CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

Cops in Washington D.C. pulled two people out of a van that was tagged with Black Lives Matter signage ... and the encounter was caught on camera.

The wild scene was captured by a journalist on the ground Saturday night, and it shows officers in riot gear forming a wall with shields and batons out ... while chanting "move back." It's pretty eerie, almost like twisted, futuristic Orwellian dystopia playing out in real life.

Anyway, the officers quickly come upon a white van that's been spray-painted with 'BLM' lettering all over -- which is just sitting there in the middle of the road. The cops tell the driver and his passenger to get out, but they refuse ... so they rip them out by force.

It sounds like police even break their windows to get them out, and you hear screaming in the background. The person filming appears to have gotten injured during the chaos. The reporter also says the two people in the van were arrested.

Josh Groban can breathe a sigh of relief for the next 5 years ... 'cause that's how long his restraining order against an obsessed fan will last.

The actor/singer had previously gotten a temporary restraining order, but according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge has now granted him a permanent order against an obsessive female fan named Shawna Marie Laing. The restraining order will last until August 27, 2025.

TMZ broke the story ... Groban beelined it to court back in June to get a restraining order against Laing, who had allegedly been sexually harassing and threatening the singer since he canceled a date with her nearly a decade ago.

As we reported ... Laing was allegedly drowning him with texts, emails and direct messages since 2011. He also claimed she contacted his family members and his current girlfriend in recent years.

Groban says some of the messages -- as recent as May -- were very sexual and graphic in nature, including one that read ... "I came at approximately 7:09 PM this evening with the thought of your d*** between my t*** and your warmness against my ribcage." That was just the tip of the iceberg.

Leonard Cohen's legendary song "Hallelujah" was not approved to be used at the Republican National Convention -- though it was, twice -- and now the late singer-songwriter's team is speaking out ... and threatening legal action.

Reps for both Cohen's estate and the publishing company say they rejected requests by the GOP to play or perform his song at the RNC, but President Trump's party ignored this and did it anyway.

Cohen estate’s lawyer, Michelle L. Rice, says they were surprised and dismayed the song was used at the RNC despite their declination, and described the move as a "brazen attempt to politicize and exploit" one of his most famous songs.

Rice also got a dig in at Trump, adding ... "Had the RNC requested another song, 'You Want it Darker,' for which Leonard won a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have considered approval of that song." She says the estate is now exploring legal options.

Likewise, Cohen's publishing company, Sony/ATV Music, also claims it was contacted about using "Hallelujah" on the eve of the RNC's final night, and said no, but they were ignored.

ICYMI ... a version of "Hallelujah" by Tori Kelly was played during the fireworks following Trump's Thursday night speech, and was then performed live in an operatic rendition by Christopher Macchio.

Remember, it was earlier this month when Neil Young sued the Trump campaign for using his songs "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk" before rallies, after previously warning him not to.

R. Kelly got a taste of jailhouse justice -- a frustrated inmate went on the attack and jumped Kelly in his cell ... TMZ has learned.

Federal law enforcement sources with direct knowledge tell us the incident recently went down inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago where Kelly was sitting on his bed when another inmate walked in his cell and started punching the crap out of Kelly.

Our sources say the inmate went on the attack because he was angry about the detention facility being placed on lock down a couple of times largely due to Kelly protesters outside the jail.

We're told the fight didn't last long, and it's unclear if another inmate or guards broke it up. Our sources say Kelly was examined by a doctor, who determined the singer was okay ... no broken bones or serious injuries.

A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau Of Prisons tells TMZ ... it cannot comment on an individual inmate's conditions of confinement or medical status due to privacy and safety reasons. We also reached out to Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, for comment but he declined to discuss the incident and said Kelly's been a model inmate.

Jacob Blake's children who witnessed him being shot are understandably shaken to the core -- and the process of healing will begin sooner than later ... TMZ has learned.

Jacob's uncle, Justin Blake, tells us the three kids who saw their dad shot 7 times in the back are in desperate need of professional help, and the family is already looking for an appropriate therapist or team of therapists.

So far, Justin says they've reviewed two services which make sense for them, and they'll decide as a family which route to go in a matter of days. Fact is ... the kids are extremely emotional, and waiting will only exacerbate the situation.

The kids haven't visited their dad since the shooting, because the family says it would be too traumatic. As for FaceTiming their father, we're told it hasn't happened yet ... even that would be too difficult for the kids to handle. The only ones who've seen Jacob in person thus far are his own parents.

Jacob's children -- including the other three -- are all being cared for by his relatives.

Jacob's father says the 3 children are scarred for life after what they've been through. Remember, they were no more than a few feet away inside the car when a cop unloaded at least seven rounds into their dad's back. Jacob is now paralyzed from the waist down, though hopefully, it's not permanent.

The so-called rifle-toting "vigilante" in Kenosha seemed pretty chummy with law enforcement before his alleged shooting spree -- receiving water and even praise from cops ... which could explain a lot.

The guy, Kyle Rittenhouse, who was seen firing rounds at protesters in the street Monday night appears to be part of an extremist militia group that set up shop at a few places in town, including some sort of car dealership ... where a cameraman caught him on film before the madness erupted.

