Crime & Arrests

Ex-WWE superstar Velveteen Dream exploded on an officer over his Miranda rights during an arrest earlier this year ... hurling f-bombs at the cop and calling him a "rookie" repeatedly -- new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

The footage was captured on officer-worn body cameras on Aug. 20 ... after the Orlando Police Dept. said the wrestler -- real name Patrick Clark -- bit and punched a gym employee following an altercation at a fitness facility in Orlando, FL.

The video shows as soon as cops put Clark in cuffs -- he immediately became combative ... demanding they allow him to speak with his lawyer. When they wouldn't, he threatened to sue.

The 27-year-old -- who left the WWE in 2021 after starring in NXT -- yelled so much from the backseat of the patrol car, the cop turned up country music loudly ... but that didn't slow down Velveteen Dream.

"This is crazy!" Clark said. "This is crazy! I work for the WWE! This is crazy!"

Clark -- who admitted in the video to being "a little inebriated" -- then said he was not read his Miranda rights before he was arrested ... and proceeded to go ballistic on the cop about it for several minutes.

"Hang up your f***ing phone, sir!" Clark said. "I was not given my Miranda rights! You f***ed up! You f***ed up, sir! I was not given my Miranda rights, so go ahead and bring me to your motherf***ing station, you f***ed up!"

"Think about that, sir!"

Clark screamed about his Miranda rights the entire ride -- and when they finally got to the police station ... he continued his verbal tirade.

"How'd you f*** up the Miranda rights, sir?!" Clark said while cuffed. "What are you, a rookie?! What're you, a rookie?! Oh! We got a rookie on deck!"

Clark was eventually booked and released ... and later hit with two misdemeanor charges of battery and trespassing on a property after warning.

Court documents show the case was disposed in September ... after the alleged victim said, according to the docs, he "did not wish to prosecute."

The man charged with the fatal mass shooting at a Colorado gay bar last month was locked behind bars for a 2021 kidnapping ... but a judge later tossed out the case and released him, possibly leading to the massacre, according to new court documents.

First some background ... in June 2021, Anderson Aldrich allegedly held his grandparents at gunpoint inside their Colorado Springs home after he became irate upon learning they were moving to Florida because he was making a bomb in the basement. But, his grandparents managed to flee and call 911.

A SWAT team arrested Aldrich after a brief standoff. Investigators recovered Aldrich's homemade bombs and firearms for a planned terrorist attack. He was charged with menacing, kidnapping and crime of violence.

Two months later, Judge Robin Chittum expressed concerns over Aldrich stockpiling weapons and explosives during a court proceeding, according to legal docs obtained Friday by the AP. At the hearing, Chittum also referenced Aldrich's struggles with mental illness, saying he needed treatment or “it’s going to be so bad."

Fast forward to July 2022 ... during another hearing, there was no mention of Aldrich’s violent tendencies or his mental health status. Then Chittum granted a defense counsel’s motion to dismiss the case and drop all charges against Aldrich just before trial. The reason? Aldrich's grandparents stopped cooperating, although other relatives warned the judge in a letter that Aldrich would kill someone if released.

The Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" Skateboarder was arrested at his Idaho home ... because, guess what -- weed's still illegal there.

Police say a state trooper pulled over a red Chevy Silverado Nathan Apodaca was driving because of an expired registration tag. When he walked up to the truck, the officer says he smelled marijuana.

The trooper says he noticed edibles in the glove box while Nathan was hunting for his registration, and that's when the trooper asked Nathan to get out of the car.

ISP says Nathan admitted there was weed in the truck. The trooper says he searched the car and found three packages of THC gummies, plus a marijuana dab scraping tool with a sticky residue.

Idaho State Police say Nathan, known on social media as Doggface, was arrested and booked on two misdemeanors -- pot possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was booked and released the same day on $600 bond.

Nathan's not shy about his smoking habits ... he dropped a music video with Snoop Dogg on 4/20 in his rap debut and spent a lot of time in California since going viral back in 2020.

However Nathan has a different version of what happened during his arrest. Nathan tells TMZ ... During the arrest, the officers failed to read me my Miranda rights. Initially, when officers found weed they said they were only going to write a ticket. They then found a gun and told me I was under arrest because I had a felony on my record and I wasn't allowed to possess a firearm. However, I do not have a felony on my record, which I told the officers. Despite me telling them this, I was taken into custody. I was held in jail for several hours without bond before they told me they make a huge mistake. Then was told I was only being held on the weed charge and could bond out.

