Crime & Arrests

TMZ Sports has obtained Ben Gordon's mug shot after he allegedly attacked two McDonald's security guards in Chicago ... with the ex-NBA star appearing alert and wide-eyed.

As we previously reported, Gordon was being escorted out of a local Mickey D's on Nov. 4 when he allegedly hit a 29-year-old male guard in the face and threw him to the ground. He is also accused of shoving a second 21-year-old male guard during the altercation.

It's unclear what led to the altercation, but the former NBA lottery pick appeared to have a blank stare as he posed for his mug shot shortly after being taken into custody.

39-year-old Gordon was charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery ... and his first court date is slated for next month.

Former MLB superstar Yasiel Puig is facing up to five years in prison ... after he agreed to plead guilty to lying to the feds during their investigation of an illegal gambling ring.

Federal prosecutors announced the plea deal on Monday afternoon ... saying the ex-Dodgers outfielder intends to make a guilty plea to one count of making false statements at a court hearing later this month.

The charge, according to the feds, carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.

Puig -- who's now playing baseball in South Korea after seven seasons in the MLB -- had been accused by officials of placing bets through an illegal gambling business beginning back in May 2019.

Officials say in a matter of weeks, he racked up $282,900 in gambling losses -- and then cut two separate $100K checks to the operators of the illegal gambling biz to pay off his debts ... and continue to make bets.

Authorities say following the payments, he went on to make an additional 899 more bets on the sites from July 2019 to September 2019 on tennis, football and basketball games.

According to officials, Puig was ultimately interviewed over it all -- and they say he lied through his teeth ... prompting the federal charge.

Police are on the hunt for a former University of Virginia football player ... after they say he's suspected of shooting and killing three people, while injuring two others, in a horrifying on-campus incident Sunday night.

The shooting occurred at Culbreth Parking Garage at around 10:30 PM -- and, according to the university police department, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a current student, is suspected of pulling the trigger.

As of Monday morning, Jones had not been taken into custody. Police said they've launched a manhunt for the ex-Cavaliers running back -- and are urging anyone to call 911 with information about his whereabouts. They say he was last seen wearing a burgundy jacket, blue jeans and red shoes, and is considered armed and dangerous.

Jones, according to the school's website, played tailback for UVA in 2018, but did not appear in any games.

The victims of the shooting have not yet been identified. A potential motive also remains unclear.

School president Jim Ryan announced Monday morning classes had been canceled as the search for Jones continues.

"This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send," Ryan said in a statement to the school, "and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia."

A violent offender fleeing from police shoved a child to the floor after he broke into an Ohio daycare center ... and the wild foot chase was all caught on video.

Lamar Mitchell was driving in the city of Warren when a patrolman recognized him as a suspect wanted for a felony assault and tried to pull him over.

But, Mitchell sped away to elude capture ... but he didn't get far because he plowed into a nearby vehicle.

Luckily, no one was injured in the accident ... Mitchell took off on foot with officers running in hot pursuit.

That's when cops fired up their body cameras and captured the dramatic events released by the Warren Police Department.

In the bodycam footage, one officer is seen dashing after Mitchell while pulling out his taser.

Mitchell forced his way inside the daycare and then spun around, simulating a gun by pointing his finger at the cop.

Still, the officer pursues Mitchell down a corridor and into a room filled with kids.

Mitchell hurls into the playpen over a child, pushing him headfirst to the ground.

A daycare worker scoops up the toddler -- who thankfully wasn't hurt -- and rushes off to safety as other kids are heard crying. Officers handcuffed Mitchell and took him away.

Nikita Dragun is receiving professional mental health care in a facility after getting arrested at a Miami hotel and spending time in jail ... TMZ has learned.

Nikita's rep, Jack Ketsoyan, tells TMZ ... "We want to thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support for Nikita during this time. She is in a safe environment addressing her mental health. We ask for continued respect for her privacy and the sensitivity of this matter as she seeks treatment and healing."

We're told Nikita began seeking treatment Wednesday evening.

