The hug shared around the world

[B00Mer]

The hug shared around the world

The Hug Shared Around The World - YouTube

(CNN) -- It's the picture we needed to see after the past week's turmoil.

A 12-year-old black boy, tears streaming down his face, and a white police officer embrace in the middle of a Ferguson-related demonstration in Portland, Oregon.

The story behind the image is just as touching.

The boy, Devonte Hart, was holding a sign offering "Free Hugs" during a Tuesday protest over a grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson. Portland police Sgt. Bret Barnum approached Devonte and extended his hand. Barnum said he approached Devonte "not as a police officer but just a human being" when he saw him crying.

Devonte seemed hesitant to talk at first, but Barnum said he broke the ice by talking about life, travel and summer vacations before asking for a hug.

"The situation itself is something police officers do every day when they go out on the street and make citizen contacts," Barnum said.

The Oregonian newspaper was the first media outlet to publish the photo by 20-year-old freelance photographer Johnny Nguyen. Within hours of its posting on Facebook, the photo had been shared more than 150,000 times, leading the Oregonian to call it "the hug shared around the world."

"I really believe in my heart that this is what most people want -- to find the common good in all people and find things we can agree on, not fight about," one Facebook commenter said. "I love this picture and wish that little boy the best life has to offer."

Barnum said he was surprised by the overwhelming response but "really happy" to be part of something that imparted a sense of peace in troubled times.

"It solidified what all of us do this work for -- this job for -- to create good will," he said.

Nguyen said he attended the rally to take pictures for himself.

"When I came across Devonte, who was holding a 'Free Hugs' sign and tears running down his face, I knew right there and then there was something special about him," he said. "My gut told me to stay at the scene despite other photo opportunities in the crowd."

Nguyen captured a few snaps of Devonte and then turned around to get some shots of other people. When he turned back, he saw Devonte speaking to Barnum.

"I thought, what a great scene. A powerful scene. A scene with a message that needed to be communicated. A scene of coming together," he said.

"They hugged it out, and I got as close as I could and snapped away."

The photo "spread like wildfire" in a day. Nguyen said he has received hundreds of emails and messages saying how the photograph made people feel more hopeful, that it restored faith in humanity or brought them to tears.

Complete coverage of what's happening in Ferguson

"I knew it had something special, something powerful. It had a message I think everyone wanted to see," he said.

"I think it goes to show everybody was clamoring for hope in the midst of the violence and conflict going on today. I'm glad my photo has done that. Yes, I'm a photographer, but in the end, I'm a human being who wants better for other human beings, and I'm glad I can play my part by sharing the incredible photo. I wish to see everyone continue to be positive and spread love, always."

CNN's Facebook audience appeared to agree. As one commenter said, "This is a powerful message. I applaud you, young man. Sending you a cyber hug."

What did you think of this picture? Share your thoughts on CNN's Facebook page.

source: Story behind the hug between cop, boy at Ferguson rally - CNN.com

 

[spaminator]

The hug shared around the world

The Hug Shared Around The World - YouTube

(CNN) -- It's the picture we needed to see after the past week's turmoil.

A 12-year-old black boy, tears streaming down his face, and a white police officer embrace in the middle of a Ferguson-related demonstration in Portland, Oregon.

The story behind the image is just as touching.

The boy, Devonte Hart, was holding a sign offering "Free Hugs" during a Tuesday protest over a grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson. Portland police Sgt. Bret Barnum approached Devonte and extended his hand. Barnum said he approached Devonte "not as a police officer but just a human being" when he saw him crying.

Devonte seemed hesitant to talk at first, but Barnum said he broke the ice by talking about life, travel and summer vacations before asking for a hug.

"The situation itself is something police officers do every day when they go out on the street and make citizen contacts," Barnum said.

The Oregonian newspaper was the first media outlet to publish the photo by 20-year-old freelance photographer Johnny Nguyen. Within hours of its posting on Facebook, the photo had been shared more than 150,000 times, leading the Oregonian to call it "the hug shared around the world."

"I really believe in my heart that this is what most people want -- to find the common good in all people and find things we can agree on, not fight about," one Facebook commenter said. "I love this picture and wish that little boy the best life has to offer."

Barnum said he was surprised by the overwhelming response but "really happy" to be part of something that imparted a sense of peace in troubled times.

"It solidified what all of us do this work for -- this job for -- to create good will," he said.

Nguyen said he attended the rally to take pictures for himself.

"When I came across Devonte, who was holding a 'Free Hugs' sign and tears running down his face, I knew right there and then there was something special about him," he said. "My gut told me to stay at the scene despite other photo opportunities in the crowd."