Megan Thee Stallion's ex-friend Kelsey Harris says she absolutely saw Tory Lanez firing a gun at Meg -- that's what she told police back in September, and today the jury heard that whole exchange.

As you know, Kelsey has been hesitant, to say the least, to give up many details while testifying this week, but on Friday prosecutors played audio of the entire interview she did with cops earlier this year ... when she spilled every detail from that July 2020 night.

Kelsey says while they were in the SUV -- after the party at Kylie Jenner's house -- she and Tory first got into an argument when he made fun of Megan. When Kelsey came to her friend's defense, she claims Tory said, "My n****, I'm gonna shoot you." Kelsey says Tory reached toward the center console, but didn't do anything more than that.

However, the vehicle was pulled over at that point. Then she says Meg and Tory started insulting each other's careers, and things got so heated, both Meg and Kelsey got out of the SUV.

Almost immediately Kelsey says she started hearing gunshots, and after the 2nd or 3rd shot she turned around and says she saw Tory in the front seat firing the gun forward, over the open right front door in Meg's direction.

Kelsey was outside of the vehicle, but behind Tory and could only see Meg from the chest up. She ran toward Megan "in defense mode," and saw her bleeding ... and Tory was still sitting in the front seat, apparently in shock.

She claims Tory walked toward them, and that's when Kelsey and Tory started fighting. She describes it as Tory assaulting her, and adds she did not see a gun at that point.

Once they all got back in the SUV, Kelsey says she texted Megan's security, "911. Tory shot Meg."

Once the police arrived, Kelsey claims Tory told them not to say anything to officers because he was about to sign a big deal, and he offered both women $1 million each.

That's all that's been played of Kelsey's interview so far, but there's more to come after the lunch break.

Obviously, the audio reveals just about everything Kelsey skirted talking about on the stand -- with a lot of I don't recalls -- but her memory sounded pretty solid a few months ago.

Tory Lanez raised a lot of eyebrows when he brought his young son to court for the Megan Thee Stallion shooting trial ... so it might not be a total surprise he was without him today.

Tory pulled up to a DTLA courthouse Friday in a white Range Rover -- Tory looked dapper in a black and white suit, earring and sunglasses. However, he was silent, not speaking with cameras as he walked inside.

As we reported, Tory walked hand in hand with 5-year-old Kai'Lon into the courthouse earlier this week -- adjusting his son's suit and then carrying him out on his back on the exit.

We were inside the courtroom for the hearing, and while Kai'Lon wasn't there the whole time, he made at least one appearance ... and hung with his dad during breaks.

Tory told cameras earlier this week Kai'Lon was his biggest support system and that's why he decided he wanted to bring him to the hearing.

Brittney Griner is finally breaking her silence on her return from Russia ... saying she's super grateful to be back in the United States -- while vowing to play in the WNBA again.

Griner released a statement on her Instagram page Friday morning ... thanking President Joe Biden and everyone else who helped get her out of Russian custody last week.

Griner shouted out her wife, her agents, her reps, the WNBA and more in her note ... adding, "It feels so good to be home!"

"The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn," she wrote. "I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help."

Griner also said in her message that she will play basketball again -- insisting she'll be ready to roll for the Phoenix Mercury this upcoming season.

"I look forward to being able to say 'thank you' to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon," she said.

Griner -- who also shared a photo of the moment she was reunited with her wife -- added that she's going to do everything in her power to help Paul Whelan and other detained Americans return home soon, too.

"Every family deserves to be whole," she said.

St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin will not return to the booth next season ... after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated last week, he announced Thursday.

According to the St. Louis Dispatch, Dan, who was arrested for DWI for the third time on Dec. 4, agreed with the Cardinals org. and Bally Sports Midwest that it was time to step away.

"I have spent the last several days reflecting on my steps towards addressing my health and the well-being of my family and me," Dan said in a statement. "My sole focus needs to be on my recovery, which I have started, and that of my wife and children."

"I thank all of the people of Bally for their support throughout the years and wish them the best," he added. "As I move forward, I, please ask for your patience and your privacy. Thank you. God Bless."

As we previously reported, Dan, who called games for the Cards since 2000, was pulled over by Creve Coeur Police after they noticed his white sedan failing to stay in one lane ... and he was subsequently arrested for DWI.

McLaughlin, 48, was ultimately charged with Persistent Offender of Driving While Intoxicated -- a Class E felony offense with a maximum potential penalty of four years behind bars.

"Dan McLaughlin will not return as the Cardinals television play-by-play announcer on Bally Sports Midwest," the team and BSM said in a joint statement.

