gurley supporters were elated, no sign that the different sides are close to seeing eye to eye. >> even though some of the family members aren't speaking, there are so many who know about police

katherine creag was there when the tape was played and joins us from downtown brooklyn. >> reporter: that videotape confession of marcel dockery first played in this courthouse, 45 minutes ago. it just ended. from the accused himself, we hear his voice. we see him and he is actually quite calm during the the courtroom, dozens of police officers there in support of the family of officer gara killed in the fire. we heard from detective brian ramos who told jurors had dockery was first questioned, he was inconsistent about what happened after learning a cousin told police dockery was to blame, he said, quote, i started the fire detective to which detective brian ramos said we need you to give us a truthful account of that happened. in that video confession, dockery said as to yes started ed why he started the fire, i was just bored. he said i thought i blew it out but added the whole hallway got mad smoky, i ran back, i was screaming, there's a fire. officer gara was 38 years old when he was killed in that 2014 fire. his partner has life changing injuries. his wife and other relatives w

we're live in downtown brooklyn. back over to you. alison: thanks. a lot to watch for thursday. peter frankle is joining me now. thank you for coming in. liz mentioned that the community is well aware they will probably judge's sentencing decision thursday, but they have had an impact so far leading up to the conviction. >> look, i think anytime there's a high profile case, a judge is going to be aware of it and there'll be extra scrutiny on what the judge does. i can tell you the judge is aware of what's going on. is it going to be a factor into what he decides is an appropriate sentence? the answer to that is no. he's very well respected, very intelligent judge. he knows the case inside and out. he presided over the trial. he knows a lot about the defendant. he's going to use those factors in determining what's appropriate here. alison: how much of an impact will the district attorney's recommendation have? >> a great question. typically and traditionally, the district attorney's position carries a lot of weight. both sides will give the judge their respective typically judges

dennis murphy arraigned in downtown brooklyn after a flight in to kennedy airport last year. murphy was selected for a random drug and alcohol test. authorities say he had been alcohol on two cross country flights filled with passengers. >>> imagine your car stopped on some railroad tracks when a metro north commuter train headed right toward you. we hear from a woman in the car and her split second decision that saved her life on those tracks in westchester county. eyewitness news reporter jim dolan at grand central where the community was messed up because of all of this. >> moments ago metro north saying the harlem line is back up and running on time tonight. but what a day it was. the car of course should never have been on the tracks in the there it was. it. the gate coming down behind it. a metro north train about to slam right in to it. >> reporter: the front end of the car was crushed and looking at it, you couldn't imagine anyone survived. but the two women in the car got out just in time to watch it all happen. >> this lady is very fortunate because the last few tim

tracie strahan is live in downtown brooklyn with the latest. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: darlene, good morning to you. we have been tracking this story for weeks showing you security video or images of the guy with the gray hair. now that clarence jones has been victims are breathing a sigh of relief this morning saying they robbed or were attacked by him. now we saw him coming from the precinct last night in handcuffs. this first look at him in police custody. now he was picked up at 8th avenue and carol street in park slope after someone called in a tip to crime stoppers yesterday. police believe clarence jones has been targeting elderly victims in more than half a dozen muggings over the past several weeks. he's being linked to at least eight robberies in brooklyn, queens and the bronx. his victims ranging in age but the eldest of them up in their 80s. he also has 19 prior arrests according to police. and today he's expected to face charges including assault, criminal possession of a loaded firearm and six counts of robbery. now even

we're live in downtown brooklyn tonight. lucy yang for channel 7 eyewitness news. >>> murder charges against a teenager in westchester county accused of killing a student at iona college. 18-year-old brandon lawrence shot and killed early this sunday morning. happened in lincoln park in new rochelle. police say he was hit by a bullet, intended for somebody else. lawrence found bleeding on the ground, on the park's baseball field. they tried to save him but police say it was simply too late. >> i love my son. i loved him dearly. and he was killed so senselessly. senselessly. he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. >> 19-year-old stevenson desires charged with second degree murder. >>> a couple was killed on long driver slammed in to their truck. 67-year-old william kear and his 66-year-old wife joanne were pronounced dead at the hospital. they were making a left turn in ronkonkoma when their pickup truck was struck. glinka has been charged with dui while being treated for injuries at the hospital. he was speeding while r

