Arrests

12:30 PM PT -- Sources connected to the investigation tell TMZ Sports ... when cops responded to the club for a possible shooting, they ordered everyone to get down and not move so they could properly search and investigate.

We're told Bennett did not stay put -- instead, he ran -- and a cop outside the club stopped him and ordered him down to the ground at gunpoint.

Our sources say Bennett was detained until cops could determine he was not involved in any possible criminal activity ... and he was released.

TMZ Sports has obtained video of NFL superstar Michael Bennett being handcuffed by police while lying face down on the concrete in Las Vegas ... and you can hear him screaming that he's innocent.

The video was shot outside Drai's Nightclub on August 26 -- you can see one officer take position on a balcony while another cop handcuffs Bennett on the street level.

During the incident Bennett screams out, "I wasn't doing nothing man! I was here with my friends! They told us to get out, everybody ran!"

Bennett claims the officer had pulled a gun on him and threatened to "blow my f*cking head off" -- but you don't see that in our footage. At the time the video begins, Bennett is already being cuffed.

You can see the officer on the balcony is clutching something in his hand that resembles a handgun -- but it's unclear.

Bennett has said in a statement that he -- and several hundred other people -- were running from the club after hearing what they thought were gunshots. He claims cops stopped him for "being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time."

We've reached out to the Las Vegas Metro PD for comment -- we're told they're investigating the incident.

Craig Carton -- co-host of the popular 'Boomer and Carton' sports talk show on WFAN -- was arrested by FBI agents at his home in Manhattan on suspicion of running a concert ticket scheme.

We're told the alleged scheme looks like this ... Carton and a partner claimed to have been operating a ticket business that promised blocks of tickets to big concerts. Problem is, it was all a lie (allegedly) -- they never had the tickets.

Carton is suspected of defrauding investors out of more than $2 million.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of NY tells TMZ Sports Carton is facing securities and wire fraud charges and he's due in court later Wednesday.

"Ink Masters" star Chris Blinston allegedly used both hands to choke his 13-year-old daughter so hard he squeezed off her airway ... leaving her terrified and gasping for air.

Blinston's daughter told a therapist Blinston choked her Tuesday following an argument at his house during a custody visit. She told the therapist her dad strangled her twice Tuesday and that triggered a police investigation.

According to the police report -- obtained by TMZ -- the daughter says Blinston grabbed her around the neck and squeezed off her airway and was unable to breathe for 10 seconds. When he finally let go, she told him, "You just choked me, after everything that's gone on the past two days, you're choking me!"

According to the report, Blinston grew furious and again grabbed her by the neck and this time cut off her airway for another 6 to 7 seconds. The report also says Blinston called her cruel names -- including "mental skank." He allegedly told her if she told anyone about the incident there would be hell to pay.

When cops interviewed the girl they noticed marks on her neck, consistent with strangulation. The report noted that she's 5-foot-1, 110 pounds and Blinston is 5-11, 220 pounds.

Blinston was arrested on charges of felony domestic battery by strangulation. He was released from jail Friday after posting $6,000 bond.

Chris wholly denies all of the allegations, and says he looks forward to a full exoneration and intends to reconcile with his daughter.

The DEA nixed a happy ending for 5 people busted for pushing candles ... shaped like penises and made outta meth.

The federal agency tells TMZ ... 4 men and 1 woman were arrested last week in New Jersey for trafficking and conspiring to distribute more than1,300 pounds of wax candles laced with meth. TMZ obtained photos of the haul which show the knickknacks could totally double as dildos.

Agents grabbed 27 boxes in all. We're told the DEA got a whiff of the plan when one of the suspects drove an undercover agent to the warehouse where they planned to store and convert the candles to crystal meth. The DEA, along with the NYPD and Homeland Security, swooped in to make the arrests.

Each suspect faces 10 years to life in prison.

Nipsey Hussle spent the night in jail simply because he left his ride in a disabled parking spot -- well, that and his outstanding warrants ... TMZ has learned.

LAPD busted the rapper around 9 PM Monday when officers spotted his car illegally parked -- Nipsey doesn't have a disabled placard -- and when they ran the plates, discovered he had warrants for previous traffic violations.

