Crime

The 27-year-old brother of Washington Football Team star Montez Sweat was shot and killed on Tuesday in Virginia ... cops said Wednesday.

According to Henrico Police, officers responded to a call of a shooting in Henrico at around 4:09 p.m.

Cops say when they arrived on the scene, they found Anthony Sweat suffering from apparent gunshot wounds... and pronounced him dead at the scene.

Further details surrounding the shooting have not yet been released ... cops did note, however, that no one else was injured. They added no arrests have been made.

Police said an investigation into it all is underway ... and they're urging anyone with more information on the incident to call 804-928-0279.

Montez, meanwhile, missed Wednesday's practice mourning the death of Anthony ... and head coach Ron Rivera called the situation "rough" after the team's workout.

"It is rough," Rivera said, "and our thoughts and prayers are with the families."

25-year-old Montez has been a star for the WFT since being picked in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft ... logging 21 sacks in 42 games.

Armie Hammer has resurfaced after months of rehab ... he's back in the Cayman Islands with his kids.

Armie looks relaxed in a bathing suit and t-shirt, strolling poolside with his son.

It's the first time we've seen him since he left the rehab facility where he's been receiving treatment for more than half a year.

As you know, Hammer has been accused by several women of sexual abuse. The L.A. County D.A. is reviewing a file involving an alleged 2017 rape, but law enforcement sources tell us the case will not likely be filed. Hammer has denied the allegations.

Hammer had been dating a dental hygienist from the Caymans ... it's unclear if they're still together

A number of celebrities have reached out to the family of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, the 14-year-old who was shot and killed during the standoff at an L.A. Burlington Coat Factory, offering to pay their funeral expenses.

The family's lawyer, Ben Crump, tells TMZ celebs in the Hispanic community and beyond have offered to foot the bill for Valentina's funeral, and to a person they wanted their names to remain confidential. But he says the support the family has been receiving is overwhelming.

Crump says so far, neither the LAPD nor the City of Los Angeles has made a similar offer.

As we reported, LAPD cops rushed to the Burlington Coat Factory last week after getting a 911 call of a possible shooting inside the store. When police arrived they found a man swinging a bicycle chair with a lock attached as he swung at shoppers, striking 3 women and brutally bloodying one of them.

One of the cops fired 3 shots with AR-15, killing the suspect, but one of the bullets ricocheted off the floor and into the dressing room where Valentina and her mom were hiding.  The bullet struck Valentina in the chest, and she died in her mother's arms.

The police paid no mind to the teenage girl struck by a stray bullet in the fatal shooting at a Burlington Coat Factory ... at least according to her family.

Ben Crump is representing the family of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, the girl who was hiding in a dressing room when a bullet from a cop's AR-15 fatally struck her in the chest, and he just shared her family's harrowing account of what went down in the store,

Valentina's mother says they were in the dressing room when they heard shouting and screams -- a man was on a store rampage with a bike lock and chain -- and her daughter went to lock the door.

The girl's mother says they felt an explosion that sent them to the ground, and describes the graphic details of her daughter's gunshot wound ... and says police ignored her initial pleas for help and left her daughter's lifeless body on the floor when they finally came over.

As you know ... a cop with an AR-15 fired the fatal rounds that killed the suspect, but a stray bullet went through a wall and struck Valentina in the chest.

Timothy Williams Jr., a retired LAPD detective supervisor and expert on the use of force, says the cop with the assault rifle appeared to go rogue ... and he says police should not have used lethal force in this situation.

The LAPD just released police body cam footage showing the moment cops fired a round of fatal shots inside a Burlington Coat Factory ... killing the suspect and a teenage girl hiding in a dressing room.

The incident went down Thursday at a Burlington Coat Factory in North Hollywood, CA ... where police responded to a call about an assault and fatally shot the suspect, who was attacking shoppers with a bike lock and chain.

In the police footage released Monday, you see cops armed to the teeth walking through the store in search of the suspect, when they come across blood on the floor and a woman writhing in pain, with the suspect standing in an aisle.

The video shows an officer with an assault rifle firing what appears to be 3 shots ... and the suspect crumples to the floor.