The transgender influencer has been open about her mental health struggles -- in May she shared on her YouTube channel that she had been diagnosed as bipolar.

Nikita said she has a family history of bipolar disorder, though she was initially surprised by her diagnosis, because she didn't quite understand what it meant to be bipolar. As a result, she says she didn't relate her own symptoms to the disorder.

TMZ broke the story ... Nikita was arrested Tuesday on a felony charge of battery on a police officer after allegedly causing a disturbance at a swanky hotel as she walked around the pool area in the nude.

The police report, obtained by TMZ, said when Nikita finally answered her hotel room door she allegedly swung an open water bottle, spraying a security guard and an officer ... which led to her arrest.

Nikita appeared in court earlier this week, she told the judge she was being kept in a men's unit and asked to be transferred ... a claim the jail denies.

An Arizona driver sure doesn't seem to give a hoot -- cops say they found an owl in his passenger seat when they pulled him over for a DUI in Arizona ... and that's not even the strangest part of the story!

Payson PD says they found the little copilot early Thursday morning when officers performed the traffic stop. As they approached the vehicle they immediately noticed the bird of prey riding shotgun.

Here's the weirder part ... cops say the driver told them he bought the owl at a local gas station!!! The convenience stores really DO have it all.

Well, now it's not just a bizarre mystery -- it's potentially a crime. Payson police say it's illegal to transport, possess, buy or sell wildlife in the state unless expressly permitted under Arizona law.

The owl was reportedly picked up by the AZ Game and Fish Department after the discovery, but was apparently unable to be released back into the wild -- due to minor injuries.

As for the driver, cops say he was arrested for aggravated DUI, possession of methamphetamine and possession of wildlife.

Nikita Dragun was forced into the men's unit of the local jail after Monday's arrest in Florida, a decision her rep says could've been a recipe for disaster.

Nikita's rep, Jack Ketsoyan, tells TMZ ... "The situation with Nikita, who is legally female, being placed in a men's unit of a Florida jail is extremely disturbing and dangerous."

Ketsoyan continues, "This decision made by the Miami-Dade County Corrections Department directly violates their protocol, which mandates that transgender inmates are classified and housed based on safety needs and gender identity."

As we reported, the transgender influencer was arrested this week on a felony charge of battery on a police officer ... after allegedly causing a disturbance for a long period of time, walking around the pool area naked.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ ... when Nikita finally answered her hotel room door she allegedly swung an open water bottle, causing water to hit and spill on both a security guard and an officer, resulting in her arrest.

Nikita's rep adds she's since been released after being placed on a $5,000 bond. We've reached out to Miami-Dade County's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center ... so far, no word back.

More disturbing news for former NBA star Delonte West ... TMZ Sports has learned after he was arrested in mid-October -- he was busted again just two weeks later.

The Fairfax County Police Dept. tells us officers were called to a residential area on Oct. 29 at around 3:47 PM over reports of a man who appeared to be drunk. When they arrived on scene, cops say they found West "lying next to a car with an open door."

After making contact with the 39-year-old ... officials say they arrested him for being drunk in public, and then transported the ex-Dallas Mavericks point guard to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.

Court records show he was ultimately charged with misdemeanor intoxication in public ... and a hearing on the matter has been set for January.

The incident came just 14 days after West had been previously arrested in a similar fashion just about a mile away.

In that case, police said they arrested West following calls that he had been trespassing in a vehicle. Court records show he was hit with four charges ... including drunk in public and vehicle trespassing.

West had appeared to be turning his life around prior to the October run-ins with cops ... he had scored a tryout with the Big3 in March ... and also landed a job with a flooring company in June.

However, his former boss, Mavs owner Mark Cuban, told us in September he had heard West was struggling with some issues.

An Alabama city councilman accused of using racial slurs was arrested after punching the town's Black mayor ... and it's all on video.

Police in Tarrant, AL just released the footage ... and cops say the video shows Councilman Thomas Bryant punching Mayor Wayman Newton in the face.

There's a bunch of people who cops say saw the punch, which went down Monday in the City Hall parking lot, with witnesses including the Tarrant Police Department's own police chief. Officers arrested Bryant at the scene and took him to jail.

