Watertown, NY – May 2, 2024 – A grand jury has indicted a Watertown High School student on charges stemming from a machete attack that left two people injured in March.

Eighteen-year-old Shaquan Bullocks faces multiple charges

The indictment accuses Bullocks of first-degree and second-degree assault, as well as criminal possession of a weapon. The charges stem from an incident that occurred outside a Little Caesars on State Street at the end of March.

Attack Details and Injuries

According to authorities, Bullocks allegedly used a machete to injure Josh Larkins and Katrina Duchamp. Reports indicate Larkins suffered a serious eye injury, while Duchamp sustained cuts to her hand and scalp requiring stitches.

Self-Defense Claim

Bullock’s family maintains that he acted in self-defense during the encounter. They allege an earlier altercation that same day where Bullocks was confronted by Larkins, Duchamp, and a friend over littering.

Legal Proceedings

Bullocks remains in jail with bail set at $100,000. An arraignment date on the formal charges is expected to be scheduled soon.

This case is still under investigation. The next steps will involve legal proceedings to determine Bullocks’ guilt or innocence based on the presented evidence and potential arguments for self-defense.

Community Reacts to Machete Attack Indictment

The news of the grand jury’s indictment in the machete attack case has stirred reactions within the Watertown community.

• School Response: Watertown High School officials have yet to comment publicly on the indictment involving their student. However, they are likely to address concerns from parents and students regarding school safety protocols in the coming days.
  
• Concerns About Violence: The incident has heightened local anxieties about violence, particularly involving teenagers. Community leaders are urging residents to remain calm and cooperate with law enforcement if they have any information related to the case.
  
• Call for Calm and Transparency: Local activists are calling for a transparent investigation and a fair trial. They are also urging the community to avoid speculation and assumptions about the case until all the facts are presented in court.
  
• Support for Victims: Many residents have expressed their support for the victims of the attack, Josh Larkins and Katrina Duchamp, and hope for their full recovery.

The coming weeks and months will likely see further developments in this case as it progresses through the legal system. The Watertown community will be closely following the trial’s outcome, with the hope that justice will be served for all parties involved.

Lingering Questions and Path Forward

While the indictment brings the case a step closer to trial, several questions remain unanswered:

• Motive: The exact motive behind the alleged attack is still unclear. Understanding the circumstances surrounding the initial altercation and the events leading up to the use of the machete will be crucial for the court.
  
• Self-Defense Arguments: The strength of Bullocks’ self-defense claim will hinge on the evidence presented. Details regarding the nature of the initial confrontation and the level of threat perceived by Bullocks will be rigorously examined.
  
• Victim Recovery: The physical and emotional recovery of the victims, Josh Larkins and Katrina Duchamp, will continue to be a concern for the community. Updates on their well-being might be limited due to privacy considerations.

Looking ahead, the path forward involves:

• Trial Preparations: Both prosecution and defense teams will be busy preparing their cases. This includes gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and formulating legal strategies.
  
• Trial Date: An official court date for the trial will be set, allowing both sides to present their arguments before a judge or jury. The trial’s length will depend on the complexity of the case and the evidence presented.
  
• Community Dialogue: Open and honest conversations within the Watertown community are essential. Discussions about violence prevention, conflict resolution, and support for victims can help create a safer and more understanding environment.
  

This machete attack case has undoubtedly impacted the Watertown community. As the legal process unfolds, residents are encouraged to stay informed, seek accurate information from reliable sources, and respect the privacy of those involved. By working together, the community can strive for a just resolution and a path towards healing.

You’re aware of what gets an adaptation of an Ed Sheeran song even more enjoyable, right? Ed Sheeran made a sudden arrival, which caught everyone off guard.

New York City musician Mike Yung can be seen performing the song Eyes Shut by the singer Ed Sheeran in a footage that was uploaded to Instagram via the account’s username @subwaycreatures.

The performance took place at the Church Street station in Brooklyn. After a few moments, Ed himself walks up from backstage and gets in on the conversation.

What A Shocking Development!

“Oh wow,” Yung exclaims as they embrace one another after Sheeran’s performance. “You just made my day.”

Sheeran yells at him, “I fucking love you,” and the other person responds in like. Sheeran sweeten the arrangement by providing Yung a pair of passes to one of his shows once the two of them had finished working on the music together.

On Tuesday, Yung posted a message on Insta in which she thanked her brother for giving her tickets and gushed about how incredible the event was. On Monday night, the British singer gave a performance at the prestigious Kings Theater Playhouse in Brooklyn, where he debuted songs off his new album.

