Crime

Seattle officials are revealing how a baggage handler was able to steal an Alaska Airlines plane off the tarmac and takeoff ... before dying in a fiery crash.

The Port of Seattle just released the CCTV footage of 29-year-old Richard Russell towing the Alaska Airlines' Q400 Turboprop into position back in 2018 at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport -- oddly no one on the tarmac took notice.

Russell worked at the airport, and other footage shows him calmly walking through security a few hours before he gained access to the plane. He didn't raise any red flags, most likely because he was an employee. Eerily, though, he was wearing a t-shirt that read "The Sky's No Limit."

Shortly after taxiing the plane and taking off, Russell crashed into a remote island in Puget Sound -- not far from the airport -- and a bystander recorded the aftermath, showing billows of smoke after his crash. The FBI eventually ruled the incident a suicide.

A conversation between Russell and air traffic control, first released by The Seattle Times, reveals he wasn't well-versed in the specifics of flying -- they ask him about his altitude and position, which he calls "mumbo jumbo."

San Francisco has a new District Attorney that's promising to clean up the city in terms of drug use and drug crimes -- a problem crystalized with a new viral video that's unsettling.

Check out this clip that was shot and posted this week by an SF resident named Ricci Wynne ... who filmed himself getting off at a bus stop near downtown SF -- around Mission St. and 8th St. -- while a ton of school kids were also disembarking at the same time.

The reason many found this disturbing ... a massive crowd had formed at this particular stop, a majority of whom have been labeled as alleged drug users or homeless. Wynne took in the scene ... and it's not pretty. You can see some of the children wading through what some might characterize as a dangerous area. And yet, they act like it's normal.

Wynne, meanwhile, is sending the kids off with good luck messages ... telling them to be safe, using a juxtaposition to show what sort of environment they're forced to navigate.

He later did an interview with a local CBS news station to explain why he recorded this ... saying he felt anger that the local leaders there have allowed things to get this bad.

Speaking of those leaders, the recently-recalled DA Chesa Boudin has now been replaced by a woman named Brooke Jenkins ... who's touted herself as tough on crime, and who vowed during her introduction ceremony last week to end open-air drug markets with ferocity.

During her speech, she appeared to address this exact incident, saying the city's kids shouldn't have to endure this out in the open. So, a new philosophy change, it seems.

The documentary about Donald Trump that Congress subpoenaed has finally aired -- but there doesn't seem to be too much hard-hitting evidence that wasn't already known.

Filmmaker Alex Holder's 3-part movie, "Unprecedented," debuted publicly on Discovery+ Sunday ... but from the reviews recapping what was actually shown as it relates to Jan. 6 -- it sounds like no smoking gun exists in the footage, or at least in what Holder put out.

Congress seized 11 hours worth of film -- and also had AH testify behind closed doors as well -- but ya gotta figure anything truly damning would've been included in the final cut ... and so far, it doesn't seem like Trump said or did anything we haven't heard before.

Several outlets which have watched the doc have done thorough recaps, and as far as Jan. 6 is concerned -- it appears Holder only got Trump/his family on camera after the fact.

None of his kids opted to discuss it, but DT himself reportedly said this in the movie ... "Well it was a sad day, but it was a day where there was great anger in our country."

He adds, "People went to Washington primarily because they were angry with an election that they think was rigged. A very small portion, as you know, went down to the Capitol, and then a very small portion of them went in. But I will tell you they were angry from the standpoint of what happened in the election because they're smart and they see and they saw what happened. And I believe that that was a big part of what happened on Jan. 6th."

Aside from that, there doesn't appear to be much else about Trump's mindset during the actual day itself ... but frankly, everyone has seen what he said publicly that day -- and there's also been testimony during these hearings that have shed some damaging light.

What Holder did make good on was his promise to us that his doc would expose that Trump's campaign laid the groundwork for this whole mess right on election night ... when they started rolling out an insidious strategy to try and keep Trump in office, at any cost.

Not sure the Supreme Court saw this one coming -- Brandy Bottone, who is pregnant, is using the controversial overturn of Roe v. Wade to fight a traffic ticket in Texas ... and her case could set precedent.