You clearly see it's the same guy with the backward hat -- he's standing guard at the facility with another rifle-bearing man ... and they both say they're locals doing their duty.

Shortly afterward, the camera catches a few armored police vehicles rolling by and seemingly telling the militia group to scram, specifically telling them to move south. However, the cops don't let these boys leave without some replenishment first ... as in a few water bottles.

Check it out ... you see the "vigilante" in question run over and interact with some officers to retrieve some water for the crew -- and you even hear a cop say they appreciate what these guys are doing. Hard to say if they were actually teamed up in a concerted effort to ward off would-be looters, but the cops certainly sanctioned this set-up, unofficially at best.

This connects to later that same night ... when the same man -- who allegedly shot at multiple people, and killed two -- ran up to and eventually past these same armored vehicles, and wasn't stopped or apprehended. If anything, they seemed to recognize him.

Kanye West took advantage of a tech company to advance his Yeezy brand and launch his popular Sunday Service, then left them high and dry ... according to a new suit.

MyChannel, Inc. says it's a black-owned business specializing in video and e-commerce technology. The company claims it linked up with Kanye in Spring 2018 to help Ye maximize revenues for his Yeezy merchandise.

MYC -- repped by attorneys Ben Meiselas and Michael Popok -- alleges Kanye got the company to work around the clock for him for 6 months based on a series of business promises -- including a future $10 MILLION investment -- and estimates it put in 10,000 man-hours and invested $7 mil of its own into the Yeezy project.

According to the suit ... MYC even moved its headquarters -- once to Calabasas and once to Chicago -- all to please Kanye and make the partnership work.

However, after the 6 months, MYC claims it became clear Kanye had no intention of following through on his promises and he cut ties ... but not before allegedly jacking its technology for his newly-launched Sunday Service.

The company alleges Kanye's promises of a partnership were just an effort to fuel his Yeezy brand and steal confidential tech to make millions on Sunday Service ... so now they're suing him over it.

Jacob Blake was shot 7 times by a white cop for the "crime" of being black ... so says Jacob's uncle, who's deeply distraught over what went down in Kenosha, WI.

Justin Blake tells TMZ ... the police officer who shot his nephew has absolutely no justification for what he did, and he should be charged with attempted murder.

Jacob's uncle says Jacob's 3 kids -- who were in the car when their dad was shot -- are severely traumatized and in the care of relatives. They don't really understand what happened, but they know their dad was hurt badly.

Justin says he's been at the hospital with Jacob's mother, sister and close relatives, but they were not able to see him because he underwent surgery and was recovering.

Justin says cops were called to the scene for an altercation between 2 women, and Jacob was trying to break it up ... which is how he got mixed up with the police.

Jacob Blake was in some sort of a tussle with police officers before breaking free and trying to walk away ... and before one of those cops fired 7 shots into his back.

New footage has emerged of the moments leading up to Blake being shot this weekend in Kenosha, WI -- and it shows a different angle than the viral clip captured from a home across the street. This time, the camera's rolling just a few yards away.

The angle depicts what was happening shortly before Blake stood up and walked around the side of his car and opened the door ... and then ultimately getting fired upon at point-blank range. While it's a bit hard to fully make out, you can clearly see a struggle between Blake and officers. Nonetheless, he's unarmed and unthreatening as his back is turned to the cop who repeatedly shoots him.

The full official details about what led up to the shooting are still hazy, but it appears Blake was already involved in some sort of altercation with police. Reports say witnesses claimed he was breaking up a fight between two females, nothing more.

The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while an investigation continues. Meanwhile, protests have erupted ... and more violence has broken out.

A group of teenagers broke into a New Jersey petting zoo and ran amok ... and cops say they turned the place upside down in the middle of the night and cruelly put lipstick on one of the animals.

Cops in Wyckoff, NJ say at least six teens illegally made their way onto Abma's Farm this weekend around 10 PM or so, well after business hours. The family that lives there and runs the place says they heard commotion outside, and ran out to see what was going on.

They claim they encountered a number of adolescents on the grounds in different animal pens. The family members say they tried chasing them down, but all the kids got away.

Afterward, the owner says he was sent a photo of a blonde girl riding one of his miniature donkeys, with her full weight on it ... and a Snapchat filter that read, "Abma's Farm." It also appears one of their ponies received a makeover ... with lipstick applied to its mouth.

The facility claims the kids also released a bunch of animals from their confined areas and interacted with the livestock in ways that were dangerous ... leaving the creatures frazzled after the fact. Luckily, Abma's Farm says all their animals are accounted for.

The place remained closed Monday as a vet went through and checked up on all of the 60 or so of the animals on the premises. Abma's Farm seemed irate in the Facebook post, saying this wasn't just teenage hijinks and pranks ... it was outright disrespectful and criminal.

A white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin opened fire on an unarmed Black man who was simply walking away from him -- shooting him point-blank seven times ... and it's all on video.

The officer-involved shooting went down Sunday near 40th and 28th Avenue -- where witnesses say the victim was simply breaking up a fight when cops were called to the scene. It's unclear what unfolded from there, but this video captures the crucial 20 seconds.

