Feds reportedly pinpoint suspect in officer’s death at riot
Substance abuse counselor and vocalist in 1980s pop group Starpoint ‘believed that everyone had a chance to do well’
WASHINGTON — Federal investigators probing the death of a U.S. Capitol Police officer killed in the Jan. 6 riot have zeroed in on a suspect seen on video appearing to spray a chemical substance on the officer before he later collapsed and died, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The FBI has obtained video that shows the person spraying Brian Sicknick and other law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6 riot, the people said. But they cautioned that federal agents haven’t yet identified the suspect by name and the act hasn’t been directly tied to Sicknick’s death.
The idea that Sicknick died after being sprayed by a chemical irritant has emerged in recent weeks as a new theory in the case.
Investigators initially believed that Sicknick was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, based on statements collected early in the investigation, according to one of the people and another law enforcement official briefed on the case.
But as they’ve collected more evidence, the theory of the case has evolved and investigators now believe Sicknick may have ingested a chemical substance — possibly bear spray — during the riot that contributed to his death, the officials said.
The people could not publicly discuss the details of an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Sicknick died after defending the Capitol against the mob that stormed the building as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s electoral win over Donald Trump.
More accusations against Cuomo: A second former aide has come forward with sexual harassment allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who responded with a statement Saturday saying he never made advances toward her and never intended to be inappropriate.
Charlotte Bennett, a health policy adviser in the Democratic governor’s administration until November, told The New York Times that Cuomo asked her inappropriate questions about her sex life, including whether she had ever had sex with older men.
Another former aide, Lindsey Boylan, a former deputy secretary for economic development and special adviser to the governor, recently accused Cuomo of subjecting her to an unwanted kiss and inappropriate comments. Cuomo denied the allegations.
“I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate,” Cuomo’s statement said.
Cuomo, however, said he had authorized an outside review of Bennett’s allegations.
Saudi Arabia says missile intercepted:
Saudi Arabia said Saturday it intercepted a missile attack over its capital and bomb-laden drones targeting a southern province, the latest in a series of airborne assaults it has blamed on Yemen’s rebel Houthis.
The Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen’s yearslong war announced the Iran-allied Houthis had launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh and three booby-trapped drones toward the province of Jizan, with a fourth toward another southwestern city and other drones being monitored. No casualties or damages were
initially reported. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.
The attack comes amid sharply rising tensions in the Middle East, a day after a mysterious explosion struck an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman. That blast renewed concerns about ship security in the strategic waterways that saw a spate of suspected Iranian attacks on oil tankers in 2019.
Myanmar fires envoy: Myanmar’s month-old military regime fired the country’s ambassador to the United Nations on Saturday, a day after he gave an impassioned speech to the U.N. General Assembly in Geneva, pleading for international help in restoring democracy to his homeland.
State television announced the firing of Kyaw Moe Tun, saying he had “betrayed the country and spoken for an unofficial organization which doesn’t represent the country and
had abused the power and responsibilities of an ambassador.”
Kyaw Moe Tun’s speech buoyed Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, which has held protests every day since Feb. 1, when the military took control of the country in a coup.
Death row inmates may get reprieve: As many as 10 death row inmates in Oklahoma, more than one-fifth of the state’s prisoners condemned to die, could escape execution because of a Supreme Court ruling concerning criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country.
The inmates have challenged their convictions in state court following the high court’s ruling last year, dubbed the McGirt decision, that determined a large swath of eastern Oklahoma remains an American Indian reservation.
The decision means that Oklahoma prosecutors lack the authority to pursue criminal charges in cases in
which the defendants, or the victims, are tribal citizens.
EU summons envoy over Cuba letter: The European Union has summoned its ambassador to Cuba to return to Brussels to explain himself after he reportedly signed an appeal asking U.S. President Joe Biden to lift sanctions against Cuba and begin normalizing ties with the country.
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Saturday that the ambassador, Alberto Navarro, was asked “to come to Brussels to provide explanations.”
He was also instructed “to provide a note detailing the matter,” said the spokesman, Peter Stano.
Stano did not answer a question on whether Navarro will be fired.
The ambassador’s summons to Brussels was first reported by Politico.
Doctor in video court while performing surgery: The
Medical Board of California said it would investigate a plastic surgeon who appeared in a videoconference for his traffic violation trial while operating.
The Sacramento Bee reports Dr. Scott Green appeared Thursday for his Sacramento Superior Court trial, held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic, from an operating room. He was dressed in surgical scrubs with a patient undergoing the procedure just out of view.
