Crime & Arrests

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince is breathing easier heading into the holiday season ... TMZ Sports has learned he will not face charges stemming from his drug arrest.

According to court documents, a grand jury declined to charge him with possession of a controlled substance last week. Days later, prosecutors dismissed the gun charges he was facing related to the case as well.

Prince was initially pulled over by the Arlington Police Dept. in Texas back on May 19 ... after officers said he was driving with an expired registration. During the stop, cops say the basketball player told them he had two handguns in the car ... so officers asked him to get out of the vehicle.

During an effort to retrieve the guns from the car, cops say they found a vape pen ... and searched his ride further. They say they then found a canister with marijuana inside.

Following test results on the vape pen, cops obtained a warrant for Prince's arrest -- and in Miami in August, the 28-year-old was taken into custody over it.

"The charges were dropped because the search was clearly illegal," Prince's attorney, Kent Schaffer, told us in a statement on Friday. "On top of that, carrying a gun is legal in Texas, if not encouraged, and the amount of marijuana alleged to be in the vehicle was probably les than a usable quantity."

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing was arrested on Friday morning ... just hours after he helped his team beat the Packers on "Thursday Night Football," TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A police spokesperson tells us Downing was arrested by the Tennessee Highway Patrol in Williamson County, TN. on Friday morning ... and booked on charges of DUI and speeding.

Records show the 42-year-old bonded out of jail at around 6:46 AM.

Further details surrounding the arrest were not made immediately available.

Just prior to his arrest, Downing put on a great performance in Tennessee's 27-17 win over Green Bay at Lambeau Field. He dialed up several trick plays, and was partly responsible for a big night from quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who completed 22 of his 27 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns.

The Titans have yet to publicly comment on the arrest.

Blueface's allegedly opening fire on a vehicle -- and subsequently getting arrested for attempted murder -- was the end result of a joke falling flat and sparking a strip club fight.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Blueface and his crew were at Euphoric Gentlemen's Club in Vegas on October 8 ... and the alleged victim supposedly made a joke about the rapper talking with "some females in a cheap vehicle."

Cops say the joke set off members of Blueface's crew, who allegedly hit the man "multiple times."

The docs say the man then attempted to leave in his truck, and told cops Blueface's crew might have thought he was "going for a gun" ... leading to Blueface allegedly firing shots at the man's truck as he fled.

Cops say there were multiple bullet marks on the truck, and its owner suffered what appeared to be a "bullet graze wound" on his left hand.

As we reported, video obtained by TMZ showed the truck suddenly pulling up to the rapper and his crew in the club's parking lot -- and it appears to show Blueface pulling out a weapon and firing it in the direction of the truck.

Jeffrey Dahmer's father is admitting he ignored a ton of warning signs about his killer son's behavior, but it's the why -- which he shared with Dr. Phil -- that will likely piss off the public.

Lionel Dahmer got candid with the daytime TV host during his 3-day special on the Dahmer case ... and Phil asked him if, in retrospect, he feels he should've seen the evil coming. His response is pretty chilling.

He recalled Dahmer between the ages of 11-14, and said his son used to roam around country roads where they lived to collect the remains of various animals that had been killed ... and then he'd take them home in garbage bags.

Lionel says there were all kinds of dead animals from foxes to small dogs, but he claims it wasn't until Dahmer's trial he found out his son would explore the animals' insides and feel them up.

It's interesting he's claiming he didn't know, because the Netflix series depicts Lionel as sharing that gory experience with his son in their basement.

Now, you'd think the collecting of the carcasses would be enough of a "red flag," but he says he simply didn't dig any deeper into Dahmer's behavior because he had friends who did the "same thing."

As you'd imagine, that explanation didn't sit right with survivors, who told Dr. Phil ... Lionel's ignorance about his son is complete BS.

The University of Virginia football team will not play its game against Coastal Carolina on Saturday ... following the tragic deaths of three of its players on Sunday night.

The school just made the decision ... revealing the game will not have a makeup date. Officials said the Cavaliers' season finale against Virginia Tech on Nov. 26 could be canceled as well, though no ruling has been made on that contest yet.

Coastal Carolina officials said they had no issues whatsoever with the decision ... with head coach Jamey Chadwell saying in a statement, "We all stand in solidarity with UVA."

The cancelation is not a surprising one ... after linebacker D'Sean Perry and receivers, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler were shot and killed on a bus on campus after returning to the school from a class field trip.

Two other UVA students, including Cavaliers running back Mike Hollins, were also injured during the shooting as well -- and at a news conference on Tuesday, head coach Tony Elliott said he and the team were understandably having a hard time processing it all.

A former UVA running back, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., has been accused of being the gunman in the horrifying incident. He's since been arrested and hit with multiple charges -- including three counts of second-degree murder.

Jones Jr. appeared in court for a hearing on the matter on Wednesday morning. No bond was given -- and his next court date was set for December.

Blueface's attempted murder arrest Monday is based on an incident on October 8, where he's accused of pulling a gun and shooting at the driver of a truck ... and TMZ has obtained video of the incident.

The clip shows the rapper outside a Las Vegas club last month ... when a truck suddenly pulls up at Blueface and his crew before flooring it away. Blueface allegedly pulls out a weapon in the vid, and fires it multiple times at the driver as they sped off.

