Crime & Arrests

Some positive news on the Brittney Griner front from Colin Allred ... the U.S. congressman says officials have made "a very good offer" to Russia for the WNBA star -- and he's now as confident as ever that she'll be able to return home.

The representative couldn't get into specifics of the trade that America has sent to the Russians ... but he did tell TMZ Sports he believes the proposed swap is exactly what the foreign country is looking for in a deal for Griner.

"The ball is entirely in the Russians' court," Allred said Friday out on Capitol Hill ... before adding, "I think prospects, in my opinion, look better now than they have really at any point since she was taken."

But, Allred said he's under the impression Russia would like to impose a sentence on the 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury center before it moves forward with accepting any trade offers.

The ex-Baylor football player, though, said he's optimistic it will eventually go down at some point hopefully soon.

"I think it's a matter of time," Allred tells us, "but I think it's going to get done."

Griner has been detained in Russia since mid-February after authorities said she had hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. She's since pled guilty to the charges, and is facing a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars.

Polo G and the cops certainly didn't exchange any pleasantries during his arrest back in 2021, we've obtained additional body cam footage from the encounter, video his attorneys were pissed hadn't been released sooner.

The footage shows the aftermath of Polo G's "Hall Of Fame" album release party in Miami, where the Chicago rapper is in handcuffs and stuffed into a police cruiser. Polo was allegedly first pulled over for window tints and got combative when he was asked to roll down his window.

In the body cam footage, Polo G demands to be seen by paramedics and complains of both police brutality and having issues breathing inside the police cruiser.

Polo was eventually taken to a hospital, but his transporting officer first has issues finding the clasp on his $15,000 chain and later admits he's never even heard of him, spawning a debate with the younger cops, who were familiar with Polo G and his new album.

As for how the case ended ... Polo completed anger management classes, and charges for going after the officer were eventually dropped.

Former Duke guard Michael Savarino -- the grandson of Mike Krzyzewski -- has pled guilty to DWI ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to an Orange County, N.C. court official, Savarino made the plea on Tuesday. The charge he pled guilty to was the least severe form of driving while impaired (level 5), the court official said.

As part of his sentencing, Savarino was ordered to complete a victim impact panel, complete 24 hours of community service, and complete a treatment program. Per the court official, Savarino has already finished the victim impact panel and the community service. He has until Jan. 2023 to finish the treatment program.

Savarino was initially arrested back in November 2021 -- after cops say he blew through a stop sign with his star teammate, Paolo Banchero, in the car.

Authorities said that during the ensuing traffic stop, Savarino -- whose mom is Coach K's oldest daughter -- showed signs of impairment ... and was arrested. Cops say tests later revealed he had a .08 BAC.

Savarino, who was 20 years old at the time of the arrest, was ultimately hit with a DWI charge for the incident.

Meanwhile, Banchero -- who now plays for the Orlando Magic -- was charged with aiding and abetting DWI for his alleged role in the incident. A court official confirmed the former Blue Devils superstar is due in court for a hearing in the case later Wednesday morning.

Brittney Griner says she was aware the U.S. government warned Americans traveling to Russia was dangerous ... but the WNBA star told a court in Moscow she decided to get on the airplane because she wanted to help her basketball team.

Griner's drug trial continued in Russia on Wednesday, and the 31-year-old hooper testified to the reason she returned to Moscow in February despite the travel advisory.

"It's the most important part of the season, after the break. It's playoffs. The whole season I worked, my team worked hard to get to a good position," Griner said, continuing, "There was nothing that was going to change that for me. I didn't want to let my team down.  I did know about the 'do not fly' advisory, but like I said, there was nothing that was going to change my mind on coming back and finishing my duty for my team."

Brittney's alluding to a "Do Not Travel" advisory issued by the U.S. State Department on January 23 ... where they warned of "the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens."

Of course, despite the fact Griner played several seasons in Russia (she's a 3x Russian League champ), she's an American citizen.

BG also addressed the reason for using cannabis ... years of sports injuries.

"Because of my injuries that I've had over the long career of basketball. From my spine, no cartilage in my knee. I was in a wheelchair for four months. I broke my ankle and I also sprained my knee really bad. So I was wheelchair-bound," Brittney told the court.

