ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - February 20, 2026

Episode Date: February 21, 2026

Eyewitness News at 11pm - February 20, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, preparing you for tomorrow starting tonight and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. We're following breaking news in Raleigh right off the top here at 11. A deadly crash has closed part of the I-440 Beltline, the westbound lanes, the outer belt line, closed right now between the Glenwood Avenue exit and the Lake Moon Trail exit. Police are asking drivers to avoid the area. right now is not clear when the belt line will reopen. You can stay with I would assume for updates. We're also following breaking news in Wayne County. A standoff is taking place right now at a home near Princeton. Deputies are trying to negotiate with an 84-year-old woman. The sheriff's office says they tried to serve a trespass warrant on her around 5 p.m.

at home on East Evans Road. They say she pointed a gun at authorities before locking herself inside a bathroom. The Wayne County Sheriff's negotiators are now on scene communicating with her, hoping this can all. and peacefully. Stay with us for any updates. And our top story tonight here on eyewitness news, we are digging deeper into the background of the man charged with attempted murder of a Raleigh police officer named Jay Rich last night. Officer Rich and other SWAT team members were in Raleigh, executing an arrest warrant in collaboration with Garner Police for the murder of Joey Adams back on February 9th. Good evening. I'm C. Daniels. And I'm Lauren Johnson. Authorities were moving in to arrest 26-year-old Solomon Owens when he shot an AR pistol hitting Officer Rich in the back

his head. Officer Rich was wearing a ballistic helmet at that time. He was treated and released from Wake Med. Owens is now facing a slew of charges, including attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer. Court documents reveal Owens has gang affiliations, has violent offense history, and is deemed to be dangerous to society. Those same documents reveal Owens was charged yesterday with stealing a firearm from a woman in Durham. Based on those findings and the charges he's now facing for shooting at police, a judge denied his bond. and he was asked to stay in jail. The theft of that gun in Durham coming as the Durham Sheriff, Clarence Burkhead released new information this evening about 10 smash and grab vehicle break-ins in RTP.

It happened on Monday afternoon in a parking lot on Muggen Drive. Among the many items stolen, firearms from two vehicles. The sheriff says he believes the same person or persons are behind multiple break-ins between January 15th and February 11th, where four firearms and ammunition were stolen. Burkhead also saying, our community is facing a heartbreaking and critical moment in the last. Last week alone, seven people were shot in the city and another in the unincorporated part of the county, including the tragic death of a child, bringing the total to six lives lost in the city this year. We must act now to stop this violence by cutting off the supply of stolen weapons. We need every resident to prioritize firearm security to ensure these guns never reach the street by keeping personal firearms out of the hands of criminals and securing all guns at all times.

And all of this happening is calls for crime reduction in Durham have reached a fever pitch, A chaos erupted today during a meeting focused on finding solutions to gun violence in the Bull City. Durham Mayor Leo Williams ended that meeting early. He was in the middle of announcing a partnership with the University of Maryland's Violence Reduction Center when a group of activists interrupted. His announcement comes after the outgoing police chief announced a drop in violent and property crime in 2025. But police chief Andrews did say so far this year there have been 22 shootings. Nine of them were deadly. At today's announcement, a small group challenged the mayor's approach,

forcing him to end the event abruptly. You're bringing folks from 10 states over to tell us what we need to solve the problems in our community. The people closest to the pain, they know what they need. But we don't value that. This mayor doesn't value that. He believes they know better than the community what we need. That's not going to work in Durham. But the mayor says this partnership with the Violence Reduction Center has proven results.

He also plans to start holding community listening sessions as well as establishing street safety teams. New tonight, business owners here in the triangle are reacting after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most of President Trump's tariffs. Those tariffs deemed illegal generated $142 billion in revenue for the federal government through last year. While the government was cashing in, small business owners were paying up, passing along some of those costs to customers.

James Price talked to both of them who are demanding refunds and some relief. James joins us live in Raleigh with what she's learned tonight. Hi, Jemise. Hi, Lauren. Tonight, I've learned that those imposed tariffs have been a pain point for both business owners and consumers. And economic experts say the likelihood of those consumers receiving refunds. That is highly unlikely, but business owners, they could. And that is welcome news after spending thousands of dollars in tariff costs in a matter of months.