Nguyen captured a few snaps of Devonte and then turned around to get some shots of other people. When he turned back, he saw Devonte speaking to Barnum.

"I thought, what a great scene. A powerful scene. A scene with a message that needed to be communicated. A scene of coming together," he said.

"They hugged it out, and I got as close as I could and snapped away."

The photo "spread like wildfire" in a day. Nguyen said he has received hundreds of emails and messages saying how the photograph made people feel more hopeful, that it restored faith in humanity or brought them to tears.

Complete coverage of what's happening in Ferguson

"I knew it had something special, something powerful. It had a message I think everyone wanted to see," he said.

"I think it goes to show everybody was clamoring for hope in the midst of the violence and conflict going on today. I'm glad my photo has done that. Yes, I'm a photographer, but in the end, I'm a human being who wants better for other human beings, and I'm glad I can play my part by sharing the incredible photo. I wish to see everyone continue to be positive and spread love, always."

CNN's Facebook audience appeared to agree. As one commenter said, "This is a powerful message. I applaud you, young man. Sending you a cyber hug."

What did you think of this picture? Share your thoughts on CNN's Facebook page.

source: Story behind the hug between cop, boy at Ferguson rally - CNN.com

after the photo op the boy was later gunned down by the police.

 

[B00Mer]

after the photo op the boy was later gunned down by the police.

Oh no you didn't - bad joke.

Devonte Hart, 12 is still alive and kicking..

 

[spaminator]

Oh no you didn't - bad joke.

Devonte Hart, 12 is still alive and kicking..

it was intended to be a dark joke. i guess it was inspired by my frustration of the black comunity protesting, supporting, rioting, looting, destroying property. etc. many jobs were also lost. all of this over a violent punk/thug. i appolgize if anyone was offended by my dark joke.

 

[Blackleaf]

Was that picture taken before he nicked the trainers or after?

 

[Twila]

Boomer, that TOTALLY need to be shared. You can't fight violence with violence. It doesn't work. This is the type of picture and story that CAN fight violence.

It's made my day a little better seeing it.

 

[shadowshiv]

We need more people like Devonte in this world, that is for sure.

 

[spaminator]

We need more people like Devonte in this world, that is for sure.

agreed.

i hope one day the world will feel the same way about me.

 

[Praxius]

That just made my heart grow three times bigger

 

[B00Mer]

That just made my heart grow three times bigger

Shocking, I thought you were heartless..

 

[spaminator]

