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Reche Caldwell -- a former NFL wide receiver who played with Tom Brady -- was shot and killed in Tampa on Saturday, his mother confirms to TMZ Sports.

He was only 41.

Caldwell's mother tells us ... Reche -- real name Donald Caldwell -- was getting ready to take his girlfriend out on a date when he went back inside his home to grab a jacket.

Reche's GF says the former player was "ambushed" by a "couple of people" who jumped out of bushes trying to rob him.

We're told Reche was shot in the leg and chest -- and someone called 911.

Unfortunately, the injuries were so severe, Caldwell's mother tells us Reche died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

"He was a good person who smiled all of the time," Deborah Caldwell tells us.

"He tried to help everyone he could. He was the type of guy who would take his shirt off his back and give it to you."

Caldwell was a 2nd round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft after a stellar career at the University of Florida.

He played 6 years in the NFL for the Chargers, Patriots and Redskins -- and was a part of the New England team that lost to the Colts in the 2006 AFC Championship.

We've reached out to authorities to find out of any arrests have been made. So far, no word back.

The New England Patriots have issued a statement saying, "We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of former Patriot Reche Caldwell."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had to make a "Game of Thrones"-style walk of shame when protesters turned on him for refusing to defund the police department.

Mayor Frey was right in the thick of a Saturday demonstration when a protest organizer demanded a "yes or no" answer to this question: "Will you commit to defunding Minneapolis Police Dept.?"

He responded, "I do not support the full abolition of the police," and that's when it got ugly. The organizer said, "Get the f**k outta here" ... and chants of "Go home Jacob" went up from the crowd, and that he did.

Taking a long, loud walk through a sea of protesters.

It's a stunning turn for Mayor Frey who almost immediately called for the firing and prosecution of the 4 officers involved in killing George Floyd.

He was also kneeling and weeping next to George's casket during Thursday's emotional funeral service.

Defunding police departments has now become a flashpoint during many protests across the country, and nowhere is that more evident than in this video.

If Conor McGregor were a rapper this would be his biggest hit song, "I'm retired" -- a track he's already dropped twice, but is now releasing for a 3rd time.

Conor tweeted his alleged retirement late Saturday, saying ... “Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting,” and added, "Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!”

This retirement announcement -- his 3rd in just 4 years -- came with a pic of Conor and his mom, and a note about buying her a house ... despite the fact he already pimped out his mother's crib in 2017.

Nice emotional touches that make ya think, maybe he means it this time???

Well, consider the fact he tweeted right after UFC 250 had wrapped Saturday night in Vegas -- a time when Conor, no doubt, knew people were talking about when he'd get back in the Octagon. UFC Prez Dana White had already said Conor would get the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje's summer fight.

Remember, Conor previously retired in 2016 and 2019, but always came back for bigger and bigger paydays -- but this time he told ESPN he really REALLY means it because, "The game just does not excite me."

No one actually believes Conor. Especially with the maniacal way he's talked about a rematch with Khabib ever since he lost back in 2018. He also recently threatened to kill Justin Gaethje when they finally clash.

Still, Dana's heard the retirement talk all before and totally took it in stride after UFC 250, saying ... “If Conor McGregor feels he wants to retire, you know my feelings about retirement. You should absolutely do it. And I love Conor. There’s a handful of people that have made this really fun for me, and he’s one of them.”

Soooo ... see ya in September, Conor?

Tom Hanks is not only a beloved actor, he's a trusted fatherly figure, so a fan asked for his advice on a very important aspect of raising a child ... and Hanks delivered.

Zack Teperman is the president of a public relations firm and has a daughter, Chloe, who is 2 and a half. He tells TMZ he decided to send Hanks a handwritten letter in early May to get his thoughts on the classic "high-five, down low, too slow" trick.

Zack says he asked at what age it's appropriate to pull his hand away from his daughter, and included a photo of him and his girl mid-high-five.

A couple weeks later, he got a letter back from Tom -- a typed response to his question ... and it's just wonderful.

