GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gainesville Police officers were called to Redpoint Apartments at 5120 SW 13th Place at about 4:49 a.m. after a resident reported waking up to an unknown man on top of her.
According to police, the man restrained the victim by pressing a hand over her face and mouth. A struggle followed, leaving the woman injured, and the suspect fled the apartment.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the reported assault—or anyone who noticed suspicious activity near the apartment complex around that time—to contact the Gainesville Police Department.
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Tips may be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers of North Central Florida Inc. at 352-372-STOP (7867), via the Crime Stoppers P3 Tips app, or online. Crime Stoppers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Callers do not have to provide their names, and eligible tipsters can receive payment if an arrest is made.
Michael Douglas Says Firing Father Kirk From ‘Dream’ Role Caused Rift
Michael Douglas has opened up about the real reason his relationship with his legendary father, Kirk Douglas, broke down for years.
In his new memoir, One Helluva Ride, Michael, 82, explains how their bond was left badly damaged after he produced the 1975 classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Based on Ken Kesey’s novel of the same name, the film went on to win five Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Jack Nicholson, who played rebellious psychiatric patient Randle McMurphy.
Kirk had spent years hoping to play McMurphy. He viewed the part as a chance to revive his career and finally secure an Oscar, but the Spartacus star had been unable to bring Kesey’s book to the screen despite his determined efforts.
At the time, Michael was eager to move from acting into producing. He eventually agreed to pursue the film, on the understanding that his father would take the lead role.
Michael joined forces with producer Saul Zaentz to make the project a reality. Zaentz, however, believed that Kirk, who was then in his mid-fifties, was ‘too old’ to portray McMurphy.
Michael Douglas has revealed that he ‘fired’ his father, Kirk, from his ‘dream’ role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a decision that damaged their relationship for years
‘I knew it would break my father’s heart if, after all this time, he didn’t get to play the role,’ Michael wrote in his memoir.
‘I knew that he had entrusted me with his baby and that it was always the plan that I would make it for him, but I also knew that without someone like Saul on board, the movie would never get made,’ he continued.
‘Every single studio and financier had passed and dad was in his fifties. It was a problem.’
Zaentz ultimately provided the entire budget for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and worked with Michael to choose Czech filmmaker Miloš Forman as director.
Michael continued campaigning for his father to get the part, but both Zaentz and Forman rejected the idea, again pointing to Kirk’s age.
‘I argued my case hard, I swear, but they wouldn’t budge. Dad was 57, and just too old,’ Michael recalled.
‘To be honest, I knew they were right,’ he admitted. Michael then faced the painful task of telling his father in person that he would not be playing McMurphy.
‘One of the hardest moments of my life was firing my dad from his dream role,’ he said.
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Should family loyalty ever outweigh tough career decisions in Hollywood?
Kirk Douglas dreamed of playing Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but at 57 he was considered ‘too old’ for the role
Jack Nicholson, who was 38 at the time, ultimately landed the role and won the Academy Award for Best Actor
The tension deepened when Michael failed to thank his father while accepting the Academy Award for Best Picture, even though Kirk had originally fought to bring the book to the screen
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‘I told him that the financier felt that he was too old and could no longer play the role. I saw a flash of my father’s rage, and then he was silent.
‘Just as I feared, dad blamed me. He said that I had betrayed him. I was crushed.’
Michael said that he had ‘broken his father’s heart’, and that Kirk felt that, as a producer, he should’ve ‘insisted’ that he get the part.
‘It put a distance between us that would take years to overcome,’ he said.
Things got even worse when One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest swept the Academy Awards in 1976, which included a Best Picture win.
As the film’s producers, both Michael and Zaentz accepted the award, but Michael failed to mention his father’s name during his speech – despite thanking everybody else including ‘the cast and crew’ and ‘the state of Oregon’.
‘The fact that I forgot his name that night broke my heart,’ Michael admitted during an interview on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy this week.
‘But on the other hand, I think subtly it was something about me wanting to get the credit. Because he had found the book originally and I had taken it over, wanting to produce the picture with Saul [Zaentz] and made the choice decisions we had with casting,’ he continued.
‘I think I was too young to really free myself up to give that acknowledgement.’
