BUTLER COUNTY —&nbsp;—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal law enforcement pursuit crash involving a shooting suspect.

Just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, a Butler County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the report of a person shot in the area of K-254 and Shumway, according to Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.

When deputies arrived on scene, they found the victim, a 44-year-old man from Blue Springs, Missouri, who had been shot at least one time. 

The female suspect left the scene prior to law enforcement’s arrival in the victim’s 2008 Ford F-150. The man was able to provide the identity of the woman who allegedly shot him, a Wichita resident in her sixties. He was transported to a Wichita area hospital in serious but stable condition.

Just after 1030a.m. Wednesday, Kansas Highway Patrol dispatch received an attempt to locate broadcast from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office regarding a shooting suspect that had fled the scene in Butler County, according to a media release.

The suspect was reported to be driving a white 2008 Ford F-150 pickup, which was last seen traveling west on K-254 Highway towards Sedgwick County. 

At approximately 10:45am, a Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle near K-254 Highway and Greenwich and a traffic stop was initiated.

The pickup fled and a pursuit was initiated and a Trooper performed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention in the 5300 block of North Webb Road. The pickup struck a sign in the parking lot of 5039 N. Webb Road.

As a result of the collision, the driver of the Ford F-150 was pronounced deceased. There were no other occupants in the pickup and no other injuries reported. The KHP did not release the driver's name.

The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team was called to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation at this time. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the prior shooting incident.&nbsp; 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal law enforcement pursuit crash.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688584945445.png" alt="Law enforcement on the scene of the fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement on the scene of the fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —&nbsp;—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal law enforcement pursuit crash involving a shooting suspect.Just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, a Butler County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the report of a person shot in the area of K-254 and Shumway, according to Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.When deputies arrived on scene, they found the victim, a 44-year-old man from Blue Springs, Missouri, who had been shot at least one time. The female suspect left the scene prior to law enforcement’s arrival in the victim’s 2008 Ford F-150. The man was able to provide the identity of the woman who allegedly shot him, a Wichita resident in her sixties. He was transported to a Wichita area hospital in serious but stable condition.Just after 1030a.m. Wednesday, Kansas Highway Patrol dispatch received an attempt to locate broadcast from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office regarding a shooting suspect that had fled the scene in Butler County, according to a media release.The suspect was reported to be driving a white 2008 Ford F-150 pickup, which was last seen traveling west on K-254 Highway towards Sedgwick County. At approximately 10:45am, a Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle near K-254 Highway and Greenwich and a traffic stop was initiated.The pickup fled and a pursuit was initiated and a Trooper performed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention in the 5300 block of North Webb Road. The pickup struck a sign in the parking lot of 5039 N. Webb Road.As a result of the collision, the driver of the Ford F-150 was pronounced deceased. There were no other occupants in the pickup and no other injuries reported. The KHP did not release the driver's name.The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team was called to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation at this time. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the prior shooting incident.&nbsp; --------------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal law enforcement pursuit crash.Just after 1030a.m. Wednesday, Kansas Highway Patrol dispatch received an attempt to locate broadcast from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office regarding a shooting suspect that had fled the scene in Butler County, according to a media release.The suspect was reported to be driving a white 2008 Ford F-150 pickup, which was last seen traveling west on K-254 Highway towards Sedgwick County. At approximately 10:45am, a Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle near K-254 Highway and Greenwich and a traffic stop was initiated.The pickup fled and a pursuit was initiated and a Trooper performed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention in the 5300 block of North Webb Road. The pickup struck a sign in the parking lot of 5039 N. Webb Road.As a result of the collision, the driver of the Ford F-150 was pronounced deceased. There were no other occupants in the pickup and no other injuries reported. The KHP did not release the driver's name.The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team was called to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation at this time. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the prior shooting incident.&nbsp; Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Sheriff: Suspect shot man before fatal KHP chase, crash

By Harris Meyer <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF&nbsp;Health News</a>

Mylissa Farmer, the woman who was denied an emergency abortion at Joplin and Kansas City, Kansas hospitals, is one of many people denied reproductive care after Roe v Wade was overturned who are considering legal options.

A year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many physicians and hospitals in the states that have restricted abortion reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/16/ucsf-abortion-study/" target="_blank">are refusing to end the pregnancies</a>&nbsp;of women facing health-threatening complications out of fear they might face criminal prosecution or loss of their medical license.

Some experts predict those providers could soon face a new legal threat: medical malpractice lawsuits alleging they harmed patients by failing to provide timely, necessary abortion care.

“We will absolutely see medical malpractice cases emerge,” said Diana Nordlund, an emergency physician in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and former malpractice defense attorney, who chairs the Medical-Legal Committee of the American College of Emergency Physicians. When physicians decide not to provide treatments widely accepted as the standard of care because of these new laws, “that’s perceived as substandard care and there is increased civil liability.”

To some physicians and malpractice attorneys, the question is when — not if — a pregnant patient will die from lack of care and set the stage for a big-dollar wrongful death claim. Abortion rights supporters said such a case could pressure doctors and hospitals to provide appropriate abortion care, counterbalancing their fears of running afoul of state abortion bans, many of which call for criminal prosecution and revocation of medical licenses as punishment for violations.

“If we want to encourage proper care, there has to be some sort of counter-risk to physicians and hospitals for refusing to provide care that should be legal,” said Greer Donley, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law who studies the impact of abortion bans. “But most rational people would be more afraid of going to jail.”

Some supporters of abortion bans said they would welcome malpractice lawsuits. Providers are refusing to use&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/a-review-of-exceptions-in-state-abortions-bans-implications-for-the-provision-of-abortion-services/#:~:text=In%20Texas'%20abortion%20ban%2C%20the,abortion%20is%20performed%20or%20induced%E2%80%9D." target="_blank">the exceptions in some state laws</a>&nbsp;that allow them to perform abortions to save a patient’s life or health, they said.

“It could help achieve our goal if it clarifies that the law did not contradict standard medical practice,” said John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, referring to the state’s abortion ban.

A new KFF poll found that 59% of OB-GYNs practicing in states with gestational limits on abortion, and 61% of those in states with bans, are somewhat or very concerned about their legal risk when making decisions about the necessity of an abortion.

Some attorneys are exploring lawsuits on behalf of women who they said have been harmed by a state abortion ban. An attorney for Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri woman&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/emtala-missouri-hospital-investigated-emergency-abortion/" target="_blank">who was refused an abortion</a>&nbsp;at two hospitals in August after her water broke about 18 weeks into her pregnancy, said she may sue for malpractice. Missouri’s abortion ban, which took effect last year, makes an exception for medical emergencies.

The federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emergency-abortion-law-hospitals-kansas-missouri-emtala-2f993d2869fa801921d7e56e95787567" target="_blank">recently found</a>&nbsp;that the two hospitals violated a federal emergency care law in denying Farmer an abortion, which experts said could strengthen a malpractice claim. One of the hospitals, Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, did not respond to a request for comment. The other, the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, said the care provided “was reviewed by the hospital and found to be in accordance with hospital policy,” according to a spokesperson, Jill Chadwick.

Farmer “experienced permanent physical and emotional damage,” said Michelle Banker, one of her lawyers at the National Women’s Law Center, who added that Farmer and her attorneys are “considering all our legal options.”

<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/29/1143823727/bleeding-and-in-pain-she-couldnt-get-2-louisiana-ers-to-answer-is-it-a-miscarria" target="_blank">News reports</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(22)00536-1/pdf" target="_blank">medical studies</a>&nbsp;show that some women with pregnancy complications have suffered serious health consequences when doctors and hospitals did not provide once-routine abortion care.

Last month, researchers released a study identifying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ansirh.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/Care%20Post-Roe%20Preliminary%20Findings.pdf" target="_blank">dozens of cases</a>&nbsp;in 14 states in which physicians said deficiencies in care due to abortion restrictions led to preventable complications and hospitalizations, with some patients nearly dying.

