Fatal Police Confrontation Cop Shoots, Kills Hispanic Man in Texas

SHOT POINT-BLANK
TMZ.com

There was another fatal police shooting of another person of color ... this time in Cypress, Texas.

This video, which has not been seen and was shot March 17, picks up near a gas station, as 3 cops hover over a Hispanic man they are trying to subdue. One of the officers has a Taser in hand, as the man on the ground struggles and kicks, eventually pushing himself up from the ground. It sounds like the cop tased the man.

Then, suddenly, the same cop holsters his Taser, draws his gun and shoots the man repeatedly in the back. The man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Dept. their deputies responded to a call about a knife-wielding man who was bloodied. The Dept. says the man fought deputies as they tried detaining him.

The deputies attempted CPR at the scene before EMS showed up.

The Homicide Unit of the Harris County Sheriff's Office, as well as the Internal Affairs division, is investigating.

Pharrell & Grutman Launch Goodtime Hotel ... Stars Flock for the occasion

Pharrell Williams now has his very own hotel where you let the good times roll -- and that's exactly what Hollywood's finest flew out to do ... with some of the biggest names in tow.

The singer/producer was on hand Friday in Miami with his biz partner, David Grutman, for the launch of their joint venture ... a little place they call the Goodtime Hotel, which is right by the beach.

It's been a long time in the making, but it officially opened for the weekend -- and not a moment too soon either ... Florida was already pretty open, but the flood gates for normalcy are just about at full capacity lately, and you could tell by the atmosphere.

Folks were out and about partying it up for the celebration ... including some major A-listers, like Kim K, Chris Rock, Vanessa Hudgens, Rick Ross, Bad Bunny, Cuba Gooding Jr., Maluma, Victoria Beckham and more.

Speaking of VB, word is the hotel launch was actually meant to be in conjunction with David Beckham's season opener for his Inter Miami CF pro soccer team. He's pretty tight with Grutman and co., so they threw down in honor of both momentous milestones.

It's been a while since we've seen so many stars come together like this -- of course, the vaccine rollout is in full flux ... so we might have to get used to this sorta sight again.

As for Pharrell and Grutman, it looks like they're rolling in it ... or at least are about to be, anyway. Congrats!

Peloton Treadmill Deemed Dangerous by U.S. Regulator ... Keep Kids & Pets Away!!!

Peloton's state-of-the-art treadmill is dangerous for kids and pets, and folks should refrain from using it immediately -- so says a U.S. regulator, who's got video evidence of the perils.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission -- formed in the '70s to help American consumers know which products can cause harm -- has come out strongly against Peloton and its Tread+ machine ... telling people with vulnerable loved ones to stop using it.

The agency says in light of a recent child death and "dozens" of reported instances of small children and pets getting sucked under the back roller of the conveyer belt -- and getting seriously injured in the process -- they're advising the Tread+ get temporarily unplugged.

The CPSC says it's aware of at least 39 injuries and one death related to the Tread+, and even says leaving the machine turned off can still pose a risk if the turn-on key is still accessible. They attached a graphic video that shows a toddler being pinned under the roller as it's in use by his older sister, who walks away ... with the kid left unattended.

We must warn you ... this is difficult to watch, but fortunately, the child appears to get himself out of the Peloton's clutches and gets up afterward. CPSC says this is just one example of the danger.

As for Peloton, they're playing down the CPSC's report ... calling it "inaccurate and misleading." They add, "The Tread+ is safe for Members to use in their homes and comes with safety instructions and warnings to ensure its safe use. Like all motorized exercise equipment, the Tread+ can pose hazards if the warnings and safety instructions are not followed. The Tread+ is not for children under 16. Peloton warns Members not to let children use the Tread+ and to keep children, pets, and objects away from the Tread+ at all times."

The CPSC notes that even when an adult is present, accidents still happen. Sounds like anything short of keeping the little ones completely clear of the machine is a gamble ... so the CPSC, for now, is telling folks who are parents of any kind to hold off for a bit.

Omaha, NE Westroads Mall Cops Respond to Reported Shooting ... One Person Left Dead

UPDATE

2:50 PM PT -- Omaha PD says the man who was transported with critical injuries has died, and that a woman later arrived at the hospital with gunshot injuries which she sustained during the shooting at Westroads. Police note this appears to be an isolated incident and not a random attack -- the two suspects are still at large, having fled the scene after shots were fired.

A massive police presence has converged on a mall in Omaha, Nebraska -- where another shooting just took place.

The details are scarce at this point, but one thing is clear ... Omaha PD is telling the public to steer clear of the Westroads Mall, where a legion of police cruisers and ambulances have arrived. OPD says there are 2 suspects at large, and that cops are doing a sweep of the facility out of precaution. So far, one person has been transported in critical condition.

Word of the shooting first started percolating on Twitter, where a local reporter said she saw people running for their lives ... but stopped short of saying she heard any shots herself. Another person confirmed people were barreling out of the mall, but with no obvious signs of a shooting just yet. Still, it's clear that one did, in fact, occur.

The mere fact officers were loading up semi-automatics in tactical gear and preparing for some type of gunfight indicates this might have been an active shooter situation at one point.