Michael and Kirk’s relationship was fractured for years after that, but they eventually reconciled in the ’90s and became much closer after that
Michael is pictured as a young child with his father Kirk in 1949
Despite their issues, Michael and Kirk were able to repair their relationship in the ’90s and eventually grew much closer.
Michael says that it was a tragic 1991 helicopter crash, which killed two people and left Kirk seriously injured, that changed his father.
‘It dramatically changed him — from an actor desperate to find his next role, into a more reflective person who embraced his Jewish roots, his family, and his legacy,’ Michael wrote.
‘All of us in the family knew he had become a much better man after being given his second chance.’
Kirk, one of the reigning icons of Old Hollywood, lived to the grand old age of 103 before his death in February 2020.
He is buried beside his second wife Anne Buydens in Westwood, California.
Before his relationship with Anne, Kirk was married to the actress Diana Dill, with whom he welcomed Michael in 1944.
Kirk is one of Hollywood’s most legendary actors thanks to his roles in classics like Detective Story, Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the 1960 historical epic Spartacus.
He was nominated for three Academy Awards throughout his career, but lost all of them.
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American Airlines Flight Diverts to JFK After Six Restrooms Fail Midair
A vacation nightmare unfolded aboard an international flight to Texas when six of the aircraft’s lavatories stopped working midair.
American Airlines Flight 37 was en route from Madrid, Spain, to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Oct. 6 when it diverted to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport because of the restroom problem.
An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed the diversion to Fox News Digital, attributing it to “an issue with the aircraft’s lavatories.”
“On Oct. 6, American Airlines flight 37, with service from Madrid (MAD) to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), diverted to New York (JFK) due to an issue with the aircraft’s lavatories,” the spokesperson said.
Reports said six of the plane’s eight lavatories were out of service, leaving passengers with access to just two restrooms during the transatlantic journey.
The seriousness of the malfunction was also captured in communications between the cockpit and air traffic control, which were heard by LiveATC.net, a website that streams air traffic communications.
After a controller asked why the aircraft needed to divert, the pilot explained that only two lavatories were still operational.
“You said only two potties, is that right?” the controller asked.
“That’s affirmative,” the pilot replied.
The aircraft landed safely at JFK and underwent a maintenance inspection, according to American Airlines.
“The aircraft landed normally and later re-departed for DFW following a maintenance inspection,” the airline said.
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“We never want to disrupt our customers’ travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience.”
Steven Arroyo, a Florida-based aviation expert and retired airline captain, told Fox News Digital that “in this case, passenger comfort and hygiene heavily influenced the pilot’s decision to safely divert the flight.”
Arroyo said the situation could also raise safety concerns. “From a safety perspective, the inherent long lines for the restroom can present a security protocol problem, not to mention safety concerns for passengers who stay in line if the seat belt sign is turned on, rather than return to their seats,” he explained.
Because the flight was international, Arroyo said the pilots, working with the airline, would need to divert to a U.S. gateway airport equipped with customs and immigration services, such as JFK, EWR, PHL or BOS. That would allow “maintenance personnel to board and fix the plane,” he continued.
The unusual diversion prompted discussion among travelers online, with some sharing their own experiences involving restroom problems during flights.
“There was ONE person that clogged two separate lavs on a cross-country 757,” one Reddit user wrote. “[The crew] said if we lost one more, we’d divert. I was so nervous.”
Another commenter said a relative had been aboard a flight from Punta Cana to Philadelphia that took off with no working bathrooms.
“They even announced there would be no beverage service because there were no working restrooms,” the user wrote.
Fox News Digital previously reported on another U.S.-bound flight that was disrupted after experiencing trouble in the air.
A British Airways flight from London to Chicago descended roughly 27,000 feet before turning back toward London following what the airline described as a “technical issue.”
Flight tracking data showed the Boeing 777 remaining airborne for several hours before landing safely at London Heathrow Airport.
Off-Duty ICE Agent Shot After Assaulting 72-Year-Old Man, Daughter
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is recovering in a Fresno hospital after police say he was shot during a confrontation involving an elderly man and his daughter.
The shooting occurred shortly before 3:30 a.m. Friday at a residence in central Fresno.
