Crime

With an influx of visitors heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympics, French police are cracking down on prostitution ... and we've learned an anti-pimping brigade is even leading the charge.

The Press Office for the Police Prefecture tells TMZ ... authorities are doing what they can to combat illegal sex work in the City of Lights. We're told checkpoints and other road operations are targeted to try and put a stop to pimping in the Bois de Vincennes, Bois de Boulogne and Belleville sectors.

A formal brigade -- known as the BRP -- has even formed ... and we're told they will make their presence seriously known in the area. There is also a group in charge of surveilling night establishments, such as cabarets ... where anti-sex work laws will be reinforced.

Harvey Weinstein is battling a slew of health issues from a prison hospital ... including the coronavirus and pneumonia.

Weinstein has been transferred to Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward in Manhattan, where he's being treated for diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis and other conditions ... his rep, Juda Engelmayer, confirmed to TMZ.

Weinstein's camp says he's also tested positive for COVID-19 and double pneumonia. The health update was first reported Thursday by NBC News.

Winston Nguyen, a NYC math teacher-turned-"Jeopardy!" champ, has surrendered himself to authorities over child porn charges ... according to multiple reports.

The educator -- who worked at the swanky Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights -- turned himself over to Brooklyn prosecutors on Thursday ... a month after he was accused of catfishing minors and sharing X-rated images with them through social media.

Now, he is facing child porn charges and is expected to be arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Thursday afternoon .... where he'll be charged with using a child in a sexual performance and for promoting a sexual performance by a child.

The mother of George Floyd's daughter is weighing in on the police-involved shooting that took Sonya Massey's life ... calling on Kamala Harris to help end this endemic killing.

Roxie Washington -- who shared her daughter, Gianna, with George before he was murdered -- tells TMZ ... her heart is broken for Sonya's family, and she says this incident only further reminds her of how unjustly George was taken from his own loved ones in 2020.

We're told Roxie and Gianna actually watched the body cam footage of Sonya being shot together -- and needless to say, it brings back memories for her ... which is why she's throwing her support behind President Biden's VP, the only person she believes can fix this.

Team Australia's 2024 Summer Olympics experience isn't off to a hot start -- BMX star Logan Martin revealed their van was broken into ... and his wallet and backpack were jacked.

The gold medalist detailed the cruel act to his half-million Instagram followers from Belgium on Wednesday ... showing the passenger side window of the team's van completely shattered, with law enforcement on scene to check things out.

"Crazy start to the trip," Martin said.

The sheriff's deputy who shot and killed Sonya Massey claims he feared she was going to throw a pot of boiling water on him, but based on the horrifying police body cam ... her family and their attorney aren't buying it.

Ben Crump is representing Sonya's family, and joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday alongside her father, James Wilburn, and we asked about their takeaway from the body camera footage showing her fatal interaction with law enforcement.

Ben says Sean Grayson -- the Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy charged with first-degree murder -- doesn't look like he's fearing for his safety in the footage, because instead of moving away from Sonya as she handles a pot of boiling water, he moves toward her.

The fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey has saddened Solange Knowles like many Americans -- and she's making a nuanced point about this being a regular thing in the U.S.

After taking in the brutal body cam footage that was released this week -- Solange called out America for its historic treatment of Black women ... scoffing at the responding officer's disbelief Sonya had asked not to be hurt right from the get-go when they arrived.

Sonya's plea still resulted in her dead on her kitchen floor with a bullet in her head, and Solange says words don't hold the same weight for Black women as they do everyone else.

Sonya Massey's father is sharing his heartbreak after his daughter was shot and killed in her home by a white police officer ... slamming the deputy as a devilish figure.

James Wilburn spoke with Gayle King on "CBS Mornings" after body cam footage of the shooting showed Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson shooting Massey earlier this month ... this after she'd actually called 911 for help.

According to her dad, he claims he was never told a deputy was involved with the untimely passing of his daughter, and says he was led to believe an intruder shot and killed his daughter. JW said he learned about the facts of the case from his brother ... and felt they had been misled as part of what he characterized as an alleged "cover-up."

Karen Read is the Massachusetts woman accused of her police officer boyfriend's death ... and after a hung jury prompted a mistrial, it's fair to wonder if she was being framed.

TMZ Studios' new series, "Strange & Suspicious," dives into weird and unexplained stories -- and here, we're looking into the possibility Karen is getting blamed for a murder she didn't commit.

Remember ... she's accused of drunkenly running over John O'Keefe.

Karen Read is heading back to court for round two -- a judge just greenlit a second murder trial in the death of her BF, John O'Keefe ... weeks after declaring it a mistrial following a hung jury.

Massachusetts Judge Beverly Cannone has penciled in Read’s retrial for January 27, 2025 ... dropping the news Monday in front of both the prosecution and defense attorneys.

The date isn't locked in yet because Read's lawyer, David Yannetti, mentioned to Judge Cannone he's got another trial lined up right before then.

An Indianapolis man is dead after another driver shot him at point-blank range during a road rage incident caught on video -- and cops have released the man who fired the fatal shots.

In the video, a man rushes to the driver's side of a large white truck ... with what appears to be a gun in his hand, and he's screaming at the other motorist while punching his door during the Tuesday incident.

Watch closely ... because when he's rushing up to the car, the gun's in his right hand -- but, when he reaches the door he switches it to his left before raising his arm and pointing.

A seven-month-old baby in Philadelphia is miraculously in stable condition after being shot and left to fend for himself -- with his ordeal caught on distressing CCTV footage.

Take a look at your own discretion ... a couple was out for a stroll with their baby in Holmesburg, Philly, on Thursday when a gunwoman waltzed up and started shooting at them -- but cops say it was the innocent baby who ended up taking a bullet to the leg.

If that wasn't shocking in itself ... the CCTV shows as soon as the dad hears the gunshots, he immediately bolts -- leaving the woman and baby behind.

Platinum-selling rapper Blxst is the latest celeb to get caught in the burglary wave hitting L.A. -- surveillance videos show crooks invading his house and snatching a bunch of his shoes in the caper!!!

Blxst posted the clips Friday morning, and you can see the creeping crawlers slink into his backyard. As you'd expect, Blxst is making no apologies for his frustration and anger.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop ... the incident happened around 2:30 AM Tuesday -- 3 dudes in hoodies smashed a glass door and broke into the back of the house.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was just hit with a 16-year prison term after being convicted of spying in Russia – a charge American leaders have categorically denied.

Gershkovich was found guilty Friday by a Russian court in Yekaterinburg as prosecutors asked for an 18-year sentence, but Evan instead was handed 16, according to multiple reports.

In March 2023, Evan was first arrested for espionage as he took a trip to Yekaterinburg while
working on a WSJ story -- he's been in Russia ever since ... despite outcry here in the States.

12:35 PM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained Lawrence Taylor's mug shot from his arrest.

Lawrence Taylor was arrested again in Florida this week, TMZ Sports has learned ... after he was accused yet again of failing to follow conditions imposed on him as a registered sex offender.

Broward County jail officials tell us ... Taylor turned himself in on an outstanding felony warrant on Wednesday at around 5 PM -- and was thrown behind bars on one charge of failure to report name or residence change.