Golden State Killer Pleading Guilty to 13 Murders ... Crimes 'Terrified' California

The man known as the Golden State Killer will finally admit to the horrific crimes he committed in the '70s and '80s ... including 13 first-degree murder charges he's facing.

Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. is appearing in a makeshift courtroom Monday -- onstage in a ballroom at Cal State Sacramento -- where he will plead guilty to the 13 counts of murder and 13 counts of kidnapping for purposes of robbery.

DeAngelo's also expected to admit guilt to 62 other rapes and abductions during the plea hearing ... crimes for which the statute of limitations expired long ago.

Sacramento County Deputy D.A. Amy Holliday says prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty and expect DeAngelo to be sentenced to life without parole.

The 74-year-old former police officer's guilty plea comes after decades of mystery over the rapes and killings at his hands, which took place between 1973 and 1986.

DeAngelo's trail of terror led to monikers like the "Visalia Ransacker," "East Area Rapist," "Original Night Stalker" and finally, the "Golden State Killer," and left "communities terrified for years" ... according to prosecutor Thien Ho at Monday's hearing.

After more than a 40-year hunt, DeAngelo was arrested on April 24, 2018 after being ID'd by crime-scene DNA.

The Golden State Killer's crimes and investigation are the subject of the new HBO documentary, "I'll Be Gone in the Dark," which highlights the late Michelle McNamara's mission to crack the case and find him

Detroit PD Chief James Craig Cops Drove Through Protesters Because ... 'They Believed They Could Be Shot At'

MOVE IT OR LOSE IT
Detroit Police Departme
UPDATE

11:14 AM PT -- Detroit Police Chief James Craig just defended the officers involved in Thursday night’s incident saying they "did the right thing" after a crowd of about 25-30 people went from agitators to violent. He did not ID the officers involved.

UPDATE

Craig said the officers heard a loud bang — after the rear window was smashed — and “in their mind, they believed they could be shot at.” Craig also said the agitators yelled obscenities at them before some hopped on the hood of the car.

UPDATE
COPS DID THE RIGHT THING
Detroit Police Department
UPDATE

Then there's this ... Craig said, “There was information that officers reported several of the protesters were armed with hammers.” Craig couldn’t point out how many protesters were allegedly armed with hammers.

UPDATE

When the police cruiser took off, Craig said it maxed out at about 25 MPH and asked reporters, “What would you have them do?” Craig, who confirmed the officers involved remain on duty, said cops are also looking for a woman on a scooter who blocked a second police cruiser and hit the driver’s side tire. The incidents remain under investigation.

OUTTA MY WAY OR ELSE
@DJEazyTwist / Twitter

Yet another video showing a police officer mowing down Black Lives Matter protesters ... this time in Detroit where the cop in his cruiser's doing exactly that.

The horrifying incident unfolded late Sunday night in Southwest Detroit where protesters were peacefully demonstrating against systemic racism. They were heading back to Patton Park, where the protest began ... but met by cops who were determined to block them.

A tense standoff between protesters and the cop in his SUV followed. You can see the officer creep up in his car with protesters standing in front of the cruiser -- then the cop FLOORS it ... mowing down protesters along the way. You see a protester clinging to the hood of the SUV as the cop takes off.

A protester who says he was hit by the cop told the Detroit Free Press the cop "ran over a couple people's arms, feet. He ran over her phone. I think I was the last person on the car. I was just holding onto the car. I could feel him speeding up and then he did one of these and he flinged me off the car."

Medics treated as many as 10 people on the scene following the incident.

The Detroit PD says it's investigating the incident. This violent clash is reminiscent of what went down in NYC earlier this month when cops were seen on video driving their cruisers into a crowd of protesters behind a barricade.

Originally published -- 6:55 AM PT

St. Louis Protest Couple Points Guns at Crowd Marching by Their Mansion

6/29/20
GUNS DRAWN
Storyful

A married couple in an upscale area of St. Louis came out of their home strapped and pointing guns at protesters ... while barefoot, mind you.

The surreal scene went down Sunday evening in the Central West End neighborhood, as a crowd was marching to the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson to demand her resignation for releasing names and addresses of citizens who want to defund the police.

The couple, attorneys Mark and Patricia McCloskey, apparently felt threatened by the protesters and stepped outside brandishing firearms -- Mark with a semi-automatic weapon and Patricia with a handgun. Seems it was a split-second decision because they didn't even put on shoes.