Family famed for protest photo died when SUV goes off cliff
Associated Press
More from Associated Press
Published:
March 28, 2018
Updated:
March 28, 2018 10:40 PM EDT
This photo provided by the California Highway Patrol shows a helicopter hovering over steep coastal cliffs Tuesday, March 27, 2018, near Mendocino, Calif., where a vehicle plunged about 100 feet off a cliff along Highway 1, killing all five passengers.California Highway Patrol via AP / AP
SAN FRANCISCO — A family that gained attention for an emotional photograph of an African-American boy hugging a white police officer at a 2014 protest were killed when their SUV plunged off a scenic California highway, authorities said Wednesday as they asked for help figuring out what happened.
“We have every indication to believe that all six children were in there,” Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allmon said, appealing for tips to retrace where the siblings and two parents had been before the vehicle was found Monday in rocky ocean. “We know that an entire family vanished and perished during this tragedy.”
Some friends described married couple Jennifer and Sarah Hart as good parents who took their adopted kids to Bernie Sanders rallies, while some neighbours said they called child welfare officials in their rural Washington state community over concerns about possible abuse or had noticed red flags.
In this Nov. 25, 2014, photo, Portland police Sgt. Bret Barnum, left, and Devonte Hart, 12, hug at a rally in Portland, Ore., where people had gathered in support of the protests in Ferguson, Mo. (Johnny Huu Nguyen via AP/Files)
The California Highway Patrol has not determined why the vehicle went off an ocean overlook on a rugged part of coastline. A specialized team of accident investigators was trying to figure that out, Allmon said.
“There were no skid marks, there were no brake marks” at the turnout on the Pacific Coast Highway where the vehicle went over, the sheriff said. Investigators have no reason to believe the crash was intentional, he said.
The 100-foot (31-meter) drop killed the women, both 39, and their children Markis Hart, 19; Jeremiah Hart, 14; and Abigail Hart, 14. Hannah Hart, 16; Devonte Hart, 15; and Sierra Hart, 12, have not been found.
The Harts lived in Woodland, Washington, a small city outside Portland, Oregon, and had a recent visit from Child Protective Services, Clark County sheriff’s Sgt. Brent Waddell told The Associated Press.
He said the sheriff’s office later entered the house and found no obvious signs of trouble or violence. It appeared the family planned a short trip because they left behind a pet, chickens and most of their belongings.
This Tuesday, March 27, 2018, photo provided by the California Highway Patrol shows a helicopter hovering over the scene where a vehicle plunged off a cliff in Northern California near Mendocino, Calif. (California Highway Patrol via AP)
Next-door neighbours Bruce and Dana DeKalb said they called child services Friday because they were concerned that Devonte Hart, who hugged the officer at the protest, was going hungry. They said he had been coming over to their house too often in the past week asking for food.
The DeKalbs also recounted that three months after the family moved into the home on 2 acres with a fenced pasture in May 2017, one of the girls rang their doorbell at 1:30 a.m.
She “was at our door in a blanket saying we needed to protect her,” Bruce DeKalb said. “She said that they were abusing her. It haunted my wife since that day.”
In 2011, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota. Her plea led to the dismissal of a charge of malicious punishment of a child, online court records say.
This June 2014 photo shows Devonte Hart with his family at the annual celebration of “The Goonies” movie in Astoria, Ore. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP)
Bill Groener, 67, was a next-door neighbour of the family when they lived in West Linn, Oregon, and said the kids were home-schooled.
“They stayed indoors most of the time, even in really nice weather,” Groener said.
He said the family didn’t eat sugar, raised their own vegetables, had animals and went on camping trips.
“There was enough positive there to kind of counteract the feeling that something maybe wasn’t quite right,” Groener said.
He said they were neighbours for about two years and that “privacy was a big thing for them.”
The family got attention after Devonte Hart was photographed during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, over a grand jury’s decision not to indict a police officer in the shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri.
The boy, holding a “Free Hugs” sign, stood crying. A Portland officer saw his sign and asked if he could have a hug, and an emotional Hart embraced him in a picture that was widely shared.
At the time, Jennifer Hart wrote on social media: “My son has a heart of gold, compassion beyond anything I’ve ever experienced, yet struggles with living fearlessly when it comes to the police. … He wonders if someday when he no longer wears a ’Free Hugs’ sign around his neck, when he’s a full-grown black male, if his life will be in danger for simply being.”
The family travelled to many festivals throughout the area — including events for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — and were known for wearing matching T-shirts.
Zippy Lomax, a Portland photographer who knew the Harts, told the Oregonian/Oregonlive.com that the reaction to the 2014 photo overwhelmed them, with negative attention focused on the multiracial family with lesbian parents.
“They kind of closed off for a while, honestly,” Lomax told the newspaper. But she added that “Jen and Sarah were the kind of parents this world desperately needs.”
Family famed for protest photo died when SUV goes off cliff | Toronto Sun

 

[spaminator]

