Crime & Arrests

10:46 AM PT -- Kevin Jr.'s attorney, Ray Hamlin, tells TMZ he expects the case will be fully resolved. Hamlin says Kevin Sr. is not interested in bringing charges against his son. What's more, there's a state-wide conditional dismissal program Kevin Jr. can qualify for -- available to those without a prior criminal record -- to completely clear his name as long as he stays out of trouble.

8:30 AM PT -- Wendy and Kevin Sr. were in a car outside the courthouse. We're told they were advised it was unnecessary for them to go inside because the case was continued.

7:40 AM PT -- Kevin Jr. showed up in court and there was a change of plans, because neither of his parents showed up. He entered a not guilty plea ... and the prosecutor asked for more time so he'd have more time to review the case.

The prosecutor said he wanted to "review factors in the case" and said he thought the case would be resolved at the next hearing. That screams plea bargain or outright dismissal of charges. As you know, Kevin Sr. has said he did not want to press charges.

Wendy Williams will be right behind her son Tuesday in court when he enters a plea in his assault case, and it looks like the incident that got him arrested may have significantly reduced tensions between Wendy and her soon-to-be ex-husband.

Sources connected to Wendy tell us, she along with estranged husband Kevin Hunter, will present a united front, supporting their 18-year-old son ... who allegedly punched his dad in the nose during a heated argument.

It seems the incident last month may have actually eased tensions between Wendy and Kevin. We're told the divorce is going forward for sure -- this after Wendy learned Kevin father a baby with his mistress -- but we're told she believes it doesn't cancel out their 28-year relationship. Wendy told a friend, "There's still love between us, regardless of the divorce," adding they are still friends.

Our sources say Wendy does not want to create a spectacle in the New Jersey courtroom. She will say nothing in court ... she's only there to support her son, as is Kevin.

Kevin Sr. does not want to press charges, but because it's a domestic incident prosecutors often press on regardless.

Short story ... Wendy is saying she and Kevin Hunter Sr. will "work through this" and will maintain a relationship grounded in friendship, in no small part for the benefit of their son.

DaBaby should be held responsible for allowing his crew to unleash a violent attack ... so claims a fellow rapper who was allegedly beaten into a coma by the group.

Donald Saladin -- whose stage name is Don Trag -- is suing DaBaby just over a month after DaBaby's crew was caught on video beating the crap outta him outside a Massachusetts club.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Don Trag claims DaBaby failed to adequately train his team of bodyguards and set them loose knowing they had violent tendencies. TMZ broke the story ... Trag was supposed to perform at Centro Nightclub in Lawrence, MA on the same night DaBaby was playing there.

As we told you ... Trag claims he asked to take a pic with DaBaby, got turned down and then he insisted ... DB's crew unleashed a can of whoop ass as DaBaby looked on.

In his lawsuit, Trag says he sustained serious injuries to his head, eyes, neck and spine. Trag's brother told us he suffered significant brain and neck swelling and slipped into a coma. According to docs ... Trag's racked up $30k in hospital bills and anticipates $75k in more bills.

Ex-Dallas Cowboys RB Joseph Randle's rape case has been put on pause ... TMZ Sports has learned a Kansas court is ordering him to take a mental health evaluation to determine if he's fit to be tried.

Randle is accused of raping a woman for hours last September in Sedgwick County, Kansas ... and he's been fighting 11 serious charges in court ever since.

But, the attorneys for Randle -- who's been in and out of jail and mental health facilities for the past few years -- have argued the former NFL player is not in the right state of mind to defend himself.

Now, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett tells us the case has been taken off the docket ... with officials wanting to see if Randle is, in fact, mentally fit to face the charges.

Bennett tells us if Randle is NOT able to pass the testing ... he will be placed in a state mental institution until he can "regain competency."

For his part, Randle said at his last hearing date on Feb. 12 that he did NOT rape his accuser ... saying, "she never said no."

Former WWE star Terri Runnels will NOT go to prison after she brought a loaded gun to the airport ... TMZ Sports has learned prosecutors have dropped the case and she's now off the hook.