. >>> nypd says a man was shot by police in downtown brooklyn police say four plainclothes officers came across a wanted man on second street and as they approached him, another man standing next to him pulled a gun from his waistband and then pointed it at officers. shots were fired and the suspect with the gun was hit on the hand. he took off, the nypd released this surveillance video showing the suspect entering a building on nassau while fleeing. >> there was a small pursuit into 237 nassau. after a short investigation, the mail was apprehended. >> the wanted man officers originally stopped was also arrested. the suspect's gun has not yet been recovered. >>> more police officers and a brooklyn precinct under investigation in the nypd's gun licensing scandal. alex shaya lichtenstein was arrested yesterday accused of bribing police to get gun permits, the 44-year-old reportedly got 150 permits and 66th precinct. the retired nypd detective says it is going to be tough tracking down all those illegally permitted guns. >> the correct way to do this is go back for the last 10 years and see

"today in new york's" tracie strahan has what happens next live from downtown brooklyn. tracie? many neighborhoods where the assaults and robberies took place with people asking us what it would take to catch this suspect. in the end, clarence jones was finally apprehended thanks to a tip to police. now we finally got our first look at the 66-year-old in police custody late last night. he was picked up at 8th avenue and carol street fter someone call in a tip to crime stoppers. police believe jones has been targeted elderly vic ms in more than a half dozen muggings over the past several weeks including an 83-year-old woman that he assaulted so badly her bruises could still be seen when we spoke to her after his arrest. >>er reporter: what would you say to him? >> well, i would just say that i hope they put you away for a long, long time. i think that, you know, he can't go around and do stuff like that. >> reporter: now clarence jones is being linked to at least eight robberies in brooklyn, queens and the bronx. has 19 prior arrests. darlene, today he's expected to to face charg

. >> reporter: clinton was at junior's restaurant in downtown brooklyn. then spoke at this campaign event in sunset park. >> i actually think new york values are really good for america. >> reporter: as for republican john kasich, he was upstate in >> we just want to believe the system's fair. >> reporter: as every candidate, republican and democrat, courts the vote,is about pulling undecided voters into their camps. you are undecided? >> yeah, i am. >> reporter: what do you need to see from any of the candidates? >> just honesty. you know, face plastered everywhere, commercials everywhere, radio everywhere. it's circling the drain to me. >> reporter: and looking ahead, the new york primary is tuesday the 19th and then another delegate rich contest. pennsylvania is on april 26. cindy. >> thank you. >> the frantic manhunt is over for a suspect caught on tape before the brussels airport terror attack last month. authorities confirm the the man in in the hat has been arrested. jonathan vigliotti from london. >> reporter: the so-called man in the hat, they sa

heading up the violent protest between african-american and asian community leaders in downtown brooklyn. this ahead of the nypd officer says their concerns about the potential protest after the x cop learns his punishment on thursday. he was convicted of manslaughter in east new york. the brooklyn da has recommended probation saying the shooting was an accident. whatever the outcome, leaders in both community promised to stand as one. >> no matter what happens at the sentencing, it will not divide our community. we will use this moment of tragedy to turn it into purpose. >> steve: the judge could sentence him up to 15 years. >> dari: please among island have a new weapon, it's called it's a vehicle. fox five got an exclusive look on the fully armored to six time vehicle. it is is one of 18 in the country. a similar machine was used after the san bernadino attack to safely approach the shooter's car. it costs approximately $250,000. >> in this case we're taking the criminals money and making the public and police officer safer. >> dari: the police say the vehicle will be used for tactica