However, police say they were unaware there was a 14-year-old girl cowering in a dressing room behind the suspect ... and one of the bullets struck her in the chest, killing her.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the girl's death a homicide. She was identified as Valentina Orellana-Peralta and she was in the store shopping for a dress for her upcoming birthday party.

There's an LAPD regulation that says an officer can use deadly force against a fleeing suspect if the suspect poses a grave danger to others. In this case, the suspect had attacked 3 women with the lock and chain, drawing blood. In addition, the initial 911 call was for possible shots fired.

But, there's another part of the regulation that says when officers use their guns they must be aware of their surroundings. Here, shoppers had been in the store, and the walls -- especially those in the dressing rooms -- are paper thin. That could be problematic for the officer.

Killer Mike's Atlanta barbershop has been vandalized -- it's a graffiti-riddled mess with a muddled message -- but Mike's message is clear ... the person who did this needs help.

Mike posted a pic of his shop, and it is covered in the ramblings of a troubled man.

Mike says he's angry over the vandalism, but that's not his primary concern. Mike says he can repair the damage with relative ease. More difficult ... he says the guy who did it is mentally ill and desperately needs help.

According to Mike, the vandal thinks he's Kurt Cobain and Mike is part of some sort of conspiracy of silence. That may explain the Dave Grohl graffiti.

Mike says, " ... this man's mind is terribly broken. If u are from OKC and know his family or friends please DM so u can get him some help."

This is so Mike ... looking at the bigger picture rather than just that which affects him. He went on to say, "... I encourage all to check on your mentally ill loved ones because the world may not be as understanding as me."

Boosie is ending a tough year (socially) on an even rougher note -- defending R. Kelly ... and doing so by suggesting the dude's just got a thing for young ladies, NBD. 😬

The Louisiana rapper recently sat for an interview with VladTV, in which Kelly's conviction was brought up ... and Boosie was asked about it. He didn't hesitate to let everyone know how he felt about the case -- and that feeling is ... bitter resentment.

Check it out ... Boosie says Kelly got railroaded on similar charges he was facing in 2008, and thinks much of that has to do with his race.

But, then Boosie took it a step further ... justifying Kelly's actions as it pertains to his victims, brushing it off by saying, "I just feel like R. Kelly like the young bitches." There's more ... Boosie goes on to say claims R. Kelly kept his victims under his thumb at all times is BS.

He adds, "If you leave a bitch at the house, and you go on tour for two weeks and she don't go nowhere -- that bitch ain't been kidnapped. She waiting on daddy to come home."

Boosie also claims a "bitch ain't been sexualized if she been in the bed with three, four women. You know, she hasn't been (taken) advantage of, because ... she is willing!" He ends by saying Kelly's only mistake was the "age part."

The host, DJ Vlad, finally stepped in and pushed back on Boosie's wild characterization ... pointing out that Kelly was dating -- and eventually married -- a very underage Aaliyah way back in the day ... and not just that, but had gone to court over this exact issue over a decade ago.

Scary Xmas over at Windsor Castle ... an armed dude somehow penetrated the grounds before getting nabbed by cops.

The intruder is 19, carrying what British authorities call an "offensive weapon." That, folks, is British to the core.

Here's the thing ... it's scary because the Queen was at Windsor with Charles and Camilla.  Edward, Sophie and their 2 kids were also on hand to celebrate.

The armed trespasser did not make it inside any of the buildings, but still, getting on the grounds is crazy!

Queen Elizabeth skipped Xmas service ... staying indoors -- presumably because of COVID.

The suspect was busted on suspicion of trespass of a protected site, and possession of an offensive weapon. He's still in custody.  Police said, "We can confirm security processes were triggered within moments of the man entering the grounds and he did not enter any buildings. Members of the Royal Family have been informed about the incident. We do not believe there is a wider danger to the public."

Derek Chauvin will eat his first Christmas meal behind bars, while other infamous figures like R. Kelly, Joe Exotic and El Chapo already know what to expect ... so we thought we'd give you a peek at the menus.

R. Kelly and Ghislaine Maxwell are under the same roof at MDC in Brooklyn, and they'll share a menu that includes cornish hen and mac n cheese -- not to mention holiday activities like drawing, painting and a musical talent show.