"The benefits from medical cannabis definitely outweigh the painkillers that they prescribe. The painkillers have really bad side effects. Medical cannabis, there are honestly no side effects that harm you."

Griner admits the cannabis was never supposed to wind up in her luggage ... and she still isn't entirely certain how it happened.

"I still don't understand to this day how they ended up in my bag. If I had to speculate, if I had to guess on how they ended up in my bags, I was in a rush packing. I was recovering from COVID, the stress of packing, making sure I had my COVID tests. Jet lag. And I was in a rush, throwing my stuff into my bag."

J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, two of the former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's death, were sentenced to prison on federal civil rights charges. Kueng was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Thao was given 3.5 years behind bars.

Kueng and Thao were convicted back in February ... remember, Kueng helped hold Floyd down as Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd for nearly 9 1/2 minutes, while Thao was on crowd control behind the police vehicle.

As we reported, Kueng and Thao were found guilty of all the charges against them ... including deprivation of rights under color of the law for failing to render medical aid to Floyd, plus failing to intervene in Chauvin's use of unreasonable force.

Kueng and Thao argued they didn't intend for Floyd to die under the circumstances and were deferring to Chauvin's seniority and experience in the situation.

NHL star Bobby Ryan -- who's battled substance abuse issues in his career -- was arrested on Monday at an airport after cops say he appeared to be wasted inside a terminal.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the incident happened at the Nashville International Airport in Tennessee ... after Ryan allegedly stole items from a store.

Cops in the documents say Ryan was captured on CCTV taking the goods without paying for them, before he eventually put them on a counter and entered a bar nearby in the concourse.

According to the docs, officers made contact with Ryan -- who they say was trying to order a drink at the bar -- and claim he exhibited signs of intoxication.

The 35-year-old -- who most recently played for the Detroit Red Wings -- "was not compliant with officers, had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage," according to authorities.

In the docs, police say Ryan was eventually taken into custody, where they claim he was unable to stand on his own without support.

"Ryan was unaware of his location, the day or time and posed a danger to himself," cops said in the docs.

Eventually, the hockey player was booked on a public intoxication charge. Court records show the case has since been dismissed. No word yet on why, we've reached out to prosecutors, but haven't heard back.

Ryan has been open about his issues with substance abuse in the past -- he stepped away from the NHL in 2019 in order to get sober. He famously returned to the ice just a few months later for the Ottawa Senators and scored a hat trick in his first home game back. He was emotional both during the contest and afterward.

Ryan went on later that season to win the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best demonstrates perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.

The former Anaheim Ducks star did not play in the league last season.

Hope Solo has pleaded guilty to DWI -- over three months after she was arrested in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated with her children in the car.

The former U.S. women's national team goalkeeper made the plea in a Forsyth County courtroom on Monday after cutting a deal with prosecutors, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

In exchange for the guilty plea, we're told the two other charges she was facing in the case -- one count of child abuse and one count of resisting arrest -- were dismissed.

The judge gave Solo a 24-month suspended sentence. She was also ordered to pay fines and fees, and comply with the terms of a substance abuse assessment.

As part of the sentence, we're told Solo has already completed a 30-day, in-patient rehabilitation program at the Hope Valley treatment facility in North Carolina earlier this summer.

Following the plea in court, Solo released a lengthy statement on her social media page ... admitting "I underestimated what a destructive part of my life alcohol had become."

"The upside of making a mistake this big is that hard lessons are learned quickly," the 40-year-old added. "Learning these lessons has been difficult, and at times, very painful."

"I continue to be a student of the greatest school called life and I will continue to learn and grow from these experiences. I will continue to gain empathy, knowledge, and stories to share."

"I consider this a gift to pass it on to others because pain shared is pain lessened."

We broke the story ... Solo was arrested back on March 31 after cops say they found her passed out behind the wheel of her car in a Walmart parking lot while her two children were in the vehicle with her. Cops say during the stop, she displayed signs of impairment and reeked of booze. They added that she had refused sobriety tests at the scene.

For "Shahs of Sunset" star Mike Shouhed, 13 is especially unlucky -- that's the number of criminal charges he's now facing following his domestic violence arrest.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Los Angeles City Attorney hit Mike with a slew of misdemeanor charges, most notably domestic violence, battery and unlawfully attempting to dissuade a witness.

