Three Things for April 19
1. Knoxville Mayor seeks release of Austin-East shooting bodycam video
School Resource Officer Adam Willson was shot and student Anthony Thompson Jr. killed in a shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville on Monday, April 12. According to David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, officers responded to a call that an armed student was holed up in the school bathroom, reports the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Officers entered the bathroom, resulting in one officer being shot and 17-year-old Thompson being killed. According to a preliminary investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the bullet that struck Wilson was not fired from Thompson’s gun, reports WATE.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon publicly called for the release of body cam footage on Monday. Police Chief Eve Thomas, community members and three of the four officers involved in the shooting last week also called for the footage, according to the Sentinel.
“We pursued these (body-worn) cameras as another tool to build public trust and to be transparent with the community. Transparency also means timely, not six or 18 months later, but as soon after an incident as possible. Every day the video is not released perpetuates rumors and misinformation. Every day that video is not released undermines public trust,” said Kincannon.
County District Attorney General Charme Allen said her office would not release the footage until the investigation is concluded and the video could be shown to Thompson’s family.
“People in an open society do not demand infallibility from their institutions, but it is difficult for them to accept what they are prohibited from viewing,” Kincannon said. “I agree and will release the tapes as soon as possible.”
2. Putin scheduled to speak at Climate Summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak on Thursday, April 22 at an online climate change summit hosted by President Joe Biden. Though the U.S. and Russia have imposed sanctions on each other, Putin is open to dialogue with Biden, reports Reuters.
Biden invited 40 world leaders to the summit, hoping to prioritize global warming.
According to The Kremlin, Putin’s speech will, “outline Russia’s approaches in the context of forging broad international cooperation aimed at overcoming the negative effects of global climate change.”
The U.S. also warned Russian that if Alexei Navalny, an opposition politician who has been on hunger strike for the past three weeks, died, there would be further consequences.
3. NASA helicopter takes flight on Mars
On Monday morning, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter took flight for 40 seconds in the Martian skies, becoming the first ever rotorcraft to fly on another planet, according to AP news.
“We’ve been talking so long about our Wright brothers moment, and here it is,” said MiMi Aung, project manager.
This technology could improve the capabilities of helicopters to reach new heights on Earth, such as the Himalayas.
“While these two iconic moments in aviation history may be separated by time and … million miles of space, they now will forever be linked,” said NASA’s science missions chief Thomas Zurbuchen.