A definite change for Robert ... it was just after Xmas in 2019 when he ate one of his last meals as a free man at a local McDonald's.

Derek Chauvin, locked up in Minnesota, will get beef stroganoff, carrots, bread, an orange and a slice of eggnog cake.

Joe Exotic, who's locked up in North Carolina, will get Cornish hen, mac & cheese, salad and a baked sweet potato -- there's a tofu option if he feels for the animals.

El Chapo's in Colorado, where Cornish hen's on the menu with peanut butter pie for dessert.

Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's killer, will get a chicken breast, potatoes, spinach and an ice cream sundae before getting to watch "It's a Wonderful Life."

Cops say Lawrence Taylor was arrested because he had been living in a hotel for months -- but failed to reveal that to law enforcement despite being required to do so.

It's all spelled out in new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which cops say the NFL legend committed a huge no-no after he failed to inform them that he had left his permanently registered address back in April.

According to the docs, officers say due to his status as a sex offender stemming from a 2011 conviction, Taylor must be diligent any time he moves and notify authorities of the change of address.

Cops, though, say an investigation revealed Taylor moved into a hotel in Florida on April 2 and had been living there without properly notifying them.

Police say when they questioned Taylor about the move ... he told them, "he was living at the hotel ... to avoid issues with his soon to be ex-wife."

Cops say Taylor told them he was unaware that he needed to report the change of address -- though the officers claim in the docs that they have paperwork showing Taylor should've known better.

According to the docs, cops issued a warrant for his arrest over it all ... adding that Taylor "promptly turned himself in" once he was made aware of the warrant.

Taylor has since been charged with two felony counts of failure to register as a sex offender.

Bryce Hall took matters into his own hands after coming face-to-face with a man who allegedly got inside the TikTok star's home uninvited ... apprehending him until cops arrived.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they got a call for a "hot prowl" -- essentially someone trying to break in when a homeowner is present -- at Halls' West Hollywood pad Tuesday. When they arrived, they discovered the man, who had been apprehended by Bryce and another man outside in the driveway.

In video, obtained by TMZ, you hear Bryce accuse the man of having followed or approached him before ... though it's not clear why he continues to allegedly follow Hall.

Bryce also posted a disturbing clip, showing the man inside his home, allegedly uninvited, and coming up his stairs.

Officers were quick to take the man into custody, and we're told he's being booked. It's currently unclear what he's been arrested for.

Story developing ...

Lawrence Taylor is fighting back in his sex offender case ... the NFL legend has pled not guilty to two felony charges, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records show Taylor, through his attorney, submitted the pleas on Monday afternoon.

"Lawrence has pled not guilty and we will be working with the prosecutors on the case for a full dismissal," one of Taylor's lawyers, Arthur Aidala, tells us.

"There was some confusion as to Lawrence’s home address that has since been rectified."

As we previously reported, LT -- arguably the greatest New York Giant ever -- was arrested on Dec. 16 in Florida ... and ultimately charged with two felony counts of failure to register as a sexual offender.

Further details surrounding the case and the arrest have yet to be revealed, but Aidala said the day after Taylor was booked that it was all a big misunderstanding.

"Mr. Taylor was constantly a resident of the marital home where he was registered, but on advice of local law enforcement he was sleeping outside the home," Aidala said.

"We are confident that this will be dismissed at the first court hearing."

Connor Smith -- who once appeared on MTV's "Are You the One?" -- was arrested in Indiana for raping and brutally assaulting a 16-year-old girl ... according to local authorities.

Cops in Cook County Illinois busted Smith on multiple charges last week -- including a count of rape, sexual battery and two counts of criminal confinement ... and the narrative spelled out in the arrest affidavit is insane.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the unidentified teen told cops she was kidnapped out of her room back in July after going to visit family members in Indiana. She initially said she'd exchanged Snapchat info with someone selling a cat, and gave them the address of the home where she was staying.

The alleged victim told police, that evening ... a man ripped open her bedroom window screen, yanked her out of the room, threw her into his truck and drove to a motel while sexually assaulting her. In later interviews, she said she'd actually linked with the alleged attacker on a dating app, and voluntarily snuck out to meet him.