Hanks says in order to properly establish the tradition, you must first lock down the "High Five! Down Low!" combo with a kid to gain trust. As he puts it ... "A relationship is born.

Then, years later when the child has matured a bit and learned to poke fun at their father -- Tom estimates around the age of 7 or 8 -- the time has come to "answer that child in affectionate kind."

This is when it's appropriate to withdraw your hand on the "Down Low!" and hit 'em with the "Too slow" ... and then, Hanks says, the kid grows up.

Tom adds that he has 4 grown kids, so he's experienced of course, but his 3 granddaughters have yet to get the "too slow" treatment. Only a matter of time, though, because as he concludes ... "This stuff works."

Throughout the U.S., protesters have been chanting George Floyd's name ... and the rest of the world has followed suit in honor of his memory.

Tons of protesters have flooded the streets around the globe visiting makeshift memorials in Floyd's memory ... from Poland and South Africa to Italy. At the U.S. embassy in Warsaw, Poland, protesters lit candles and left flowers and signs.

Ditto at the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow, Poland ... where one sign read, "We are American kids in Krakow, Poland. Trump’s USA is not our country. Stop Hate. Black Lives Matter.” Another sign there read, “Poland Doesn’t Support Trump."

Protesters marched in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in Cape Town as people left messages at the gates of the South African Parliament. There were also candles lit during a vigil led by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell in the Santa Maria church in Rome.

J.R. Smith will likely NOT be hit with criminal charges for beating the hell out of an alleged vandal in an incident caught on video, multiple sources involved with the situation tell TMZ Sports.

We broke the story ... the NBA player went ballistic on a man he claimed vandalized his truck during a wild looting spree in Los Angeles on May 30.

Smith later called the incident a "random act of stupidness" and said he regretted his actions.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the victim has not gone to police -- no report has been filed -- and, at this point, we're told it seems highly unlikely that will happen.

Our sources tell us without a victim coming forward, there's no way for prosecutors to even attempt to levy charges against the 34-year-old.

As we previously reported, Smith essentially described the incident as Street Justice shortly after the attack ... saying he whooped the man's ass for smashing a window on his truck.

The man who got an earful from a woman upset about being detained did not lose his job, despite her best wishes and awesome lyrical skills ... he tells us he's still gainfully employed!!!

The man behind the badge in the viral 'Lose Yo Job' video is Julius Locklear, and he tells TMZ ... he's still working as security detail and a bail bondsman.

As you know ... Julius got his 15 minutes of fame this week when video of him detaining a singing and dancing woman started spreading like wildfire on social media, getting the meme treatment and a fun viral remix to boot.

Julius says the incident went down way back on Feb. 5 in Dillon, SC ... where he was hired as special security detail at Diamonds Gentleman's Club.

The way Julius tells it ... the club was closing and kicking out everyone around 4:15 AM, but the woman in the video was alone and refused to hit the road.

Julius says he told her, "You better leave before you get in trouble," to which he claims she replied, "Go suck a d***."

We all know what happens next ... the woman broke out into a freestyle and a dance, "You about to lose yo job, 'cause you are detaining me, for nothing!!!"

JL says he again told the woman to leave, but she fired back with the same line and refused ... so he cuffed her for trespassing. Julius claims he had the authority to cuff her because she twice refused to leave.

Julius has a good sense of humor about it all ... he says the song and dance were hilarious. Easier to laugh when you don't lose your job, too.

In the end ... Julius says he told her she would be let go if she could find a ride, and the club's DJ took her home.

Colin Kaepernick to the Seahawks could end up being a match made in heaven ... so says Hall of Famer Warren Moon, who tells TMZ Sports the QB could be a good fit in Seattle if he gets another shot.

Earlier this week, Pete Carroll praised Kap for kick-starting the national anthem protest ... saying the QB sent a "beautiful" message about racial issues in America.