The clerk reminded Green the proceedings were being livestreamed because traffic trials are required by law to be open to the public, and Green said he understood.
He appeared to continue working with his head down while waiting for Court Commissioner Gary Link to enter the chamber.
When Link appeared, the judge hesitated to proceed with the trial out of concern for the welfare of the patient.
The board said it would look into the incident.
George McKenzie Phillips Jr., a retired professional musician and health care administrator who was lead vocalist with the rhythm and blues funk band Starpoint, died of sepsis Feb. 3 at the University of Maryland Howard County Medical Center. He was 68 and lived in Columbia.
Born in Washington, D.C., he was the son of Dr. George McKenzie Phillips Sr., who was then studying medicine at Howard University, and his wife, Ana Pearl, a Library of Congress worker who was later active in the Community Action Agency of Anne Arundel County and a University of Maryland Department of Surgery secretary.
He attended Crownsville-area schools before graduating from Arundel High School, where he played the French horn in the concert orchestra. He studied at Anne Arundel Community College and at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
As a young man he formed a musical group with his brothers and friends.
“We started practicing together in the basement in Crownsville,” said his brother, Muhammed McKenzie Phillips of Columbia. “We would have daily practice and formed a band called J R and The Royals. We played at high schools, community colleges, Howard University, nightclubs and dances. We played other people’s music — Aretha Franklin, Mandrill, Earth Wind & Fire.”
The group later became Licyndiana, named after Mr. Phillips’ mother and sisters. It was a six-piece ensemble that made local appearances, including summertime gigs at Sandy Point.
He was a member and lead vocalist of Starpoint, a rhythm-and-blues group that evolved after he became more involved in the music industry. In 1979 Starpoint won a national recording contract and released its album “Starpoint!” in 1980. “I Just Wanna Dance with You,” one of the cuts on the album, became a hit.
The family group included three of his brothers. Their biggest hit became a gold record, “Object of My Desire,” which came out in 1985.
His brother also said, “My brother George was the leader and played piano. He was a great singer too. The crowds really took to him.”
Another brother, Gregory McKenzie Phillips, a Bowie resident, said, “He was an extremely good vocalist and keyboard player. When he was younger he played the trumpet. We had a musical family so we influenced each other.”
The Phillips brothers played at the Capital Center, Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, D.C., and at Madison Square Garden and the Apollo Theatre in New
York. They had three appearances on “Soul Train.”
“We have 10 albums, and the No. 7, “Restless,” went gold, sold more than 600,000 copies,” said Gregory Phillips.
He said Starpoint toured with the Isley Brothers, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Luther Vandross, Morris Day and the Time, the O’Jays, the Poynter Sisters and Kool & the Gang.
The group recorded on the Motown label. Mr. Phillips traveled overseas to France and England in 2011.
Later in his career, Mr. Phillips became a program manager for Community Treatment Services for the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. He retired in 2018.
“He was strong and determined did not give up. He did not believe in excuses,” said his sister, Diane Phillips LaGuerre of Columbia. “He believed that everyone had a chance to do well. He was well organized and started work early in the morning. Once he was involved in something, he was all in.”
She also said, “As a result of his unrelenting efforts, he became a cherished and respected member of the community.”
Sandra O’Neill, director of the Anne Arundel County Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Bureau, said in a statement, “George was well known in the Anne Arundel County behavioral health field. He was an advocate for a system of care that met the needs of some of the most vulnerable residents, and he strove to create a recovery-oriented system (ROSC) of care.”
She also said, “His work established the ROSC Change Agent Team (now known as Recovery Anne Arundel), and George was a driving force in the recognition of Recovery Month, September, in the county.”
Among professional rewards, Mr. Phillips received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the New York College of Health Professions in 2014 for “for his work of being a powerful voice for the underrepresented and marginalized.”
“Of all of the beautiful things in George’s life, one of the most beautiful and unmatched was his character and sense of purpose. George McKenzie Phillips Jr. lived a fruitful and wonderful life,” said his sister.
His ashes were placed in the Hillcrest Mausoleum in Annapolis.
In addition to his sister and brothers, survivors include his wife of many years, Gayla Phillips, an Anne Arundel Community College events planner; a son, George McKenzie Phillips III of Baltimore; a daughter, Geva Phillips of Texas; his mother, Ana Pearl Phillips of Columbia; another brother, Orlando Phillips of Annapolis; another sister, Lisa Phillips of Bowie; and two grandchildren.