According to the Fresno Police Department, a woman discovered 32-year-old David Gonzalez asleep on the front lawn of her home.
She alerted her 72-year-old father, who went outside and asked Gonzalez to leave the property.
Police said Gonzalez appeared to be intoxicated when he woke up and then attacked the older man.
When the daughter stepped in to defend her father, authorities say Gonzalez assaulted her as well.
Fearing for their safety, the 72-year-old retrieved a gun and shot Gonzalez, according to investigators.
The woman’s boyfriend, an off-duty police officer, arrived at the home and placed Gonzalez in handcuffs.
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Gonzalez was transported to a hospital, where he remains in serious condition.
Police said the elderly man who fired the shot will not face criminal charges.
Gonzalez is in custody on suspicion of felony assault.
Authorities identified him as a federal agent from Texas assigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Investigators are still working to determine why Gonzalez was in the neighborhood before the confrontation.
Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi issued a statement about the incident, saying in part, “Enough is enough. We’ve endured days of fear-stricken enforcement that has now tilted into full-bore violence. I am calling on ICE to suspend its ongoing operations in the Central Valley.”
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Orange Order Vows Legal Action Over Garvaghy Road March Ban
The Orange Order has threatened legal action after Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant banned the controversial Drumcree parade following a two-week impasse.
Sir Chris stepped in on Friday night to prohibit the march in Co Armagh. The parade would have taken the Protestant and unionist organisation through a Catholic area for the first time in nearly 30 years.
He said efforts to reach an agreement between the Orange Order and nationalist residents of Portadown’s Garvaghy Road had failed.
The Northern Ireland Secretary had faced mounting pressure to intervene as both sides held firm during the prolonged stand-off.
Residents gathered at Drumcree Community Centre cheered and applauded after the ban was announced on Friday night. However, the Orange Order is expected to challenge the decision in court.
Sinn Féin and the SDLP welcomed the intervention, while DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Sir Chris must explain “what his Government intends to do to restore confidence in the rule of law”.
Irish premier Micheál Martin said the decision would bring “significant relief” to people living on the Garvaghy Road.
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson said on Friday evening that an emergency judicial review of the Northern Ireland Secretary’s decision was being prepared.
Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald (second from left) and Breandan MacCionnaith (centre) of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition speak outside Drumcree Community Centre on Friday night
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant intervened on Friday night to prohibit the controversial march in Co Armagh
Protesters blew whistles during a demonstration outside the Northern Ireland Office in Belfast on Friday, urging Sir Chris to ban Orangemen from marching along Portadown’s predominantly nationalist Garvaghy Road
Two weeks ago, the Parades Commission ruled that the march could travel along the Co Armagh road, subject to restrictions.
The parade from Drumcree Church into Portadown nevertheless failed to take place because of a large protest along the route.
Earlier on Friday, PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher had asked the Northern Ireland Secretary to reconsider the Parades Commission’s determination.
Explaining his decision, Sir Chris referred to a “major stand off” and described the situation in Drumcree and Portadown as “difficult”.
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He said he had sought a resolution through discussions with both Garvaghy Road residents and the Orange Order, but the talks had not produced an agreement.
“Earlier today, the chief constable of the PSNI got in touch with me and asked me to look at the original determination by the Parades Commission to see whether it should still stand, and I’ve looked at the changing situation in Portadown, the fact that it’s very difficult for that procession to proceed, and I’ve decided that it’s not in the public interest for it to proceed, and I’ve therefore banned the procession,” he said.
Sir Chris said he had not reached the decision lightly.
“I heard the concerns of people on all sides and I only regret that we could not reach a compromise on a way forward and that many residents across Portadown have felt anxious and worried,” he said.
“With this in mind, I call for all protests, rallies and demonstrations to be stood down. There is no excuse for a continued ratcheting up of tensions.”
Overnight, the Orange Order issued a statement to say it is seeking urgent meetings with Sir Chris and Mr Boutcher in the coming days.
They expressed ‘profound disappointment’ at the decision of the Secretary of State to ‘overrule the legally established rights of Portadown District Orange Lodge No 1’.