“The patients were sent home and told to come back when they had signs of infection,” said Daniel Grossman, an OB-GYN at the University of California-San Francisco, who led the study. “Many developed serious infections. And it’s clear many of these cases were very emotionally traumatic.”

He said though the researchers did not track patient outcomes, the lack of timely abortion care in such cases could result in severe health harms including loss of fertility, stroke, or heart attack.

“It’s just a matter of time before there will be a death that comes to light,” Grossman said.

Still, considering the conflict for doctors between medical ethics and personal risk, some stakeholders said patients may be reluctant to sue doctors and juries may balk at finding them liable.

“It’s a terrible position that providers are being put into, and I don’t think juries will blame the doctor unless it’s a super clear case,” said Morgan Murphy, a malpractice plaintiff’s attorney in Missouri.

She said her firm will not pursue malpractice cases based on abortion denials except in “pretty extreme” situations, such as when a patient dies. “Unless a mother is on her deathbed, it’s pretty hard to fault a provider who thinks if they provide treatment they’re going to be criminally liable or will lose their medical license.”

Another hurdle for malpractice cases is that state abortion bans could undermine the argument that abortion is the legal “standard of care,” meaning that it is a widely accepted and prescribed treatment for pregnancy complications such as miscarriage and for fatal fetal abnormalities.

“I absolutely see a breach of the standard of care in these cases,” said Maria A. Phillis, an OB-GYN and former lawyer in Cleveland. “But if someone goes to trial in a malpractice case, it will come down to a battle of medical experts about whether it’s no longer the standard of care, and the jury would have to decide.”

An additional justification for physicians not to provide abortions is that medical liability insurers generally do not cover damages from criminal acts, which “puts the finger on the scales even more to not do anything,” Phillis said.

Stuart Grossman, a prominent malpractice plaintiff’s attorney in Florida, said he would be eager to take an abortion-denial case in which the woman suffered serious health or emotional injuries.

Unlike other states with abortion bans, Florida does not cap damage amounts for pain and suffering in malpractice cases, making it more financially viable to sue there.

Grossman cited the case of Deborah Dorbert, a Florida woman who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/02/health/florida-abortion-term-pregnancy/index.html#:~:text=A%20Florida%20woman%2C%20unable%20to,doctors%20had%20predicted%20he%20would." target="_blank">reportedly was denied an abortion</a>&nbsp;despite being told by her physicians at 24 weeks of pregnancy that her fetus, with no kidneys and underdeveloped lungs, had a fatal condition called Potter syndrome.

Her doctors and the hospital refused to end the pregnancy even though the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/02/18/florida-abortion-ban-unviable-pregnancy-potter-syndrome/" target="_blank">state’s abortion ban has an exception</a>&nbsp;for fatal fetal abnormalities. Months later, her baby&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2023/florida-abortion-law-deborah-dorbert/" target="_blank">died in his parents’ arms</a>&nbsp;shortly after birth.

“You can see how she’s been devastated mentally,” Grossman said. “She has a wrongful death case that I’d take in a minute.” He said the couple could file a malpractice suit for Dorbert’s physical and emotional damages and a separate malpractice and wrongful death suit for the couple’s suffering over the infant’s death.

Failing to counsel patients about their options and connect them with providers willing to terminate a pregnancy is also possible grounds for a malpractice suit, attorneys said. Katie Watson, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine who has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2216234" target="_blank">studied state abortion bans</a>, said counseling and referral are not prohibited under these laws and that physicians have an ethical obligation to offer those services.

“I think breaching the obligation for counseling would make a strong malpractice lawsuit,” she said.

Nancy Davis said she received no counseling or referral assistance last July after her doctors at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told her 10 weeks into her pregnancy that her fetus would not survive because it was missing the top of its skull, a fatal condition called acrania. She said they recommended that she terminate the pregnancy and she agreed.

Davis said her doctors then told her a hospital executive had denied permission for the procedure because of Louisiana’s abortion ban, even though the law has an exception for fatal fetal abnormalities. A hospital spokesperson declined to comment.

Davis, who has three children, contacted Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, which arranged for child care and a flight to New York City. She had an abortion performed there in September.

“The whole situation has been mentally and physically draining, and my family and I are receiving counseling,” Davis said. “I’m still very angry at the hospital and the doctors. I feel like I’m owed compensation for the trauma and the heartbreak.”

She sought the counsel of Benjamin Crump, a prominent attorney known for pursuing high-profile cases like wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of the families of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.

But Crump said that after studying Davis’ legal options, he decided a judge would likely dismiss a malpractice suit and that Davis could end up paying the defendants’ legal fees and costs.

“The doctor’s lawyers will say, ‘You can’t expect my client to break the law and go to prison for up to 25 years,’” Crump said. “Unless you change the law, there is no option for her to receive compensation.”