Brandy says she was 34 weeks pregnant when she got pulled over in Dallas County for driving solo in the HOV lane. She says she told the cop her unborn fetus was her passenger -- and she cited the SCOTUS decision as she stated her case.

Brandy says, "I pointed to my stomach and said, 'My baby girl is right here. She is a person.'"

She told the cop she didn't want to get political, but the Supreme Court decision -- which leaves it up to states to establish abortion laws -- means that in Texas, her fetus is a person.

The cop didn't buy it, and wrote her a $275 ticket, but Brandy says she plans to fight this one in court. She says Texas law deems "an unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization to birth" to be an individual.

Brandy says the cop told her the HOV rules refer to "2 persons outside of the body."

We'll find out when she goes to court July 20. She says, "This has my blood boiling. How could this be fair? According to the new law, this is a life. I know this may fall on deaf ears, but as a woman, this was shocking."

The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is drawing a steady stream of mourners to the site where he was gunned down while making a campaign speech.

The nation's grief is on display in the city of Nara as citizens arrive in waves ... praying and leaving flowers at the train station.

Abe had been campaigning there in support of a parliament candidate Friday when a 41-year-old man opened fire with a homemade shotgun. The 67-year-old former PM was rushed to a hospital for treatment, but died from his injuries.

Early Saturday, a motorcade carrying his body left the hospital, and made the journey back to Abe's home in Tokyo.

The gunman is in police custody, and had already been charged with attempted murder before Abe was pronounced dead -- but the shocking assassination is raising questions about the safety of Japan's public figures, as it's common for politicians to pop up outside train stations, stores and markets to appeal directly to voters.

Filmmaker Alex Holder thinks his upcoming Trump documentary paints a clear picture of how former President Donald Trump and his team incited a riot at the Capitol.

Alex joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and says Trump and co. were a hostile bunch as he interviewed them in the months that led up to the January 6th insurrection -- using words like "belligerent" to describe their tone.

His interviews with the former President were filled with anger, and says he spoke to Trump months after Jan 6 at Mar-a-Lago, who still stuck to his story about "smart people" rightfully fighting for what they thought was right.

He says the series, which premieres Sunday on Discovery+, will follow a couple of storylines ... one about how Trump allowed the riots to take place, and another about the dynamic between DT and his kids -- something he finds just as interesting.

Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty will be doing time for failing to register as a sex offender in California, but much to the feds' dismay -- he'll be doing that time in the mansion where he and Nicki live.

A federal judge sentenced the 44-year-old on Wednesday, giving him 1 year of home detention, 3 years probation and a $55,000 fine. Petty entered a guilty plea back in September 2021.

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors inside the U.S. Attorney’s Office had argued home detention wouldn't be punishment, because Nicki and Kenneth live in a luxurious multi-bedroom mansion in a gated Calabasas community.

They had recommended Petty get 15 months in prison and 5 years of probation, but the judge clearly disagreed with him getting that stiff of a sentence.

Petty was convicted of a 1994 rape in NYC where he served over 4 years in prison. When he moved to Cali with Nicki, he didn't register on the sex offenders list and that's when the feds busted him.

✅ First step
✅ First basket

Good luck trying to slow down Aaliyah Gayles ... the top USC hoops recruit just knocked down her first basket since being shot 10 times at a Las Vegas house party in April.

Gayles' progress over the last two months has been amazing ... and on Monday, the 18-year-old guard shared video via Instagram of another milestone reached -- first made shot.

"Who said I couldn't get back into it?" Gayles said in the caption.

"First Shot in months feel like I'm proving."

The 5-star recruit hasn't played a game since the Jordan Brand Classic on April 15, the night before she was shot 10 times, in both arms and legs, at a house party in North Las Vegas.

Since the shooting, Gayles -- who's still committed to playing for the USC Trojans -- graduated from Spring Valley High School and took her first steps out of her wheelchair following grueling rehab.

And, as you can see, the #8 ranked player in the 2022 class is ready to ball again!

Warren Jeffs, the subject of a popular new Netflix documentary -- "Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey" -- has been closely watched for his own protection for the past decade while locked away, TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice tells TMZ ... Warren has been in protective custody since he arrived at the Louis C. Powledge Unit in Anderson County back in 2011.