Nipsey clearly ain't sweating the arrest. He was back in the studio at 5 AM Tuesday after bailing out on "some bulls**t" ... as he put it.

"Pretty Little Liars" star Brandon Jones will be doing some jail time after all in his gun case, but it won't be for nearly as long as it could've been ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. County DA tells TMZ Brandon pled no contest Monday to one count of misdemeanor assault with a firearm in his gun case from last year and was sentenced to 180 days in jail.

We broke the story ... Brandon was originally facing 5 and a half years in prison for allegedly pulling a gun on a neighbor during an argument he got into with the guy.

Brandon was also sentenced to 3 years probation, 30 days of community labor and 26 anger management classes in the plea deal.

Not even Andrew got it this bad on the show.

"Teen Mom 3" star Briana DeJesus' baby daddy let a little thing like a weed citation snowball into a warrant for his arrest ... all 'cause he never showed up in court.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Devoin Austin was arrested Friday in Orange County, FL on an arrest warrant that was issued way back in August 2016.

The warrant stems from a traffic stop when cops cited Devoin for possession of weed and drug paraphernalia. He was supposed to be arraigned a month later, but never appeared -- hence, the warrant.

He could've gotten up to a year in jail or $1,000 fine for the original misdemeanor.

Loredana Nesci's boyfriend has been found guilty of murdering the lawyer-turned-reality star ... this after she was found stabbed to death in her home 2 years ago.

A jury found 53-year-old Robert Brian Reagan guilty Friday of second-degree murder after he was arrested in connection to her death in 2015, when she was found dead at their home in Redondo Beach. They spent about a week deliberating after a 2 week trial.

The couple had gotten into a domestic dispute, which led to her being stabbed to death with a hunting knife.

Reagan claimed her death was an accident. During the trial, Reagan's defense team argued she'd impaled herself on the knife after the couple had gotten into a physical struggle. The prosecution said he did it purposely to avoid a custody battle over their 5-year-old son.

Nesci was the star of her own show on Sundance TV, "Loredana, Esq." ... which ran for a season back in 2014. Nesci had represented a lot of celebrity clients, including wrestling legend Scott Hall.

She was 47.

RIP

Christopher Cantwell, the guy featured in the Vice doc about the Charlottesville rally, posed for his pic at the cop shop.

A stone-faced Cantwell glared into the camera Wednesday after turning himself in. He was booked for malicious release of dangerous gas causing injury, assault using acid and unlawful release of a dangerous gas causing injury.

Cantwell was a focal point of the documentary, and you see him clear as day pepper spray a counter-protester at the demonstration that turned violent and deadly.

White supremacist and one of the organizers of the Charlottesville Riots Chris Cantwell has turned himself in to police.

Cantwell turned himself in Wednesday after the University of Virginia Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest earlier in the week. The warrants were for two counts of illegal use of tear gas and one count of malicious bodily injury with a caustic substance.

Cantwell was profiled in a piece by Vice about the August 11 riots that took the life of Heather Heyer, who was hit by a car driven through a crowd by 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr.

Cantwell is currently being held in Lynchburg, VA and awaiting transport to Charlottesville.

The woman wanted by cops for allegedly being an accessory to rape involving Mystikal says she can prove the alleged victim wasn't sexually assaulted by the rapper.

Tenichia Wafford is wanted because cops say she tried to strong-arm the alleged victim into dropping charges that Mystikal and another man raped her in October of last year in Louisiana.

Tenichia admits she called the woman, but only because they were friends, and that's when the alleged victim told her there was no rape. It's unclear if Tenichia is saying the alleged victim stated there was sexual contact with consent or no sexual contact at all. Tenichia says she recorded her conversation with the alleged victim.

Tenichia is still on the run. It's unclear why she doesn't go to the cops and try and explain things.

Mystikal has been arrested and charged with raping a woman in Louisiana.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the rapper turned himself in Monday to the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Department, and he was arrested and booked for first degree rape.

Shreveport PD put out the arrest warrant last week, but they hadn't been able to track him down until now. According to cops, another man, Averweone Holman, was also charged in connection with the crime.

We're told the charges stem from a 2016 incident involving a woman at a casino where Mystikal was performing ... but the details are scarce for now.

A member from Mystikal's camp tells us the charges are completely bogus, and he plans to plead not guilty.

Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has Sean Smith's back -- sorta.

Del Rio was asked about Smith's arrest over an alleged July 4 beatdown of his sister's boyfriend and produced a possible defense for the cornerback.

"He was defending his sister," Del Rio told SFGate.com ... "Obviously, things occurred that were taken issue with, so he’s having to defend himself right now.”

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Smith -- who signed a $40 MILLION contract last year -- was arrested for felony battery in Pasadena after cops said he beat and stomped the man so badly he was hospitalized in critical condition.

Smith's lawyer says his client is innocent and will fight the charges -- but Del Rio's comments essentially confirm he did get physical with the other man. So, the "It Wasn't Me" defense is out the window.

But even if Smith was "defending his sister" -- the law only affords someone the right to use "reasonable force" to stop an imminent attack.

Based on the injuries the man suffered -- multiple broken bones, unconscious when police arrived, critical condition -- it sounds like officials believe Smith exceeded that standard.

Oakland Raiders cornerback Sean Smith allegedly beat his sister's boyfriend so badly during a July 4 attack, the guy was hospitalized in critical condition with multiple broken bones in his face, TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement tells us ... officers responded to calls of an unconscious male on the streets of Pasadena and when help arrived they found him bloody and beaten on the sidewalk.

We're told it was obvious the man had multiple facial fractures.

Cops previously said Smith beat the man and then stomped his head.

Investigators spoke with multiple witnesses -- and fingered Smith as the assailant.

Smith -- who signed a 4-year, $38 million contract in 2016 -- was arrested for felony assault. He posted $80,000 bond and is due back in court to be arraigned in September.

For his part, Smith has denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to fight the case.

The NFL has launched its own investigation into the incident.

9:02 PM PT -- Meek has been officially arrested and charged with reckless endangerment.

He was picked up by NYPD at 10:16 PM Thursday after a 911 call was made on Wednesday by witnesses who saw a group of people popping wheelies and riding dangerously down the street. Law enforcement turned to social media and were able to identify Meek, who was riding without a helmet. NYPD then took him into custody.

Meek Mill is currently in police custody after law enforcement sources tell us he drove a motorcycle recklessly through the streets of NYC.

Sources tell us Meek is being held for questioning in an Upper Manhattan Precinct after being taken in for the alleged stunt.

We're told at this time the rapper has not been arrested and booked ... but our law enforcement sources say that's imminent.

According to several of Meek's fans, his initial confrontation with police was documented on his Instagram's live stream.

Story developing ...

10:30 AM PT -- Randolph allegedly had roughly 2 POUNDS of weed on him at the time of the arrest. We're told the weed was in a "large backpack."

That's a lot of weed.

8:02 AM PT -- TMZ Sports shot Randolph leaving jail moments ago ... with a big smile on his face!

Randolph didn't seem concerned one bit and casually walked to a waiting ride.

NBA star Zach Randolph was arrested in L.A. on Wednesday night -- igniting a crazy disturbance that required cops to call in the cavalry for backup, TMZ Sports has learned.

LAPD officers were called to the Nickerson Gardens area in L.A. around 10 PM -- and when they arrived, cops found a large crowd of people smoking, playing loud music and blocking the roadway.

Law enforcement sources tell us 3 people were seen grabbing their waistbands and running -- so cops went after them.

Three people were detained -- including Randolph, who was eventually arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell, A FELONY. We're told the "intent to sell" part was due to the large amount of weed found.

Another man who was arrested was an ex-con in possession of a gun, law enforcement sources say.

After the arrests, we're told things got crazy -- the crowd became unruly and LAPD had to call for backup.

We're told 6 cop cars were vandalized -- tires slashed and windows busted -- and cops formed a battle line to restore order.

In the end, cops recovered 2 guns, drugs, a significant amount of cash and 2 vehicles were impounded -- though it's unclear if any of those things belonged to Randolph.

Randolph is listed at 6'9", 260 on his booking sheet, which also says bail was set at $20,000.

FYI, Randolph spent years with the Memphis Grizzlies before signing a brand new 2-year, $24 million contract with the Sacramento Kings.

We've reached out to Zach's rep for comment -- so far, no word back.

Story developing ...