They also claimed a ‘capitulation to the threat of mob rule and violence’.
‘This unprecedented action, and the abdication of responsibility by the Chief Constable, can be seen as nothing more than a capitulation to the threat of mob rule and violence,’ they said.
‘In stark contrast, the Brethren of Portadown have complied with the rule of law, exercised restraint and maintained a dignified and resolute stand in the face of intimidation and intolerance.
‘It is evident that those who, in defiance of the law, have been content to stand alongside the representatives of those who murdered 345 of our members, have no interest in extending any degree of tolerance or respect towards those who share an Orange heritage.
‘Furthermore, it is evident that the statutory authorities have neither the will nor ability to uphold the law in this instance.
‘We commend the Brethren of Portadown for their resolute stand and reinforce their message that this is a time for responsibility and lawfulness.
‘We cannot undermine our cause by adopting the illegal and offensive actions of our opponents.
‘Urgent meetings with both the Secretary of State and Chief Constable will be sought in the coming days where their decision making and actions in this matter will be robustly challenged.’
Hundreds of Thousands Without Power as Hurricane Isaias Hits Florida Panhandle and Alabama
GULF BREEZE, Fla. – More than 726,000 customers in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were without electricity early Saturday after Hurricane Isaias struck the U.S. Gulf Coast, flooding roads and toppling trees as the storm pushed inland.
Isaias came ashore Friday as a Category 2 hurricane before rapidly tracking north through Alabama and losing strength. Even so, forecasters warned of potentially deadly storm surge along parts of the Florida Panhandle, as well as heavy rain and flooding across much of the Southeast through the weekend.
The storm’s conditions could also produce tornadoes in parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and the Carolinas, forecasters said.
Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, as the Atlantic season’s first hurricane. Hurricane-force winds battered the low-lying Gulf Coast, an area known for its white-sand beaches, vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.
“The storm is here. Buckle down at this point. Don’t be getting out on the roads,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Friday.
Floodwater covered roads in Destin, while police in nearby Pensacola urged residents to remain indoors because debris had blocked streets. The full extent of the damage was not immediately clear, but residents shared images online showing fallen trees and power lines. One social media video appeared to show a roof being torn from an inn in Pensacola.
Several Panhandle counties temporarily halted emergency response operations Friday night because conditions were too dangerous.
Southern Alabama also saw flooding. Officials in Mobile reported downed trees and power lines, while roads in Houston County, in the state’s southeastern corner, were closed because of similar hazards.
Poweroutage.com reported that more than 726,000 customers in Florida and Alabama had lost electricity by early Saturday.
Tim Mowry rode out the hurricane at his Pensacola home, where he said the wind sounded like a train whistle as it forced its way through a gap in his patio door. His power failed around 4:30 p.m., though a generator kept some electricity running. Standing water filled his backyard and sections of his fence were torn away, but Mowry said the storm was less severe than he had anticipated.
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“As far as Pensacola-wise, we really got fortunate,” Mowry said.
His son, who lives roughly 15 minutes away, attempted to drive over after losing power. He was forced to turn back when fallen trees and power lines made the roads impassable.
Although Isaias was weakening, forecasters expected it to produce significant rainfall as it moved inland. Between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters), with locally higher amounts possible, was forecast through the weekend across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, and southwest Georgia.
Isaias was the first hurricane to strike the eastern U.S. since Milton battered Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2024. The storm was expected to bring heavy rain and possible flooding across much of the Southeast over the weekend before affecting parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.
The hurricane also disrupted air travel, grounding most Friday flights at several Panhandle airports. All flights arriving at or departing from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport were canceled. President Donald Trump also canceled plans to attend Saturday’s football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, saying he did not want to interfere with emergency response operations.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Simon strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it approached Mexico’s coast.
Tropical Storm Rachel was also forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to northern Mexico and Southern California during the weekend.
___
Megnien reported from Panama City, Florida, Golden from Seattle and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Florida; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; and Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Prince Harry Booed by Rugby Fans at First Solo Public Outing
Prince Harry appeared to relive a familiar UK ritual as he stepped away from his celebrity-focused Montecito lifestyle to watch rugby with a pint in hand.