However, just 2 years ago, the 'Hawks had the chance to sign Kaepernick ... but his workout was canceled because Kap wouldn't commit to standing during the national anthem.

Now that more people are starting to understand the movement, Moon says Kap -- who hasn't played in the NFL since 2016 -- deserves another opportunity if he is willing to put his full focus on football.

"I know he's really involved in this crusade of his with social injustice and that," Moon tells us ... "It takes a lot of focus so you're gonna have to pick one."

"If he's willing to play football and put the time in that's its gonna take to be a quarterback in the NFL, he definitely deserves an opportunity to get that because he was definitely misinterpreted 4 years ago with his stand."

As for getting another shot with Seattle, Moon -- who's kept close with the 'Hawks since playing for them in '97 and '98 -- says Kap could thrive with the team ... saying "I think it could be a good fit."

"They know what he can do as a player cause they've been against him many times in the division when he was the starting QB in San Francisco."

Pete Wentz has been rockin' these good looks for years!

Here is a 27-year-old version of the talented musician showing off his red-hot highlights, while making a television appearance in New York City, back in 2006 (left). This was the same year Wentz and fellow members of Fall Out Boy were in the process of recording their third studio album, "Infinity on High".

And, 14 years later ... the talented musician (who celebrated his 41st birthday earlier this week) was last spotted showing off his slicked-back look at a Grammy event in Beverly Hills earlier this year (right).

Irresistible!

The question is...

London Bridge isn't falling down -- but this London police officer definitely is after whacking her head into a street light ... leaving her trusty steed riderless.

This wild scene unfolded Saturday from across the pond, where people were putting on BLM protests decrying the death of George Floyd. Scotland Yard had their hands full managing things, so at one point ... they trotted out their boys and girls on horses to establish order.

That didn't go so well for one cop whose equine went full bronco and rode off into the night day ... galloping down the street ahead of all the others, leaving the officer face to metal with a traffic light fixture dangling above.

The female officer was knocked completely off the animal and landed hard on the ground, with the crowd in shock. She had a helmet on, but still ... ouch. Photos of the woman on the ground were also taken by those on the scene -- reports say she was knocked unconscious and taken to a hospital, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Unclear what prompted the horse to freak out and jolt like that, but based on other video that showed protesters rolling bikes into them from a distance ... it's reasonable to assume it got spooked with all the chaos around it.

For a quick minute, this horse was on the loose and on the run, and it even appears it might've ran into a bystander as it ran down the street. People say this lady was trampled, but it looks like she was simply knocked over. Either way, super frightening situation.

Terrell Owens was at the front of a Black Lives Matter march in West Hollywood on Saturday leading the crowd in chants ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

"What do we want? JUSTICE! When? NOW!!"

"Say her name. BREONNA TAYLOR!"

"Say his name. GEORGE FLOYD!"

Those were just some of the chants T.O. led as the group marched through WeHo. Some protesters held up black power fists, others carried signs.

The march started at Pan Pacific Park and went through Beverly Blvd. all the way to La Cienega Blvd.

There is a heavy police presence but so far, everything is peaceful, sources at the protests tell TMZ Sports.

No looting, no violence ... just passionate people making their voices heard with the help of an NFL Hall of Famer.

Owens has been very outspoken on social media -- encouraging NFL stars to speak out in support of Colin Kaepernick and others who took a knee.

Of course, earlier this week several NFL players demanded the league admit they bungled the handling of the kneeling protests -- and Friday afternoon Roger Goodell did just that saying, "We were wrong."

An eerie scene during a BLM rally is going viral, because it looks like a scary throwback to the '60s -- a line of armed white residents trying to intimidate protesters.

This went down in Crown Point, Indiana ... where a group of mostly college students had just finished marching, and took a back alley bike path to get back to their cars. As they walked and made their way, earlier this week, they were greeted by a lineup of at least a dozen white men and women ... many brandishing guns, and all staring down the students.