In the video, at least, all the peaceful protesters remained on the sidewalk and didn't appear to trespass on the McCloskey's property. However, the couple told police the protesters entered their gated community by forcing their way through a gate marked "No trespassing." It's unclear if the sidewalk is public or private.

Fortunately, the act of intimidation from the barefoot Bonnie and Clyde only led to verbal spats with some of the reported 300 protestors.

One note of irony ... Mark and Patricia are personal injury lawyers who have exclusively represented people "seriously injured or killed as the result of the negligence of others" for the past 3 decades.

Broadway Closed Through End Of Year ... See Ya In January?!?

The coronavirus pandemic is keeping the curtain closed on Broadway ... at least through the end of the year.

The Broadway League announced Monday all Broadway performances in New York City are on hold for the next 6 months and beyond due to COVID-19.

While there is no exact date for the curtain to open on Broadway, producers say they are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased to performances through Jan. 3.

The Broadway League says it's just not safe to host throngs of fans for indoor performances in the pandemic -- not to mention the cast, crew and orchestra -- so things remain in a holding pattern.

As you know ... Broadway has been shuttered since March 12, and the shutdown was previously extended through June 7 and then Sept. 6.

Now, all of 2020 is a wash for Broadway. Break a leg ... next year?!?

Colin Kaepernick Netflix Series Based on High School Years ... 'Colin in Black & White'

Colin Kaepernick's origin story is getting the Netflix treatment -- in the form of a 6-episode series based on the QB's high school years.

Netflix says the scripted drama is called "Colin In Black & White" -- which will address the issues Colin had growing up as a Black man in an adopted white family.

"Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens," Kaepernick said. "We seek to give new perspective to the differing realities that Black people face."

Netflix says 32-year-old Kaepernick is working alongside Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay on the project ... and adds the script for the show was finished last month.

"With his act of protest, Colin Kaepernick ignited a national conversation about race and justice with far-reaching consequences for football, culture and for him, personally,” DuVernay said.

"Colin’s story has much to say about identity, sports and the enduring spirit of protest and resilience. I couldn’t be happier than to tell this story with the team at Netflix."

Kaepernick famously moved to Northern California when he was 4 years old after he was adopted by a white family ... and ended up being a star athlete in his teenage years at Pitman H.S. in Turlock.

Kap went on to play QB at Univ. of Nevada ... and later became a star for the 49ers -- before ending up as one of the key faces of the fight for social justice in America.

Beyonce Michelle Obama Honors 'the Queen' ... Presents Her w/ BET Humanitarian Award

Beyonce's big night at the BET Awards included a video shout-out from Michelle Obama ... one queen to another.

The former First Lady paid tribute to the singer Sunday night while presenting her with the 2020 Humanitarian of the Year Award, in a video presentation highlighting the best of Bey ... outside of her music.

Michelle said ... "I am here today to talk about The Queen -- you know the one. Ever since she was a little girl in Houston, Beyonce Knowles Carter has been lighting up the stages and gracing the world with her talent, with her generosity of spirit, and with her love for her community."

She added ... "You can see it in everything she does. From her music that gives voice to Black joy and Black pain, to her activism that demands justice for Black Lives. And no matter how big the stages get, I know my girl isn't satisfied unless she's sharing all that shine she has with the next generation."

The video focused on Beyonce's community work and humanitarian efforts, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It also featured more shout-outs from her mom, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Tyler Perry and more.

Beyonce called her honor "beautiful" and dedicated it to "all of my brothers out there, all of my sisters out there inspiring me, marching and fighting for change."

She closed by urging people to get out and vote to "continue to work to change a racist and unequal system," adding ... "We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does."

Kim Kardashian I've Got a Billion-Dollar Brand!!! Inks New Deal with Investor

Kim Kardashian's brand was just launched into another stratosphere of riches -- hitting the billion-dollar mark ... courtesy of a new deal with a very familiar beauty investor.

Here's the scoop ... Kim's beauty business -- with a range of products from makeup to fragrances -- just received a massive influx of cash from cosmetic conglomerate Coty Inc., which forked out $200 million for a 20% stake in KKW's biz.

Do the math and it all adds up -- Coty valued Kim's co. at $1 BILLION.

