Vol 68 Edition1

Page 1

Vol. 68, Ed. 1 September 14, 2016 News: Pages 2 & 3 Sports: Pages 4 & 5 A&C: Pages 8 & 9 Scene: Page 10 Opinion: Page 11

CURRENT The American River

ARCURRENT.COM

AFGHAN TRANSLATOR ENDANGERED HIS LIFE FOR US MILITARY

/ARCurrentcom @ARCurrent @ARCurrent

Former officer arrested FORMER LRPD OFFICER ARRAIGNED By Robert Hansen hansenrobj@gmail.com

n September of 2011, Qais Ahmad made the decision to put his own life in immediate danger; he had volunteered to become an interpreter for the United States military in his home country, Afghanistan. Ahmad, who is now a 23-year-old American River College student, became interested in doing something to help his country after seeing American soldiers working to help Afghanistan. Working as an interpreter, Ahmad accompanied American soldiers as well as Afghan National Army soldiers on dangerous patrols and missions that sometimes lasted as long as 15 days at a time. As an Afghan, Ahmad faced not only the immediate danger of the work that he did, but also the threat of death were his identity to ever be revealed to the Taliban insurgents. Several close calls on his life included a rocket-propelled grenade airbursting directly above his unit and a firefight that led Ahmad to receive a shrapnel wound to his left forearm that wasn’t tended to until

A former Los Rios police officer was arrested late July on suspicion of multiple sexual assaults, some that date back to his time at American River College, prosecutors said. Noah Winchester, 32, was taken into custody on charges that he sexually assaulted five victims while on duty, according to San Mateo County Dist. Atty. Steve Wagstaffe as reported by the L.A. Times. Winchester faces 22 felony charges, including kidnapping with intent to commit rape, rape, sexual penetration and oral copulation under color of authority, sexual battery, criminal threats and forcible sex offenses, Wagstaffe said. According to CBS SF Bay Area, investigators said he would pull over young women, tell them they did something wrong and he’d arrest them unless they had sex with him. “They did what we teach people to do, which is follow the directions of a law enforcement officer,” said Wagstaffe. “Not knowing that they were about to be victimized by someone who was putting a dark stain on that badge.” Winchester was with LRPD from Jan. 1, 2009, to Jan. 16, 2015 before transferring to San Mateo P.D. During his last two years, he was assigned to American River College, said Los Rios Community College public information officer Mitchel Benson to the L.A. Times. “We are appalled to think they could be true,” Benson said. Benson said the charges were shocking, and that college officials are launching an independent investigation into the allegations.

Translator | Page 10

Winchester | Page 3

Photo courtesy of Qais Ahmad

Qais Ahmad (middle in black) translates for first lieutenant Spinnelli (right) of the 327th Alpha Company and Afghan Police (left) after a combat and maneuver training in Fob Connolly base Afghanistan.

Found translation in

Afghan translator volunteered for US military

Story by John Ennis | alexennis@gmail.com

I

INSIDE: ARC pulls ahead of Modesto Junior College at the last minute Page 4

Photo by Laodicea Broadway / Staff

ARC quarterback Griffin Dahn rushes on a play during the Beavers’ 47-33 win against Modesto Junior College on Sept. 10.

The Crocker Art Museum hosts a comic convention and “ArtMix” event Page 9

Photo by Luis Gael Jimenez/ Arts and Culture Editor

Four cosplayers pose for a picture at “CrockerCon” at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California on Sept. 8.


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