This story was originally published by&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/malpractice-lawsuits-denied-abortion-care/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1569156934026.png" alt="Most abortion bans that went into effect after the Dobbs ruling that overturned a federal right to abortion have exceptions for life-threatening emergencies, but some patients at risk of harm have still been denied care.&nbsp; -Jennifer Morrow/ Creative Commons-Flickr" />
 <figcaption>Most abortion bans that went into effect after the Dobbs ruling that overturned a federal right to abortion have exceptions for life-threatening emergencies, but some patients at risk of harm have still been denied care.&nbsp; -Jennifer Morrow/ Creative Commons-Flickr</figcaption>
 </figure>By Harris Meyer <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF&nbsp;Health News</a><h2>Mylissa Farmer, the woman who was denied an emergency abortion at Joplin and Kansas City, Kansas hospitals, is one of many people denied reproductive care after Roe v Wade was overturned who are considering legal options.</h2>A year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many physicians and hospitals in the states that have restricted abortion reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/16/ucsf-abortion-study/" target="_blank">are refusing to end the pregnancies</a>&nbsp;of women facing health-threatening complications out of fear they might face criminal prosecution or loss of their medical license.Some experts predict those providers could soon face a new legal threat: medical malpractice lawsuits alleging they harmed patients by failing to provide timely, necessary abortion care.“We will absolutely see medical malpractice cases emerge,” said Diana Nordlund, an emergency physician in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and former malpractice defense attorney, who chairs the Medical-Legal Committee of the American College of Emergency Physicians. When physicians decide not to provide treatments widely accepted as the standard of care because of these new laws, “that’s perceived as substandard care and there is increased civil liability.”To some physicians and malpractice attorneys, the question is when — not if — a pregnant patient will die from lack of care and set the stage for a big-dollar wrongful death claim. Abortion rights supporters said such a case could pressure doctors and hospitals to provide appropriate abortion care, counterbalancing their fears of running afoul of state abortion bans, many of which call for criminal prosecution and revocation of medical licenses as punishment for violations.“If we want to encourage proper care, there has to be some sort of counter-risk to physicians and hospitals for refusing to provide care that should be legal,” said Greer Donley, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law who studies the impact of abortion bans. “But most rational people would be more afraid of going to jail.”Some supporters of abortion bans said they would welcome malpractice lawsuits. Providers are refusing to use&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/a-review-of-exceptions-in-state-abortions-bans-implications-for-the-provision-of-abortion-services/#:~:text=In%20Texas'%20abortion%20ban%2C%20the,abortion%20is%20performed%20or%20induced%E2%80%9D." target="_blank">the exceptions in some state laws</a>&nbsp;that allow them to perform abortions to save a patient’s life or health, they said.“It could help achieve our goal if it clarifies that the law did not contradict standard medical practice,” said John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, referring to the state’s abortion ban.A new KFF poll found that 59% of OB-GYNs practicing in states with gestational limits on abortion, and 61% of those in states with bans, are somewhat or very concerned about their legal risk when making decisions about the necessity of an abortion.Some attorneys are exploring lawsuits on behalf of women who they said have been harmed by a state abortion ban. An attorney for Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri woman&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/emtala-missouri-hospital-investigated-emergency-abortion/" target="_blank">who was refused an abortion</a>&nbsp;at two hospitals in August after her water broke about 18 weeks into her pregnancy, said she may sue for malpractice. Missouri’s abortion ban, which took effect last year, makes an exception for medical emergencies.The federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emergency-abortion-law-hospitals-kansas-missouri-emtala-2f993d2869fa801921d7e56e95787567" target="_blank">recently found</a>&nbsp;that the two hospitals violated a federal emergency care law in denying Farmer an abortion, which experts said could strengthen a malpractice claim. One of the hospitals, Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, did not respond to a request for comment. The other, the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, said the care provided “was reviewed by the hospital and found to be in accordance with hospital policy,” according to a spokesperson, Jill Chadwick.Farmer “experienced permanent physical and emotional damage,” said Michelle Banker, one of her lawyers at the National Women’s Law Center, who added that Farmer and her attorneys are “considering all our legal options.”<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/29/1143823727/bleeding-and-in-pain-she-couldnt-get-2-louisiana-ers-to-answer-is-it-a-miscarria" target="_blank">News reports</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(22)00536-1/pdf" target="_blank">medical studies</a>&nbsp;show that some women with pregnancy complications have suffered serious health consequences when doctors and hospitals did not provide once-routine abortion care.Last month, researchers released a study identifying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ansirh.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/Care%20Post-Roe%20Preliminary%20Findings.pdf" target="_blank">dozens of cases</a>&nbsp;in 14 states in which physicians said deficiencies in care due to abortion restrictions led to preventable complications and hospitalizations, with some patients nearly dying.“The patients were sent home and told to come back when they had signs of infection,” said Daniel Grossman, an OB-GYN at the University of California-San Francisco, who led the study. “Many developed serious infections. And it’s clear many of these cases were very emotionally traumatic.”He said though the researchers did not track patient outcomes, the lack of timely abortion care in such cases could result in severe health harms including loss of fertility, stroke, or heart attack.“It’s just a matter of time before there will be a death that comes to light,” Grossman said.Still, considering the conflict for doctors between medical ethics and personal risk, some stakeholders said patients may be reluctant to sue doctors and juries may balk at finding them liable.“It’s a terrible position that providers are being put into, and I don’t think juries will blame the doctor unless it’s a super clear case,” said Morgan Murphy, a malpractice plaintiff’s attorney in Missouri.She said her firm will not pursue malpractice cases based on abortion denials except in “pretty extreme” situations, such as when a patient dies. “Unless a mother is on her deathbed, it’s pretty hard to fault a provider who thinks if they provide treatment they’re going to be criminally liable or will lose their medical license.”Another hurdle for malpractice cases is that state abortion bans could undermine the argument that abortion is the legal “standard of care,” meaning that it is a widely accepted and prescribed treatment for pregnancy complications such as miscarriage and for fatal fetal abnormalities.“I absolutely see a breach of the standard of care in these cases,” said Maria A. Phillis, an OB-GYN and former lawyer in Cleveland. “But if someone goes to trial in a malpractice case, it will come down to a battle of medical experts about whether it’s no longer the standard of care, and the jury would have to decide.”An additional justification for physicians not to provide abortions is that medical liability insurers generally do not cover damages from criminal acts, which “puts the finger on the scales even more to not do anything,” Phillis said.Stuart Grossman, a prominent malpractice plaintiff’s attorney in Florida, said he would be eager to take an abortion-denial case in which the woman suffered serious health or emotional injuries.Unlike other states with abortion bans, Florida does not cap damage amounts for pain and suffering in malpractice cases, making it more financially viable to sue there.Grossman cited the case of Deborah Dorbert, a Florida woman who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/02/health/florida-abortion-term-pregnancy/index.html#:~:text=A%20Florida%20woman%2C%20unable%20to,doctors%20had%20predicted%20he%20would." target="_blank">reportedly was denied an abortion</a>&nbsp;despite being told by her physicians at 24 weeks of pregnancy that her fetus, with no kidneys and underdeveloped lungs, had a fatal condition called Potter syndrome.Her doctors and the hospital refused to end the pregnancy even though the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/02/18/florida-abortion-ban-unviable-pregnancy-potter-syndrome/" target="_blank">state’s abortion ban has an exception</a>&nbsp;for fatal fetal abnormalities. Months later, her baby&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2023/florida-abortion-law-deborah-dorbert/" target="_blank">died in his parents’ arms</a>&nbsp;shortly after birth.“You can see how she’s been devastated mentally,” Grossman said. “She has a wrongful death case that I’d take in a minute.” He said the couple could file a malpractice suit for Dorbert’s physical and emotional damages and a separate malpractice and wrongful death suit for the couple’s suffering over the infant’s death.Failing to counsel patients about their options and connect them with providers willing to terminate a pregnancy is also possible grounds for a malpractice suit, attorneys said. Katie Watson, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine who has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2216234" target="_blank">studied state abortion bans</a>, said counseling and referral are not prohibited under these laws and that physicians have an ethical obligation to offer those services.“I think breaching the obligation for counseling would make a strong malpractice lawsuit,” she said.Nancy Davis said she received no counseling or referral assistance last July after her doctors at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told her 10 weeks into her pregnancy that her fetus would not survive because it was missing the top of its skull, a fatal condition called acrania. She said they recommended that she terminate the pregnancy and she agreed.Davis said her doctors then told her a hospital executive had denied permission for the procedure because of Louisiana’s abortion ban, even though the law has an exception for fatal fetal abnormalities. A hospital spokesperson declined to comment.Davis, who has three children, contacted Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, which arranged for child care and a flight to New York City. She had an abortion performed there in September.“The whole situation has been mentally and physically draining, and my family and I are receiving counseling,” Davis said. “I’m still very angry at the hospital and the doctors. I feel like I’m owed compensation for the trauma and the heartbreak.”She sought the counsel of Benjamin Crump, a prominent attorney known for pursuing high-profile cases like wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of the families of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.But Crump said that after studying Davis’ legal options, he decided a judge would likely dismiss a malpractice suit and that Davis could end up paying the defendants’ legal fees and costs.“The doctor’s lawyers will say, ‘You can’t expect my client to break the law and go to prison for up to 25 years,’” Crump said. “Unless you change the law, there is no option for her to receive compensation.”This story was originally published by&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/malpractice-lawsuits-denied-abortion-care/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>.

Kan., Mo. may soon see malpractice lawsuits over denied abortion care

CAMDEN COUNTY—A child drowned just after 6p.m. on Tuesday at Lake of the Ozarks.&nbsp;

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 6-year-old Camdenton, Missouri boy, not wearing a life jacket, jumped voluntarily into the water at Lick Creek Cove onto a Lilly Pad at the 65.9 mark of the main channel.

He went below the surface and did not resurface. He was pronounced dead just before 8p.m. at Lake Regional Hospital.&nbsp;

The drowning was one of four in Missouri over the holiday weekend including a&nbsp;22-year-old St. Joseph man who drowned at Smithville Lake on Independence Day.&nbsp; According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Carlos Antonio walked off a ledge into the water and never resurfaced. He was not wearing a life jacket, according to the patrol, which reports the fatality happen near Little Platte Swim Beach.