We broke the story, Runnels was busted at Tampa International Airport on May 29 when cops say they found a Glock 9mm handgun inside of a sock in the ex-wrestler's backpack.

In the pic of the gun obtained by TMZ Sports -- you can see there were AT LEAST 11 bullets accompanying the firearm.

But, Runnels told cops the whole thing was a genuine mistake -- saying she had forgotten to take the gun out of her bag after she went to kill an armadillo that was digging up her mom's yard.

Officials at the time clearly didn't care ... they hit her with a felony charge of carrying a concealed firearm -- and she was facing up to 5 YEARS in prison.

But, we've learned prosecutors have decided to drop the case issuing a "letter of release" dismissal.

According to court officials, it basically means the case has been dismissed ... but in theory, prosecutors could pick up the case down the road. But again, we're told the odds of that happening are extremely slim.

Runnels mainly worked as a manager during her wrestling career -- working with the likes of The Hardy Boyz, Edge, Christian and most notably her ex-husband, Goldust.

She was married to Goldust (aka Dustin Rhodes aka Dustin Runnels) from 1993 to 1999.

Runnels won the WWE Hardcore Championship back in 2002 -- she's one of only 4 women to hold that title.

Cuba Gooding Jr. says his accuser's own words show she has a "warped mental state" ... and, therefore, the D.A. should drop the charges against him for the alleged groping incident.

Cuba's attorneys, Mark Heller and Peter Toumbekis, filed a motion to dismiss that featured several quotes from the accuser discussing her mental health. Cuba's team says the quotes were taken from a blog -- and Cuba himself says he's seen enough.

He tells TMZ ... "After reading and reviewing the motion to dismiss in the interest of justice, I was deeply surprised that the prosecutors office didn’t evaluate this woman’s history before undertaking to prosecute me in light of her warped mental state as revealed by her blog."

The blog posts, allegedly from the accuser, include lines like, "I got diagnosed with depression, ADHD, Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD and basically learned that my brain was one big fat mass." Another line reads, "I am quite prideful. I must win."

And, perhaps the most damning and relative one says, "[I]n a world of extensions and fake boobs, my short haircut paired with my moderate breast size makes me feel invisible. Some people are scared of others and want nothing more than to be invisible. I am not that type of person. I am starting to be seen."

The Oscar winner's motion to dismiss, filed Friday, also leaned into what his lawyers believe are factual inconsistencies on the part of the accuser -- getting her story mixed up, different time accounts, and a lack of conclusive video evidence, as well as an alleged screwup in the way NYPD investigated the matter.

For all these reasons, Cuba and co. say the charges should be dropped and he should be fully exonerated, 'cause they feel the evidence just doesn't add up to what she's claiming.

The judge hasn't ruled on the motion to dismiss yet ... a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, and Cuba seems optimistic.

"Gypsy Sisters" star Mellie Stanley avoided serious prison time after striking a plea deal for her role in what cops say was a massive coupon scam out of Kentucky.

Andrea Williams, the prosecutor for the Fayette County Commonwealth Attorney, tells TMZ ... the judge gave Mellie 5 years probation during Friday's sentencing hearing, and if she doesn't keep her nose clean, she could be heading to the slammer.

TMZ broke the story ... Mellie pled guilty earlier this year to 2 felonies -- theft by deception and criminal possession of a forged instrument -- and the charges stemmed from a huge coupon scam authorities say she executed with her husband, including swindling thousands of dollars in merchandise from Toys R Us and Babies R Us.

According to the terms of her probation ... Mellie must meet with her probation officer, she can't own a firearm, she has to stay away from drugs and alcohol, she'll be tested for substance abuse, and she's got to cough up the dough for all the items she stole with bogus coupons -- a cool $18,075.

Mellie's not totally in the clear ... if she violates any part of her probation, a judge will decide between sentencing Mellie to 6 years in prison or tacking on conditions to her probation.

Halle Berry damn near returned to her home to find the locks changed and a strange man living inside.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... 59-year-old Ronald Eugene Griffin first showed up at an L.A. property owned by the actress in January and allegedly fiddled with the locks, but took off when he was approached by Halle's gardener.