"Dan has been the voice of memorable Cardinals moments for 24 years. We thank him for his contributions to Cardinals baseball, to Cardinals fans, and for his many charitable efforts."

The man charged with attacking Dave Chappelle onstage at the Hollywood Bowl just got sentenced to 9 months behind bars after taking a plea deal with prosecutors.

Dave's attacker, 24-year-old Isaiah Lee, was sentenced Thursday to 270 days in Los Angeles County jail after pleading no contest to a pair of misdemeanor counts -- entering a restricted area during a live event and battery -- according to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.

As we reported ... Lee ran onstage in the middle of Dave's May 3 performance at the Hollywood Bowl, evading security and tackling Chappelle to the ground.

After taking Dave to the ground, Lee ran off the stage ... catching an epic beatdown before being arrested.

It was discovered Lee was carrying a replica gun with a knife blade during the incident ... and L.A. County D.A. George Gascon took a ton of heat for refusing the charge Lee with a felony. Instead, the L.A. City Attorney ultimately charged him with four misdemeanors.

We're told the weapon will now be destroyed.

Remember ... in a jailhouse interview with the NY Post in the weeks following the attack, Lee said he was bisexual and claimed he was "triggered" by Dave's LGBT jokes.

Tennis legend Boris Becker is a free man -- the world's former #1-ranked player has been released from prison in the UK after serving 8 months for bankruptcy fraud.

The 55-year-old is out earlier than expected -- he was originally handed 2.5 years behind bars in April after being convicted on four charges stemming from his 2017 bankruptcy case ... and the judge said at the time Becker would have to serve half his sentence in jail.

Attorney Christian-Oliver Moser says Becker has returned to his home country of Germany following his release, where he is "not subject to any penal restrictions."

Had Becker chosen to stay in the UK -- where he's lived since 2012 -- he would have faced deportation, according to PA Media.

As we previously reported, Becker was accused of moving large sums of money from his business account after declaring bankruptcy in 2017 ... as well as concealing assets and debts. He was facing up to 7 years behind bars.

Megan Thee Stallion's ex-best friend is the key witness who, all of a sudden, doesn't seem to remember much about the night in question ... which amounted to a wild day in court.

Kelsey Nicole Harris -- who was the other woman in the car with Tory Lanez and MTS during the 2020 shooting -- caused fireworks Wednesday when she was called to the stand by the prosecution ... almost immediately asking for immunity in the case, and receiving it for her testimony.

Despite this, Kelsey proved to be an incredibly difficult witness during direct examination ... attempting to invoke her 5th Amendment rights constantly, and often asking the judge if she had to answer certain questions -- hesitantly doing so when she did actually talk.

What she definitively testified to Wednesday, under oath, was that she did NOT shoot Megan Thee Stallion -- contradicting the defense's theory that she could've pulled the trigger.

Now, as for who she says did the shooting ... unclear. At one point, Kelsey did testify that Tory threatened to shoot her (Kelsey) -- but later on the stand, Kelsey seemed to backtrack ... saying sworn statements she'd given investigators in the lead-up to this trial weren't entirely truthful, despite being played back recordings of her saying just that back in September.

Prosecutors clearly wanted her to point the finger at Tory -- but so far, Kelsey has not done that ... and it could have a disastrous impact on the prosecution’s case.

Of course, another way to look at this ... by process of elimination, if Kelsey is denying doing the shooting -- and with the driver never having been accused whatsoever -- one could surmise there's only one person left who could have fired the shots -- Tory Lanez.

Gunna has ended his months-long incarceration by pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge in the YSL RICO case.

The Grammy-nominated rapper entered a pre-negotiated plea known as an Alford plea Wednesday and was sentenced to 5 years -- with one year commuted for the time he's already served. The remaining 4 will be suspended, pending community service and other special conditions.

In a statement, Gunna says he didn’t think of YSL as a gang circa 2016 when his rap career began to pop off, and only focused only on the entertainment aspects … even if it meant an exaggeration of the “Black urban” lifestyle.

He also laid emphasis that his guilty plea didn’t mean any cooperation against any other YSL members … and his Alford plea acknowledges his own association with YSL.

Gunna says he’s looking forward to giving back to his community and wants to youth to know that gangs and violence are gateways to their destruction.

A Las Vegas woman found herself in a sticky situation with cops after she allegedly stole a super expensive watch and hid it in her genitals.

Police were called to the Aria hotel Sunday in Las Vegas, according to 8 News Now ... after a man claimed he was cuddling 33-year-old Sarah Richards, and she continually insisted he take his Rolex off while they laid together.