CAMDEN COUNTY—A child drowned just after 6p.m. on Tuesday at Lake of the Ozarks.&nbsp;The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 6-year-old Camdenton, Missouri boy, not wearing a life jacket, jumped voluntarily into the water at Lick Creek Cove onto a Lilly Pad at the 65.9 mark of the main channel.He went below the surface and did not resurface. He was pronounced dead just before 8p.m. at Lake Regional Hospital.&nbsp; The drowning was one of four in Missouri over the holiday weekend including a&nbsp;22-year-old St. Joseph man who drowned at Smithville Lake on Independence Day.&nbsp; According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Carlos Antonio walked off a ledge into the water and never resurfaced. He was not wearing a life jacket, according to the patrol, which reports the fatality happen near Little Platte Swim Beach.

6-year-old drowns at Lake of the Ozarks

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Brad Crawford, a former Hays resident and U.S. Army veteran, left his family in 2022 and risked his life to train fighting forces in Ukraine.

Crawford was a senior combat adviser for the Ukrainian Marine Corps from April to September last year.

During his almost two decades in the army, he helped train soldiers in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

"My job was to train the Ukraine army and marines to be war fighters," he said. "We trained them to fight and win the war."

Once you are a soldier, you are always a soldier, he said.

"When I saw the struggle that was going on over there," he said, "and I saw what&nbsp;Russia was doing over there, targeting the population of Ukraine, I couldn't sit back here in the United States and do nothing about it."

He contacted the Ukrainian embassy, and a couple of weeks later, he was on the ground in Ukraine working with soldiers.

Crawford spent time in Kyiv and then moved to Kherson, which was the site of heavy fighting in the early days of the war with Russia. Russian forces occupied the city for a time. Ukrainian forces ordered the area evacuated earlier this month after the nearby&nbsp;Kakhovka Dam was destroyed, which caused extensive flooding in the area.

"I spent a lot of time on the front line," Crawford said. "I wasn't just a trainer. Being a combat adviser means you go where the danger is too."

Working with the 28th Mechanized, he was about 400 meters away from Russian forces.

"When I went up there in that position, we got shelled 200 times in 48 hours," he said. "We had artillery coming down on us like you wouldn't believe, man."

Crawford said he saw extensive shelling of civilian homes and non-military targets.

"I wish I could tell the American public ... A lot of people are saying a lot of things about Ukraine," he said. "We shouldn't support it or it's a money pit. I would say this to a lot of those guys. 

"Wake up in the morning and half your house is blown up by a rocket. Wake up in the morning and the grocery store down the street is gone. Wake up in the morning and your neighbor, their house is destroyed and they're all dead. These are the realities of what they live through over there."

Crawford was stationed for the majority of his time in Ukraine in the port city of Mykolaiv. When he arrived in May, the city was an industrial city, but by the time he left in September, 25 percent of the city had been wiped out.

The Ukrainian people have accused Russian forces of war crimes. Crawford said he has seen evidence of mass graves and heard reports of abuse of women and killing of civilian men.

"Let me tell you something about the Russians," he said. "They indiscriminately fire these weapons—these big caliber missiles and artillery. They do it every day. One day in Mykolaiv, we got hit 65 times by these rockets. They were hitting schools and hospitals and private buildings."

"It was intentional because they wanted the population to fear them," he said.

Crawford said the level of ferocity of the fighting in Ukraine was something he had not experienced before.

"I had never seen the amount of weaponry used in a single engagement," he said.

As a combat adviser, he said he was a target.

"It came to a head a couple of times, and I almost lost my life three times over there," he said. "One of the nights I was there, I was staying in a farmhouse outside of Mykolaiv in the middle of nowhere. ... At about 2:30 in the morning, Russians fired a cruise missile right at my house, and they missed by 60 feet. It blew a hole in the ground 14 feet wide and 10 feet deep."

As he and other soldiers were running down the street, the Russians launched cluster bombs, which released hundreds of baseball grenades.&nbsp;

"They definitely wanted us to not be standing at the end of that," he said.

Crawford said the Ukrainian soldiers are the bravest soldiers he's met.

"When you're talking about the Ukrainian military, their backs are against the wall. They don't have any other choice but to fight," he said. "The one thing about the Ukrainians is they have a high morale. They are ready to fight, willing to fight and are able to fight."

He said he has great respect for the Ukrainian soldiers.

"Not just because they are my battle brothers, but they have a different mentality. They have a no-quit, no-lose mentality. It is hard for any military around the world to see that," he said.

Crawford said he saw heavy casualties on both sides of the fighting with hospitals full of the injured. He was injured twice and had to have shrapnel fragments removed from his head without a numbing agent after being hit with light shrapnel in a missile attack.

Crawford said he believes if Russia had been able to take Ukraine in the early days of the war, they would have moved on to Poland, a NATO country, an invasion that could have resulted in world war III.

He said he chose to help fight in Ukraine so U.S. soldiers didn't have to fight.

Crawford has a 15-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter. He said he went to Ukraine to protect them.

"In two years, my son would have been eligible for the draft," he said. "I didn't want my son to have to step into a world of war—not only my son and daughter but other people's sons and daughters.

Crawford said he does not believe the American people understand the sacrifices Ukraine is making for the rest of the world. He said he strongly supports continued U.S. support of the Ukrainian military.

"Ukraine is shouldering the defense of the free world for all of us," he said. "We should be blessed that our children, our sons and daughters, are not over there fighting that war. We should give them anything they need to continue fighting that war because if Ukraine falls, freedom dies with it."

Crawford said he does think Russia being successful in the war in Ukraine in the long term.&nbsp;

"I think what we have seen is many cracks in the Russian leadership," he said, "especially in regards to [Vladimir] Putin and&nbsp; [Yevgeny] Prigozhin."

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d612c506-7c56-4e26-ab00-d956d904d7c7">Wagner Group soldiers under the command of&nbsp;Prigozhin led troops into Russia in a rebellion but stopped short of the Russian capital.</a>