The prices have gone up. Everything is extremely high. Michelle Cook says the costs have been twofold. and tariffs. I've seen things that I've normally ordered double in price. I'm not going to say probably $10, $15, $20. I've seen, it depends on what it is and it's devastating right now. Turns out some of those imposed tariffs on imports were illegal. In a 63 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision that Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, exceeded his authority. This ruling invalidates 70% of Trump's global tariffs.

I'm really grateful that somebody on the Supreme Court had a spine to stand up to an illegal tariff. Sam Ratto of Vodary Chocolate Factory in downtown Raleigh said he's paid about $50,000 to $100,000 in tariffs imposed on imports like cocoa beans for chocolate and packaging for products. He's also had to scale back on his workforce. We actually had to lose people. We had to stop being able to afford people. So that's the chaos that comes from me. Tonight, Sam is grateful, but he's asking some important questions. Tariffs are attacks on small business, so where did that money go? Is it somewhere in a coffer somewhere that they can easily be like, here's the refund? And we brought those questions

to the economics professor at NC State, Andrew Greenland. Because they were ruled illegal, right now it seems like, yeah, they're going to be able to get their money back. It's not clear exactly how that's going to unfold yet. And while possible refunds are worked out, President Trump is vowing to impose a 10% global tariff under a 1974 trade act. There are older pieces of legislation that allow him to use tariffs on a temporary basis or if he thinks it's related to unfair business practices like we're levied against China or national security concerns. And some consumers support Trump's move, saying tariffs helped America, not hurt it. I think, that the tariffs helped to bring back the support for U.S.-based businesses.

U.S. investment. I just felt like that it was something that the U.S. had lost for quite some time. And President Trump saying tonight he will resist any repayments to American businesses and fight it out in court. We're live in Raleigh. Jimmy's Price, ABC 11, eyewitnesses. Yeah, lots of back and forth today. The president did find that, sign that additional 10% tariff tonight.

new executive order only in effect for 150 days. So this this battle does continue in Washington. Jimmy, thank you. All right, let's talk about the weather now after record warmth day. Colder air moving in and it comes with a little rain. Chief Neurologist, Don Schwinnaker, joining us now to time it all out. Hi, Don. Yeah, good evening to you. We will see some showers out there through the overnight. Not right now. You're still dry for the next few hours, but by 4 or 5 a.m. That's when that rain arrives. Live look under a mainly clear sky into downtown Durham. beautiful night out there. Lots of folks walking around downtown, 63 degrees. Temperatures from across the region. 59 now at Raleigh, Sanford. You're down to 49, 10 degrees cooler there. Rocksbrose at 62, 56 Roan, Oak Rapids, Goldsboro, and 62 down in Clinton. Let's first alert you to the next 11 hours. You'll see those temperatures hovering in the 50s all night long. Rain chances ramp up about 3, 4 in the morning, and then again around 8 or 9. Best chance for showers is in the early part of the day tomorrow.

and then we'll see the rain move out. We'll talk more about that, and we'll first alert you to some colder temps in the seven-day forecast all coming up in just a bit. Steve. Don, we'll see you soon, thanks. Tonight we're learning the names of the two teenage siblings found dead in a Vance County home earlier this month, an online obituary identifying the siblings

a 17-year-old Aaron Newsom and 13-year-old Anaya Newsom. Deputies found the two dead after responding to a home on Tori Drive back on February 9th. The Vance County Sheriff's Office told us last week it's waiting for the medical examiners report. We still don't know how the two died. Investigators say the family is being cooperative and so far no charges have been filed. New details tonight about a mobile home fire in Silar City.

Eyewitness news was on the scene of that fire yesterday morning on Glendon Road south of downtown. And tonight the Silner City Fire Department confirmed two people were founded inside the home. We're still working to learn their names online. People are identifying the pair as a mother and son. Tonight the fire remains under investigation. Parents fed up over HVAC issues at their children's elementary school are finally getting results after launching a petition. Yeah, last week, the Wake County School District announced the different schools getting heating and cooling upgrades, but Wake Forest Elementary was left off the list.

And parents saw eyewitness news, heating and cooling problems have been an issue at that school for many years, including a few days in December. In light of the petition, district officials said the school will now get a new boiler. But parents tell us they want to know why it took a petition to get the problem resolved. I guess I'm just curious what the criteria is for that decision making. We've had three days since, you know, December that we have kids sitting in classrooms in 50 degrees and teachers trying to teach in that environment. How is this not an issue? In this letter to families, district officials said in part capital replacement projects are prioritized based on age, condition assessments, safety considerations, and available funding. While this boiler was nearing the end of its useful life, several others across the district are older and in more critical condition and are addressed for.