A couple months later, in March ... cops received a trespassing call from workers at Berry's pad, who said Griffin was there with a locksmith trying to get in, claiming he was the new owner of the home and had the deed to prove it.

We're told he'd already managed to have one of the locks changed, and actually made a call to the police when he was confronted by the employees at the house. Yes, he was audacious enough to call the cops claiming ownership and pointing the finger at Halle's employees as trespassers!!!

According to law enforcement ... when police arrived Griffin maintained he was the owner of the house, but LAPD detectives quickly determined Griffin had fraudulently changed the title of the residence.

Halle told the detectives she had no idea who he was ... and definitely didn't give him permission to be at her home.

Griffin was later arrested and hit with a felony count of procuring and offering a false warranty deed and an additional count of petty theft. His bond's set at $36k.

Strangely enough ... we're told the guy didn't even know it was Halle's place. Just luck of the draw for her.

This isn't the first time Halle's had major issues with intruders. Back in 2011, she came home, walked in the kitchen and told cops, "As I opened my glass kitchen door and closed it behind me, all of a sudden I sensed someone behind me and turned to see the intruder standing less than a foot behind me, staring through my glass kitchen door." The guy was arrested.

Lil Durk -- the rapper accused of attempted murder -- wants to stay on the straight and narrow path after bonding out of jail ... and his childhood pastor's taking up the cause.

We've learned Durk's going back to his roots by placing himself back under the wings of his pastor who presided over the church he attended as a kid in Chicago. The pastor -- who's like a second father to Durk -- he flew from Chicago to Atlanta to vouch for the rapper at a recent hearing -- plans to use his ATL connections to get Durk involved in the community.

Durk apparently plans to spend time at shelters and soup kitchens. We're told he wants to get his hands dirty ... just like he used to in Chicago with the guidance of his pastor. He'd mentor kids there but, for obvious reasons, Durk's work in Chi-Town's been put on hold given the serious charges.

As we reported ... Durk posted $250k bond Friday after a judge agreed he's not a flight risk. Dude was so ecstatic getting outta jail ... he literally skipped all the way to his waiting SUV. Durk will have a curfew and have to wear an ankle monitor.

He turned himself in nearly a month ago after an arrest warrant was issued in connection to a February shooting outside a restaurant called The Varsity. A detective said in court, cops have surveillance video showing Durk firing a weapon from a car. The victim, shot in the thigh, survived.

Nicki Minaj is scoffing at the chorus of critics who are upset she featured her ex-con BF in her new music video, "MEGATRON" ... our Nicki sources say the public has spoken and they clearly dig it.

Nicki's boyfriend, Kenneth Petty, is all over the vid, in scenes that are scorching with sex.

People are griping she shouldn't have showcased Petty, because he was convicted of attempted rape as well as manslaughter. As for the attempted rape, he used a sharp object against a 16-year-old girl in an attempt to have sex with her when he was 15. He is a registered sex offender. And, as for the manslaughter, he shot and killed a man in 2002.

Sources close to Nicki say she's unmoved by the criticism, adding, "She's happy and in love and he's not going anywhere." They're also crowing that the video has millions of views just 12 hours in, and it's trending big.

The video is a testament to Nicki's relationship with Petty ... we're told it was meant to mirror the affection they have for each other.

Our sources say the love scenes were pretty much all first take ... because they say it was authentic.

At the time of this post, the video has 3.6 million views and it's only been up 12 hours. It's number 2 on trending.

Nobody's having a happier Friday than Lil Durk ... who skipped and hopped his way outta jail after posting $250k bond in his attempted murder case.

The rapper couldn't have been more ecstatic late Thursday night after he was sprung outta jail. As we reported ... a judge granted him bond after a hearing Thursday and agreed Durk is NOT a flight risk. The release, though, does come with some restrictions.

For starters ... Durk will have a curfew from 11 PM until 7 AM. He'll also have to wear an ankle monitor at all times and he's prohibited from having any contact -- direct or indirect -- with gang members. He also can't be near nor possess any weapons and must stay at least 200 yards away from the victim.