When Crawford lived in Hays, he owned the Tactical Experience on Vine Street, which he operated until 2020. He now lives in Cincinnati and owns a tactical training company that trains law enforcement and civilian security.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688069100467.jpeg" alt="Brad Crawford, formerly of Hays, helped train Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Brad Crawford, formerly of Hays, helped train Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostBrad Crawford, a former Hays resident and U.S. Army veteran, left his family in 2022 and risked his life to train fighting forces in Ukraine.Crawford was a senior combat adviser for the Ukrainian Marine Corps from April to September last year.During his almost two decades in the army, he helped train soldiers in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. "My job was to train the Ukraine army and marines to be war fighters," he said. "We trained them to fight and win the war."Once you are a soldier, you are always a soldier, he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688069212398.jpeg" alt="Brad Crawford, a U.S. Army veteran, helped train Ukrainian soldiers for combat. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Brad Crawford, a U.S. Army veteran, helped train Ukrainian soldiers for combat. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>"When I saw the struggle that was going on over there," he said, "and I saw what&nbsp;Russia was doing over there, targeting the population of Ukraine, I couldn't sit back here in the United States and do nothing about it."He contacted the Ukrainian embassy, and a couple of weeks later, he was on the ground in Ukraine working with soldiers.Crawford spent time in Kyiv and then moved to Kherson, which was the site of heavy fighting in the early days of the war with Russia. Russian forces occupied the city for a time. Ukrainian forces ordered the area evacuated earlier this month after the nearby&nbsp;Kakhovka Dam was destroyed, which caused extensive flooding in the area."I spent a lot of time on the front line," Crawford said. "I wasn't just a trainer. Being a combat adviser means you go where the danger is too."Working with the 28th Mechanized, he was about 400 meters away from Russian forces.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688069335413.jpeg" alt="Crawford, front center, helps train troops in the Ukraine. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Crawford, front center, helps train troops in the Ukraine. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>"When I went up there in that position, we got shelled 200 times in 48 hours," he said. "We had artillery coming down on us like you wouldn't believe, man."Crawford said he saw extensive shelling of civilian homes and non-military targets."I wish I could tell the American public ... A lot of people are saying a lot of things about Ukraine," he said. "We shouldn't support it or it's a money pit. I would say this to a lot of those guys. "Wake up in the morning and half your house is blown up by a rocket. Wake up in the morning and the grocery store down the street is gone. Wake up in the morning and your neighbor, their house is destroyed and they're all dead. These are the realities of what they live through over there."Crawford was stationed for the majority of his time in Ukraine in the port city of Mykolaiv. When he arrived in May, the city was an industrial city, but by the time he left in September, 25 percent of the city had been wiped out.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688069426713.jpeg" alt="Ukrainian troops. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Ukrainian troops. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The Ukrainian people have accused Russian forces of war crimes. Crawford said he has seen evidence of mass graves and heard reports of abuse of women and killing of civilian men."Let me tell you something about the Russians," he said. "They indiscriminately fire these weapons—these big caliber missiles and artillery. They do it every day. One day in Mykolaiv, we got hit 65 times by these rockets. They were hitting schools and hospitals and private buildings."The shelling was constant, he said."It was intentional because they wanted the population to fear them," he said.Crawford said the level of ferocity of the fighting in Ukraine was something he had not experienced before."I had never seen the amount of weaponry used in a single engagement," he said.As a combat adviser, he said he was a target."It came to a head a couple of times, and I almost lost my life three times over there," he said. "One of the nights I was there, I was staying in a farmhouse outside of Mykolaiv in the middle of nowhere. ... At about 2:30 in the morning, Russians fired a cruise missile right at my house, and they missed by 60 feet. It blew a hole in the ground 14 feet wide and 10 feet deep."As he and other soldiers were running down the street, the Russians launched cluster bombs, which released hundreds of baseball grenades.&nbsp;"They definitely wanted us to not be standing at the end of that," he said.Crawford said the Ukrainian soldiers are the bravest soldiers he's met."When you're talking about the Ukrainian military, their backs are against the wall. They don't have any other choice but to fight," he said. "The one thing about the Ukrainians is they have a high morale. They are ready to fight, willing to fight and are able to fight."He said he has great respect for the Ukrainian soldiers."Not just because they are my battle brothers, but they have a different mentality. They have a no-quit, no-lose mentality. It is hard for any military around the world to see that," he said.Crawford said he saw heavy casualties on both sides of the fighting with hospitals full of the injured. He was injured twice and had to have shrapnel fragments removed from his head without a numbing agent after being hit with light shrapnel in a missile attack.Crawford said he believes if Russia had been able to take Ukraine in the early days of the war, they would have moved on to Poland, a NATO country, an invasion that could have resulted in world war III.He said he chose to help fight in Ukraine so U.S. soldiers didn't have to fight.Crawford has a 15-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter. He said he went to Ukraine to protect them."In two years, my son would have been eligible for the draft," he said. "I didn't want my son to have to step into a world of war—not only my son and daughter but other people's sons and daughters."We went over there and stopped that."Crawford said he does not believe the American people understand the sacrifices Ukraine is making for the rest of the world. He said he strongly supports continued U.S. support of the Ukrainian military."Ukraine is shouldering the defense of the free world for all of us," he said. "We should be blessed that our children, our sons and daughters, are not over there fighting that war. We should give them anything they need to continue fighting that war because if Ukraine falls, freedom dies with it."Crawford said he does think Russia being successful in the war in Ukraine in the long term.&nbsp;"I think what we have seen is many cracks in the Russian leadership," he said, "especially in regards to [Vladimir] Putin and&nbsp; [Yevgeny] Prigozhin."<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d612c506-7c56-4e26-ab00-d956d904d7c7">Wagner Group soldiers under the command of&nbsp;Prigozhin led troops into Russia in a rebellion but stopped short of the Russian capital.</a>When Crawford lived in Hays, he owned the Tactical Experience on Vine Street, which he operated until 2020. He now lives in Cincinnati and owns a tactical training company that trains law enforcement and civilian security.

Former NW Kan. man fought in Ukraine so 'son didn't have to step into world of war'

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that total tax collections for June 2023 were $989.0 million. That is $17.3 million, or 1.8%, more than the estimate and $70.2 million, or 7.6%, more than June 2022, according to a media release from her office.

Kansas ends Fiscal Year 2023 with total tax collections of nearly $10.2 billion, which exceeds the Fiscal Year 2023 revised estimate by $25.9 million.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vZ292ZXJub3Iua2Fuc2FzLmdvdi93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMy8wNy8xMl9KdW5lX1JldmVudWVfRlkyMDIzXzA3LTAzLTIwMjNfRmluYWwucGRmIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDIzMDcwNS43OTIxNjM5MSJ9.-GYVzkPdZYV5R_JBoi85m6rBIRyg23z-zn__NUB6tlY/s/1303160919/br/219641174332-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the June 2023 revenue numbers.

“Time and again, we have seen our monthly revenues exceed estimates because of my administration’s success in attracting businesses, expanding our workforce, and growing our state’s economy,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “This past legislative session, I fought for responsible tax cuts on groceries, property, and Social Security to put this money back in the hands of working Kansans. Come January, I am committed to partnering with legislators to get Kansans relief.”

Individual income tax collections were $379.0 million. That is $4.0 million, or 1.1%, less than the estimate but $14.3 million, or 3.9%, more than June 2022. Corporate income tax collections were $226.2 million. That’s $26.2 million, or 13.1%, more than the estimate and up 52.7% from June 2022.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $303.5 million. That is $1.5 million, or 0.5%, more than the estimate but less than June 2022 by only 0.1%.

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that total tax collections for June 2023 were $989.0 million. That is $17.3 million, or 1.8%, more than the estimate and $70.2 million, or 7.6%, more than June 2022, according to a media release from her office.Kansas ends Fiscal Year 2023 with total tax collections of nearly $10.2 billion, which exceeds the Fiscal Year 2023 revised estimate by $25.9 million.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vZ292ZXJub3Iua2Fuc2FzLmdvdi93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMy8wNy8xMl9KdW5lX1JldmVudWVfRlkyMDIzXzA3LTAzLTIwMjNfRmluYWwucGRmIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDIzMDcwNS43OTIxNjM5MSJ9.-GYVzkPdZYV5R_JBoi85m6rBIRyg23z-zn__NUB6tlY/s/1303160919/br/219641174332-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the June 2023 revenue numbers.“Time and again, we have seen our monthly revenues exceed estimates because of my administration’s success in attracting businesses, expanding our workforce, and growing our state’s economy,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “This past legislative session, I fought for responsible tax cuts on groceries, property, and Social Security to put this money back in the hands of working Kansans. Come January, I am committed to partnering with legislators to get Kansans relief.”Individual income tax collections were $379.0 million. That is $4.0 million, or 1.1%, less than the estimate but $14.3 million, or 3.9%, more than June 2022. Corporate income tax collections were $226.2 million. That’s $26.2 million, or 13.1%, more than the estimate and up 52.7% from June 2022.Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $303.5 million. That is $1.5 million, or 0.5%, more than the estimate but less than June 2022 by only 0.1%.

Kan. ends fiscal year with total tax collections of $10.2 billion

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly Independence Day shooting at a gas station in Kansas City.

Just&nbsp;after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 8505 Woodland in Kansas City, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle. First responders located a man inside the gas station unresponsive and suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers performed life saving measures. EMS arrived on scene and declared the victim deceased. The second victim, a teenage boy, was shot and transported to an area hospital in stable condition. Police have no one in custody at this time. The circumstances surrounding the homicide are unknown at this time. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the scene to to recover any evidence and speak to any potential witnesses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688564613976.png" alt="Police investigators at the scene of the investigation early Wednesday photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Police investigators at the scene of the investigation early Wednesday photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly Independence Day shooting at a gas station in Kansas City.Just&nbsp;after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 8505 Woodland in Kansas City, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle. First responders located a man inside the gas station unresponsive and suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers performed life saving measures. EMS arrived on scene and declared the victim deceased. The second victim, a teenage boy, was shot and transported to an area hospital in stable condition. Police have no one in custody at this time. The circumstances surrounding the homicide are unknown at this time. Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the scene to to recover any evidence and speak to any potential witnesses.