‘RED FLAGS’: Data from SUV shows deadly California cliff wreck may have been intentional
Associated Press
More from Associated Press
Published:
April 2, 2018
Updated:
April 2, 2018 11:34 PM EDT
The scene of a fatal crash on the Mendocino coast north of Fort Bragg near Mendocino, Calif. (Kale Williams/The Oregonian via AP)
By Gene Johnson and Phuong Le, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE — Investigators said Monday they were examining “red flags” in a Washington state family’s past in hopes of explaining why their SUV went off a 100-foot cliff in an apparent suicide plunge.
The wreckage was discovered last week on rocks along the coast near Mendocino, Calif., a few days after child welfare authorities in Washington began investigating whether the children were being abused or neglected.
The Hart family’s two moms and three of the six adopted children were found dead; the three others are missing and presumed dead, possibly washed out to sea.
Police said Monday that social service authorities in Oregon contacted the West Linn Police Department about the family in 2013 while they were living in the area.
The questions were referred to the Oregon Department of Human Services, which cited privacy laws in refusing to confirm or deny the agency was involved.
Long before the crash, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children. And last month, concerned neighbours in Woodland, Washington, contacted child welfare authorities, saying the children may have been going hungry.
On Sunday, authorities announced that data from the vehicle’s software suggested the crash was deliberate.
The SUV had stopped at a pull-off area then sped straight off the cliff, Capt. Greg Baarts of the California Highway Patrol said. Baarts said that as far as he knew, investigators had not found a suicide note.
Marcus Mazza, an engineer and accident-reconstruction expert with Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Robson Forensic, said investigators could use data to determine factors such as the speed of the vehicle; the engine speed; how much force the driver was exerting on the gas pedal; and whether the driver had depressed the brake.
In interviews with friends and relatives, “there have been red flags,” Baarts said. He did not elaborate.
Days before the wreck was discovered, neighbours called Washington state child-welfare authorities to say one of the youngsters had been coming to their house almost daily asking for something to eat and complaining that his parents were withholding food as punishment.
Investigators last week obtained a search warrant for the family’s home in Woodland and looked for itineraries, bank and phone records, credit card receipts, journals or other documents that might shed light on the case.
The large, multiracial family, led by Sarah and Jennifer Hart, both 38, grew their own food, went on road trips and took part in activist causes.
The three children found at the crash scene were Markis Hart, 19, Jeremiah Hart, 14, and Abigail Hart, 14. There was no sign of Hannah Hart, 16; Sierra Hart, 12; and Devonte Hart, 15.
Devonte drew national attention after the black youngster was photographed in tears, hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, over the deadly police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri. Devonte was holding a “Free Hugs” sign.
Family friend Max Ribner said he was not ready to believe the crash was intentional.
He said the Harts left Alexandria, Minnesota, for Oregon looking for a change of weather and pace. He said the greater Portland area was more accepting of LGBTQ people.
“As much love as they put in the world, there were times when it was challenging for them to be a family with six kids and hold the energy of what they put out,” Ribner said. “I don’t think people realize what it takes to be a mother, raise six kids, many of whom came from hard backgrounds.”
Associated Press writers Janie Har in San Francisco and Michelle A. Monroe in Phoenix contributed to this report.
http://torontosun.com/news/world/data-from-suv-shows-deadly-wreck-may-have-been-intentional

 

[spaminator]

Cellphone found where SUV drove off California cliff
Associated Press
More from Associated Press
Published:
April 5, 2018
Updated:
April 5, 2018 8:12 PM EDT
In this Wednesday, March 28, 2018 aerial image from Alameda County Sheriff's Office drone video courtesy of Mendocino County shows the pullout where the SUV of Jennifer and Sarah Hart was recovered off the off Pacific Coast Highway 1, near Westport, Calif. (Alameda County Sheriff's Office via AP)
MENDOCINO, Calif. — Searchers looking for three missing children whose family’s SUV plunged off a Northern California cliff have found a cellphone that could have belonged to a member of the large brood.
There was no sign of the siblings who were missing but presumed dead in the crash that killed Sarah and Jennifer Hart and three of their other adopted children. Five bodies were found March 26 near Mendocino, a few days after Washington state authorities began investigating the Harts for possible child neglect.
This June 2014 photo shows Devonte Hart with his family at the annual celebration of “The Goonies” movie in Astoria, Ore. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP)
Dozens of people combed miles (kilometres) of coastline Wednesday. The Mendocino County sheriff’s office told Portland, Ore., TV station KOIN that a searcher found a cellphone that was being analyzed.
Authorities have said that data from the vehicle’s software suggested the crash was deliberate. They said the SUV had stopped at a coastal highway overlook before speeding straight off the cliff and plummeting 100 feet (31 metres) into the rocky Pacific Ocean below.
Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman told HLN : “I’m calling it a crime.”
Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children.
Data from SUV shows deadly California cliff wreck may have been intentional
Family famed for protest photo died when SUV goes off cliff
Bruce and Dana DeKalb, the family’s next-door neighbours in Woodland, Wash., called child welfare officials two weeks ago because the couple’s 15-year-old son, Devonte, had been coming over to their house almost every day for a week, asking for food.
Dana DeKalb said Devonte told her his parents were “punishing them by withholding food.” The boy asked her to leave food in a box by the fence for him, she said.
Devonte, a black boy who is still missing, drew national attention after he was photographed in tears while hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest.
In this Nov. 25, 2014, photo, Portland police Sgt. Bret Barnum, left, and Devonte Hart, 12, hug at a rally in Portland, Ore., where people had gathered in support of the protests in Ferguson, Mo. (Johnny Huu Nguyen via AP/Files)
Search for missing Hart children comes up empty | Oregon | KOIN
Cellphone found where SUV drove off California cliff | Toronto Sun