Police say Bryant was initially charged with harassment, but the charge was since upgraded to third-degree assault.

The dispute reportedly arose from a heated meeting inside City Hall, where Bryant challenged the mayor to step down.

Video shows the guy who took the punch run away before falling to his knees and then getting back up and jumping around.

Bryant's been accused of racism in the past ... just last year he allegedly referred to another council member as a "house n*****" during a public meeting.

New video obtained by TMZ Sports shows Miles Bridges' ex did appear to attempt to break into his residence back in October -- slamming a hose nozzle against the NBA star's door repeatedly as he tried to hold it closed.

The footage was captured on Oct. 12 ... after Mychelle Johnson allegedly brought over the couple's two kids in an attempt to get inside Bridges' L.A. rental home to speak with him.

Bridges, however, said in court docs this week he wanted no part of contact with her -- saying he wasn't allowed to talk to her due to court orders that were given to him after he was charged with felony domestic violence for his alleged role in a June altercation with the woman.

In the docs, Bridges claimed Johnson showed up unannounced through a side gate in his backyard ... and then, after he retreated inside, "kept yelling outside the door demanding me to open it while the kids were calling out to me to let them in."

The footage shows at one point during their encounter, one of the children handed Johnson a hose nozzle that she then used to hit the door several times in an effort to get into the pad.

Over and over again, Bridges can be heard in the video telling her to stop.

Eventually, according to the court docs, after she couldn't get in, Johnson stole Bridges' dog and left with the children.

The incident was not isolated, according to Bridges, who said in the docs that on two other occasions -- one on Oct. 31 and one on Nov. 5 -- she similarly harassed him and caused him emotional distress and anxiety.

Quality Control’s Bankroll Freddie hopefully can find time to exercise “patience” like his recent hit with Lil Baby suggests -- the feds are charging the Arkansas rapper in a firearms and drug case.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop the 28-year Freddie Gladney was part of a massive 61-count indictment ... along with 34 other defendants, and is currently in custody.

We're told Wednesday's round-up is part of a larger investigation involving around 70 people all facing similar charges and circumstances.

According to the indictment, Freddie and his East AR crew conspired to sell massive amounts of crack cocaine and marijuana between March 2021 to October 2022.

Freddie is also facing weapons charges for allegedly possessing multiple firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

We're told the feds also seized jewelry and cash from several of the defendants totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Former boxing champ Jose Zepeda -- who owns a career 35-2-2 record -- was arrested in Los Angeles on Tuesday ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to police, officers responded to a battery call in Baldwin Park ... and following an investigation, arrested Zepeda.

Per a Baldwin Park Police Dept. spokesperson, the 33-year-old was eventually issued a citation ... and the case has since been kicked over to prosecutors for review.

Further details surrounding the allegations were not made immediately available.

The arrest couldn't come at a worse time for Zepeda -- he's slated to fight Regis Prograis in a title fight in less than three weeks on Nov. 26.

It's unclear if the fight could be in jeopardy over Tuesday's incident.

Zepeda has held several belts in his career ... most recently winning the WBC Silver light welterweight title in Oct. 2020. He's currently on a five-fight win streak, which includes a win over Josue Vargas in his last match on Oct. 30, 2021.

Nikita Dragun left a swanky Miami Beach hotel in handcuffs ... after cops say she was walking around the pool in the nude before dousing officers and security guards with water.

The transgender influencer was arrested Monday night on a felony charge of battery on a police officer ... and it sounds like she was having too good a time at The Goodtime Hotel.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops responded to a report of someone causing a disturbance and being extremely disorderly at the hotel. Police say when they got there, hotel security told officers Nikita had been causing a disturbance for a long period of time and walking around the pool area naked.

Cops say security also told them Nikita ignored demands to stop causing the disturbance and at one point intentionally threw water on hotel staffers.

Once officers arrived on scene, they say they went with security up to Nikita's room, where they heard loud music being played.