Police: Man dead, teen wounded inside Kansas City gas station

WASHINGTON (AP) –A judge on Tuesday prohibited several federal agencies and officials of the Biden administration from working with social media companies about “protected speech,” a decision called “a blow to censorship” by one of the Republican officials whose lawsuit prompted the ruling.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana granted the injunction in response to a 2022 lawsuit brought by attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri. Their lawsuit alleged that the federal government overstepped in its efforts to convince social media companies to address postings that could result in vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or affect elections.

Doughty cited “substantial evidence” of a far-reaching censorship campaign. He wrote that the “evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth.’ ”

Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, who was the Missouri attorney general when the lawsuit was filed, said on Twitter that the ruling was “a huge win for the First Amendment and a blow to censorship.”

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the injunction prevents the administration “from censoring the core political speech of ordinary Americans” on social media.

“The evidence in our case is shocking and offensive with senior federal officials deciding that they could dictate what Americans can and cannot say on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms about COVID-19, elections, criticism of the government, and more," Landry said in a statement.

The Justice Department is reviewing the injunction “and will evaluate its options in this case,” said a White House official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“This administration has promoted responsible actions to protect public health, safety, and security when confronted by challenges like a deadly pandemic and foreign attacks on our elections,” the official said. “Our consistent view remains that social media platforms have a critical responsibility to take account of the effects their platforms are having on the American people, but make independent choices about the information they present.”

The ruling listed several government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI, that are prohibited by the injunction from discussions with social media companies aimed at “encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”

The order mentions by name several officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and others.

Doughty allowed several exceptions, such as informing social media companies of postings involving criminal activity and conspiracies; as well as notifying social media firms of national security threats and other threats posted on platforms.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit also included individuals, including conservative website owner Jim Hoft. The lawsuit accused the administration of using the possibility of favorable or unfavorable regulatory action to coerce social media platforms to squelch what it considered misinformation on masks and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also touched on other topics, including claims about election integrity and news stories about material on a laptop owned by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-investigation-house-republicans-prosecutor-irs-17f33b5f85443ee2c3315654b47f5a1c">Hunter Biden</a>, the president’s son.

Administration lawyers said the government left it up to social media companies to decide what constituted misinformation and how to combat it. In one brief, they likened the lawsuit to an attempt to put a legal gag order on the federal government and “suppress the speech of federal government officials under the guise of protecting the speech rights of others.”

“Plaintiffs’ proposed injunction would significantly hinder the Federal Government’s ability to combat foreign malign influence campaigns, prosecute crimes, protect the national security, and provide accurate information to the public on matters of grave public concern such as health care and election integrity,” the administration says in a May 3 court filing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667963892129.png" alt="Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt was the Missouri attorney general when the lawsuit was filed-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt was the Missouri attorney general when the lawsuit was filed-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) –A judge on Tuesday prohibited several federal agencies and officials of the Biden administration from working with social media companies about “protected speech,” a decision called “a blow to censorship” by one of the Republican officials whose lawsuit prompted the ruling.U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana granted the injunction in response to a 2022 lawsuit brought by attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri. Their lawsuit alleged that the federal government overstepped in its efforts to convince social media companies to address postings that could result in vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or affect elections.Doughty cited “substantial evidence” of a far-reaching censorship campaign. He wrote that the “evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth.’ ”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">King George believed the Declaration of Independence was “misinformation” God bless America and God bless the First Amendment. 🇺🇸&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1676411167126835201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, who was the Missouri attorney general when the lawsuit was filed, said on Twitter that the ruling was “a huge win for the First Amendment and a blow to censorship.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨BREAKING: A Federal Judge in Missouri v. Biden just granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting the FBI, DOJ, DHS &amp; other agencies from working with Big Tech to censor on social media Big win for the First Amendment on this Independence Day🇺🇸 I’m proud to have led the fight. <a href="https://t.co/59FzDVuI4f">pic.twitter.com/59FzDVuI4f</a>&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1676287106220433423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the injunction prevents the administration “from censoring the core political speech of ordinary Americans” on social media.“The evidence in our case is shocking and offensive with senior federal officials deciding that they could dictate what Americans can and cannot say on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms about COVID-19, elections, criticism of the government, and more," Landry said in a statement.The Justice Department is reviewing the injunction “and will evaluate its options in this case,” said a White House official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.“This administration has promoted responsible actions to protect public health, safety, and security when confronted by challenges like a deadly pandemic and foreign attacks on our elections,” the official said. “Our consistent view remains that social media platforms have a critical responsibility to take account of the effects their platforms are having on the American people, but make independent choices about the information they present.”The ruling listed several government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI, that are prohibited by the injunction from discussions with social media companies aimed at “encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”The order mentions by name several officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and others.Doughty allowed several exceptions, such as informing social media companies of postings involving criminal activity and conspiracies; as well as notifying social media firms of national security threats and other threats posted on platforms.The plaintiffs in the lawsuit also included individuals, including conservative website owner Jim Hoft. The lawsuit accused the administration of using the possibility of favorable or unfavorable regulatory action to coerce social media platforms to squelch what it considered misinformation on masks and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also touched on other topics, including claims about election integrity and news stories about material on a laptop owned by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-investigation-house-republicans-prosecutor-irs-17f33b5f85443ee2c3315654b47f5a1c">Hunter Biden</a>, the president’s son.Administration lawyers said the government left it up to social media companies to decide what constituted misinformation and how to combat it. In one brief, they likened the lawsuit to an attempt to put a legal gag order on the federal government and “suppress the speech of federal government officials under the guise of protecting the speech rights of others.”“Plaintiffs’ proposed injunction would significantly hinder the Federal Government’s ability to combat foreign malign influence campaigns, prosecute crimes, protect the national security, and provide accurate information to the public on matters of grave public concern such as health care and election integrity,” the administration says in a May 3 court filing.

Judge blocks Biden officials from interference in social media content

BUTLER COUNTY—A boy is being recognized as a hero for his actions at a Kansas lake over the Independence holiday weekend.

According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Game Wardens, "Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. On Sunday 6-year-old&nbsp; Levi Alley alerted adults to a 5-year-old that was drowning at El Dorado Reservoir’s Walnut Swim Beach."

"Thanks to Levi’s attentiveness and quick response, the 5-year-old was rescued unharmed. Way to go Levi!"

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688554822917.png" alt="Photo courtesy KDW&amp;P Game Wardens" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KDW&amp;P Game Wardens</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY—A boy is being recognized as a hero for his actions at a Kansas lake over the Independence holiday weekend.According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Game Wardens, "Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. On Sunday 6-year-old&nbsp; Levi Alley alerted adults to a 5-year-old that was drowning at El Dorado Reservoir’s Walnut Swim Beach.""Thanks to Levi’s attentiveness and quick response, the 5-year-old was rescued unharmed. Way to go Levi!"

Boy recognized for helping save child from drowning at Kan. lake

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that fatally injured 16-year-old Elrecus Nolan from Wichita.

Just before 10:30pm. Monday, yesterday, police were dispatched to shots fired call at the intersection of Mt. Vernon and Ellis Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Police learned that a witness heard several gunshots before he noticed a silver 2002 Ford Taurus slowly rolling westbound on Mt. Vernon, hitting the curb before stopping on the sidewalk.