Body suspected to be from California cliff crash found
Associated Press
More from Associated Press
Published:
April 7, 2018
Updated:
April 7, 2018 11:35 PM EDT
This March 28, 2018, aerial file photo taken from Alameda County Sheriff's Office drone video, courtesy of Mendocino County, shows the pullout where the SUV of Jennifer and Sarah Hart was recovered off Pacific Coast Highway 1, near Westport, Calif. (Alameda County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
MENDOCINO, Calif. — A body was recovered Saturday in the vicinity where an SUV plunged off a Northern California cliff last month, killing a family of eight in what authorities suspect may have been an intentional crash.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s office said in a statement that a couple vacationing along the coast saw a possible body, which was pulled from the surf Saturday afternoon by a third bystander.
The body appears to be that of an African American female, but the age and identity could not immediately be determined, said Lt. Shannon Barney. An autopsy is planned Tuesday to determine a cause of death.
While authorities said they believe the body may be that of one of two missing girls from the crash, positive identification will most likely be done by DNA analysis, which could take weeks.
Sarah and Jennifer Hart and their six adopted children were believed to be in the family’s SUV when it plunged off a cliff last month. Five bodies were found March 26 near Mendocino, a few days after Washington state authorities began investigating the Harts for possible child neglect, but three of their children were not immediately recovered from the scene.
There were no signs of the other two children, authorities said Saturday.
This March 25, 2018, Safeway surveillance photo provided by the California Highway Patrol shows Jennifer Hart, right, at a Safeway store in Fort Bragg, Calif. (Courtesy of California Highway Patrol via AP)
Authorities have said that data from the vehicle’s software suggested the crash was deliberate. They said the SUV had stopped at a coastal highway overlook before speeding straight off the cliff and plummeting 100 feet (31 metres) into the rocky Pacific Ocean below.
Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children.
Bruce and Dana DeKalb, the family’s next-door neighbours in Woodland, Washington, called child welfare officials last month because the couple’s 15-year-old son, Devonte, had been coming to their house almost every day for a week, asking for food. They said the teen claimed his parents were “punishing them by withholding food.”
Cellphone found where SUV drove off California cliff
‘RED FLAGS’: Deadly Calif. cliff wreck may have been intentional
Devonte, a black boy who is still missing, drew national attention after he was photographed in tears while hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest.
The discovery of the body Saturday follows a two-day storm that swept through Northern California.
The sheriff’s office noted that it is not uncommon after a significant storm that items would surface or wash onto the beach.
“The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is monitoring the ocean conditions to see when further searches might be safely conducted,” Barney said. “This evaluation includes the use of divers if conditions permit.”
Body suspected to be from California cliff crash found | Toronto Sun

 

[spaminator]

TWISTED MOTHERS: Lesbian couple allegedly abused kids before cliff crash
American Media Inc.
More from American Media Inc.
Published:
April 9, 2018
Updated:
April 9, 2018 11:53 AM EDT
The scene of a fatal crash on the Mendocino coast north of Fort Bragg near Mendocino, Calif. (Kale Williams/The Oregonian via AP)
The lesbian couple who died in a tragic car crash with their six children this March, reportedly lied about their daughter’s age and kids’ schooling before the deadly incident.
Various sources have come forward to claim that Jennifer and Sarah Hart withheld food from their kids, and physically abused them for years.
According to The Oregonian, the women’s former Washington neighbors once called Child Protective Services after Devonte Hart (the boy who went viral for hugging a police officer during a protest) repeatedly visited them asking for food. Later, the neighbors claimed, Devonte’s sister Hannah came to their house to say her mothers were abusing her! They guessed the little girl was 7, though Sarah and Jennifer Hart told them she was 12. Investigator have now discovered Hannah was actually 16, and quite malnourished.
Body suspected to be from California cliff crash found
Cellphone found where SUV drove off California cliff
‘RED FLAGS’: Data from SUV shows deadly California cliff wreck may have been intentional
A former friend of the female couple also told the publication that she offered Sierra Hart food during a festival, and watched as a livid Sarah grabbed her by the wrist and punished her for not sharing. “It left a mark around her wrist for days,” the friend said. “Red turned to blue and yellow. She was in trouble for not sharing with everyone and [she was] called selfish.”
Adding to the pal’s chilling claims, authorities have now discovered that Sarah and Jennifer pulled their children out of school following Sarah’s misdemeanor domestic assault guilty plea in 2011. Her arrest came after her daughter displayed her bruises at school.
“Those kids were pure magic,” Alexandra Argyropoulos, a friend whom the Harts met on Facebook told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Besides their twisted mothers, our system let them down.”
Before their car accident, Jennifer and Sarah told friends they were moving from Washington to Oregon to escape the attention Devonte had received from his “free hugs” poster. They said they had to pull him out of school because of it, but it’s now been revealed that the children had been informally homeschooled for years!
As RadarOnline.com readers know, the lesbian couple’s vehicle flew off a cliff in California, killing them and their six children. While Devon and two others of his sibling’s bodies have yet to be found, police suspect the crash was intentional, and all the children were inside the car at the time.
“While it has been documented that the car was traveling at 90 mph upon impact, it is not conclusive whatsoever. We do have reason to believe, however, that the crash was intentional. This is all based on preliminary information,” California Highway Patrol Acting Assistant Chief Greg Baart told KGW 8 News earlier this month.
http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2018/04/lesbian-couple-allegedly-abused-kids-car-crash
Devonte Hart family crash: Deceptions, missed signals preceded deaths | OregonLive.com
TWISTED MOTHERS: Lesbian couple allegedly abused kids before cliff crash | Toronto Sun