First, as part of our long-range facilities plan, replacement of the boiler at the school will begin on Monday. Relief for those Wake Forest Elementary kids and parents. Still to come here at 11, America's return to the moon takes a big step forward. Plus the big safety change coming to a popular state park in Raleigh. And ABC 11 is celebrating Black History Month. Find out how two men change history at a swimming pool in Raleigh. And it's a warm night out there tonight. temperatures running in the 60s and 50s, but colder air moves in as we head through the weekend.

We'll talk about that and your first alert forecast next. We are local news. ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. New tonight, NASA plans to send astronauts to the moon in March. It comes after some promising results from the latest fuel test on the Artemis rocket. NASA has now scheduled that launch for March the 6th. Four astronauts will fly around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The astronauts enter the mandatory two-week health quarantine tonight in Houston. In Raleigh, a big change is in the works that will soon make it easier and safer for people driving out of Umstead State Park.

Right now, if you're making a left turn out of the park, you have to cross over several lanes of traffic on Glenwood Avenue. It's especially challenging for school buses on field trips and visitors using horse trailers. To fix it, a deal has now been reached between the state and Anderson Automotive Group to move the entrance to Umpstead a few hundred yards to the northwest to the traffic light at the intersection of Glenwood and Triangle. drive. As part of that agreement, Anderson acquired 23 acres of parkland across Glenwood Avenue that was not open to the public, and in turn, Umsted is getting 26 acres. As we celebrate Black History Month, we take a look at the story of two men who changed history in Raleigh at a swimming pool, one, a black championship slimmer who could only train at a pool at Chavis Park, and another, a white college student who bravely executed a plan with four African-American teenagers

to integrate Pullen Park's pool. It wasn't a lot of swimmers at the time. In that summer of 1962, four brave African-American teenagers decided to take a swim at a place they weren't welcome. And it wasn't weird because we came up in the era. We didn't have a chance to mix like we do today. Herman Hinton remembers being allowed to swim at Chavis Pool, the Black Pool. He wasn't one of the four who tried to break the color barrier.

He was busy trying to make his point competing as a swimmer. I was just as good as they were, I better. I think I was better than they were. I was just that good. He loved to swim and was one of the best in Raleigh, black or white, but he could only watch swimming at Pullen, not go in the water. Everybody deserved to be equal, but that'll never happen. So that's why this image is so striking.

You buy the tickets, and, you know, if a black person went up and tried to buy a ticket, they would not get sold a ticket. Ray Raphael now lives across the country, but that summer he came down from New York to North Carolina as a teen to tutor black students. So we devised a scheme. There was two whites, myself and another and a friend. I went up to the ticket booth and said,

six tickets, please, and they gave me six tickets. The teens handed in their pre-bought tickets and away they went. And we went in and passed our tickets to the poor teenage kid who was taking them right by the locker room door. and he's kind of is startled. As they jumped into the pool, chaos erupted. I was scared, really scared. The picture shows the pool lined with teens, kids, and parents,

appearing unsure of what was going on. The reaction was rather immediate. People notice it, and a lot of them just quickly get out of the pool. Ray says it was nearly 45 minutes they swam integrating the pool on their own terms. The public announcer says, black people and their friends please remove from the pool. This is a white pool. The famous picture of the Reverend Percy High, then a teenager,

exiting the pool under the watchful eye of the city's parks director. We hear on the loudspeaker, this pool is closed. Everybody has to leave. The city of Raleigh immediately closed the pools, all the pools, drained and left empty. That February, 1963, the city changed its mind on the public pools. Mayor Inlow, saying, all pools are open to the public. I just feel like we were on the right side of history.

All of this triggered by a white 18-year-old from New York and four brave black teenagers who thought color should not matter. Ray called it a scheme to buy those six tickets, but it absolutely changed the course of history. I know. I know. An integration attempt by the teenagers really changed the course of what happened here. And it's amazing when you see those pictures in black and white

to really see what happened. Yeah, and it's it's hard to believe. I mean, looking at our society today, that that's the way things were unfolding in 1962 here. So hard to believe. All right, as we continue to celebrate Black History Month, we are having a streaming special this weekend. Saturday and Sunday, 5.30, we invite you to join us

for stories showcasing the resilience, courage, and creativity that exemplify the black community. That's wherever you stream, eyewitness news. That is worth a watch. We've done some extra extraordinary reporting on that great stories this month and I hope you will check it out. Let's talk about the weekend weather around here because we've got a lot of ups and downs to talk about. Don, where's your flapjack forecast?