First responders located Nolan unconscious and not breathing with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. Nolan was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The investigators are still working to fully determine what led up to the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688508501373.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation late Monday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation late Monday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that fatally injured 16-year-old Elrecus Nolan from Wichita.Just before 10:30pm. Monday, yesterday, police were dispatched to shots fired call at the intersection of Mt. Vernon and Ellis Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.Police learned that a witness heard several gunshots before he noticed a silver 2002 Ford Taurus slowly rolling westbound on Mt. Vernon, hitting the curb before stopping on the sidewalk.First responders located Nolan unconscious and not breathing with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. Nolan was pronounced deceased at the scene.The investigators are still working to fully determine what led up to the shooting.

Homicide: 16-year-old Kan. boy found dead in car stopped on sidewalk

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service discovered suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing, and a preliminary test showed the substance was cocaine, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

Secret Service agents were doing routine rounds on Sunday when they found the white powder in an area accessible to tour groups, not in any particular West Wing office, the officials said. The officials were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The complex was evacuated at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday as fire and emergency crews were brought in to do a rapid test, which preliminarily identified cocaine. The White House was soon reopened and the powder was sent for further testing.

Biden and his family left for Camp David on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday.

The Secret Service said in a statement the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated, and that the District of Columbia fire department was called in to evaluate and determine that the substance was not hazardous.

“The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending,” the Secret Service said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688508095664.png" alt="The Secret Service said in a statement the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The Secret Service said in a statement the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service discovered suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing, and a preliminary test showed the substance was cocaine, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday.Secret Service agents were doing routine rounds on Sunday when they found the white powder in an area accessible to tour groups, not in any particular West Wing office, the officials said. The officials were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.The complex was evacuated at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday as fire and emergency crews were brought in to do a rapid test, which preliminarily identified cocaine. The White House was soon reopened and the powder was sent for further testing.Biden and his family left for Camp David on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday.The Secret Service said in a statement the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated, and that the District of Columbia fire department was called in to evaluate and determine that the substance was not hazardous.“The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending,” the Secret Service said.

Secret Service investigating cocaine found at White House

KANSAS CITY —A man critically injured in a motorcycle, boat-trailer crash on Independence Day has died.

Just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday, a man driving a Honda Valkyrie was westbound on&nbsp;Northeast Cookingham Drive at NE Reinking in Kansas City, according to Police Capitain Carsisle.

The man laid the motorcycle down, slid under and struck the right side of a trailer with a Sting Ray boat pulled by a Chevy Silverado that was turning from NE Cookingham onto NE Reinking.&nbsp;

EMS transported the motorcycle rider to an area hospital. The driver of the pickup and a passenger were not injured. Just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday, police reported the motorcyclist had died. Police have not released the name of the man who died.

KANSAS CITY —A man critically injured in a motorcycle, boat-trailer crash on Independence Day has died.Just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday, a man driving a Honda Valkyrie was westbound on&nbsp;Northeast Cookingham Drive at NE Reinking in Kansas City, according to Police Capitain Carsisle.The man laid the motorcycle down, slid under and struck the right side of a trailer with a Sting Ray boat pulled by a Chevy Silverado that was turning from NE Cookingham onto NE Reinking.&nbsp;EMS transported the motorcycle rider to an area hospital. The driver of the pickup and a passenger were not injured. Just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday, police reported the motorcyclist had died. Police have not released the name of the man who died.

Man dies after motorcycle, boat-trailer crash in Kansas City

ESTES PARK, Colo. (AP) — A 25-year-old Rhode Island man died after falling and being pulled underwater at a waterfall in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday, according to the National Park Service.

The man from Providence has not yet been publicly identified and his body was recovered Sunday evening, officials said.

Rocky Mountain National Park covers over 400 square miles (1,036 square kilometers) of rugged mountains and high tundra, drawing typically over 4 million hikers annually.

The deceased man fell at West Creek Falls, on the east side of the park. The body was moved to the Larimer County Coroner, on the northern edge of Colorado, who will determine the cause of death.

At this time of year, rivers, streams and waterfalls are dangerous cold and swift, said the National Park Service, warning visitors to stay a safe distance from quick-flowing waters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688522453402.png" alt="The deceased man fell at West Creek Falls, on the east side of the park.-photo National Park Service" />
 <figcaption>The deceased man fell at West Creek Falls, on the east side of the park.-photo National Park Service</figcaption>
 </figure>ESTES PARK, Colo. (AP) — A 25-year-old Rhode Island man died after falling and being pulled underwater at a waterfall in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday, according to the National Park Service.The man from Providence has not yet been publicly identified and his body was recovered Sunday evening, officials said.Rocky Mountain National Park covers over 400 square miles (1,036 square kilometers) of rugged mountains and high tundra, drawing typically over 4 million hikers annually.The deceased man fell at West Creek Falls, on the east side of the park. The body was moved to the Larimer County Coroner, on the northern edge of Colorado, who will determine the cause of death.At this time of year, rivers, streams and waterfalls are dangerous cold and swift, said the National Park Service, warning visitors to stay a safe distance from quick-flowing waters.

Young man died after fall at a Rocky Mountain waterfall

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent knife fight and have made an arrest.

On Sunday, police were&nbsp;dispatched to report of a fight in the 300 block of College Drive in Garden City, according to a media release.

When Officers arrived, they found a 36-year-old man had been stabbed and beaten. Through the investigation, 44-year-old Jemie Mehammed was identified as the suspect. Police took him into custody.

EMS transported the victim to St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City. He was later flown to Colorado for treatment due to the extent of his injuries.

Mehammed remains in the the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Attempted Second-Degree Murder and Aggravated Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688398208268.png" alt="Mehammed photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Mehammed photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent knife fight and have made an arrest.On Sunday, police were&nbsp;dispatched to report of a fight in the 300 block of College Drive in Garden City, according to a media release.When Officers arrived, they found a 36-year-old man had been stabbed and beaten. Through the investigation, 44-year-old Jemie Mehammed was identified as the suspect. Police took him into custody.EMS transported the victim to St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City. He was later flown to Colorado for treatment due to the extent of his injuries.Mehammed remains in the the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Attempted Second-Degree Murder and Aggravated Battery.

SW Kansas man jailed after violent knife fight

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.&nbsp;

Just after 9p.m. July 1, police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by 44-year-old&nbsp;Melody C. McCannon, 44, Atchison, for an alleged traffic violation in the 600 Block of North 9th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Investigators found her to be in&nbsp;possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; She remains jails on requested charges of no license tag, no driver’s license, no insurance, and possession of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, according to Wilson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688393878945.png" alt="McCannon-photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>McCannon-photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.&nbsp;Just after 9p.m. July 1, police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by 44-year-old&nbsp;Melody C. McCannon, 44, Atchison, for an alleged traffic violation in the 600 Block of North 9th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.Investigators found her to be in&nbsp;possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; She remains jails on requested charges of no license tag, no driver’s license, no insurance, and possession of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, according to Wilson.

Kansas woman accused of transporting fentanyl

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for conviction in a double homicide of two men in March 2021, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

A Jackson County judge sentenced Vontez G. Howard, 26, to 25 years on each Murder 2nd Degree conviction, and 10 years on four Armed Criminal Action charges. 

That 10-year sentence was set to run consecutively to the two 25-year sentences for a total of 60 years. Sentences for Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Robbery 1st Degree were also set to run concurrent to other charges.

Howard was convicted by a Jackson County jury in April.

According to court records, Kansas City police responded March 1, 2021, on a reported shooting in the area of Norton Avenue and Anderson. 

Victims Kyle Gerhardt and &nbsp;Kristopher Lunsford-Barrett were found in a vehicle. The victims were suffering from gunshot wounds. The vehicle also had caught fire following a crash. 