Indiana is a licensed open carry state, so everything you're seeing here is legal. Still, it's pretty menacing -- you see the protesters walking by with their signs out, but not chanting or even speaking. The group of older adults along the fence were also dead silent as they eyeballed the BLM group.

At one point, the demonstrators came across a couple of cops who were standing toward the end of the line ... and watched as they passed. The protester who's on camera here with the sign is Cedric Caschetta, and he tells us it was actually police officers who suggested they take the bike path in order to avoid a longer and more rowdy route back to their vehicles.

He says the officers escorted them all the way through.

Cedric says he and the rest of his group made sure to keep calm in the situation, as he says he felt at least a couple of the armed residents were trying to get reactions out of them.

He also says he never feared for his safety after a full day of being on the front lines of the protest in downtown Crown Point.

Justin and Hailey Bieber are doing camping right -- and by that, we mean hardly camping at all ... 'cause they got a recreational vehicle that takes the "rough" out of roughin' it.

The couple's roaming the Wild West in Utah and looking to pitch a tent as you'd expect a huge pop star to do it ... in a monster of a machine. Check out their sweet RV, complete with built-in canopy and some lawn chairs to boot.

Just imagine how tricked out it looks on the inside 👀

Anyway, Mr. and Mrs. Biebs exited their swag traveling digs at one point to take some pics in the great outdoors, with Hailey doing the modeling (naturally) and JB playing IG hubby.

It's interesting too ... Justin seems to have himself an old school camera, and not a fancy DSLR one either. Almost looks like a disposable ... which you don't see too much anymore. Neat!

We're told the area has horseback riding, in case they wanna saddle up. Then again, that RV seems pretty cushy.

Ah, nothing like unplugging to get away from it all -- in luxury, of course. The only way to enjoy Mother Nature at her finest!

Toronto PD probably saved this jackass' life ... he showed up in blackface for a protest against racism -- seriously -- and yes, protesters were furious about the spectacle.

The wild moment was captured on video Saturday during a demonstration in the city's Nathan Phillips Square. The white guy walked into the crowd completely decked out in black makeup on his face and hands.

We can't imagine it took long for people to turn on him, and even as police whisked him away ... pissed off protesters were still screaming at him.

People were reportedly barking threats at him and calling for the police the whole time he was trying to wade through the rally. Eventually, bicycle officers did step in and escort the guy away -- almost completely surrounding him to keep the angry crowd off of him.

Cops say the agitator was arrested for breaching the peace -- yeah, he did that and then some. Oh, the beatdown he might have caught.

George Floyd's family members honored him Saturday during his second memorial service -- this one in his birth state of North Carolina.

The service was being held in Raeford, NC, and the family has said it will be a much more subdued ceremony than the one held Thursday in Minneapolis.

Still, George's kin delivered rousing speeches -- in tribute to him, and about the movement his tragic death has launched.

The public was allowed into the hall Saturday morning for a viewing of George's casket ... and hundreds of people waited in line to pay their respects.

However, the service itself will be more intimate with just family and close friends allowed inside. It's set to begin at noon PT.

George was born in Fayetteville, NC ... about 30 miles from where the service is being held.

President Trump is rallying troops around him, literally ... soldiers are lining parts of the White House perimeter as the largest George Floyd protest yet is about to begin.

More than 100,000 people are expected to rally in the National Mall Saturday to protest the killing of George Floyd, specifically, and police brutality in general. While there have been protesters near the White House for more than a week now ... it appears Trump's administration is preparing for the worst.

As it is, 8-foot high fencing was erected this week around most of the White House grounds' perimeter, and will reportedly remain there until at least the middle of next week.

Washington D.C. police have closed off several streets, allowing the immense groups of protesters to march by the landmarks of the Mall ... such as the Lincoln Memorial, The National Museum of African-American History, Lafayette Park and, of course, the White House.

Remember, last week the President ordered law enforcement to clear streets by opening fire on peaceful protesters with rubber bullets and pepper spray ... so he could get to St. John's Episcopal Church for a photo op.