Police say Nikita opened the door after several knocks, but when security explained to Nikita she needed to cut it out or she'd be asked to leave the hotel, Nikita slammed the door in their faces.

A few moments later, cops say Nikita opened the door again and asked security, "Do you want more?" Officers say Nikita then swung an open water bottle, causing water to hit and spill on both the security guard and the officer, resulting in her arrest.

Nikita was booked for felony battery on a police officer, misdemeanor disorderly conduct and misdemeanor battery. She was booked at Miami-Dade County's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $5,000 bond.

Two Arkansas football players were arrested after they were allegedly involved in a physical altercation with police ... just hours after the Razorbacks lost their homecoming game.

According to the Fayetteville Police Dept., Anthony Brown and Myles Slusher were involved in an alleged incident at 2 AM on Sunday ... when officers were on foot patrol near a pub less than a mile from campus.

In court documents, an FPD officer said Brown -- a freshman defensive back from Tennessee -- was standing in the street and was instructed to get on the sidewalk ... and he initially complied.

However, according to the docs, when officers circled back around, Brown was "intentionally" standing in the street again.

"I walked to Brown and grabbed his sleeve of his right arm," the officer said in the docs. "I walked with Brown to the sideway."

That's when things allegedly got physical ... with the cop saying in the documents that Brown pushed him away -- which forced him to take the 19-year-old to the ground and into custody.

"Brown engaged in fighting behavior," the officer wrote, "congregated with two or more other people in a public place refusing to comply with a lawful order to disperse, and obstructed vehicular traffic in a public place."

According to cops, while Brown was getting cuffed, Slusher -- a junior defensive back -- grabbed the arresting officer in order to try to pull him off of Brown, according to the docs.

Slusher was eventually taken into custody as well.

Brown and Slusher were transported to the Washington County Detention Center and released later Sunday morning. Both are facing disorderly conduct charges. A court date for the duo has been set for December.

The incident happened shortly after the Razorbacks lost to the Liberty Flames. Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said in a statement Sunday the team was aware of the arrests.

"We are in the process of gathering information from the proper authorities," Pittman said. "Once we have that information, we will determine their status with our team."

Ted Cruz is back in Texas, but he's still hearing boos -- the senator just got an earful of jeers from fans in Houston while he was riding in the Astros' World Series parade.

Cruz was on a military jeep as part of the celebration for the best team in baseball ... and cameras caught fans laying into him as his ride made its way through the streets.

People booed loudly ... and, according to Astros reporter Ben DuBose, some even flipped the lawmaker the bird.

Of course, this is far from the first time Cruz has heard the heckling ... in fact, just two weeks ago, fans at Yankee Stadium tore into him during NY's ALCS game against the 'Stros.

Cruz, who was reppin' Houston with an orange shirt and a blue vest, got booed loudly, with one man even calling him a "racist piece of s***."

Cruz appears to have gotten the last laugh on everyone, though -- his beloved Astros closed out the Yankees that night, and then went on to beat the Phillies, 4-2, in the W.S. this weekend.

As for the rest of the parade, the guys all seem to be having a blast celebrating their second title in six seasons.

Ex-NBA star Ben Gordon was arrested again this week ... after he allegedly attacked two McDonald's security guards in Chicago.

TMZ Sports has learned ... 39-year-old Gordon was taken into custody around 3:30 AM on Friday. Chicago PD says the 2004 third-overall pick was being escorted out of the Mickey D's when he got physical.

Police say Gordon struck a 29-year-old male guard in the face and threw him to the ground ... before shoving a second 21-year-old male guard to the ground as well.

It's unclear why Gordon was being kicked out of the restaurant in the first place.

Gordon was booked for two counts of misdemeanor battery -- cause bodily harm and make physical contact -- as a result of the alleged altercation. The two guards declined medical attention.

The arrest comes less than one month after Gordon was accused of punching his 10-year-old son in the head at an airport for dropping a book.

Shortly after making bail in that arrest, Gordon was taken into custody in connection to an open assault case for a 2020 incident in Manhattan.

Gordon won an NCAA Championship at UConn in 2004 ... and averaged 14.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in the Association.