Yet the welcome was not universally warm. The 42-year-old was met with boos from parts of the crowd when his image appeared on the stadium’s big screen.
“A face in the crowd, Prince Harry, back home and enjoying some rugby again,” TNT commentator Nick Mullins said. “Some boos there.”
The broadcast moved away from the Duke of Sussex just seconds later.
The appearance was Harry’s first solo public outing since he returned to the UK in August with Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet.
From the stands, the royal watched Leicester Tigers face Gloucester Rugby in a closely fought match at Welford Road on Friday night.
Clearly absorbed in the game, Harry punched the air and high-fived a friend as Leicester pulled ahead to secure a 38-31 victory.
His appearance came as Meghan was seen dining at Claridge’s in London with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. It was Meghan’s first public appearance since the family, including seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet, returned to the spotlight after years of privacy in California.
Footage recorded by a fellow diner at the luxury restaurant showed Meghan and Malala seated together at a table in a corner of the room.
Prince Harry chatted with a friend while holding a pint as he watched Leicester Tigers face Gloucester Rugby at Welford Road Stadium
The Duke of Sussex appeared to celebrate excitedly during one of the match’s most thrilling moments
Prince Harry watched the Slater Cup match intently from the stands
Harry stepped into the spotlight alongside friends and Andrea Pinchen, Leicester Tigers’ chief executive, as he attended the match.
The teams were competing for the Slater Cup, named in honour of Ed Slater, who captained both clubs before being forced to retire in July 2022 after receiving a motor neurone disease diagnosis.
A lifelong rugby fan, Harry attended the fixture without Meghan and the children, who remained at home in the Cotswolds.
The family had travelled back to the UK from their Montecito residence in August, ahead of the new school year.
However, the move does not appear to have immediately eased tensions between Harry and the wider royal family, particularly his brother, Prince William.
The Sussexes were reportedly not planning to spend Christmas with royal relatives. Instead, they were said to be considering a trip to California or a quieter festive break at home rather than joining the traditional celebrations at Sandringham.
It also emerged this week that Harry received more than $100,000, along with a share of subscription revenue, for his 99-minute online masterclass about grief.
During the seminar, the Duke of Sussex spoke openly about the death of his mother, Princess Diana, as well as his experiences with depression and feelings of uselessness after Megxit.
A source close to the prince told the Daily Mail: ‘I’d encourage everyone to watch it before casting any judgment,’ adding he should not be criticised at length for ‘speaking from the heart’.
A spokesman for Harry confirmed he was paid by MasterClass – which gets celebrity experts and industry icons to teach pre-recorded classes about their craft, art or business – for taking part in Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss but they declined to comment further.
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MasterClass instructors can expect an upfront payment of at least $100,000 (£75,500), plus 30 per cent of any subscription revenue generated by their courses, according to Forbes.
Harry is listed as a co-instructor alongside American neuroscientist Dr Mary-Frances O’Connor, where they hope the class will help viewers ‘discover new ways to process grief and loss so you can find your way back to you’.
Access to the full online lecture costs between £10 and £19 a month through a subscription to the San Francisco-based tech company, which is valued at $2.75billion.
A source close to Harry reportedly said no one has the right to judge him for how he has dealt with the grief of losing his mother at the age of 12 and added that the interview with Dr O’Connor was simply Harry speaking ‘from the heart’ about his life and family, according to royal reporter Tom Sykes.
At times during the close match at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium, the Prince looked tense
It is his first public solo outing since he and his family moved back to the UK
MasterClass stars in the past have included Martin Scorsese, Gordon Ramsay, Serena Williams and Hillary Clinton.
In his interview Harry revealed he felt depressed and ‘useless’ immediately after Megxit, and now refuses to spend more than ten days away from Meghan and their children.
In a new video released yesterday, the Duke of Sussex claims life in the Royal Family left him unable to properly grieve the death of Diana, adding his official duties triggered panic attacks.
Harry, 42, said getting dressed for royal engagements in a shirt and tie frequently left him feeling as though he was being strangled or suffocated.
‘You would think I had the best help in the world. I’m a prince, for God’s sake, but I was still grieving and didn’t have any place to put those feelings,’ he said, describing emotions he carried for ’15 or 20 years’.