Mike's also facing a couple of weapons charges ... including criminal storage of a loaded firearm and possession of an assault weapon.

Remember, Mike was arrested back in March for allegedly getting physical with a woman during a fight. Cops did not identify the alleged victim, and it's unclear if Mike's fiancée, Paulina Ben-Cohen, was involved. The new charging docs do not name the alleged victim either.

TMZ broke the story ... Mike and Paulina went to Los Cabos for vacation only a few weeks after his arrest, with Mike showing lots of love to Paulina's kids during a day at the beach.

Mike and Paulina, who have been engaged since 2019, are still together.

Shanna Moakler and boyfriend Matthew Rondeau have another thing to deal with when it comes to their rocky relationship ... criminal charges from his domestic violence arrest.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Los Angeles City Attorney charged Shanna's man with misdemeanor domestic violence, battery and vandalism.

TMZ broke the story ... Matthew was busted back in February for allegedly getting physical with Shanna during an argument.

Remember ... Mathew's arrest came on the heels of him posting an aggressive video on Shanna's social media account, insinuating she cheated on him and vowing to never get back together with her.

Shanna said they were done after his arrest ... but a few days later she announced she was pregnant with Matthew's child. They've since turned to Dr. Drew for couples counseling and have been spotted together on several occasions.

We spoke to Shanna who tells us, "I'm not pressing charges, I'm hoping the city attorney respects my wishes and drops everything as well. I will be supporting Matthew 100%. This has disrupted our lives enough. We have both learned from this experience we never wish to have been public and we would like to move forward in a positive and peaceful manner."

Rowdy Rebel's brother Fetty Luciano is facing an attempted murder charge, and was just arraigned.

The Brooklyn rapper is accused of opening fire on July 10 ... shooting 3 people, including a security guard, at a Long Island luxury hotel's private pool party.

Although Nassau County prosecutors requested the GS9 member remain in custody, a judge set Fetty's bail at $200k in cash or a $400k bond.

About 200 people were reportedly at the party, and the injured security was attempting to break up a fight between 2 people when the shots rang out.

Fetty turned himself into Glen Cove Police officers on Thursday. In addition to the attempted murder charge, he's also facing reckless endangerment and weapons charges.

'Black Ink' star Ceaser Emanuel has turned himself in to authorities in connection to animal cruelty charges ... just weeks after a video showing him abusing a dog went viral.

A spokesperson for the City of South Fulton PD in Georgia tells TMZ Emanuel turned himself in ... jail records show Emanuel is facing two misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and one felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals.

Ceaser was fired from "Black Ink Crew" shortly after the video -- which shows him beating a dog with a metal chair -- surfaced online. Emanuel's attorney says the video was recorded during COVID lockdown and possibly leaked by an ex-GF who had it out for Emanuel.

Cops have not yet confirmed if the charges are in connection to the abuse video, but we know investigators from South Fulton were looking into the incident ... so it likely lines up.

Of course, whether it was leaked or not, there's no excuse for abusing an animal ... but Ceaser insists the video doesn't reflect his true self -- telling us he was only trying to break up a fight between his animals.

Since the video was recorded, Ceaser tells us he no longer owns one of the dogs, it was given to a friend.

Kim Kardashian is taking interest in a new legal case ... she wants to see Gunna released from his jail cell while he awaits trial.

Kim, who has helped a ton of folks get out from behind bars over the years, tweeted out her support for the rapper Wednesday, with a hashtag and a nod to one of Gunna's popular songs.

KK tweeted to her 73.1 million followers ... "#FreeGunna" and emojis saying "Free P" ... a reference to his song "Pushin P."

As we reported ... Gunna was recently denied bond a second time in his Young Stoner Life RICO case and will be held in a Georgia jail until at least January, when his case is scheduled to go to trial.

Gunna's accused of possession of drugs with intent to distribute and receiving stolen property, pleading not guilty to the allegations, and he's been going hard for his freedom ... penning an open letter about the U.S. Constitution on his birthday, which he spent behind bars.

Now Kim appears to be in Gunna's corner ... and it will be interesting to see if her celebrity can help his cause.

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay has agreed to, among other conditions, take mental health counseling in order to close out his criminal damage case, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court documents, Gay cut the deal with prosecutors in late June -- roughly six months after he was arrested for allegedly breaking a vacuum during an argument with the mother of his child.

