Cops Block O.J.'s Last Rush
21 June 1994
LOS ANGELES -- O.J. Simpson, the football great who rose from the mean streets of San Francisco to international celebrity, has been arrested for the murders of his ex-wife and a male friend after leading police on a gripping two-hour chase through the rush-hour freeways of Southern California. The dramatic capture of one of the best-known public figures in America came shortly before 9 P.M. Friday, about 10 hours after he was to have turned himself in to Los Angeles police.On Monday, Simpson was being held in a Los Angeles jail, charged with murder in the stabbings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman. He was scheduled for arraignment Monday afternoon. Simpson has insisted he is innocent. The district attorney said Sunday he believes Simpson may admit killing his ex-wife and her friend but claim he was not responsible for his actions. "It's going to be a likely defense here, I believe, once the evidence is reviewed by the lawyers," District Attorney Gil Garcetti told ABC News on Sunday. The football Hall of Famer spent Sunday under a suicide watch in his cell at the Men's Central Jail, "depressed and sad," said his lawyer, Robert Shapiro. Simpson was visited by a psychiatrist as fans flooded the jail switchboard with calls seeking an address. Shapiro said after Friday's long car chase that Simpson, 46, had agreed to surrender earlier that day, but bolted at the last minute with Al Cowlings, a longtime friend and former teammate at the University of Southern California and the Buffalo Bills. A massive manhunt involving scores of law enforcement officers ended in the cobblestone driveway of Simpson's mansion, as Los Angeles Police Department officers in bulletproof vests converged on the white Ford Bronco in which Simpson and Cowlings apparently had fled. For nearly an hour, a distraught Simpson sat alone inside the truck, reportedly cradling a blue-steel revolver and demanding to speak to his mother. Hundreds of supporters gathered in the upscale neighborhood, chanting "Free O.J.," and rocking police cars. Meanwhile, Special Weapons and Tactics Team officers and negotiators surrounded the house, eventually coaxing Simpson out of the vehicle. He put the gun down and emerged about 8:50 P.M. carrying two framed pictures of his children. He was transported by police motorcade to police headquarters for booking and then transported to Men's Central Jail. The dramatic arrest, broadcast live on national television, capped a tragic weeklong drama that began with the slayings of Simpson's 35-year-old ex-wife and Goldman, a 25-year-old Brentwood waiter whom she knew. They were found stabbed to death early June 13 outside her home. Police sources said the two were slain sometime after 10 P.M. June 12, as her two small children slept inside. By Friday, detectives had concluded their case, recommending that Simpson be charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The charges, which include a "special circumstance" of multiple killings, could bring him the death penalty if he is convicted. (LAT, AP)
|
|
Tweet |
|
This article has no comments. Be the first to leave a comment |
Discussion
Comments
To post comments you must be registered
Comments via Facebook
Most Read
1.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
2.
Putin's Foreign Policy Goes on the Road
In a symbolic gesture, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday arrived in Minsk to pay his first foreign visit as head of state to controversial Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
3.
Ruble Hits Lowest Rate in 3 Years
The ruble dipped to a three-year low Thursday as oil prices fell further.
4.
Businessman Shot in Central Moscow
A prominent business leader was shot and wounded by three masked men in the heart of Moscow on Friday — just steps away from FSB headquarters.
5.
European Debt Crisis Driving Workers East
Despite its inconveniences, Moscow has become a magnet for foreign job-seekers, as unemployment in Europe is hitting record highs amid the debt crisis.
6.
Superjet Flight Data Recorder Found Near Volcano Crash Site
Villagers have found the flight data recorder from the Russian plane that slammed into an Indonesian volcano three weeks ago, killing 45 people.
7.
Duma Deputy Robbed at Ritzy Hotel
State Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov was robbed at the upscale Hotel National across from the street from the Kremlin after a conference, Gudkov said Wednesday evening.
8.
China-Russia Airplane Venture Planned
United Aircraft Corporation and Chinese Commercial Aircraft Corporation plan to start a joint venture to develop long-haul aircraft.