He revealed therapy eventually helped him and described the extraordinary moment when spraying himself with Diana’s perfume prompted his hidden memories and emotions to come flooding back.
Speaking about grief in a video for the American education platform MasterClass, Harry said despite finding happiness with Meghan, he ‘slipped into depression’ after they quit royal life and left Britain.
‘We moved to Canada to get some space away from everything and simply think,’ he said. ‘Within two or three days of leaving that stressful environment, I experienced an adrenaline crash unlike anything I’d ever felt before.
‘It was as though I needed stress for my brain to function. I became useless around the house. I slipped into depression for about two weeks and felt like I couldn’t function without adrenaline.’
His frank comments about mental health and PTSD came as Meghan stepped back into the spotlight for the first time in years, wearing a £28,000 outfit to take afternoon tea with Malala Yousafzai in London.
Meanwhile, Harry has been seen in London, including earlier this month when he made a surprise appearance at a black-tie gala for Ukraine.
The gala was held to raise money for organisations supporting Ukraine as the war entered its fourth year in February.
He spoke at the event about the historical ties between Britain and Ukraine before sharing his own experience during recent trips to the war-torn nation.
The Duke has also attended the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards at the Old Royal Naval College in the capital.
And in September, Harry was pictured smiling at the Tower Bridge Studios in London and signing a mural on a wall during a pseudo-royal engagement.
He is reportedly working on a ‘mystery project’.
Massachusetts Fugitive Ryan Hanafin Waives Extradition in Mother’s Homicide
A 22-year-old Massachusetts man arrested in Vermont on Thursday has agreed to waive extradition and return to his home state, where he is expected to face felony charges after his mother was found fatally shot in the kitchen of the family’s Reading home.
Ryan Hanafin became the focus of a regional search after his 48-year-old father, Matthew Hanafin, arrived home at about 12:38 a.m. and discovered 49-year-old Andria Hanafin dead from a gunshot wound, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said.
During a brief court hearing Friday afternoon, the local prosecutor said she had been in contact with Massachusetts State Police and anticipated that authorities could bring Hanafin back to Massachusetts “pretty quickly.”
The judge and Hanafin appeared remotely, while attorneys and members of the media remained in the courtroom. When asked whether he could hear the proceedings, Hanafin responded, “Yes sir.”
During the virtual appearance, Hanafin wore a blue protective covering across his chest and shoulders.
The judge explained that Massachusetts was seeking Hanafin’s return on felony charges and that he could either agree to extradition or wait for the formal governor’s warrant procedure. Under that process, the Massachusetts governor would formally request that Vermont surrender him, a process that could take additional time while officials reviewed the paperwork.
The judge also told Hanafin that he could file a habeas petition while in custody to challenge the state’s authority to hold him.
One possible argument, the judge said, would be that authorities had detained the wrong person with the same name. By waiving extradition, Hanafin would give up the right to pursue the governor’s warrant process and file such a habeas petition. The judge asked whether he understood those consequences.
“Yes sir,” Hanafin answered.
The judge then asked whether Hanafin had taken drugs or had any mental health condition that could affect his ability to make decisions or follow the hearing.
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Hanafin answered “No sir” to both questions.
He also said he had consulted with his attorney and understood the legal advice he had received.
The judge next asked whether waiving extradition and returning to Massachusetts was Hanafin’s own voluntary decision.
“Yes, that’s what I’d like to do,” Hanafin said.
Officials did not immediately say when Hanafin would be transported to Massachusetts to face charges connected to the fatal shooting in Reading.
A status conference was scheduled for the following Thursday to determine whether the transfer had been completed.
The judge said the hearing would allow the court to confirm that Massachusetts authorities had taken custody of Hanafin or obtain an update if the transfer had not yet occurred.
The proceeding lasted approximately four minutes.
Reading police have described Hanafin as a person of interest rather than a suspect. Authorities have not disclosed the specific Massachusetts felony charges mentioned during the extradition hearing.
Vermont State Police had been searching for Hanafin’s black Dodge Charger in Warren, Vermont, where investigators said he had known connections.
About two hours into their search, they found him, and he was arrested without incident, authorities said.