In any case, once she met him in the truck she says she "immediately had a bad feeling" ... and he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex while driving to the motel, slapping and choking her multiple times, urinating on her in the motel room and forcing oral sex again.

Once he was finished, the teen claims he drove her back to her home and allegedly told her he'd be back the following night to pick her up again. When they pulled into her neighborhood, cops say her family was out front looking for her ... and as soon as they saw the truck, they all gave chase.

The alleged victim was able to escape, but the witnesses got enough info on the vehicle to relay to cops ... who then pinned it to Smith, who had appeared on the MTV show back in 2015.

Sarah Jessica Parker and her "Sex and The City" costars are breaking their silence on the Chris Noth sexual assault allegations ... giving the alleged victims their full support.

SJP released a statement Monday along with her "And Just Like That" stars Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis ... saying they are "deeply saddened" to learn of the claims against Noth, who plays Mr. Big in the OG show and reboot.

The trio says ... "We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences. We know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it."

As we reported ... Noth is facing 3 accusers and he's already been booted by his talent agent. He did not deny having sexual encounters in 2004 and 2015 with the first two accusers, saying both interactions were consensual.

A third woman claims Noth sexually assaulted her in 2010 at an NYC restaurant ... but he says her story is a complete fabrication.

Of course, Noth’s Mr. Big made headlines after the premiere of the ‘SATC’ reboot, dying of a heart attack shortly after working out on a Peloton bike.

Frodo -- the final surviving dog from the infamous Michael Vick dogfighting ring -- has died ... officials at the BADRAP animal rescue org. confirmed on Monday.

The pup was estimated to be 15 years old.

According to BADRAP, Frodo was one of 48 dogs that were saved after Vick's dogfighting ring was broken up by law enforcement back in 2007.

The org. says Frodo found a new home following the former NFL star's arrest, and spent the last 14 years "being pampered like a prince with his new family."

But, sadly, the org. says he died on Saturday ... though they did note the dog had one final steak before he passed away.

Officials at the org. say two other known surviving dogs from the Vick case died recently as well.

As we previously reported, Vick was released from the Atlanta Falcons and also spent time behind bars over his role in the case.

The ex-quarterback did apologize for it all ... and he later went on to start for the Philadelphia Eagles following his release from prison.

He's since fought tirelessly against animal abuse ... even advocating at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2015 to pass a bill to allow cops to rescue pets from hot cars.

The feds say a New Jersey man copped to impersonating a New England Patriots player as part of an elaborate scheme to obtain and sell Super Bowl rings engraved with Tom Brady's name.

Federal prosecutors say the man behind the scheme is 24-year-old Scott Spina ... and he's struck a deal with the authorities, pleading guilty to 5 felony charges.

The feds say Spina started cooking up the scheme way back in 2017, when he bought a Super Bowl 51 ring off a Patriots player with at least one bad check, then sold the ring for $63,000 to a California broker specializing in championship rings.

Prosecutors say Spina not only got the ring off the player but also received other information allowing him to pose as the player, allowing him to purchase similar (but slightly smaller) rings designated for players' families from the company who made the SB rings.

Posing as the former Patriots player -- identified only as J.T. in court docs -- prosecutors say Spina started ordering 3 "family and friend" Super Bowl LI rings with the name "Brady" engraved on each one, which he falsely claimed were gifts for TB12's baby.

The feds say the real Tom never authorized the rings ... and Spina plotted to flip them for a fat payday.

According to prosecutors, Spina hammered out a deal with the Cali ring broker to sell him the 3 engraved Brady rings for $81,500 ... but the broker got cold feet and backed out the same day Spina got the rings in hand, with the buyer questioning the story Spina was spinning.

The feds say Spina pivoted and sold the engraved Brady rings to an auction house for $100k ... and months later one of those rings sold at auction for $337,219.

Prosecutors say Spina admitted to defrauding the ring broker by telling him the rings "were ordered for Tom Brady directly ... for select family members" and copped to posing as the former Pats player to buy the engraved rings.

The feds say Spina agreed to plead guilty to the 5 felony charges against him -- 3 counts of wire fraud, and 1 count each of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft -- and he's facing up to 92 years in federal prison.