the the man was shot after pulling a gun on officers in downtown brooklyn. officers had stopped one man for a warrant, and his friend allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband. officers shot him in the hand. both men were arrested. computer outages are continuing at branches across the state. the dmv is asking customers, if possible, to avoid going to its offices. however, it does not affect triple a offices. customers are being encouraged to go there for licenses or card renewals. if your license expires today, it will remain valid until tomorrow night. >>> bill de blasio's campaign has expanded. prosecutors are focused on efforts to raise money for democratic candidates in half a dozen state senate races in 2014. grand jury subpoenas have been issued. several of the democratic candidates have been questioned by the fbi and investigators from the manhattan district attorney office office. >>> president barack obama first met with the saudi king. this comes as it's likely he'll veto a bill that will let ash carter is also in the area. he's pushing his counte

reporting from downtown brooklyn, channel 7 eyewitness news. >>> developing in the new york primary, the comptroller scott stringer announcing he will investigate the board of elections after widespread problems at some polling places. thousands of people were removed from voter rolls mainly in brooklyn and no one can figure out why. stacy sager has more. >> reporter: we are talking disappeared from voter rolls and officials called the problem widespread. we have had municipalerous -- numerous complaint, and here what they said moments ago. >> the incompetence of the board of elections puts a crowd over these results and it's time to clean up this mess. so i'm going in to investigate, to audit, and to hopefully clean up a process we have accepted for too long. >> reporter: according to the board of elections, it appears at this point that brooklyn fell six months behind on voter rolls. we'll have a lot more on that, but this was not the only problem today. there were hundreds of complaints about poorly trained staff at polling sites and complaints about equipment problems. and that m

african-american and asian community leaders met last night in downtown brooklyn with the goal of preventing violent protests. >> no matter what happens at the tragedy to turn purpose. ben: the judge may sentence liang to 18 years in prison. kerry: cops say a man grabbed a little girl in brooklyn and exposed himself at 8:30 yesterday morning near the intersection of elton street and pitkin avenue. police release video and photos, they say the 11-year-old was on her way to school when the man exposed himself. ran off, the girl was not physically hurt. if you see this man please call crime stoppers at numone-800-577-tips. ben: hillary clinton holding events in manhattan and the bronx but the biggest crowds her but for bernie sanders, having a rally in washington sq. park. kerry: robert moses joins us live with more details. >> reporter: good morning. washington sq. park is off-limits. keeping watch, there are barricades surrounding the park. the public will be allowed in beginning at 5:00 this afternoon, the rally itself begins at 8:00, it is free and open to the public. a new siena college al

they are in downtown brooklyn, mall'? >> they were 16 years old in the video that you are about to see that they maintain they thought they had put that fire they also say that they started setting fires at a young age. >> reporter: he started the mattress fire that lead to the death of the police officer because he was bored. he goes on to say that they do not mean for it to get out of control. and i started burning the edge of the mattress. to do anything wrong and that i was just bored. >> reporter: the confession played in court suggests that they were waiting for them to come to the door when they spotted that mattress. >> just for a second. because i was bored. >> to the coney island they called for help. the firefighters found the pair. and that they say after thinking that they put that fire out, he went to knock on his cousin's door once again. and i started knocking on the door to turn around. the whole mattress was on fire. >> and now you do see it? >> yeah, i got scared. if convicted he could face up to a life

.>> the leader met last night in downtown brooklyn. it's a goal of preventing violent protests. in february he was convicted of manslaughter for of a kai gurley. it's a dark stairwell of the east new york .the district attorney is recommending probation. leaders promised to stand outcome. >> no matter what happened at the sentencing, it will not divide our community . we will use this moment of tragedy to turn pain into purpose. >> the judge could sentence him to 15 years in prison. >> police in new york might still have a weapon to tackle texting while driving. linda smith shows how it can help bus distracted drivers. >> then and debbie know the pain of losing a child. the 19-year-old son was killed five years ago. >> we subpoenaed the phone records for our own lawsuit and it took us six months to get them.we found texting throughout the drive leading up to the class. >> lieberman's work closely with state lawmakers who have proposed a bill asking police to use a device called the textile eyes are. it's similar to the breathalyzer. if you were an accident, police would be able