9.
Shark Repellers Fly Off the Shelves in Vladivostok
Following a series of shark attacks last summer, retailers in Vladivostok are seeing a boom in demand for a new must-have beach accessory — shark deterrents.
10.
Fridman Wants Big Change at TNK-BP
TNK-BP co-owner Mikhail Fridman said BP's Soviet-born partners are urging the British company to return to talks about changing the proportion of the 50-50 partnership.
1.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
2.
McFaul Faces Kremlin Scorn Once Again
The Foreign Ministry assailed U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul for comments the ministry said went "far beyond the bounds of diplomatic etiquette."
3.
Sweden Wins Eurovision; Grannies Take Second
Sweden’s Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan on Sunday before an international TV audience of 100 million, days after angering Azeri authorities by meeting rights activists critical of the host country’s human rights record.
4.
Ukraine in Uproar Over Status of Russian Language
Ukraine's ruling party has triggered violent protests with a move to upgrade the official role of Russian, a sensitive issue opponents say will split the country.
5.
Vkontakte Founder Tosses 5,000-Ruble Notes Out Window
<p>The founder of the social networking site Vkontakte celebrated St. Petersburg’s 309th anniversary over the weekend by tossing paper airplanes carrying 5,000-ruble notes out a building window.</p>
6.
150 Detained at Anti-Kremlin Rallies
About 150 people were detained Sunday as scores of people gathered for a series of anti-government demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
7.
U.S.-Russian 3-Year Multientry Visa Bill to Go to Duma
After months of delays, the government has finalized a much-touted visa agreement with the United States and drafted the corresponding bill.
8.
Putin's Final Act
Russians are usually patient and slow to rebel, but once they have turned on their leader, they don't stop until he is out.
9.
Kennan's Insight Into the Russian Soul
George Kennan is best known as the author of the containment policy, which served as the overarching principle informing U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War.
10.
TNK-BP Head Quits as Shareholder Crisis Flares
Billionaire Mikhail Fridman resigned Monday as chief executive of TNK-BP, plunging the country's No. 3 oil firm deeper into crisis and challenging co-owner BP's grip on the business.
1.
Hundreds of Arrests Set Grim Backdrop for Victory Day Celebrations
As Moscow gears up to celebrate its victory in World War II, 67 years ago Wednesday, the shadow of political conflict shrouds the capital as hundreds of arrests cloud Victory Day festivities.
2.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
3.
Russian Satellite Takes Highest-Ever Resolution Picture of Earth
A stunning 121-megapixel snapshot of the Earth was taken by a Russian weather satellite in what is thought to be the highest resolution picture of the planet ever taken from space.
4.
Bodies, No Survivors Spotted at Superjet Crash
Search and rescue helicopters and volunteers struggling through thick forest and mountainous terrain spotted bodies but no survivors on the Indonesian mountainside where a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed by the time darkness forced an end to the search Thursday night.
5.
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage
A tabloid claims that Russian intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the U.S. military may have brought down the Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in Indonesia.
6.
Mysterious Photos Reveal an Unseen WWII
After the end of World War II, Paul Sadler returned home to Chicago with three German books and a photo album from the Dachau concentration camp.
7.
Furniture Magnate Shot Dead in Mercedes in Moscow Region
A 46-year-old furniture magnate was killed with six gunshot wounds to the head and chest early Sunday as he arrived in his Mercedes at his home in the Moscow region.
8.
Vladivostok Bridge Climbers Fined 300 Rubles Each
Three thrill-seekers who climbed two Vladivostok bridges earlier this week and took photos from the top were fined 300 rubles ($10) each for trespassing.
9.
New Cabinet Has Familiar Cast of Characters
President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced the makeup of the new Cabinet answering to Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, with three-fourths of the members having been replaced.
10.
Superjet Missing in Indonesia With 50 on Board
A dark cloud was cast Wednesday on the revival of Russia’s aviation industry when a Sukhoi-built Superjet 100 with 50 people on board disappeared from the radar screens of Indonesian flight controllers.


