Andrew Brown Jr. Shooting Video Released Cops keep job & Dodge charges
-
Breaking News
- 6.9K shares
1:36 PM PT -- Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten Jr. just announced that the 3 deputies directly involved in Andrew Brown Jr.'s death are going to keep their jobs ... but will be disciplined and retrained, despite not being charged criminally.
Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Video.
Wooten said 2 of the deputies involved didn't turn on their body cameras that day, and the team failed to have EMS on standby ... which he says probably wouldn't have saved Brown, but still needed to be done per policy.
The Sheriff also said more training is in store for the deputies, as well as the rest of the guys on the SOAT (Special Operations and Tactics Team), because he wants to make sure they're implementing "best practices" ... and repeatedly referenced being able to "do better" in these types of situations.
He stopped short of saying his boys did a piss-poor job, but if you read between the lines -- that seems to be what he's getting at, which potentially opens the Sheriff's Office and the County to a civil lawsuit from the Brown family.
10:47 AM PT -- One of the attorney's for Brown's family, Harry Daniels, says deadly force was NOT justified because Andrew wasn't using his car as a weapon, despite what the D.A. feels.
Daniels joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and said the officers who shot at Andrew weren't the ones who had to jump out of the way of his car ... and Daniels claims cops violated department policy by shooting at Brown as he drove away.
He says Andrew posed no threat to the police when the bullets started flying.
The Andrew Brown Jr. police shooting video has just been released to the public ... and the D.A. said no charges would be filed against the officers.
In the police body camera footage, released Tuesday, you see a bunch of cops armed to the teeth ... rolling up to Andrew's home as he sits in his BMW in the driveway.
Video shows the cops hopping out of their truck and pointing weapons at Andrew's car as they surround it, telling him to stop the car and swearing at him. Footage shows him driving off as the police unleash a barrage of bullets.
Next, you see Andrew's driving away over a lawn and then crashing into a tree. The police then run over to the vehicle, surrounding it and pointing their guns as they bark at him to show his hands.
Brown's family walked the media through the video last week, saying a cop fired one shot and Brown began to back up, fearing for his life. They said he never made a menacing move toward the cops and called it an unjustified killing.
5/11/21
The video you're watching was shown at a news conference held by the D.A., Andrew Womble. He said no charges would be filed because he views the shooting as "justified." Womble said there was an apparent risk to the officers' lives and that justified the use of deadly force.
And this is interesting ... the D.A. mentioned in the news conference the Coroner found meth in Brown's mouth. Fact is ... it's irrelevant, because the police didn't know that when they fired at him so what they did stands on its own. It does, however, seem the D.A. mentioned it to "dirty up" Brown.
Originally published -- 8:49 AM PT
related articles
Joe Rogan Woke/Cancel Culture ... Will be the end of straight, white men
Joe Rogan thinks there's no end to woke and/or cancel culture -- even going so far as to say that it will silence straight, white men and relegate them to being indoor cats if it continues.
The famous podcaster made the comment on an episode of the 'JRE' last week while talking to comic Joe List ... starting out by saying you can never be woke enough for the so-called woke crowd -- and that, basically, they're taking a mile instead of the inch they were given.
He was making a somewhat decent point at first ... but then threw skin color into the mix, which is what A LOT of people have a problem with, it seems -- as the backlash has mounted.
Waiting for your permission to load Spotify episode.
Check it out for yourself ... Joe says straight, white men will be the ultimate victims of this rising PC culture, as he believes they won't be allowed to talk in the near future -- because their "privilege" has allowed them to do so for while others were forced to be quiet.
He goes on, saying straight, white men won't be allowed to go outside one day too at this rate "because so many people were imprisoned for so many years." He's speaking in hyperbole, of course, but everyone gets his point ... and not everyone agrees.
But, JR offers his simple solution ... just be nice to each other! He goes on to say there are nefarious people who are exploiting these overly-sensitive times.
Sure, sometimes cancel culture CAN go too far and is worthy of criticism -- but, likewise, Joe might be going too far here too.
related articles
Danny Masterson Claims Leah Remini Worked with LAPD Threatened to Put Them on Blast If They Screwed Up
-
Exclusive
- 3.4K shares
Danny Masterson claims Leah Remini was pushing the LAPD to get him prosecuted in his rape case ... and threatened to put them on blast if they dropped the ball.
In docs, obtained by TMZ, Masterson claims Leah's meddling in his case was so outrageous she had an LAPD detective named Becker, who allegedly moonlighted as her bodyguard, making calls about his rape case.