Per the documents, prosecutors agreed to let Gay enter into a diversion program in order to avoid a trial and any further jail time.

As part of the diversion program, Gay agreed to take mental health counseling, submit to drug and alcohol testing, pay fines, fees and restitution, and generally keep his nose clean for 12 months.

If all conditions are met, prosecutors are expected to dismiss the case against the 24-year-old.

As we previously reported, Gay was hit with one misdemeanor charge of criminal damage under $1,000 following his Jan. 19 arrest in Johnson County, Kansas. Gay had pled not guilty to the charge at a court hearing on Jan. 20.

Texas A&M star receiver Ainias Smith might not make his scheduled appearance at SEC Media Days this week after all ... he was just arrested for DWI, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Records show Smith was booked into Brazos County, Texas jail on Wednesday on three charges -- unlawful carrying of a weapon, driving while intoxicated, and possession of marijuana.

Smith took a mug shot at the station with what appeared to be a blanket wrapped up around his shoulders. According to a jail official, the 21-year-old has yet to bond out.

No further details regarding the arrest have been released ... we've reached out to the Texas A&M Police Dept., but so far, no word back yet.

Smith, one of the Aggies' most explosive players the past three seasons, was expected to represent TAMU at SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Thursday with two of his other teammates.

Since 2019, Smith has piled up 1,321 receiving yards, 373 rushing yards and 19 total TDs for the Aggies.

7/20 -- Bridges showed up in court and pleaded not guilty to all three charges on Wednesday. He's due back in court for another hearing in the case next month.

NBA star Miles Bridges has been charged with felony domestic violence and child abuse in Los Angeles after allegedly beating the mother of his kids ... in front of the children.

TMZ Sports broke the story late last month ... the 24-year-old former Charlotte Hornet turned himself in to authorities in L.A. the day after the alleged incident. He was ultimately released after posting $130K bond.

Now, Bridges has been slapped with "one felony count of injuring a child’s parent and two felony counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death."

Controversial L.A. District Attorney George Gascon addressed the charging of Miles, saying “Domestic violence creates physical, mental and emotional trauma that has a lasting impact on survivors,”

Gascon continued ... “Children who witness family violence are especially vulnerable and the impact on them is immeasurable. Mr. Bridges will be held accountable for his actions and our Bureau of Victim Services will support the survivors through this difficult process.”

The details surrounding the alleged incident aren't entirely clear, but sources previously told us Miles and his GF were involved in an argument that turned physical.

Mychelle Johnson, the alleged victim (Mychelle identified herself), claims she was injured from the alleged attack ... saying she was diagnosed with multiple injuries including a "brain concussion, closed fracture of nasal bone, contusion of rib, multiple bruises, strain of neck muscle."

Mychelle also posted photos of the alleged incident.

At the time, Johnson said ... "I don't need sympathy," Johnson added. "I just don't want this happening to anyone else, I just want this person to get help, my kids deserve better."

The 6'7" forward is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

If convicted, Bridges faces years in prison.

The men who allegedly attacked a Black teen in the same city where Trayvon Martin was killed are being taken to court.

The teenager's parents are suing Howard Hughes and Donald Corsi over the June incident ... where they claim the 2 men and other unidentified adults stopped their son's car while he was simply visiting a friend's house in a Sanford, FL neighborhood.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Columbus and Niko Jones allege their kid was doing nothing more than driving along with a friend in the passenger seat ... when, all of a sudden, the group of locals launched into them with animosity.

The parents claim the adults, including Hughes and Corsi, hurled insults and threats at the 2 minors ... and eventually, started physically trying to halt the car. According to the Joneses, this came in the form of swinging a traffic cone at one of the doors, and hurling a large rock shattering the rear window.

At this point, the Joneses claim both kids got out, scared for their lives ... with the friend allegedly seeing one of the adults brandish a gun in the crowd, and Hughes allegedly saying they had a permit to do so -- while also insulting their son by calling him a "dumbass."

Soon, the cops showed up … and arrested Corsi and Hughes on a number of charges, including battery and damaging property.

Now, they have a civil case on their hands as well -- the Joneses are suing for assault, infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and more.