What you need to know Sam Collins and Cole O’Brien, two Independence police officers, were honored by the Independence City Council Monday night for their work in investigating black markets for a substance called bromazolam, sometimes called designer Xanax. Their initial investigation eventually led to the substance being marked as a Schedule 1 controlled substance […]
Category: Crime
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Covington Police suspend officer who punched protester on Roebling
A Covington Police officer who was seen on video punching a protester during a chaotic encounter on the Roebling Bridge in July has been suspended for 30 days, following an internal affairs investigation. Covington Police Chief Justin Wietholter told commissioners at Tuesday night’s meeting that other than officer Zachary Stayton’s actions, the investigation found officers’ […]
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Jude Hehman announces run for Kenton County Sheriff
Jude Hehman, the current mayor of Fort Mitchell who said earlier this month he would not seek the mayoral seat again, announced his official run for the Kenton County Sheriff’s seat in 2026 on Tuesday. “As mayor, I’ve seen firsthand how effective leadership and collaboration can transform a community,” Hehman said in a press release. […]
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Independence murder evokes bigger questions on partner violence
This story mentions domestic violence. If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. What you need to know October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the timing couldn’t be more unfortunate. At the end of […]
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Erlanger experiments with combined public safety departments
What you need to know The City of Erlanger is combining its police and fire departments under a single umbrella in an effort to streamline emergency operations and training. The new combined public safety department will be headed up by former Police Chief Kyle Rader, who will now oversee both departments as the new director […]
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Man who caused Boone County schools’ lockdown had guns, drugs
Landon Strong, a 20-year-old Burlington resident whose actions sent three schools in Boone County into lockdown on Wednesday, was found to be in possession of both drugs and guns, according to police and court documents. Strong was arraigned Thursday in Boone County District Court. Police had been called after Strong was spotted at the high […]
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CityBeat intern arrested at Roebling protest found guilty of misdemeanor
A Kenton County jury found a University of Cincinnati student and former CityBeat intern guilty of one misdemeanor charge related to arrests made during a protest on the Roebling Bridge in July. Lucas Griffith, who was found not guilty of three other charges in Kenton County District Court on Thursday, was one of 15 arrests […]
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Third person shot apparent murder-suicide in Independence dies
The man shot before two other people were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in Independence has died from his injuries, according to the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office. The Independence Police Department said officers responded Sunday night shortly before 11:30 p.m. to Taylor Ridge Apartments for a reported shooting. In total, three people were shot, […]
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3 people shot, 2 dead in Independence; police seek info
Three people were shot, two of whom are dead, in Independence overnight on Sunday and into Monday morning, according to Independence Police. The police believe the incident to be a murder-suicide. Police were called to the Taylor Ridge apartment complex around 11:21 p.m. Sunday night after reports of a shooting, according to a press release […]
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Plan to outlaw sexual grooming of children in Kentucky gains bipartisan support
What you need to know A Kentucky Republican is hoping to define grooming of a child in state law and criminalize it under a proposal she presented Thursday. Rep. Marianne Proctor, of Union, said the goal of her bill would be to define what a “groomer” is, as there is no state law that has a definition […]