According to sources at the venue, we're told the unknown driver walked into the club earlier and the rapper's crew, who had allegedly been drinking, attacked him. It’s not clear what started the alleged altercation, but we're told Blueface wasn't directly involved in the fight.

After the beatdown, we're told the man retreated to his truck and pulled up on Blueface and his crew as they were leaving. Our sources say the man asked "Who hit me?!" and that's when the shots rang out. From there, you see the truck speed off.

TMZ broke the story ... Blueface was arrested for attempted murder Tuesday in LV ... cops on scene said they were executing an open warrant for his arrest.

Blueface's girlfriend, Chrisean Rock, was also there ... she later went off on social media, flippin' the bird to anyone who says she should dump him after his arrest.

Blueface was arrested for attempted murder ... and TMZ has video of the bust.

The rapper was taken down and cuffed Tuesday outside Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles in Vegas ... in what appears to have been an undercover operation. Eyewitnesses tell us 6-8 officers were in on the arrest, parked in unmarked cars.

As you see in our clip ... they all piled on to detain him as a crowd formed. Blueface's girlfriend, Chrisean Rock, was also there, and looked just as confused as everyone else.

Cops on scene said they were executing an open warrant for his arrest. TMZ has obtained legal docs connected to the warrant, and the charges are serious ... felony attempted murder with the use of a deadly firearm or tear gas.

He's facing an additional charge of discharging a gun into a house, building, vehicle or craft.

The incident that got Blueface arrested occurred October 8th.

Former "Empire" star Bryshere Gray has been cuffed once again -- this time for allegedly violating his probation ... after pleading guilty last year to aggravated assault.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... cops in Maricopa, AZ were called by a woman last week, claiming the 2 were seeing each other but telling the officer "his behavior was escalating and she was concerned for her safety."

The docs say the woman claimed Gray threw a box of food at her and pulled her hair ... she also told cops about other instances where he'd shout at her.

Officers say Gray had multiple run-ins with law enforcement ... including a domestic-related disturbance call last month.

Gray allegedly failed to inform his probation officer about these incidents ... which is why he was hit with a probation violation. A judge signed a warrant and he was arrested.

As we reported, Gray pled guilty in 2021 to felony aggravated assault ... following a standoff with a SWAT team at his home the year before.

Courtney Clenney, the OnlyFans model accused of murdering her boyfriend, is soaked in blood -- almost head-to-toe -- in newly released photos taken moments after her arrest.

Clenney was photographed back in April, shortly after cops got her back to the station, and you can see her sweats are nearly completely red-stained. It looks like the blood is mostly dried, but there's obviously a lot of it covering her entire lower body.

There also appeared to be blood left behind on her hand, and all over the Miami condo where they lived.

Remember, we'd already gotten a sense of how gory the crime scene was -- TMZ obtained video of the immediate aftermath, showing Clenney in handcuffs as officers were investigating.

Clenney insists she stabbed her BF, Christian Obumseli, in self-defense. We've since learned their relationship was volatile ... as cops had been called during their disputes in the past.

Since then, she's been charged with second-degree murder and is currently in custody in Miami awaiting trial. A bond hearing was scheduled Tuesday.

BTW, new photos showing apparent bruises on Clenney in the wake of the killing just surfaced last week ... with her defense team saying they were taken a few days after Christian's death.

Christopher Jones Jr. -- the ex-University of Virginia football player who's been accused of murdering three current members of the Cavaliers team -- had complained of bullying before the shooting, this according to Jones Jr.'s father.

Christopher Jones Sr. spoke with NBC12 just one day after his son allegedly shot and killed three UVA football players while on a bus on campus ... and he explained, for the most part, his son appeared normal during their last encounter about a month ago "and he was doing real well."

But, he did note that while Jones Jr. had stopped by his house to do laundry, the 22-year-old admitted he was having some issues while at school.

"He had some problems," Jones Sr. said of Jones Jr., a former UVA running back. "The last time I talked to him, he said some people was picking on him or whatever. He didn't know how to handle it. I just told him, 'Go to school. Don't pay them no mind. Do what you got to do.'"

Jones Sr. added, "He wouldn't tell me everything."

Jones Jr. allegedly opened fire on a bus full of students after it had returned from a class field trip at around 10:30 PM on Sunday night. According to authorities, the gunfire killed D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler, and wounded two others.

Cops say Jones Jr. then fled the scene ... remaining on the run for about 12 hours -- before he was eventually arrested in Henrico County. He's now facing six charges, including three counts of second-degree murder.

Jones Sr. said he had no clue what could have caused Jones Jr. to pull the trigger.

"What happened?" Jones Sr. said. "Why did it have to get this far? He could have called me."

Jones Sr. then issued an apology on his son's behalf.

On campus, meanwhile, students participated in a candlelight vigil to honor the three who died in the tragedy.

Frankie Grande was the subject of a scary situation on the streets of NY ... he got attacked and robbed by 2 teens.

NYPD sources tell TMZ ... Frankie was walking down an NYC street last week ... when he got punched in the back of the head -- the teens then jacked his bag and ran off.

A few hours after the attack, cops say a 17-year-old and 13-year-old attempted to use one of Frankie's credit cards at a nearby smoke shop.

Cops found out and beelined it for the shop, and swiftly arrested the 2. They were booked on assault, robbery, grand larceny and other crimes.

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.