We're told the deal is for a longterm strategic partnership to launch products in new beauty categories and expand across the globe from top to bottom.

Our sources say Coty act as a licensee for skin, hair, personal and nail products.

We're told Kim and her team have been hammering out the deal with Coty for months -- and don't forget, Coty is the same company that bought a huge stake in Kylie's beauty line for $600 mil.

Kim tells us, "This relationship will allow me to focus on the creative elements that I'm so passionate about while benefiting from the incredible resources of Coty, and launching my products around the world."

One big difference, though ... Kim didn't give up a majority stake, so she still runs the show when it comes to her brand.

Now, bear in mind ... Kim's beauty company was recently sued by another beauty company they've partnered with before, Seeds Beauty, which said it was worried KKW would spill their trade secrets to Coty.

While that lawsuit still has to play out in court, we're told the Coty transaction will close in the third quarter of 2021.

Bear Cub Get This Thing Off Me ... Couple Makes Jarring Rescue!!!

BEARY SCARY SITUATION
Tricia Hurt

Okay, it might not have been smarter than the average ... but this little bear was at least super lucky when it got a jar stuck on its head while swimming.

Boo Boo here's good luck started when a couple spotted it struggling on a Wisconsin lake ... paddling through the water while a plastic jar was stuck on its head. Looks like some kinda snack jar, and the bear cub easily could've drowned once enough water leaked into it.

The bear enthusiasts said they could hear Boo Boo (yeah, that's what we're calling it) "gasping for air," and sprung into action -- maneuvering their boat next to our fine furry friend.

Boo Boo didn't exactly make it easy, initially swimming away from their boat -- but you gotta see what happened once they got in position. Let's just say it ain't exactly easy to wrestle a snack jar off a bear without it clawing at you.

Thankfully, it all worked out, and Boo Boo learned a valuable lesson: Stick to picnic baskets when raiding a camp ground.

Also, this is why you shouldn't litter, humans!!!

Body Cams Interest Rising Among Law Enforcement ... In Wake of Floyd, Brooks Cases

The slayings of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks have law enforcement agencies getting proactive about recording their officers in the field by adding body cams ... TMZ has learned.

We spoke to a few of the companies supplying body cameras to law enforcement, and both tell us they've had an influx of inquiries over the past month. Nick Hamner of 10-8 Video in Tennessee, tells us his business has seen more than a 70 percent increase this month in calls from law enforcement agencies looking for specs and pricing.

Hamner says 10-8 serves mostly middle and smaller sized police and sheriff's departments ... meaning less than 200 officers. From what he's heard, he says most of them are preemptively scouting, because they're expecting body cams to be mandated ... whether it be by cities, states, or even from the feds.

Likewise, Will Walker of PatrolEyes out of Michigan -- which outfits a couple hundred U.S. police agencies, and over a dozen overseas -- tells us the recent spike in body cam interest mirrors what they got in 2014 ... after Michael Brown was fatally shot by a cop.

That rush for body cams was evident by 2016, when, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly half of all U.S. law enforcement agencies had slapped body cams on their officers and deputies.

Walker says the latest increased sales aren't just for law enforcement, though. Other customers include process servers, tow truck drivers and sometimes even parties in a bad divorce.

It should be noted -- in wake of Floyd's death and the Brooks' shooting, several police departments in the country have announced policy changes to make body cams mandatory going forward, but so far, they're only required in 2 states.

Lil Wayne 'Kobe Bryant' Tribute at BET Awards ... 'Rest In Peace'

Special moment from Lil Wayne on Sunday night -- he perfumed his 2009 track, "Kobe Bryant" ... with new lyrics to honor Mamba and Gianna.

It all went down at the BET Awards -- where Wayne debuted a new music video for the song, performing in front of the screen with Kobe's name on it.

The original lyrics already painted Kobe as a legend:

"He the greatest on the court ...
And I'm the greatest on the verse.
Goin' for the 4th ring like it was his 1st...
Gotta get the gleam. Do it for Kareem ...
2-4 so nice. My flow is so mean."

But, in the wake of recent events, Weezy updated the track to acknowledge the passing of Kobe and Gianna.

"Two fingers for the Mambacita. I’m screamin’ 'Black Mamba matters.'"

He continued ... "Heart goes out to Vanessa and the whole Black Mamba family."