The alleged victim told cops he put the watch under his pillow and continued to drink wine at Richards' request -- but he says when he noticed it missing, she "went into a panic" and left. He says he followed her all the way down to the lobby where he alerted security -- before PD arrived.

According to the reports, police couldn't find the Rolex at first, but eventually located it in her genitals. She's now looking at grand larceny charges.

Cops are saying Richards had a preliminary hearing in town Monday ... in a case where she's facing residential theft and burglary charges for allegedly taking someone's watch back in June. The person in that case apparently told police he thought he was drugged at a hotel.

Megan Thee Stallion is in court for the second day of Tory Lanez's shooting trial ... letting cameras know how she's feeling as fans cheer her on outside the building.

Megan stepped into a DTLA courthouse Tuesday ... giving a thumbs up when asked how she was doing. The rapper was also asked if she's nervous about the trial, but shakes her head at that one.

Meg had a bunch of fans in her corner, too ... with a group of her supporters holding up banners and signs -- and even wearing shirts that all say "We stand with Megan."

Not everyone is backing the Megan train, though -- as she walked into court, one person shouted out, "Why you lying on that boy?" No reaction from Meg and co., though.

As we reported, Tory's trial kicked off Monday, with both sides laying out what they say happened the night Meg was allegedly shot in the foot. Prosecutors clearly say Tory pulled the trigger, while Tory's attorneys have laid out alternative theories, including pointing out some possible fighting between Kelsey and Meg that night.

Megan will reportedly testify at some point during the trial -- but it's unclear when she'll take the stand.

Coastal Carolina quarterback Bryce Carpenter, who played in 12 games for the Chanticleers this season, was arrested Sunday after he allegedly threw a woman onto a concrete sidewalk -- causing injuries ... though he denies the whole thing.

Police say in an incident report, obtained by TMZ Sports, that officers responded to a house party in Conway, S.C. on Saturday night regarding an alleged assault that had taken place at around 11:30 PM.

In the docs, officers say a woman claimed that earlier in the night, she and Carpenter were in the garage of the party ... when he "began making sexual advances towards her."

Police say the woman told them she rejected him -- but he still attempted to kiss her and "grab her butt." According to the report, the woman said other partygoers saw what was going on, and pulled the football player away from her.

Later on, police say the woman told them she saw Carpenter sitting on a sidewalk and "approached him to speak to him about what he was doing."

Cops say Carpenter then got up from the curb, and "attempted to advance on the victim again."

According to the report, she pushed him away -- and that's when he allegedly snapped.

Carpenter was accused of grabbing her, picking her up and throwing her down onto a concrete sidewalk. In the docs, cops say the woman suffered scratches on her back and arms -- as well as a hematoma on the back of her head.

Cops say in the docs that Carpenter told them he never went to any parties on Saturday night -- "and was home the entire time."

Police say Carpenter was arrested at 1:45 AM on Sunday morning. Court records show he's since been charged with one count of third-degree assault and battery.

Coastal Carolina said in a statement following the arrest that Carpenter has now been suspended indefinitely from the team.

Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory Jr. -- the lead star in 50 Cent's hit 'BMF' series -- learned the hard way it's a bad idea to stash a gun in your carry-on luggage.

Lil Meech landed in a bit of hot water at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Tuesday ... after we're told authorities found him with a gun.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop Lil Meech was at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Tuesday when security discovered a firearm in his luggage. We're told deputies from the Broward Co. Sheriff's Office were called to the scene and arrested the actor.

As for the weapon, our sources say it was a Glock 19 9mm ... it wasn't loaded, but cops also found a 15-round magazine. Lil Meech did not have a carry permit.

Meech was transported and booked for introducing a firearm into the sterile area of the airport ... a felony. Apparently, the actor isn't alone in his mistake ... as we're told this was the 130th gun found at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood this year.

Former cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried has been arrested in the Bahamas ... and it appears his legal woes are only gonna get worse, with expected criminal charges in the United States.

Bahamian authorities announced SBF's arrest Monday, and Bahamas Attorney General Ryan Pinder added the U.S. filed criminal charges against the FTX founder. SBF was scheduled to appear Tuesday before a Congressional committee for a hearing on the crypto company's recent multi-billion dollar collapse.

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, says SBF was arrested "at the request of the U.S. Government, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY."

It's unclear what criminal charges SBF is facing ... but Williams says the indictment will be unsealed Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, the Bahamas AG says the U.S. is likely to request SBF's extradition.

As you know ... FTX was once one of the world's biggest crypto exchanges, recently being valued at $30 billion before becoming insolvent and filing for bankruptcy.