 

[spaminator]

DRUNK MOM: Cops say woman who drove SUV with family off cliff was intoxicated
Associated Press
More from Associated Press
Published:
April 13, 2018
Updated:
April 13, 2018 8:28 PM EDT
The scene of a fatal crash on the Mendocino coast north of Fort Bragg near Mendocino, Calif. (Kale Williams/The Oregonian via AP)
SAN FRANCISCO — A woman was drunk when she drove her large family off a Northern California cliff last month and her wife and several children had large amounts of a drug in their systems that can cause drowsiness, authorities said Friday.
Police had previously said they believed the Hart family died in a suicide plunge from a scenic overlook. The crash happened just days after authorities in Washington state opened an investigation following allegations the children were being neglected.
Preliminary toxicology tests found Jennifer Hart had an alcohol level of 0.102, said California Patrol Capt. Bruce Carpenter. California drivers are considered drunk with a level of 0.08 or higher.
A small vase of flowers, at left, sits beside a mile marker Wednesday, March 28, 2018, near the pullout where the SUV of Jennifer and Sarah Hart was recovered off the Pacific Coast Highway near Westport, Calif. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat via AP)
Toxicology tests also found that her wife Sarah Hart and two of their children had “a significant amount” of an ingredient commonly found in the allergy drug Benadryl, which can make people sleepy. Toxicology results for a third child killed are still pending, Carpenter said.
Carpenter said none of the car’s occupants were wearing seatbelts.
Sarah and Jennifer Hart and their six adopted children were believed to be in the family’s SUV when it plunged off a cliff in Mendocino County, more than 160 miles (250 kilometres) north of San Francisco.
Authorities have said data from the vehicle’s software suggested the crash was deliberate, though the California Highway Patrol has not concluded why the vehicle went off an ocean overlook on a rugged part of coastline. A specialized team of accident investigators is trying to figure that out with help from the FBI, Carpenter said.
“We believe that the Hart incident was in fact intentional,” he said.
TWISTED MOTHERS: Lesbian couple allegedly abused kids before cliff crash
Body suspected to be from California cliff crash found
Cellphone found where SUV drove off California cliff
‘RED FLAGS’: Data from SUV shows deadly California cliff wreck may have been intentional
http://torontosun.com/news/world/data-from-suv-shows-deadly-wreck-may-have-been-intentional
Carpenter said the family stopped in the small town of Naselle, Washington, about 80 miles (128 kilometres) northwest of their Woodland, Washington, home, during their drive to the California cliff. But investigators are still trying to determine why they stopped in Naselle, which added an hour and a half to their road trip, and whether they contacted anyone. Naselle is near U.S. Highway 101, a popular, scenic route along the coast.
Five bodies were found March 26 near the small city of Mendocino, a few days after Washington state authorities began investigating the Harts for possible child neglect, but three of their children were not immediately recovered from the scene.
Two more are missing and another body has been found but not identified.
The 100-foot (31-meter) drop killed the women, both 39, and their children Markis Hart, 19; Jeremiah Hart, 14; and Abigail Hart, 14. Hannah Hart, 16; Devonte Hart, 15; and Sierra Hart, 12, have not been found.
Devonte drew national attention after he was photographed in tears while hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest.
A neighbour of the Harts in Woodland, Washington, had filed a complaint, saying the children were apparently being deprived of food as punishment.
Long before the crash, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children.
And authorities have said social services officials in Oregon contacted the West Linn Police Department about the family in 2013 while they were living in the area.
DRUNK MOM: Cops say woman who drove SUV with family off cliff was intoxicated | Toronto Sun

 

[spaminator]