"G-O-A-T like Kobe Bean, rest in power and hope for peace.”

Vanessa acknowledged it on her IG page -- calling the performance a "beautiful tribute."

Kobe, Gianna and 7 others passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26. He was 41. She was only 13.

RIP

NBA's Ja Morant I'm Sorry For 'F**k Cops' Post ... 'We NEED Good Cops'

NBA superstar Ja Morant says he went too far by reposting an anti-police statement to his social media pages ... and now, he's apologizing for it -- saying, "I know there are good cops '12' out there."

If you missed it, somebody edited Morant's Memphis Grizzlies jersey so it spelled out "F**k 12" ... and Ja reshared it on Instagram with the caption, "nah fr tho."

Morant also posted it on Twitter, writing there, "want dat on my jersey fr."

But, Ja's endorsements of the image -- which came after reports claimed the NBA is considering allowing players to replace their jersey names with messages in their return to action next month -- was met with immediate backlash.

And, just hours after he reshared the pics, he took them down and issued a mea culpa.

"I want to first apologize for reposting something that didn't clearly and accurately convey what I wanted to share," Morant said.

"My post was intended to focus on the bad cops who get away with the murder of unarmed Black men and women, and those who continue to harass peaceful BLACK LIVES MATTER protestors."

Ja continued, "I know there are good cops '12' out there. I know some, and a few are family. I am thankful to the cops at Murray State who took care of me, and the cops who continue to watch over me with the Grizzlies."

"We NEED good cops to step up and make sure others cops are not abusing their power."

In the apology, Morant went on to call for justice for Breonna Taylor, and added, "There have been too many Black lives taken by police that could have been prevented."

"You may see me as just a basketball player and I may lose fans for taking a stand, but I won't stay silent."

For their part, Ja's Grizzlies team reshared Ja's apology on their social media page as well.

Elderly Buffalo Protester $upport, Gifts Pouring In From All Over the World

Martin Gugino remains hospitalized after that violent shove to the ground from cops in Buffalo -- but at least he's getting showered with love and support.

Gugino's attorney, Kelly Zarcone, tells TMZ ... the 75-year-old has received more than 1,000 messages of support, some even handwritten and delivered by snail mail. Supporters sent gifts too ... like an autographed book from an author, an original painting and some religious jewelry. Someone also made, by hand, a prayer blanket, which we're told is on its way to the hospital.

It's unclear how much Martin will rack up in hospital bills but no doubt it'll be substantial -- he's been in since June 4. Initially, Kelly says Martin didn't authorize any GoFundMe accounts, but Martin's changed his tune since then because Kelly says he now realizes he'll need all the help he can get to cover his medical and recovery costs.

There are now TWO official GoFundMe accounts to help Martin cover his medical expenses -- and, so far, they've amassed $80k in donations.

6/4/2020
"HE'S BLEEDING OUT OF HIS EARS!!!"
@mikedesmondWBFO

We're told Martin's reading all the comments on the GoFundMe accounts -- as well as the letters and emails -- which have been very comforting while he continues to recover in the hospital's rehab wing.

As we reported ... he fractured his skull and bled after he was shoved by cops, who were ultimately suspended. That suspension triggered 57 officers resigning from the Emergency Response Team.

The support, of course, is a stark contrast to the death threats Martin received just a little over a week ago. As we reported ... the barrage of threats left Martin feeling unsafe about going home, once he's healthy.

Model Emily Sears Brain Surgery's a Success!!! On the Road to Recovery

Emily Sears -- a model known for starring in some saucy Carl's Jr. ads -- is recovering from successful brain surgery ... and looking forward to getting her life back after a major health scare.

Emily tells TMZ ... she underwent a craniotomy last week in order for surgeons to remove a cavernoma, a cluster of abnormal blood vessels that was irritating her brain tissue and causing seizures.

The model says she was in a store in L.A. back in April 2019 when she had her first seizure and collapsed, which led to her diagnosis.

Despite trying several medications to deal with the issue, she had at least 5 more seizures before suffering a bad fall near the end of the year ... which is when she decided to schedule brain surgery to remove the cluster.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic delayed her procedure, but she was finally able to have it done last week ... and it was an extremely intricate process.