In docs, Masterson claims this police officer/bodyguard "had a history of trying to influence LAPD investigations" at Leah's direction. Masterson claims when the cop contacted Austin PD in 2016 about Jane Doe 3's police report, the Austin PD detective was so taken aback by it she wrote in her report "Becker has no professional investigative interest in this report, as he does not investigate sexual assault cases. It is later revealed he is Leah Remini’s close friend.'"
Masterson claims Leah personally made phone calls to the lead investigator on the case and that the LAPD actively encouraged her to participate in the investigation. And, get this ... Masterson claims a detective on the case went as far as telling her she's "vital to the investigation."
Masterson also claims Leah discussed telling the Jane Doe stories on her TV show, "Scientology and the Aftermath." He claims she had spoken to the girls and had intentions of putting them on her series.
The collusion runs so deep, Masterson claims, Leah wanted to attend the DA's interviews of the women, and he alleges the Deputy DA played ball for a while ... before things went south between Leah and prosecutors.
In the docs, Masterson claims Leah threatened the prosecution with a negative PR campaign, saying, "I told [Det.] Reyes from the beginning, ‘I’m telling you, if you screw this up I’m putting you and the whole LAPD on Blast. Not because I want to, but because they deserve to be heard.’ And you can’t keep being in business with the Church of Scientology because you have no balls.”
As we reported, Masterson claimed Leah's anti-Scientology campaign is the driving force behind the accusations in his rape case.
We've reached out to Leah's team for comment, so far no word back.
related articles
Gwyneth Paltrow Goop Sued ... Your 'Vagina' Candle Blew Up!!!
-
Exclusive
- 3.2K shares
8:23 AM PT -- A rep for Goop tells us, "We’re confident this claim is frivolous and an attempt to secure an outsized payout from a press-heavy product. We stand behind the brands we carry and the safety of the products we sell. Here, Heretic—the brand that supplies the candle— has substantiated the product’s performance and safety through industry standard testing."
A man who says he bought a "This Smells Like My Vagina" candle from Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop company claims it could have killed him when it exploded ... and he's now filed a class-action lawsuit about it.
According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the guy suing is a Texas resident named Colby Watson, and he says he purchased the 10.5-ounce 'Vagina' candle online in January.
Watson claims he lit the candle for the first time in February and placed it on his nightstand -- a level surface -- and insists there was nothing close to touching the candle and no open windows or drafts in his bedroom.
Watson claims, after burning for "an estimated three hours or less," the candle became engulfed in high flames and exploded soon afterward ... and the room was filled with smoke.
Watson alleges the candle also left a black burn ring on his nightstand and says the jar is charred and black.
According to the docs, Watson acknowledges the candle comes with a "limited warning" on Goop.com -- including cautioning not to burn the candle for more than 2 hours at a time -- but he says that warning is insufficient.
Watson claims Goop fails to warn that the candle could cause significant injuries when it explodes, and he calls the 'Vagina' candles "inherently dangerous."
He's suing Paltrow's company for breach of warranty and products liability and is trying to put together a class seeking damages exceeding $5 million. We reached out to Goop ... no word back yet.
related articles
Barack Obama Sasha & Malia Won't Run for Office ... 'PTSD' from Secret Service
Barack Obama says his daughters have probably been scared straight when it comes to public service ... and it's due to the "PTSD" they experienced as White House kids.
The former President did James Corden's 'Late Late Show' show Monday, when he was asked about getting young people inspired to get into public service or politics -- and, naturally, the convo honed in on BO's own kids.
Corden noted Malia and Sasha had lived under a spotlight for 8 whopping years while their dad was POTUS, and that's exactly why Barack says they're likely to pass on running for office themselves in the future.
He jokes about them still having post-traumatic stress disorder from their Secret Service detail growing up -- with agents accompanying them on dates and to concerts -- but he's obviously kidding. Well, we're laughing ... Sasha and Malia might not be.
In all seriousness, Barack says his girls have developed into spectacular young women -- and he genuinely believes they'll find another way to serve their communities outside of politics.
As for the rest of the youth -- Obama's got some advice for them too.
related articles
Soulja Boy to Icebox Stop acting like i ain't ballin' out ... And I Don't Owe Money!!!
9:37 AM PT -- Soulja Boy is taking major issue with Icebox's characterization of things regarding their money-owed claims -- but his biggest beef seems to be them thinking he's strapped for cash.
SB tells TMZ directly ... he's got more than enough money in his accounts, way beyond the meager "$10k at a time" Icebox told us they were coming across when scouring Soulja's finances. He insists he made $700k alone just last week, this after recently signing to Virgin Music and putting out a song that's charting well on Billboard, 'She Make it Clap.'
As far as the substance of Icebox's allegations, though ... Soulja cleared that up too, telling us he spoke with them and doesn't owe them dough anymore, saying it's squashed.
He also doesn't agree with them that he wasn't the first rapper to put them on -- but on that front ... agree to disagree, we suppose.
Soulja Boy wants credit for being the "first" rapper to plug Icebox bling -- but the shop couldn't care less ... especially since they say there's dough he still owes.
A rep for the famed jewelry and diamond store tells TMZ ... Soulja's viral tweet from the weekend doesn't mean diddly squat to them -- in light of the (alleged) fact that there's an unresolved lawsuit they have out against the guy, which they claim he's been ducking.
Icebox sued Soulja back in 2013 for an open tab of over $60k they say he never paid -- and now tell us they haven't been able to collect ... even all these years later. At this point, Icebox says the debt has ballooned to around $200k, and of course ... they want the money they believe is long overdue.
In other words ... Soulja getting Twitter love for seemingly being ahead of the curve doesn't do anything for their bottom line -- despite him getting his flowers by using their name.
BTW, Icebox tells us they even dispute the notion that Soulja was the first rapper they'd worked with in Atlanta ... clarifying that while he was one of the initial big artists to get them on YouTube way back when, he was far from the first MC to cop some ice there.
Icebox's message to Soulja is quite simple ... screw the street cred -- just crank that credit card, and pay us through the phone -- or however else you want, bro.
Originally Published -- 1:00 AM PT
related articles
Lucky Sea Dog Takes Ruff Boat Ride in Spain ... Rescued by Coast Guard
An out-of-control boat with a dog on board is not something any animal lover wants to see, but fortunately ... this wild story has a paws-itively happy ending.
The unmanned Zodiac boat was spotted circling in the ocean Monday, about 300 meters off the coast of Almunecar, Spain with no one at the helm except a dog. Photographer, Huw Evans, knew something was up, and captured the ordeal that unfolded.
Evans says he feared the boat's actual skipper had fallen overboard so his crew went to investigate, and that's when they noticed the poor solo doggy tied up on board.
The Coast Guard arrived soon after, and first tried to corral the boat by snagging its propeller but that didn't work. So, then someone tried to jump on board, but also failed and fell in the water.
Evans said, "It was quite a wild ride, when [the rescuer] fell off I was worried he might be hurt by the propeller but luckily it missed him." Thankfully, a much bigger Coast Guard boat showed up and managed to snag the boat.
The salty old sea dog was rescued and returned to its owner ... and the pooch now has a great story to tell its pups.
related articles
'NYPD Blue' Star Bonnie Somerville Busted For DUI
-
Exclusive
- 135 shares
Bonnie Somerville, famous for playing a detective on "NYPD Blue," had a run-in with real cops on the opposite coast ... police in L.A. say she was drunk behind the wheel.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops were getting calls around 10 PM Sunday night for a car stopped in traffic on the 405 near Inglewood, and when officers arrived, they say they found Bonnie pulled off on the right shoulder in a Mercedes-Benz.
Our sources say Bonnie told cops she simply ran out of gas, but officers say she reeked of booze and ended up bombing a field sobriety test.
We're told Bonnie, who played Det. Laura Murphy in the final season of "NYPD Blue," was cited for DUI and later released.
We reached out to Bonnie's camp ... so far no word back.
related articles
Lil Yachty My Nail Paint Ain't Just for Gals ... Let's Hear It for the Boys!!!
-
Exclusive
- 35.1K shares
Lil Yachty wants all the fellas out there to know it's okay if you wanna wear nail polish -- in fact, he's got a whole new line out just for that, and he's hoping it's a hit with the youth ... regardless of gender.
The rapper told us why he's diving into the cosmetics game with his nail paint brand called Crete, and he dropped some great nuggets about the toxic masculinity and intolerance that have shamed boys and men who rock nail polish.
When Yachty joined us on "TMZ Live," he said it's not just for girls and women now -- he expresses himself with nail paint, and his goal is to normalize it for all the guys who want to follow suit.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
While women can use his nail paints, Yachty says he actually wanted Crete to cater more to male consumers from the jump to help them feel more comfortable with the idea of painting their nails ... without having to hit a salon.
BTW, he flashes his cuticles for us here ... and yeah, it looks like he's on to a winner of an idea. He even entertains the possibility of becoming the next beauty billionaire ... a la Kylie Jenner.
Of course, sentiments on gender norms had been shifting in this direction already ... which only helps Yachty's cause. Celebs like Pete Davidson, A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles and a lot more have embraced the painted nails look
You can catch Lil Yachty's full interview Tuesday on "TMZ Live." Check your local listings.
related articles
Nick Jonas I Cracked My Rib in Bike Incident
Nick Jonas says he cracked a rib taking a spill on a bicycle, but he's on the mend.
Nick revealed the extent of his injuries Monday night on NBC's "The Voice," saying he also suffered a few other bumps and bruises, and it hurts to laugh. We're sure Blake Shelton will go easy on him, and by "easy" we mean ... not at all.
TMZ broke the story ... Nick was injured late Saturday night while filming a project, and it was serious enough that he needed medical attention at a nearby hospital.
We were told he was released and back home by Sunday, and wouldn't miss his scheduled Monday appearance on "The Voice."
Remember ... the 28-year-old actor/singer suffered a hand injury in 2018, the result of a post-show workout in Mexico. He posted a pic of that injury at the time, showing bandages and a beer.
He's playing this rib injury much closer to the vest, though. Neither Nick, nor anyone connected to him, will say exactly what he was filming when he got hurt.
While everyone's trying to keep it top secret, there is a report he and his famous brothers are shooting a competition show for NBC ... so, it's possible he was filming something for that when the injury happened.
related articles
Ryan Leaf Rx Pill Addiction Triggered At '04 Boxing Event I Was Booed & Humiliated
Ryan Leaf says his battle with prescription drugs all began back in 2004 ... when he was booed and jeered so loudly at a big boxing event, it sent him into a deep, downward spiral.
The former San Diego Chargers quarterback opened up about his struggles with addiction on Rex Chapman's "Charges with Rex Chapman" podcast this week ... explaining in detail the horrible night that hooked him on Rx pills.
Leaf says he was at a fight in Las Vegas (he claims it was a Mike Tyson tilt, though it seems he has his boxers mixed up because Tyson didn't fight in Vegas in '04) ... when the PA announcer began rattling off the list of celebs in attendance.
"They announced Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley, Dr. Dre," said Leaf, who was 27 years old at the time and had just retired from the NFL.
"The audience cheered and clapped. And, then the MC there at the MGM Grand announced my name and like the whole auditorium just booed and hissed."
Leaf continued, "My addict brain heard not only are you a terrible football player but you are an awful human being."
Ryan says that negative reception had a huge impact on him ... and when he was offered the prescription pain killer Vicodin to mix in with his booze later in the evening, he jumped at the opportunity.
And, that's when he says his fight began.
"This would be the first time I abused it and ... I didn't feel that judgment, I didn't feel that fear, I didn't feel that less than," Leaf said. "I didn't feel anything."
"I didn't feel better but it turns out I was just searching for that feeling of not feeling any of the feelings that I had been feeling for so long. I just wanted to numb out. And, that night changed."
Leaf says he went on to fight an addiction with the prescription pills for the next EIGHT years ... as he says he was "chasing that initial high from that night."
Fortunately, Leaf has since been able to get clean and sober ... and he's now devoted much of his life to offering anybody who's dealing with addiction a helping hand.
related articles
Singer Kate Bush 'Memba Her?!
English songwriter, singer and artist Kate Bush was still a teenager when she shot to fame after releasing her debut album The Kick Inside in 1978 which included some standout singles including "Wuthering Heights," "The Man With The Child In His Eyes" and "Moving."
Bush continued her music momentum with a slew of '80s albums like her 1985 record Hounds Of Love which had the break-out dance single "Running Up That Hill" and "Cloudbusting."
To date, KB has released ten studio albums and her music still finds its way to new generations of listeners, making her a cult classic in the UK and around the world.
More 'Memba Thems!
George Floyd Square Man Tries to Destroy Memorial ... Busts Out Ax, Gets Scared Off
A man full of hate tried his best to destroy the George Floyd memorial in Minneapolis, but he got scared away ... and left his ax behind.
The video tells the story ... the man drives up to the memorial site -- a block from where Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd -- at around 2 AM Sunday. As you can see ... he pulls up in his pickup truck, gets out and begins vandalizing the area by removing barricades and ripping down Black Lives Matter signs.
He continues his rampage as he moves to the square's shed, and that's when he decides to go back to his truck and retrieve an ax. Yeah, it's pretty shocking.
After taking several whacks at the structure, the man puts his ax down and some people in the area begin yelling at him to scram. He does ... but he forgets his ax.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
George Floyd Square's Instagram account has posted a reaction to the man's tirade, sharing a photo of the shed facade fully intact with the simple caption, "We fine."
We're told a police report has not yet been filed for the incident.
related articles
kendall jenner Special (Boozy) Delivery, from me!!! 818 Tequila Hits Shelves
Kendall Jenner is rolling up her sleeves to launch her tequila brand -- actually getting behind the wheel of a big ass truck with a shipment of her booze for an L.A. debut.
We got the model/booze runner rolling up to Mel & Rose Wine, Spirits and Gifts Monday in WeHo, where she was hand-delivering a load of her new 818 tequila ... which is now officially for sale to the public.
It was pretty surreal watching her pull up in the green monster of a rig branded with her 818 logo. Let's face it, you don't really see supermodels doing that everyday, but fact is ... she seemed to handle the machine pretty well, all things considered.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
KJ eventually made it inside for some photo-ops with fans and the store's owners ... but not before giving us a quick response on her fave 818 flavor.
After the hand-shaking was all done, Kendall was on her way again ... meaning, she hopped back into the driver's seat of the delivery truck -- which looks more like a food truck on a second glance -- and hit the road once more.
Of course, we had to ask a parting question about how it handles ... and she got us back with a nice, succinct reply. Clearly, Kendall knows how to manage in there. Now, make way!
related articles
Justin Hartley There's a New 'Us' ... Marries Sofia Pernas!!!
-
Breaking News
- 995 shares
Justin Hartley wasted very little time getting remarried ... he's tied the knot with Sofia Pernas less than 3 months after his divorce was finalized.
The "This is Us" star and his new bride signaled their big news Sunday night as they showed up for the MTV Movie & TV Awards ... both rocking some new jewelry on their ring fingers.
Turns out the couple recently got hitched, according to People. No word yet on exactly when they tied the knot, but there had been rumors earlier this month after they were spotted in Malibu wearing what appeared to be wedding rings with bands.
As we reported ... Justin and Sofia made their relationship publicly official on New Year's Eve with dual social media posts, but were first linked about a year ago when they were spotted smooching in L.A.
About 6 months before that, near the end of 2019, Justin abruptly filed for divorce from Chrishell Stause after 2 years of marriage. To make matters even more interesting ... Sofia's a former costar of Justin's on "The Young and the Restless," just like Chrishell was!
We broke the story ... Justin and Chrishell's divorce was finalized in February, and though she was also dating someone else for a bit -- 'DWTS' star Keo Motsepe -- they've since split.
related articles
Ariana Grande I Got Hitched this Weekend!!!
-
Exclusive
- 21.1K shares
Ariana Grande is a married woman, because TMZ has learned she tied the knot this weekend.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the wedding went down at her home in Montecito ... which you might also know as Oprah country. We're told there were less than 20 guests, including family members from both sides and the whole thing was very intimate and filled with a lot of love.
We're told there was no real "ceremony" -- she and her fiance, Dalton Gomez, said their "I dos" in an informal way. It was really just for them. It's unclear how long they planned to do it this way -- in other words, whether it was impulsive or not.
Ariana and Dalton got engaged just before Xmas and have spent a lot of time together during the pandemic. They posted lots of pics chronicling their romance, and after their engagement. Ariana's mom, Joan, gave her stamp of approval.
She said ... "I am so excited to welcome Dalton Gomez into our family! Ariana, I love you and Dalton so much!!!! Here’s to happily ever after! YAY! xoxoxo"
Dalton, a real estate agent, began dating Ariana in early 2020.
Ariana bought the house in June from Ellen DeGeneres. She plunked down $6.75 mil for the estate. A perfect place for a small wedding!
As you probably recall ... it was less than 3 years ago that Ariana and then-fiance Pete Davidson were supposed to get married. They dated for a bit in 2018, and then all of a sudden ... they were engaged.
She seemed pretty smitten over PD at the time, but in October 2018 that ended amid news that her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller died ... plus other circumstances were at play.
Ariana made it all the way down the aisle this time though ... so congrats!!!