The area is designed to provide the ultimate protection for inmates ... he stays in his cell for 22 hours each day ... even his meals are brought to him. He's given some rec time, but isn't allowed to interact with other inmates.

An inmate is placed in protective custody when there's been a serious, direct or proven threat to their safety. The circumstances surrounding his confinement have not been made public.

As we reported, Warren took his new mug shot Thursday ... as his Netflix doc continues to do big numbers. The series examines his controversial church ... where polygamy reigned supreme.

Adam Hicks, the former child star of several Disney movies and TV shows, is living life on parole after doing time for second-degree robbery.

Hicks was arrested in 2018 for allegedly pulling a bunch of armed robberies in Burbank, CA -- and eventually, in July 2021, got sentenced to 5 years behind bars.

He caught a major break though, because the judge gave him credit for 1,460 days he served while awaiting sentencing, and he was released back in March.

TMZ broke the story ... Hicks, who starred in "Zeke and Luther," "Pair of Kings," and "Lemonade Mouth" and his girlfriend Danni Tamburo were arrested after cruising the Burbank area and pointing a gun at pedestrians -- taking their cellphones, money and other property.

While Hicks got 5 years in prison, his GF got off with 3 years of probation.

The actor had shown a history of violence before his arrest -- he once shot himself in the leg while hanging out with friends, and court docs said he was "very uncooperative" with police.

A man claiming to be an off-duty Chicago PD officer pinned a 14-year-old boy to the ground with his knee after accusing him of stealing his own son's bike -- and the whole thing was caught on video.

The boy's parents tell TMZ the incident happened Friday at a Starbucks in Park Ridge, IL -- just outside of Chicago. They say their son, who is Puerto Rican and an honor student, athlete and member of the local church was at the coffee spot with a group of friends and saw an abandoned bike laying on the sidewalk.

We're told the boy -- who also had his own bike with him -- attempted to move the abandoned bike out of the way ... and that's when the alleged off-duty officer pounced.

The parents tell us the man grabbed the boy by the wrist, slammed him to the ground and pinned him with his knee -- accusing the 14-year-old of having stolen the bike from his son.

We're told the man's son's bike had allegedly recently been stolen from a nearby location.

You can see in the video, the situation is tense, with the other teens coming to their friend's defense ... eventually pulling him away from the man.

A spokesperson for the Park Ridge PD tells us the man told their officers, who responded to the scene, that he was an off-duty Chicago Police officer. We spoke to a rep for The Chicago Police Department who tells us they're conducting an internal investigation into the situation.

The 14-year-old's parents are pissed -- pointing out their son was the only kid in the group who was of a different ethnicity ... and have plans to file a formal complaint in the near future.

Jayland Walker was shot and killed by cops in Ohio last week -- and video of the incident was just released ... confirming accounts that he'd been hit by dozens of bullets.

The 25-year-old was pursued in a police chase early Monday morning in Akron, where officers attempted to pull him over, citing a traffic violation. Walker didn't stop and led cops on a bit of a lengthy chase through the city, with multiple units being called in to help.

Akron Police says officers heard a gunshot ring out from Walker's vehicle as they followed him -- and they claim surveillance video from the area shows a muzzle flash coming from inside his car, leading officers to believe he was armed ... which they announced to dispatch.

Eventually, Walker stopped and fled by foot with a ski mask on ... with officers telling him to halt and surrender. They say they tried using Tasers on him, but the efforts failed.

Walker continued running, but finally stopped and turned around ... at which point several officers opened fire, gunning him down. In the end, the ME says he was hit at least 60 times.

Cops say they tried life-saving measures when they stopped firing -- but Walker died on the scene. Ultimately, he was found to be unarmed there on the ground ... but cops say they discovered a handgun and a loaded magazine in his vehicle upon a subsequent search.

8 officers who were involved in the shooting have been on administrative leave pending an investigation. Protests have taken place in Akron for about a week, crying foul over his killing. On top of an internal probe over this, the DOJ says it's looking into it as well.

The city of Akron canceled its 4th of July firework show this weekend in the wake of the shooting. LeBron James -- who's famously from Akron -- tweeted Sunday, "I pray for my city."

