Black jogger wrongfully arrested by San Antonio police: ‘I was guilty before proven innocent’

A Black jogger spent two days in jail after San Antonio police believed he was a suspect in an assault incident

A Black jogger in San Antonio was arrested despite not fitting the description of the suspect police were actually looking for.

Mathias Ometu was jogging in bright-colored clothing when police approached and detained him, KSAT reported. The cops believed he was the armed suspect they were in search of following a family dispute on Aug. 25. Bodycam footage that released on Tuesday showed that Ometu did not fit the profile of the man the police sought.

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The insurance adjuster exercised his legal right in Texas not to give his name to police after being repeatedly asked. Within minutes, the two cops placed Ometu under arrest and inside a police SUV because his “demeanor became aggressive,” according to SAPD officials. The footage was captured on bystander video.

“I felt bad for the guy, so I kept videotaping it,” San Antonio attorney Victor Maas said, after posting the video to social media.

Ometu was charged with two felony counts of assault on an officer and spent two days in jail before he posted a $200K bond. The victim in the initial dispute confirmed that Ometu didn’t assault him and all of the charges against Ometu were dropped.

Darren Smith Jr. was named as the suspect in the assault Ometu was accused of. Smith was arrested Friday for a robbery unrelated to the assault case, KSAT reported.

Ometu held a press conference on Wednesday with his lawyers to share what happened, explaining his refusal to allow the police to take him to the victim’s home for identification.

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“Once those doors close on you, you never know when they’re going to open again,” Ometu said.

Ometu also denied kicking or scratching the police officers that detained him but admitted that he was aggravated over the situation.

“I was guilty before proven innocent,” Ometu said.

He added about his time in jail, “I experienced true darkness.”

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus defended the actions of the officers involved. However, he appealed to Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales to drop the charges against Ometu in order to bring healing to the community.

McManus also extended an invitation to Ometu to be a part of the dialogue.

“Both officers felt it important to use this incident as an opportunity for unity and understanding at a time when it is most needed. It is clear that pursuing charges against Mr. Ometu would not bring us closer to our goals of building trust and creating partnerships with our community,” McManus said in a statement.

“We have invited Mr. Ometu to start a dialogue on policing in San Antonio, and that invitation will remain open.”

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Kimora Lee Simmons, daughters launch new Baby Phat Beauty line

Baby Phat follows Rihanna and Kylie Jenner with a new skincare/makeup line

Kimora Lee Simmons started her career as a model before she became a wife, mother of four, reality TV star, and fashion designer. Now, she and daughters Ming Simmons and Aoki Simmons, who she shares with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, have developed their own beauty line under the Baby Phat brand.

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An outgrowth of Russell’s Phat Farm clothing line, Baby Phat first launched in 1999. At that time, the line was full of hood-chic and sexy clothing that gave the streetwear trends a feminine appeal. After several dormant years once she sold it, Kimora repurchased it and brought the brand back last year.

Kimora Lee Simmons attends the one-year anniversary of Kimora Lee Simmons’ Beverly Hills boutique on May 26, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Kimora Lee Simmons)

Now, following in the footsteps of recently launched beauty and skincare lines by Rihanna‘s Fenty Beauty and Kylie Jenner Skin, Kimora is relaunching her brand into a new arena, with the help of 21-year-old Ming Lee and 18-year-old Aoki Lee.

Aoki (l) and Ming Simmons at the Baby Phat relaunch in 2019. (Photo: Baby Phat)

“This is the retro brand that’s reborn looking through the eyes of young people like Ming and Aoki,” Kimora, 45, told People. “My girls have been working with me and going to school – and that’s tough. It can be tough, but it’s exciting that we’re pushing that needle forward.”

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Your inner goddess would like a word 💖👇🏻 Let’s face it, wherever you go, people take notice–– as they should. We know you do you better than anyone else which is why we just offer that little extra shine and let you handle the rest ✨ We’re so excited to introduce the Shimmer Dreams 3-Piece Gift Set Collection. 💫 Pick between Divine, Opulence, or Ethereal, and show the world that inner goddess we all know is ready to shine. Glow Up. Show Out 💖 #BabyPhatBeauty 10% off your order with code BPB10 💫

A post shared by Baby Phat Beauty (@babyphatbeauty) on Sep 1, 2020 at 5:29pm PDT

The brand initially offers the Shimmer Dreams set ($45) in Opulence, Ethereal and Divine. Each set includes a lluminating Body Spray, Hydrating Body Lotion, and Plumping Lip Gloss. Opulence is floral with notes of bergamot and caramel, Ethereal’s primary scent is pear and amber, and Divine’s has major notes of jasmine and vanilla.

Baby Phat Beauty’s’ Ethereal’ set (Photo: Baby Phat Beauty)

“When I launched Baby Phat in 1999, I had to fight for a seat at the table in both the high-fashion and streetwear worlds,” Kimora said in a statement.

“I did that by staying true to myself and bringing up an entire generation who embraced diversity, body positivity, and body confidence all while being unapologetically glam and sexy. Buying back the brand has given me the opportunity to tell that story all over again to a new generation — a generation I raised. Launching into beauty, feels like the most relevant way to tell that story in today’s landscape.”

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Kimora says that her brand will also be one that makes a difference. Some proceeds from the sale of the Shimmer Dreams set will benefit Fairfight, the voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams.

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States should prepare to distribute COVID vaccine by late October: CDC

Critics are accusing President Trump of rushing the vaccine for political gain. 

Health officials in all 50 states have been notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by late October or early November.

The vaccines will first be made available to healthcare workers, essential workers, national security officials, long-term care facility residents and high-risk racial and ethnic groups, CNN reports. 

The documents sent to public health officials across the nation on Aug. 27 outline scenarios for distributing to two candidates described as Vaccine A and Vaccine B. 

The CDC noted in its guidance that “limited Covid-19 vaccine doses may be available by early November 2020,” before clinical trials have been completed.  

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The plans also lay out technical specifications for shipping, mixing, storage and administration at hospitals, mobile clinics and facilities offering initial access to the vaccine to the initial targeted groups.

“The Covid-19 vaccine landscape is evolving and uncertain, and these scenarios may evolve as more information is available,” the agency said in one of the scenario documents.

Critics are accusing President Trump of rushing the vaccine for political gain. 

“This timeline of the initial deployment at the end of October is deeply worrisome for the politicization of public health and the potential safety ramifications,” said Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist based in Arizona. “It’s hard not to see this as a push for a pre-election vaccine.”

An earlier report on theGRIO noted that Trump believes, without offering any proof, that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is intentionally slowing down the testing of COVID-19 vaccines to hurt his chances of reelection in November.

In a tweet posted on Aug. 22, Trump said that the FDA is part of the deep state and they are manipulating drug companies into slowing down their enrollment of test subjects, thus delaying an approved vaccine, according to Reuters.

“The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics,” Trump write.” Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! @SteveFDA” 

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CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said Wednesday that one or more coronavirus vaccines could be available before the end of the year.

“Right now I will say we’re preparing earnestly for what I anticipate will be reality … that there’ll be one or more vaccines available for us in November, December — and we have to figure out how to make sure they’re distributed in a fair and equitable way across the country,” Redfield said during an interview with Yahoo Finance.

Redfield informed governors in a letter last month that permits would soon be requested to build vaccine distribution centers, and he reportedly wants them to fast track permit approvals. 

Meanwhile, three vaccines are reportedly in Phase 3 trials in the United States.

“I believe that by the time we get to the end of this calendar year that we will feel comfortable that we do have a safe and effective vaccine,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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