You see the man walking away from a few officers ... who appear to be telling him to stop, with guns drawn. He makes his away around a car in a nonthreatening manner, he opens the door and attempts to get inside. One of the cops grabs hold of his shirt, and for some inexplicable reason, he unloads seven rounds at arm's length. The victim was flown to a hospital and has been listed as being in serious condition.

Protests are now growing by the minute. Many are demanding the swift arrest of the officer who fired the shots.

While the situation is still very fluid, it seems an outright inexcusable act of police brutality. Even if the man was disobeying orders, he was nonviolent, nonthreatening, unarmed and there was no attempt to subdue him in the vehicle.

According to reports on the ground, the state Department of Justice is already taking over the investigation. Kenosha PD, for its part, says officers on the scene provided immediate aid -- but also note that they instantly transferred the case to outside agencies.

A police officer caught on camera shooting and killing a fenced-in dog on its own property after it tangled with her own K-9 through a gate ... and the footage is horrible.

This incident was captured on a home security cam somewhere in Detroit, and it shows a medium-sized white pooch on his property behind a fence, following a cop and her K-9 walking on the sidewalk ... until they reach the end, and the two dogs get into it.

From the looks of the clip, it appears the cop did not have control of her dog ... and its snout gets latched onto by the white one through the rails. Rather than try to pull her dog away -- or literally anything else at all -- the officer is seen pulling out a weapon of some sort and discharging it right in the white dog's face.

People online are claiming she shot it with her gun, and that the dog died. Before that, however, you can see it twitching violently on the ground as other officers surround the scene. The video cuts shortly after that.

At a bare minimum, the cop is in clear violation of the leash law ... the dog was on a leash, but the officer did not adequately control the animal by keeping it away from the fence.

But, it's already catching national attention -- ex-Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro is demanding answers and accountability ... as are many others.

The Georgia police officer who used his Taser on a Black woman and continued to use what many consider excessive force afterward is now without a job ... according to his bosses.

Officer Michael Oxford was terminated this week from his job at the Gwinnett County Police Dept. after viral video surfaced showing him tasing and forcibly arresting an African-American woman on her front porch while surrounded by family members.

GCPD says they canned Oxford Friday for conduct they considered to go against their core values -- even though they do say he was technically in the right to try and arrest the woman, Kyndesia Smith. She was reported as a potential suspect who'd allegedly vandalized a neighbor's car and threatened them and their kid ... Oxford responded to check it out.

The department writes that while Oxford did have probable cause to detain and arrest Smith for obstruction of a law enforcement officer, they disagreed with how he went about doing it ... despite them saying his use of force was within their policy. Seemingly contradictory, but the bottom line here ... he didn't take the proper steps to try and keep the peace.

GCPD says their investigation looked into whether proper de-escalation techniques were used and whether Oxford had violated their standards in handling things. They add, "Our policy states that each member of this department shall consider it his or her duty to be of service to the general public and to render that service in a kind, considerate, and patient manner." Basically, they're saying he went above and beyond to be a jerk.

Another telling line from the department ... "One of our core values is courtesy. We strive to conduct ourselves in a manner that promotes mutual respect with the community and our peers." They went on to say that Oxford simply didn't meet that, so they cut him loose.

Britney Spears' ex-husband -- not Kevin Federline, the other one -- is back in her life and seems to be shooting his shot for another chance ... he's joining the #FreeBritney movement.

Jason Allen Alexander -- who you may recall was married to Britney for a whopping 55 hours after their wild, 2004 Vegas wedding -- was outside the L.A. courthouse Wednesday where a hearing took place over her conservatorship ... which has been in force since 2008 after her breakdown.

Jason reps himself as a bit of an expert on these conservatorship court proceedings -- though it's unclear why -- and tells us he believes it's long overdue for her to be rid of it ... much like thousands of other Britney fans.

More interesting though, is Jason says he's back in touch with his longtime friend and brief spouse after not hearing from her for a decade ... and suggests he's been heavily involved in major recent developments in her life.

Jason even admits he's there with the hope of rekindling things with Britney -- claiming their marriage was never given a fair chance ... and he's down for a do-over.

As we reported ... Britney's looking to make some big changes to her conservatorship -- mainly, she wants her father, Jamie, to no longer be in charge of it.

Britney Spears wants a change in her 12-year conservatorship but she didn't get it at today's court hearing ... because TMZ has learned it was all status quo.

As we reported, Britney's lawyer filed legal docs asking to permanently replace her dad, Jamie Spears, as the conservator over her person. She also wants a bank or other financial institution to manage her business affairs, along with Jamie. Currently, Jamie is the sole conservator over her business affairs.

Here's the rub ... certain legal docs need to be filed before her issues go before a judge, and that hasn't happened. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Wednesday's court hearing was simply a scheduled status conference and nothing has changed.

Our sources say Britney's problem in this case is that there has been a declaration she's not able to make important life decisions because of her mental illness, so her wishes will almost certainly be tempered by the very fact there is a conservatorship.

Sources connected to Britney say she is not doing well and has not been on an even keel for more than a year.