We're told, Emily's surgery took more than 5 hours because the cavernoma was against the speech area of her brain ... so doctors had to wake her up in the middle of it to test her speech with flashcards, to make sure they didn't remove any vital tissue.

Whoa.

Thankfully, Emily says the surgery was a success -- the whole cluster was removed -- and she's happy and healing and eager to return to normal living.

Get well soon!

'Right Thurr' Rapper Chingy 'Memba Him?!

St. Louis lyricist Chingy (real name Howard Bailey Jr.) shot to fame after his debut single "Right Thurr" took to the airwaves and became the party anthem of the 2003 summer and set the stage for his first album, Jackpot.

Jackpot hosted other rap classics like "Holidae In," "One Call Away" and "Gettin' It" ... but the bonus remix of "Right Thurr" featuring Jermaine Dupri and Trina was the albums other epic track.

Since Jackpot, Chingy has released a handful of awesome rap albums but none have had the same pop success.

Guess what he looks like now at 40 years old!

Aurora PD Boots, Sprays Peaceful Protesters At Violin Vigil for Elijah McClain

6/27/20
DISTURBING THE PEACE
@jessiedesigngal / Twitter

Cops in Aurora, CO came in like a military unit to forcibly remove -- not to mention pepper spray -- peaceful protesters who were watching a violin performance to honor Elijah McClain.

This went down Saturday in City Center Park, where a musical vigil had been planned to pay respects to Elijah -- who died while in custody of Aurora PD last year -- which was incredibly symbolic, seeing how Elijah played violin himself. At one point, the police had seen enough.

In the video, captured by a vigilant bystander, you can see the jarring juxtaposition play out live on camera. At first, you hear the violinists -- some of whom are said to have been underage -- beautifully playing in unison, and the next minute ... cops are storming the place.

The woman recording can be heard -- along with others -- openly yelling "No!" at what's about to happen next ... forcible removal and literally pushing the protesters out of the park, while shutting down the performance. Pepper spray started getting dispersed at one point too.

A reporter on the ground captured an even more surreal moment ... as cops were literally pushing up against protesters, a violinist on stage started playing soothing melodies.

The protesters stood their ground as long as they could -- several even formed a human barrier around the violinists to protect them from the police. Communal chants also erupted ...  with phrases like, "Why are you in riot gear? I don't see no riot here!"

Eventually, the protesters were forced to the parking lot ... but they didn't let that ruin the get-together. Some violinists followed along and continued on the pavement. The protesters even broke out in song, singing "Lean On Me" ... in what proved to be a powerful statement in response to the brutality they'd just gone through, for no reason at all.

If you're wondering what Aurora PD had to say about this, they claimed the crowd was getting unruly and some were even arming themselves and hurling projectiles at the squad. In the end ... the police say only 3 people were arrested for violating lawful orders after warnings were given.

It's unclear why cops just didn't stand back ... this was almost entirely a peaceful protest and especially given what police did to Elijah, they could have just watched from a distance.

Cam Newton Signs One-Year Deal W/ Patriots ... To Compete for Top QB Spot

Cam Newton is getting a new lease on football life -- for at least a season, anyway -- 'cause the New England Patriots have signed the veteran quarterback to a deal.

The ex-Carolina Panthers star -- who took his team to the Super Bowl in 2015 -- has agreed to a one-year contract with the team, which is said to be incentive-based ... so not a whole lot of money upfront. Definitely a ton of opportunity though for the former starter, especially if he performs well. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says the contract is worth up to $7.5 mil if he hits all his bonuses.

Cam will presumably get some decent playing time and the chance to become the first-string QB for the Pats -- seeing how they got a relatively new guy in Jarrett Stidham in that spot right now ... this, of course, after Tom left the team this past off-season to head to Tampa.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Long story short ... the top spot is kinda up for grabs in New England, and if Cam can prove he's capable of performing again at a high level, he may very well fill in as the team's new franchise quarterback. Granted, he's had an up and down trajectory since his SB year -- mostly due to injuries. That said, we've all seen what Cam can do when he's healthy ... the guy was the league's MVP in 2015.

The bright side ... the dude looks like he's been staying in great shape, as he's been posting a ton of workout videos lately after being released by the Panthers. Seems like he's ready to step in and play -- and it would appear Kraft, Belichick and co. agreed.

Do we hear a new era coming in the distance? Perhaps ... perhaps.

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