One of the elements of this story that has outraged the community and beyond is how Walker was found after he'd been shot. Reports say when the ME arrived, he was found lying on his back in handcuffs ... with wounds on his face, abdomen and upper legs.

A woman trying to make her way into Diddy's BET after-party was arrested outside the mogul's house after she allegedly flashed a gun at other partygoers.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... the woman was in her car near Diddy's house and a security checkpoint for the event very early Monday morning, and got pissed off that other cars weren't clearing out of her way fast enough. We're told she pulled out the weapon and waved it at folks she believed to be causing the delay.

Police were called and they rushed to the scene, where they found the 30-year-old woman had already been detained by Diddy's security team. Cops searched her car and found a loaded handgun.

A source at the party tells us the woman was not invited to the party, and more importantly -- never made her way inside the event. We're told she was trying to make her way past the first security checkpoint when the incident occurred.

She was taken into custody and booked for possession of a loaded firearm -- she was later released on her own recognizance. Thankfully, no one was injured in the dust-up.

The mother of Miles Bridges' two children just shared several disturbing images of the injuries she claims to have suffered at the hands of the NBA forward ... saying she sustained a fractured nose and wrist, a severe concussion and more.

"I hate that it has come to this but I can't be silent anymore," Mychelle Johnson said in an Instagram post on Thursday. "I've allowed someone to destroy my home, abuse me in every way possible and traumatize our kids for life."

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Bridges was arrested for felony domestic violence on Wednesday ... after Johnson claims they got in an argument that turned physical.

The woman's identity was not revealed at the time, but Johnson is now breaking her silence on the alleged incident ... and her version of the story is troubling.

Mychelle says Miles choked her until she went to sleep ... tearing muscles in her neck in the process.

The photos appear to show various marks and bruises on different parts of Johnson's body -- including her face, arms, legs, neck, hands, wrists and back.

Johnson also appeared to share her medical forms from the emergency room ... where the diagnosis is listed as "Adult victim of physical abuse by male partner."

The form states Johnson suffered "Assault by strangulation, brain concussion, closed fracture of nasal bone, contusion of rib, multiple bruises, strain of neck muscle."

"I don't need sympathy," Johnson added. "I just don't want this happening to anyone else, I just want this person to get help, my kids deserve better."

"That's all I want. It hurts, everything hurts, this situation hurts, most importantly I'm scared and hurting for my kids who were witness to everything."

Along with the alleged injury photos, Johnson also posted a video where their son recounts the alleged attack on his mom.

Johnson and Bridges first started dating around 2016 ... and have two young children together. There are reports the couple is married.

Bridges -- who has not addressed the allegations -- was booked and released Wednesday afternoon ... and resurfaced on Thursday at a basketball workout.

Bridges is coming off the best season of his career ... and was expected to be a top target in free agency.

Rumors have spread on social media that Austin Butler and Ezra Miller got into a physical altercation overseas ... but TMZ has learned that's nowhere near the truth.

Sources close to Austin tell TMZ the incident never happened, and Austin never even stepped foot in a pub during his time in Japan as the initial claims suggested.

Not to mention, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department tells TMZ they have no record of the incident.

Austin has been in Tokyo recently to promote his new "Elvis" movie as part of his press tour.

The rumor stated Ezra has been "terrorizing Tokyo" ... walking up to Austin in a bar and yelling at him, causing Austin to punch the 'Flash' star.

Lil Tjay is making some significant progress in his recovery after the rapper was shot multiple times ... and while he remains hospitalized, things are starting to move in a good direction.

Sources familiar with Tjay's situation tell TMZ he's awake and alert, even speaking on his own. What's most promising -- doctors recently removed his breathing tube, and when speaking, his voice sounds just like it did before the scary incident.

Our sources say Lil Tjay was shot multiple times -- in the chest and neck area -- and now that he's able to communicate, cops want to speak with him on the details surrounding the shooting.

As we reported, a man named Mohamed Konate was the alleged triggerman involved in the June 22 incident ... he's since been arrested. Cops say the whole thing happened after Konate allegedly tried to rob Lil Tjay.