Yung’s performances in real time from the New York City tube stations have gained him widespread attention on many occasions.

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Conclusion

In 2017, he took part in the competition of America’s Got Talent Season 12 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the competition. at the quarterfinals, he sang Ed Sheeran’s smash song Thinking Out Loud; a video of him performing the same tune at a tube platform has been seen in excess of five million times.

According to a study published on Wednesday by a municipal oversight body, seven detainees died in New York municipal’s dysfunctional jail system in the latter half of 2022 due to a litany of administrative Department of Prison mistakes.

The NY City Commissioner of Correction noted in the 35-page report that the department’s 19 part-custody fatalities in 2017 were caused in part by the inexcusable actions of correction officials who failed to properly oversee detainees or give first assistance.

Inmates Michael Nieves, who Kevin Bryan, who is Gregory Acevedo, Leonard Robert Pondexter, Javier Tavira, Gilberto Garcia, who was and Edgardo Mejias were the subjects of this report’s investigation into their deaths.

There were three suicides among them. Fentanyl overdose, anoxic brain damage, and drowning were the other causes of death reported. The cause of a single fatalities was deemed undetermined.

On The Evening Of October 22nd, Tavira Hung Himself With A Bedsheet

The investigation claimed that in some of these instances, officers’ violations of policy contributed to the detainees’ deaths.

On August 25, Nieves, a prisoner in the facility, used a razor supplied by the guards to shave with to slit his own neck. There were three people who were employed by the prison unit at the time.

A history of anxiety, impulsivity, and suicide ideation marked Nieves’s life. When the guards demanded the razor back, he said he’d misplaced it.

Neither Nieves nor the corrections officials could locate the knife until nearly an hour later, when Nieves used it to slash his own neck.

According to the complaint, a police officer saw him bleeding but made no attempt to stop the bleeding or provide first help. Instead, he and his fellow guards waited nine minutes for medical help to come.

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Five days later, he passed away from his injuries. A captain and two officers were eventually suspended for their behaviour.

A 26-year-old prisoner named Gilberto Garcia died on October 31 from a fentanyl overdose on Rikers Island, and the investigation pointed to a number of lapses on the part of the DOC that contributed to his death.

The “B” station officer responsible for Erick Tavira’s mental observation unit at Rikers Island’s George R. Vierno Center was regularly absent from his station instead of making the mandatory 15-minute rounds.

According to the study, “‘B’ post personnel operate within the housing area, contact directly with persons in detention, and are their initial line of action in any situations.” Constant presence of personnel and vigilance on the part of police are necessities.

Also read: A Suspect In The Brazen New York City Store Killing Has Been Apprehended, And Police Say This Is The Suspect’s Second Homicide In 30 Hours

When Asked For Comment, The Doc Remained Silent

The city’s main legal aid group, the Criminal Justice Aid Society, advocated for the federal takeover of the violent prison system a year ago.

However, a federal court in Manhattan ruled against the proposal, citing concerns that convicts would lose out if a takeover occurred.

A “comprehensive, holistic” assessment of fatalities that occurred while people were in prison was recommended in the study.

Timely death review gatherings that cover the factors surrounding each dying, what functioning or clinical issues might have been determined, and how the two departments can work in tandem in order to avoid further incidents are recommended in the report to be held by the DOC, the parole board, and the municipality’s Corrections Health Services.

According to the report, DOC failed to produce Tavira for mental wellness follow-up for a month after he was moved from mental surveillance home to general population confinement in September of 2021.

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A Captain And Two Corrections Officers Were Placed On Suspension

In the five-month time frame, three inmates committed themselves; one from severe fentanyl intoxication; one from sudden cardiac death and a respiratory embolism; and one from drowning. There was a death whose cause of death is still unknown.

According to the document, Tavira was detained for 16 months, Gilberto Garcia for three years until his death on October 31, and Nieves for 3 decades and five months. Detainees spend over a year on average before going to trial, which is far longer than the norm in comparable jurisdictions.

It further said that the DOC should “guarantee that corrections officers and captains undertake frequent tours and personally oversee inmates in detention, in line with DOC’s own standards.”

In addition to whatever independent review any agency may undertake, “it is fully up the authority of the BOC to organize the Board’s death reviews as quickly as it desires,” the statement reads.

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Conclusion

The Center for Health Statistics said in its rebuttal that it disagreed with the report’s conclusions, arguing that the board had omitted information and misrepresented different points of view. Furthermore, the report argued that the board had the power to schedule the debriefing sessions it requested.