As we first reported ... Durk turned himself in to authorities nearly a month ago, after an arrest warrant was issued in connection to a February shooting outside a restaurant called The Varsity.

The judge and jury in the murder trial of the alleged killer of one of Ashton Kutcher's friends went on an emotional field trip ... checking out the place Ashley Ellerin died a grisly death.

Ashton has already gone in front of the jury on behalf of his slain friend, providing testimony that could be important in the case of a man prosecutors say is a "serial sexual-thrill killer" ... and now the jury is getting an in-person look at the crime scene.

Two vans filled with the judge and jury ventured out over the past 2 days to the sites of the horrific crimes ... including the place where Ellerin was found dead back in February 2001, laying just outside her bathroom with more than 47 stab wounds.

Judge Larry Fidler milled around the property with the jury ... and they were accompanied by police detectives Tom Small and Mark Lillienfeld, along with defense attorney Daniel Nardoni.

As we reported ... Ashton says Ashley was supposed to be his date to a Grammys after-party, but she never showed.

Ashton testified ... on the night of the Grammys, he went to her house around 10:45 PM and knocked on the door, but no one answered. He peeked through a side window and saw what he thought was red wine spilled on the floor, so he left.

Ashley's severely stabbed body was found the following morning ... and authorities say Michael Gargiulo is the murderer.

10:49 AM PT -- In addition to the curfew, Durk will need to wear an ankle monitor at all times. He also is prohibited from having any contact, direct or indirect, with gang members.

He also cannot be near or possess any weapons, and must stay at least 200 yards away from the victim.

Lil Durk will soon get his wish and be sprung outta jail ... after a judge granted him bond.

The rapper was in court Thursday in Atlanta for a bond hearing which the judge granted and set at $250k. Durk will NOT be on house arrest but will have a curfew from 11 PM until 7 AM.

TMZ broke the story ... Durk turned himself in to police nearly a month ago after an arrest warrant was issued in connection to a February shooting outside a restaurant called The Varsity. He asked the court to grant him bond ... arguing he's not a flight risk. Obviously, the judge agreed.

Durk will now be free while he awaits trial for his alleged role in the shooting. The rapper's attorney, Manny Arora, tells TMZ ... Durk will post bond and be released Friday.

Durk had been booked for 5 felony charges ... including criminal attempt to commit murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and another charge of associating with a criminal street gang to participate in a crime.

4:29 PM PT -- Officials say Sixto David Fernandez was the target of the attack because Victor Hugo Gómez believed Sixto "ratted him out" to police years ago.

The gunman who shot David Ortiz in the Dominican Republic earlier this month DID NOT mean to target Big Papi ... so say D.R. officials, who say it was Ortiz's FRIEND they wanted to kill.

D.R. police and prosecutors just announced Sixto David Fernandez -- who was allegedly sitting near Ortiz at Dial Bar and Lounge in Santo Domingo on June 9 -- was supposed to be the target.

Unclear why Fernandez was the target. We're trying to gather information on who Fernandez is and what he does for a living. All we know so far is that cops say he's buddies with Ortiz.

Officials say the gunman who shot Big Papi from point-blank range in the back was confused by the clothing Ortiz was wearing and fired on him instead of Fernandez.

A cell phone image taken of Sixto by one of the alleged accomplices in the crime was allegedly used to identify Sixto for the hit.

But officials say the gunman mistook white items near Sixto as white pants (Ortiz was wearing white pants that night) ... and that's where the confusion all began.

Officials say they were able to confirm all this because they were able to obtain the picture that was circulated amongst the alleged criminals.

Officials also say a man named Victor Hugo Gómez -- a 43-year-old who's wanted in the United States after being caught in a major federal drug bust -- is the one who ordered the hit.

As we previously reported, officials say at least 10 people were paid around $8,000 to complete the hit.

25-year-old Rolfi Ferreira Cruz admitted to being the man behind the gun ... but said from his D.R. jail cell last week Ortiz was NOT his intended target.