There has been a slew of shootings recently since restrictions have eased over the pandemic.

We're trying to get more details on what led up to the latest incident -- but haven't been able to get through to anyone. OPD says a press release will be sent out soon detailing the narrative.

Originally Published -- 11:28 AM PT

Prince Philip's Funeral Queen Elizabeth & Royals Say Farewell ... All Eyes on Grandsons

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and late husband of Queen Elizabeth II, is being laid to rest in an emotional farewell, with clear signs of Royal Family tension.

The ceremony was held against the backdrop of a bright and early Saturday morning across the pond at Windsor Castle ... where Philip's life, service and loyalty to the Queen is being celebrated. As expected, Harry and William were separated as they walked into the church.

QE2's husband of 73 years has been lying in repose at the castle's private chapel -- and today his coffin will be transported to St. George’s Chapel, where he'll be laid to rest in the Royal Vault.

4/17/21
HONORING PRINCE PHILIP

The coffin was flanked by 9 members of the Royal family, including his grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry.

Of course, all eyes were on Harry to see how he interacted with his brother, his father, Prince Charles, and others because this is their first public interaction since Harry and Meghan Markle's Oprah interview ... where they accused members of the Royal family of racism.

After the ceremony, the brothers were spotted chatting and walking around the grounds of Windsor Castle.

While Harry flew in from California for the ceremony, Meghan did not get medical clearance to travel as she's pregnant with their second child.

As for Prince Philip, his coffin will be loaded into the back of a Land Rover he himself customized into a hearse, and the procession will pass by roads lined with military personnel saluting his naval service.

Only 30 family members will enter St. George's Chapel -- due to COVID restrictions -- for the roughly 50-minute service. The Duke's medals, awards and decorations will be displayed on the altar as his family and royal subjects bid him a final farewell.

Britney Spears Hell Yeah I'm OK!!!

4/16/21
I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY

Britney Spears may have just sent the #FreeBritney movement a message ... LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

Brit did a little Q&A on her Insta Friday, and the headline was surely assuring everyone she's OK ... and not just OK, but "extremely happy."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The 39-year-old singer, who's been under a conservatorship for 13+ years, seemed chill. Many fans tried decoding her penchant for red -- i.e., her red fridge -- thinking it might be a code red of sorts pleading for help. But, in a Freudian-like way, Brit said sometimes a red fridge is just a red fridge.

BRITNEY OUT AND ABOUT
BACKGRID

Britney says she's taking a break to enjoy herself, and there was rare, public evidence of that this week when she hit up the Malibu Country Mart for a little shopping.

Britney has said she didn't like the 'Framing Britney Spears' documentary, although she added she only saw bits and pieces of it.

Bottom line ... this video's not gonna change anything, and you can bet on that.

'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond Nephew Caleb Arrested for DUI ... Month After Scary Crash

'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond's nephew, Caleb, was arrested for DUI just over a month after he was involved in a scary wreck that could've claimed his life ... TMZ has learned.

According to arrest records out of Osage County, OK ... the 21-year-old was booked for DUI early Saturday morning. No word on whether he's still in custody at this point, but Caleb posed for this mug shot on his way in ... there's no question it's Ree's flesh and blood.

The exact circumstances of his arrest haven't been released, but there are other charges he got rung up on ... including transporting an open container (beer) and carrying firearms while under the influence.

Caleb's arrest comes a little more than a month after he and his uncle -- Ree's husband, Ladd -- collided head-first in two different fire trucks they were both operating, respectively. The family was battling a raging fire on their Oklahoma ranch when the two rigs crashed.

We were told at the time Caleb wasn't wearing a seatbelt ... and he was flung from the vehicle, about 70 feet or so. He and his uncle were both hospitalized, but were eventually released and seem to have been on the mend.

Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Post.

Ree herself gave an encouraging update on March 15, saying that they were indeed injured, but "fixable" in an update post on her famous blog. She also posted photos of the actual fire rigs in question -- which are way older than modern-day trucks, BTW -- and it loos like the impact was immense.

We've reached out to the Osage County Sheriff's Office for more details on Caleb's suspected DUI ... so far, no word back.

Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo Violent Clashes in Chicago, NYC, Minneapolis

There were massive demonstrations in various cities Friday night to protest the deaths of Adam Toledo and Daunte Wright.

Protesters clashed with police in Chicago, where Toledo, and Minneapolis, where Wright was killed. The protests started out peaceful but things went south quickly.

There were numerous injuries and arrests in both cities.

This is the 6th day of protests in Minneapolis, as a possible verdict looms in the Derek Chauvin case. The jury will hear closing arguments Monday, and then they will begin deliberating.

There were also protests in New York City and clashes between Black Lives Matter demonstrators and police near the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. There were some arrests here as well.

Bill Maher, Sharon Osbourne 'The Talk' Suppresses Free Talk

THEIR WAY OR THE HIGHWAY
Real Time with Bill Maher/HBO

Bill Maher told Sharon Osbourne Friday night ... it's ironic her show is called "The Talk" ... because talking can get you canned.