Oregon knew of abuse case against family that drove off cliff
Associated Press
More from Associated Press
Published:
April 23, 2018
Updated:
April 23, 2018 11:35 PM EDT
This March 20, 2016, file photo shows Hart family of Woodland, Wash., at a Bernie Sanders rally in Vancouver, Wash. (Tristan Fortsch/KATU News via AP/Files)
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon child welfare officials knew the family in an SUV that plunged off a California cliff had faced a child abuse investigation in another state when it looked into allegations in 2013, according to documents released Monday.
Oregon Child Protective Services obtained records from Minnesota prior to investigating Jennifer and Sarah Hart in July 2013, KOIN-TV in Portland reported Monday. But the agency closed the case with investigators concluding that they were “unable to determine” whether there was abuse in the home, despite some indications of abuse or neglect.
Records obtained by the TV station show the agency found “some indications of child abuse or neglect” but insufficient information to conclude that it occurred.
California authorities have determined that Jennifer Hart was drunk when she drove her large family off a Northern California cliff last month and they suspect the crash was intentional. They are still trying to determine a motive.
Toxicology results showed Jennifer Hart’s wife and several children had large amounts of a drug in their systems that can cause drowsiness.
The crash happened just days after authorities in Washington state — where the family moved last year from Oregon — opened an investigation following allegations the children were being neglected.
A neighbour of the Harts in Woodland, Washington, had filed a complaint with the state, saying the children were apparently being deprived of food as punishment. No one answered when social workers checking on the report knocked on the family’s door March 23, days before their SUV was found off a cliff in Mendocino County north of San Francisco.
Long before the crash, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children.
Alexandra Argyropoulos previously told The Associated Press that she contacted Oregon child welfare officials in 2013. The former Hart family friend said she “witnessed what I felt to be controlling emotional abuse and cruel punishment” toward the six children.
TWISTED MOTHERS: Lesbian couple allegedly abused kids before cliff crash
Body suspected to be from California cliff crash found
Oregon child-welfare officials previously declined to disclose any information about the family, citing privacy laws. But records obtained by the TV station show state child-welfare investigators first tried to contact the family on July 19, 2013.
They didn’t observe anyone at home and left a card asking the family to contact a caseworker. Three days later, Sarah Hart called the caseworker, saying the family was soon going out of town. She denied that the children were undernourished, KOIN-TV reported.
Documents show that two people whom CPS investigators contacted expressed concern that the Harts limited food for the six children and noted excessive discipline, including having the children lay on the ground in a dark room for between four and seven hours, KOIN-TV reported.
Growth charts provided to investigators showed all but one of the children were below the chart for height and weight though the doctor said there were no concerns for any of the children despite their size.
The bodies of the women and four children have been recovered. Two other Hart children remain missing and the FBI has placed them on its missing persons list. Nonetheless, investigators said they have no evidence indicating the two remaining children are still alive and officials continue to search the ocean and nearby beaches.
Oregon knew of abuse case against family that drove off cliff | Toronto Sun

 

[spaminator]

Grisly details revealed about family of 8 killed in California cliff plunge
Associated Press
Published:
April 3, 2019
Updated:
April 3, 2019 6:32 PM EDT
This June, 2014, file photo shows some of the Hart family at the annual celebration of "The Goonies" movie in Astoria, Ore. Thomas Boyd / AP
SAN FRANCISCO — Jen and Sarah Hart and three of their adopted children died of broken necks after their SUV plunged off a Northern California cliff, a forensic pathologist testified during a coroner’s inquest Wednesday to help authorities classify the deaths.
A jury in Willits will decide whether the March 2018 deaths of the two women and their six children were accidental or a murder-suicide.
The crash happened just days after authorities in Washington state opened an investigation following allegations the children, ages 12 to 19, were being neglected.
The bodies of the women were inside the SUV when it was discovered, but one of them fell out as the vehicle was being towed up the cliff off the coast of Mendocino County, Sheriff Deputy Robert Julian said during testimony livestreamed online.
Julian testified he was able to identify Sarah Hart through a Minnesota driver’s license found near the car.
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“I wasn’t able to identify Jennifer Hart due to her fall,” Julian said. She was later identified by authorities.
Forensic pathologist Greg Pizarro testified that Jennifer Hart was drunk when she drove her large family off the cliff, saying an autopsy found she had a blood alcohol level of 0.102. California drivers are considered drunk with a level of 0.08 or higher. She was also the only one wearing a seatbelt, he said.
Sarah Hart and the children had large amounts of diphenhydramine in their systems, a drug that can cause drowsiness, authorities have said.
The bodies of siblings Markis, Jeremiah and Abigail were found the same day near the car. Weeks later, the body of Ciera Hart was pulled from the Pacific Ocean.
Pizarro said Ciera’s body was too decomposed and he couldn’t determine a cause of death.
“You can only assume her manner of death was similar to all the other children,” Pizarro said.
Human remains found in a shoe were matched to Hannah Hart through DNA testing. The remains of 15-year-old Devonte Hart have not been found.
A neighbour of the Harts in Woodland, Wash., had filed a complaint with the state, saying the children were apparently being deprived of food as punishment. No one answered when social workers checking on the report went to the family’s home near Portland, Oregon, on March 23.
Three days later, their SUV was found partially submerged in the ocean, below a rugged cliff more than 160 miles (250 kilometres) north of San Francisco.
Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children. Oregon child welfare officials also investigated the couple in 2013, but closed the case without taking any action.
http://torontosun.com/news/world/gr...family-of-8-killed-in-california-cliff-plunge

 

[spaminator]

Family in car that fell off cliff died by murder-suicide: Jury
Associated Press
Published:
April 5, 2019
Updated:
April 5, 2019 9:52 AM EDT
This June, 2014, file photo shows some of the Hart family at the annual celebration of "The Goonies" movie in Astoria, Ore. Thomas Boyd / AP
SAN FRANCISCO — A special coroner’s jury in California ruled the deaths of two women and their six adopted children was a murder-suicide after hearing testimony that one of the women had searched death by drowning online and the other deliberately stepped on the gas, sending their SUV plunging off a cliff.
Jurors deliberated for about an hour Thursday before returning the unanimous verdicts that Jennifer and Sarah Hart killed themselves on March 26, 2018, in Mendocino County. The jury decided the six children, 12 to 19, died at the hands of another and not by accident.
In this March 27, 2018, file photo provided by the California Highway Patrol a helicopter hovers over steep coastal cliffs near Mendocino, Calif., where a vehicle, visible at lower right, plunged about 100 feet off a cliff along Highway 1, killing all passengers. (California Highway Patrol via AP, File)
Authorities had indicated they believed the crash was deliberate but wanted a jury to make official findings.
A coroner’s inquest is generally used in cases involving in-custody deaths or officer-involved shootings where public interest is high and the need for transparency critical, said Mendocino County sheriff’s Capt. Gregory L. Van Patten.
The deaths drew national attention, partly because the women were alleged to have abused their children. The body of Devonte Hart, 15, who was black and had gained attention when he was photographed in tears while hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, has not been recovered.
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Jurors were instructed to choose from four manners of death for each of the eight people: natural causes, suicide, accident or an intentional act by another. They sat through nearly two full days of testimony.
“It is my belief that both Jennifer and Sarah succumbed to a lot of pressure,” sheriff’s Lt. Shannon Barney said Thursday. “Just a lot of stuff going on in their lives, to the point where they made this conscious decision to end their lives this way and take their children’s lives.”
The crash happened days after authorities in Washington state opened an investigation into allegations of neglect. The bodies of both women were found in the vehicle, which landed below a cliff located more than 160 miles (250 kilometres) north of San Francisco.
This March 29, 2018, file photo shows ruts cut into the clifftop where the SUV of Jennifer and Sarah Hart that went off the cliff was hauled up and over by a tow truck off the Pacific Coast Highway near Westport, Calif. (AP) Kale Williams / AP
The Hart family had fled their Woodland, Washington, home March 23 after a visit from social workers that day.
Sarah Hart searched suicide, drowning, Benadryl dosages and overdose methods on the internet throughout the drive to California, California Highway Patrol investigator Jake Slates said. She also queried whether death by drowning would be painful. Authorities recovered the deleted searches from her phone.
“They both decided that this was going to be the end,” Slates said. “That if they can’t have their kids that nobody was going to have those kids.”
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The bodies of siblings Markis, Jeremiah and Abigail were found the same day near the car. Weeks later, the body of Ciera Hart was pulled from the Pacific Ocean. Hannah Hart was eventually identified through a DNA match.
Slates said that Jennifer Hart, who rarely drank, had a blood alcohol level over the legal limit and may have been “drinking to build up her courage.” Sarah Hart had 42 doses of generic Benadryl in her system and the children also had high amounts of the sleep-inducing drug in their bodies, he said.
A neighbour of the Harts had filed a complaint with the state, saying the children were apparently being deprived of food as punishment. No one answered when social workers went to the family’s home.
A witness who was camping by their vehicle says he heard their car rev up and peal out around 3 a.m. March 26.
Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children. Oregon child welfare officials also investigated the couple in 2013, but closed the case without taking any action.
http://torontosun.com/news/crime/family-in-car-that-fell-off-cliff-died-by-murder-suicide-jury