Prosecutors say regardless of who the intended target was ... they still plan to pursue serious criminal charges against all of the alleged suspects.

9:52 AM PT -- Police arrested Tyson Wednesday morning after he was allegedly involved in a dispute with another individual around 2:45 AM.

Actor Richard Tyson -- best known for his role as the villain in "Kindergarten Cop" -- is in some serious hometown trouble after getting arrested.

The actor was busted early Wednesday morning for harassment and public intoxication in Mobile, Alabama. Tyson was born there and his brother, John Tyson Jr., was the former Mobile County District Attorney.

Cops in Mobile have not released the details behind what exactly led to Tyson's arrest.

Tyson has played TONS of TV and movie roles. Aside from his star-villain turn in 'Kindergarten' ... he also played Staff Sergeant Daniel Busch -- one of the soldiers in a doomed chopper -- in 2001's "Black Hawk Down."

He's still working a lot in Hollywood ... with more than a dozen projects in the works, completed or near completion.

But, of course, his biggest role is still as Cullen Crisp ... the drug dealer who went toe-to-toe with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1990 flick, "Kindergarten Cop."

Story developing ...

2:10 PM PT -- According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, cops were unable to find any DNA on the gun found in the same car YT was riding in. We're told because there were 3 people in the vehicle, investigators could not determine who the weapon belonged to, so YT will not face any charges.

The D.A.'s Office also cleared up details on the car accident that triggered the search. It was actually the police cruiser that was "unable to stop in time" before it hit Thug's Rolls-Royce.

Someone's gotta pay for what the D.A. deemed, "minor damage."

Young Thug's lawyer, Michael Goldstein, tells us, "I commend the District Attorney's Office for making the right decision after carefully reviewing the facts and body worn video over the past 9 months. The fact so much time and work went into this decision reinforces trust in our system of justice."

Young Thug will NOT be prosecuted in his L.A. gun case ... TMZ's learned the District Attorney is rejecting the case.

The D.A.'s Office tells us ... the case was rejected earlier this month due to insufficient evidence. YT's attorney, Michael Goldstein, confirmed to us the case is now closed. TMZ broke the story when cops busted Young Thug back in August -- a member of Thug's crew ran into a police car, which triggered a vehicle search. That's when cops discovered the weapons.

YT -- who was seen in handcuffs and escorted to a waiting cruiser -- was booked just after for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle ... a felony. The bust came on the night he was celebrating the release of his new album, "Slime Language" and his 27th birthday.

So, the arrest was quite the double whammy ... but now it's water under Thug's bridge.

Screenwriter and director Max Landis is being accused of sexual abuse and emotional torture ... as 8 women have gone public with their allegations.

The women claim the son of legendary director John Landis has a pattern of manipulative and vicious behavior. Many of the accusers claim he got violent and even raped them during their relationships.

The allegations come on the heels of one of the women, Ani Baker, taking to Twitter to warn other women about Landis, saying ... "the experience/aftermath of this person is really destructive, and it will be riddled with pain and emotional work that you don't need to spend your precious energy on."

Baker claims once, after they had sex, she playfully slapped Landis' butt and he responded by violently putting his hands around her throat and threatening to kill her.

While Baker may have opened the floodgates with her post, she's hardly the first woman to accuse Landis of abuse. He was widely accused of misconduct on social media back in 2017 when the Will Smith movie "Bright" was released -- which was written by Landis.

Actress Anna Akana wrote, "Written by a psychopath who sexually abused and assaults women, right? Cool."

The women claim Landis' MO is to use his circle of friends, which he dubbed "The Colour Society," to entice women to get close to him ... then torment them through a series of insults, intimidation, humiliation and in some cases, sexual violence. One woman described him as a "cult leader."

Another accuser, in the Daily Beast expose, claims Landis would pretend to hit her, then laugh when she flinched. Another claims he fat-shamed her, while another described him this way ... "He would systematically try to have sex with all the women I knew. We’re not people to him.”

Landis is also accused of forcing abuse and humiliation porn on a woman, and the worst of it -- forcefully holding down a woman and raping her despite her saying "no" repeatedly.