Kansas City detectives initiated an extensive investigation, analyzing area video, phones, DNA evidence and ballistics. They tracked a suspect vehicle and established connections between the defendants and victims near the time of the fatal shootings. Video surveillance showed how the defendants pursued the victims until the victim's vehicle crashed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634213484056.png" alt="Howard-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Howard-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for conviction in a double homicide of two men in March 2021, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.A Jackson County judge sentenced Vontez G. Howard, 26, to 25 years on each Murder 2nd Degree conviction, and 10 years on four Armed Criminal Action charges. That 10-year sentence was set to run consecutively to the two 25-year sentences for a total of 60 years. Sentences for Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Robbery 1st Degree were also set to run concurrent to other charges.Howard was convicted by a Jackson County jury in April.According to court records, Kansas City police responded March 1, 2021, on a reported shooting in the area of Norton Avenue and Anderson. Victims Kyle Gerhardt and &nbsp;Kristopher Lunsford-Barrett were found in a vehicle. The victims were suffering from gunshot wounds. The vehicle also had caught fire following a crash. Kansas City detectives initiated an extensive investigation, analyzing area video, phones, DNA evidence and ballistics. They tracked a suspect vehicle and established connections between the defendants and victims near the time of the fatal shootings. Video surveillance showed how the defendants pursued the victims until the victim's vehicle crashed.

Kansas City man left two gunshot victims in burning car

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A visible crack in the support beam of a North Carolina roller coaster served as a reminder of the risks that sometimes arise with amusement park rides, particularly as families and adrenaline junkies flock to the attractions in summer.

Video footage of the Charlotte-based Carowinds' popular Fury 325 — known as a “Giga coaster” due to its dramatic height of 325 feet (99 meters) — showed a key support beam bending with the top visibly detached as cars packed with unsuspecting passengers whirled by at speeds of up to 95 mph (150 kph).

The park, which straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina line, closed the ride late last week as questions swirled about how the crack occurred. Those answers remained largely unknown as state investigators were on site in Monday morning.

Tommy Petty, chief of the state Department of Labor’s Amusement Device Bureau, confirmed investigators “already came and went” from Carowinds on Monday but declined to share details about their findings. Meanwhile, Carowinds said in a statement that all of its rides, including Fury 325, are inspected daily “to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity.”

Several Carowinds visitors said they were aware that the ride had been closed for repairs, but they were not deterred from enjoying the park's other attractions.

Greg Bledsoe, a 22-year-old season pass holder, visited the park Monday despite having watched the viral video of the Fury 325 track separating from its support beam mid-ride.

“I’m just glad I wasn’t on it because I don’t want to fall off. I’m glad nobody fell off,” he said.

While Bledsoe said the video was “a bit of a shock,” he remains confident in the park’s overall safety and plans to make good use of his season pass.

“Hopefully they get it fixed before the season’s over so I can ride it some more,” he said of the broken coaster. “It’s like the main thing here.”

Industry experts have been quick to counter that millions of Americans hop on roller coasters, Ferris wheels, water slides and many other rides without ever experiencing issues. They note injury rates are extremely low.

A 2021 survey compiled on behalf of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions found “0.9 injuries per million rides,” said Caitlin Dineen, the group's spokesperson. That year, more than 1,200 ride-related injuries were reported out of the typical 1.7 billion rides that take place each year across 400 locations in North America.

“Safety is the top priority for the global attractions industry,” Dineen said. “An excellent safety record is in the best interest of the industry, and leaders within it are committed to providing safe and secure attractions for all their guests and visitors.”

For Steven Powers, a resident of Columbia, South Carolina who visited Carowinds Monday with friends, the positive atmosphere of the park outweighs any worries.

“As far as any other safety concerns, I don’t believe there are any,” Powers said. “I think always subconsciously we think something might happen in the back of our minds, but I also know that they do have people's lives in their hands so they're going to make sure that they do what they're supposed to do on their end.”

Even when amusement park mishaps don't result in injuries, they can still upend vacations and cause headaches for summer fun-seekers.

Shortly after footage was released of the crack inside Fury 325's support structure, riders on a roller coaster in northeastern Wisconsin were trapped upside down for three hours before emergency responders arrived to rescue them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688473561332.png" alt="People ride a roller coaster at the Carowinds amusement park on Monday, July 3, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)" />
 <figcaption>People ride a roller coaster at the Carowinds amusement park on Monday, July 3, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)</figcaption>
 </figure>CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A visible crack in the support beam of a North Carolina roller coaster served as a reminder of the risks that sometimes arise with amusement park rides, particularly as families and adrenaline junkies flock to the attractions in summer.Video footage of the Charlotte-based Carowinds' popular Fury 325 — known as a “Giga coaster” due to its dramatic height of 325 feet (99 meters) — showed a key support beam bending with the top visibly detached as cars packed with unsuspecting passengers whirled by at speeds of up to 95 mph (150 kph).The park, which straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina line, closed the ride late last week as questions swirled about how the crack occurred. Those answers remained largely unknown as state investigators were on site in Monday morning.Tommy Petty, chief of the state Department of Labor’s Amusement Device Bureau, confirmed investigators “already came and went” from Carowinds on Monday but declined to share details about their findings. Meanwhile, Carowinds said in a statement that all of its rides, including Fury 325, are inspected daily “to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity.”Several Carowinds visitors said they were aware that the ride had been closed for repairs, but they were not deterred from enjoying the park's other attractions.Greg Bledsoe, a 22-year-old season pass holder, visited the park Monday despite having watched the viral video of the Fury 325 track separating from its support beam mid-ride.“I’m just glad I wasn’t on it because I don’t want to fall off. I’m glad nobody fell off,” he said.While Bledsoe said the video was “a bit of a shock,” he remains confident in the park’s overall safety and plans to make good use of his season pass.“Hopefully they get it fixed before the season’s over so I can ride it some more,” he said of the broken coaster. “It’s like the main thing here.”Industry experts have been quick to counter that millions of Americans hop on roller coasters, Ferris wheels, water slides and many other rides without ever experiencing issues. They note injury rates are extremely low.A 2021 survey compiled on behalf of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions found “0.9 injuries per million rides,” said Caitlin Dineen, the group's spokesperson. That year, more than 1,200 ride-related injuries were reported out of the typical 1.7 billion rides that take place each year across 400 locations in North America.“Safety is the top priority for the global attractions industry,” Dineen said. “An excellent safety record is in the best interest of the industry, and leaders within it are committed to providing safe and secure attractions for all their guests and visitors.”For Steven Powers, a resident of Columbia, South Carolina who visited Carowinds Monday with friends, the positive atmosphere of the park outweighs any worries.“As far as any other safety concerns, I don’t believe there are any,” Powers said. “I think always subconsciously we think something might happen in the back of our minds, but I also know that they do have people's lives in their hands so they're going to make sure that they do what they're supposed to do on their end.”Even when amusement park mishaps don't result in injuries, they can still upend vacations and cause headaches for summer fun-seekers.Shortly after footage was released of the crack inside Fury 325's support structure, riders on a roller coaster in northeastern Wisconsin were trapped upside down for three hours before emergency responders arrived to rescue them.<a href="https://www.nbc15.com/2023/07/03/roller-coaster-riders-trapped-upside-down-hours/">WJFW reports</a>&nbsp;the ride had been inspected recently when a mechanical failure occurred, halting the coaster mid-ride, according to Capt. Brennan Cook of the Crandon Fire Department.But sometimes deaths do occur on an amusement park ride.In 2022, Orlando's International Drive district&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-accidents-missouri-8d1dbb7541cfb7b0dc5c3496fcde48d7">removed a towering 400-foot (122-meter) ride</a>&nbsp;after it was directly linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-florida-missouri-obituaries-6dcc0a65607f5038f5044c6d1d485826">the death</a>&nbsp;of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson — a Missouri teen who fell to his death while on the ride the year prior.Sampson, who lived near St. Louis, Missouri, was visiting Orlando during spring break when he died.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">initial report</a>&nbsp;from outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in the teen not being properly secured.