Sharon was Bill's guest on 'Real Time' and he, more than she, trashed people on the show who suggested Sharon was racist for siding with Piers Morgan, who took aim at Meghan Markle and accused her of lying in the Oprah interview.

3/10/21
STANDING GROUND
CBS

Maher's take ... you have to agree with what Meghan said or you're a racist.

Again, Bill was more agitated than Sharon, as he mocked her former talkers who suggested, by siding with Piers, Sharon was denying Meghan her voice. Bill said that was just plain stupid on its face.

As you know ... Sharon and Sheryl Underwood got into it on the show, and Sharon never came back.

Taylor Swift I Just Beat The Beatles!!!

Taylor Swift has a message for the most popular group in music history ... roll over, Beatles!!!

Taylor has topped the Fab Four by making chart history with the re-release of "Fearless." Here's the chart history part ... the album hit #1 Friday in the UK, and with that Taylor has racked up 3, number-1 albums in 259 days. The albums ... "Fearless," "Folklore" and "Evermore." The Beatles hit #1 with 3 albums in a row, but it took them 364 days.

Mind you ... this was not a fleeting record. The Beatles were top of the heap with this record for 54 years! Many have tried, but none of them succeeded, until T.S.

Taylor thanked her fans on Twitter for the honor, which, BTW, is awesome.

Taylor's "Fearless" was first released in 2008 and became a huge success thanks to "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me."

Taylor's re-record is her way of re-capturing her music ... the rights to which she gave away when she was very young. The reclaim has, by all measures, worked super well for her.

What's The Big Frigin' Difference?

Don’t let these two almost identical images of Howie Mandel have you starting to feel confused … search around these two photos and try to find what sneaky switches have been made to trick ya!

The "America’s Got Talent" judge was recently seen out and about showing off one of his famous fits … and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Take a really good look around both the photos here and see if you have what it takes to find the differences between these two super similar snaps!

**HINT — There are THREE differences in the above photographs!**

Colton Underwood Let's Stop with Dating Talk ... I'm Not Even Starting!!!

Colton Underwood's gay and single, but apparently not ready to mingle ... TMZ's learned dating is not even on his radar after coming out.

Sources close to the former 'Bachelor' star tell us ... Colton isn't dating anyone now and wasn't dating anyone before he made his big announcement this week on "GMA."

ACCEPTING MYSELF
ABC

Our sources say shortly after Colton came out publicly to Robin Roberts, he left NYC and is back home with his family in Denver to hang out.

Of course, as we first told you, there's also a film crew in tow ... as Colton's new journey as a gay man is being documented for an upcoming reality series on Netflix.

Colton's dating life is an interesting topic because his coming out sparked talks among 'Bachelor' producers about having a gay season of the show, and obviously his name came up as a likely candidate.

We know he's got the 'Bachelor' experience ... but it seems he's in no hurry to date at all, let alone speed-date.

Sandra Oh My Jewelry's Gone M.I.A.!!! JK and Major Oops

Sandra Oh returned home to discover some valuable jewelry had gone missing, and did exactly what you should do -- report it to cops, but then she had a stroke of ... let's call it luck.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Killing Eve" star called the LAPD Wednesday night to report her valuable bling was gone after she'd been away from her L.A.-area house for a few months.

We're told police responded and did some investigating. They didn't find any signs of forced entry, but did learn people had been let in and out of Sandra's pad while she was away. 🤔

Our sources say a grand theft report was taken with the estimated value of the loss being more than $150,000.

However, the very next day ... we're told Sandra called the cops back and told them her missing jewelry had shown up in the house. It's unclear if it was somehow returned, or if it never left the house, and was simply found.

Either way, it's great news for Sandra ... and the cops. The case is now closed.

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

Derek Chauvin could learn his fate next week, and the fate of J Lo and A-Rod is now sealed. So, we gotta ask ...

Derek Chauvin ...

Daunte Wright Killing

Who Ended It???

Most Eligible Bachelorette ...

Colton Underwood Coming Out ...

I'd Watch 'Gay Bachelor' ...

Kanye's Gap Collection

Prince Harry Will Mend Royal Fences ...

I'll Go Back To Movie Theaters ...

Stone Cold Steve Austin Sells Stunner L.A. Crib

Stone Cold Steve Austin can let out a big ole "Hell Yeah!" after parting ways with his stunning Marina del Rey home.

The WWE legend unloaded his 4-bedroom home for a cool $3,395,000 and the new homeowners are in for a treat. Stone Cold's place is 3,000 square feet of pure bliss ... it's decked out with a sparkling pool, hot tub and a sprawling yard ... perfect for some backyard wrestling.

Steve remodeled the place a few years back, sprucing up the kitchen with Viking appliances, Waterstone fixtures and countertops made from Ceasarstone and quartzite.

There's a double-sided fireplace in the living room, and the master bedroom comes with a powder room and a soaking tub.

Stone Cold's old stomping grounds are ready for the work-from-home life too ... the place has a spacious office accessed by big, barn doors.

Denise Fast of RE/MAX Estate Properties held the listing and Bob Safai and Brian Lane of Madison Residential repped the buyer.

Old news is old news!
Be First!

Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser!