HTN: Falls Man cas Sue in Taser Case

A Niagara Falls man can sue the City police department after he was Tasered in an effort to obtain a DNA sample. A Niagara County judge says Ryan Smith may go ahead with the suit. Smith says in September he was Tasered into unconsciousness by Niagara Falls police who wanted to swab his mouth for DNA. Smith was a suspect in a shooting and armed robbery. Earlier this month a judge ruled that the DNA sample obtained after the Tasering would be admissible in the criminal trial.

HTN: Three Dead in Falls

Three people found dead in a Niagara Falls home Saturday afternoon have been identified. Twenty-seven-year-old William Jakobi, 25-year-old Victoria Eikenburg and 22-year-old Adam Tafelski were discovered in a Caravelle Drive home. Police believe they may have died from accidental overdoses. Autopsies are set for this morning at ECMC.

HTN: Devil's Hole Accident Victim Identified

A man who died after falling from a steep trail at Devil's Hole State Park yesterday has been identified. Thirty-three-year-old Michael Cooper of Niagara Falls was found by other hikers after straying from a path in the Niagara Gorge and falling down a cliff. Cooper was transported to Mount St. Mary's Hospital, where he died in the emergency room. His death has been ruled accidental.

HTN: Yoko Invited to Falls

Niagara Falls, Ontario has invited Yoko Ono to town on May 30th as a promotional tie-in with a musical showcase at the Lundy's Lane Historical Museum entitled "All We Are Saying." Ono and John Lennon toured the area in June of 1969 as part of their "Bed-In for Peace" tour. The May 30th date will be nearly 40 years to the day since the two were in Niagara Falls.

HTN: Falls Lawmaker Arrested

A Niagara Falls councilman spent some time behind bars this weekend. Police say 36-year-old Councilman Steven Fournier was handcuffed just before 3 a.m. early Saturday morning at Bragg's Tavern, and was allegedly highly intoxicated. Authorities say the Councilman lunged at an officer and hurled a racial slur before being cuffed by police. Fournier says he was being attacked by another bar patron, when he was unexpectedly handcuffed. The Councilman says he has a lawyer and will fight the charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

HTN: Brad Pitt Visits the Falls

Actor Brad Pitt played the role of father and tourist, as he, his sons Maddox and Pax, and his parents took in the sights at the Falls. The family donned the blue plastic ponchos for the Maid of the Mist ride and snapped photos under the Falls. Pitt sported a goatee, big sunglasses and hooded sweatshirt to conceal his identity. Not many of his fellow shipmates even noticed the A-lister was on the same boat. Angelina Jolie was not along, as she is filming a movie in Albany.

HTN: No Plea Deal in Niagara Falls Murder

Prosecutors in Niagara County say a plea deal is out of the question for a Niagara Falls man accused of killing his wife. 26-year-old Robert Johnson will only be allowed to plea to the most serious charge of second-degree murder. Johnson is accused of stabbing his wife, 32-year-old Ahkenya Johnson, 41 times, and allegedly nearly decapitating her in January. The trial is slated to begin June 8th. Johnson's defense lawyer says he will explore the possibility that armed home intruders committed the murder.

HTN: Falls City Hall Fire

A small fire broke out at Niagara Falls City Hall this morning. City Hall employees were evacuated for about 10 minutes just before 11 a-m, as smoke flowed into the building's lobby. By 11, the small fire in a mechanical room for an elevator was out, but there were still fumes in the basement.

Hometown News: Water Emergency in Falls

An emergency water advisory is in effect in Niagara Falls after a World War Two-era water main broke last night, forcing the overnight evacuation of from homes along 56th Street. Residents were taken to John Duke Center on Hyde Park Boulevard, and gas was shut off to the area as a safety measure. The break occurred around 9:30 last night, and was still being repaired this morning. Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster is asking residents not to use water.

Hometown News: Gang Crackdown in the Falls

Law enforcement personnel in Niagara Falls held a roundup of more than two dozen suspected gang members yesterday. Police say 28 members of the Bloods street gang were busted in early morning raids. More than 300 law enforcement agents from federal, county and local agencies participated in an effort to crack down on gun and drug trafficking.

HTN: Falls Plunger In Hospital

The man who survived a plunge over Niagara Falls has been identified as a 30-year-old suicidal Canadian man. Police are not releasing his name. Authorities say family members have been reunited with him at Hamilton General Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. The man jumped over a railing and plunged 180-feet over the Horseshoe Falls Wednesday. He suffered hypothermia and a head injury after being exposed to the icy river for 40 minutes.

Hometown News: Man Survives Falls

A man in his 30s miraculously survived a trip over Niagara Falls yesterday. Police say the man jumped over a fence on the Canadian side and eventually went over the Horseshoe Falls. Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane says a rescue helicopter tried to fish the man out, but he did not want to take their help. Authorities say the man was in the icy waters for about 40 minutes, sustaining hypothermia and a head injury. Rescue crews say it is amazing he survived in the cold water that long, not to mention the drop over the Falls. It's believed to be only the second time that someone has gone over the falls without protective equipment and not been killed.

Falls Worker Crushed, Rushed to ECMC

A 21-year-old worker was Mercy Flighted to ECMC this morning after he was crushed by steel plates at Globe Metallurgical Company. The plant at 3807 Highland Ave. in Niagara Falls was closed for a time.

HTN: Two Convicted in NF Murder

A Niagara County jury has convicted 22-year-old Paul Osborne and 23-year-old Brandon Dennis for the murder of 24-year-old Niagara Falls resident Donald Paige in August of 2007. The two were convicted on eleven counts of assault, murder, robbery and weapons possession. Dennis and Osborne will be sentenced in April.

HTN: Falls Teacher Takes Plea

The Niagara Falls High School teacher accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a female student has agreed to resign and turn in his teaching certificate. That was part of a plea deal for 39-year-old Paul Chiarella, who had charges reduced from sexual abuse to disorderly conduct. His lawyer says this does not amount to a criminal conviction and he will not have to register as a sex offender. Chiarella was accused of trying to kiss and fondle a 16-year-old female student from October 2007 to January 2008. Chiarella now has seven days to officially quit his job, and promises never to seek a teaching post again. He also will spend 30 days in the County's work program.

HTN: Accused Falls Cop Due back in Court

A suspended Niagara Falls cop, accused of sexually assaulting two women and trafficking cocaine, will be back in federal court today. A judge is scheduled to decide whether 27-year-old Ryan Warme should be held in jail while awaiting trial. Warme's attorney has filed paperwork stating that his client did in fact have consensual sexual relations with the alleged victims while on duty.. Prosecutors say Warme used his position as a police officer to force sex on the women, bought and sold drugs while in uniform and gave law enforcement information to drug dealers. Warme has pleaded not guilty and has been in custody without bail since his arrest December 2nd.

HTN: Fall Cop Had Consensual Sex on Duty, According to Lawyer

The lawyer for a embattled Niagara Falls police officer, says that Ryan Warme has admitted to consensual relations sex with two women while on duty. But defense attorney Joel Daniels argues that his client has been wrongly accused of federal civil rights crimes.

HTN: Falls Officer Arrested

A Niagara Falls police officer has been arrested on charges he bought drugs while on duty and forced women into sex. Federal authorities say 27-year-old Ryan Warme's alleged actions include buying cocaine while in uniform two to five times a week from drug dealers. He is also accused of raping two women and threatening to kill one of the victims. Warme has pleaded not guilty and is being held pending a detention hearing on December 15th.

Arrest in Murder-Suicide

An arrest has been made in a Niagara Falls murder-suicide. The sister of the suspect has been charged with hindering prosecution. Authorities say 32-year-old Valerie Holliday knew exactly where her brother, Charles Holliday was, on both the day he shot his wife and the day he killed himself in an Amherst motel room. Cops say she refused to give up his location. On November 1st, Charles is alleged to have shot his wife Amy. Police say Valerie Holliday then helped her brother elude arrest by having a friend secure a motel room, where he shot himself two days later.

Former Falls Mayor in Court

Former Niagara Falls Mayor Vince Anello will appear in court this afternoon to answer felony charges stemming from a no-interest loan from Native American businessman "Smokin' Joe" Anderson. Anello could face up to 30 months or more in prison. Anderson took a plea deal and could get probation.