That's next. We start with the seven days. Okay, okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. We don't want to make people wait for the seven days. So here you go. We'll show that to you first. 60s tomorrow, 50s on Sunday, Monday, 46. We'll stay in the 40s, Monday, Tuesday. We warm up for the middle part of next week. Now, as asked for, we've got your breakfast time flapjack forecast. home with the kids tomorrow, maybe making some breakfast. It's going to be a warmer morning, those temperatures in the 50s. There's a chance of showers really through lunchtime tomorrow. And you can see just 20 to 30 percent chance it's more to the north of this triangle,

but there is a chance of showers nonetheless. Live lookout and first alert, Doppler, tonight's getting the sky's not seeing any rainfall out there. Let's head live to level seven. It's packed out there tonight. What a night to be sitting by the fireplace, enjoying a nice evening with your friends. 63 degrees right now under a mainly clear sky. West wind at five miles per hour. Mannyota Murphy tonight, 54 down at the coast. We see 58 right now in Greenville as well as Chase City.

61 out in the triad, Asheville's 57, Boone at 52. Murphy 48, but Atlanta, a very warm 61 degrees tonight. As we go through our overnight, we'll see those temperatures dropping into the low 50s, is 35. So we're well above average for this time of year. 51 in Henderson, 50 in Roxborough, and 56 in Fayetteville. Satellite radar composites relatively clear right now, but if we look out to the west, we see some showers through the mountains. The next system that's going to affect us is going to come out of the deep south, and it will work its way up into us, dragging the moisture with it and bringing some showers. So let's walk you through your weekend. Your first alert to the

next 48 hours by 7 o'clock tomorrow morning. A couple of scattered showers, mainly in the triad. They will work through as we head through the morning. By 4 o'clock, the showers are out of here. Skies are starting to break. Kind of like today where we had the showers earlier, not as much sunshine tomorrow afternoon and not as warm. Then as we go through tomorrow night, the cooler air settles in. Look at Sunday morning 5 a.m.

The showers are here. We're in the 40s. It's going to be a cold start to your Sunday, even by 10 o'clock, just 41 degrees, Chapel Hill, Lewisburg. As we get into the afternoon, we will see this system pulling out of here. Now notice it does show some white. Nothing you're going to have to shovel.

These temperatures still upper 30s. It's just that the atmosphere may be cool enough that you pick up a snowflake or two, especially north and east of the triangle. Most places, though, won't see anything. 62 tomorrow. Expect the showers earlier in the day. Sun breaks out later in the day after the cloudy start to the day. Your first alert seven-day forecast showing those temperatures 50 on Sunday.

Monday, Tuesday, it is going to be chilly. Morning lows in the 20s might have to scrape some frost. Wednesday, we're back above freezing. 60. We'll stay in the 60s on Thursday and Friday, a risk of late day showers and 58 degrees. So some warmer weather after a cold start to the week. Our forecast is all over the place. It is. It is. Winding road. Don, thank you. You bet. Still ahead. Police use a clever disguise to have a suspected burglar, a camera capturing the takedown. Okay, some call it bizarre. I call it impressive. The story out of Sicily. A man reportedly trained his dog.

to illegally dump trash on the side of the road. Surveillance footage right there shows that small dog trotting down the street with a full bag in its mouth and then dropping it on the side of the road. In response to the incident, local authorities said ingenuity can never become an alibi for insubility. He's just following the direction. She's taking out the trash, right? Listen, give that dog some treats. All right, take a look at this. Police in Thailand disguised themselves as a lunar New Year line to take down a burglar. In the video, you can see the officer slowly moving in while in disguise, an officer under the lion's head then quickly tackles the burglar and puts him under arrest. That's some crafty police work in Asia.

Yeah, but you know, you got to do what you got to do to me. That's right. The burglars off the street, huh? I'm sure they're pretty proud tonight. Wow, triple overtime. Amazing. That's some good news that's unfolding in Wayne County. The 84-year-old woman with a gun has now surrendered peacefully to the SWAT team there on.

the scene near Princeton, thankfully, that has ended peacefully tonight. All right. Have a great night. We'll see back here Monday at 11 tonight. ABC 11 eyewitness news is sponsored by Capitol Chevrolet. Together, let's drive. Shop capital Chevrolet.com.