RAYSHARD BROOKS Charges Dropped For Cops In Fatal Shooting

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082322_rayshard_brooks-kal JUNE 2020
MOMENTS BEFORE

The two Atlanta police officers involved in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks will not be criminally charged ... this according to the special prosecutor in the case.

At a news conference Tuesday, special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis announced he is no longer pursuing criminal charges against officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan.

Remember ... Brooks was fatally shot in June 2020 after the officers tried to arrest him in a Wendy's parking lot, setting off protests resulting in the fast food joint being burned to the ground.

Cops say Brooks fell asleep in the Wendy's drive-thru line and when police responded he struggled with the officers, grabbing one cop's Taser and attempting to run away. Brooks was shot to death after officers claimed he pointed the Taser at Rolfe's head, firing once and missing.

Rayshard Brooks
NEW SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE

Both cops were subsequently hit with criminal charges, including aggravated assault. Rolfe was also charged with felony murder.

Now, prosecutors say their review of the case finds Rolfe and Brosnan acted in accordance with Georgia law, concluding the use of deadly force was reasonable.

Skandalakis also says he doesn't think the shooting had anything to do with race ... framing the shooting as being much different than the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd.

Kanye West No Charges for Allegedly Punching Fan

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Kanye West will not be charged for allegedly punching a fan after a heated exchange outside an L.A. hotel.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office tells us, "After a thorough and careful review of all the evidence, our office is declining to file based on no reasonable likelihood of conviction." Translation -- there's likely just not enough evidence for a conviction.

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YE LOSES IT

As we reported, Ye got into an argument that turned physical back in January near the Soho Warehouse, according to law enforcement sources. We're told things got so heated, Kanye pushed and punched the male fan.

The case was being investigated as a misdemeanor battery, which carries a maximum jail sentence of 6 months.

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ENRAGED

We obtained a video of an irate Kanye, shot around the time of the alleged assault. You hear Kanye yell, "Did y'all say that or not? Did y'all say that or not?" "Cuz that's what happened right f****** now."

Earlier that evening, he was seen with at-the-time-GF Julia Fox, partying at Delilah in WeHo. Julia stayed at the club while Ye took off.

Gary Busey I Did Not Sexually Assault Anyone ... My Accusers are Lying

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082222-gary-busey-kal AUGUST 2022
REBUKING THE CLAIMS

Gary Busey flatly denies he sexually assaulted anyone, and believes his accusers made up the entire story.

Busey was in Malibu Monday and the photog asked if he had any regrets about how he acted during the Monster Mania convention in New Jersey over the weekend, Busey said he had zero regrets, because he did nothing wrong.

Busey was charged with several counts of criminal sexual contact and harassment ... this after he allegedly put his face close to a woman's breasts and asked where she got them. The woman claims he attempted to unlatch her bra strap. Another woman claims he grabbed her butt. Cops also got a call from a man who claimed Busey grabbed his daughter's butt as well.

Busey told the photog "nothing happened." He said the whole interaction with the women lasted less than 10 seconds and they made up the story after the fact.

Busey also claims he has witnesses ... a photog and another person, his partner, who will back up his story.

The photog asked if it's possible he could have acted inappropriately but was unaware ... he said there was no chance of that.

Busey is supposed to be arraigned August 31.

Gary Busey Allegedly Grabbed Woman's Butt, Tried Unlatching a Bra ... Leading to Charges

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Gary Busey allegedly got super inappropriate with several women at a fan event -- grabbing butts and attempting to undo one woman's bra -- leading to charges against the actor.

Cops say they were called to a DoubleTree Hotel in New Jersey August 13 after two women claimed they'd been sexually assaulted by the actor.

Busey was on location for a fan event called Monster Mania, and was allegedly taking photos with the women. According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, one of the women says Busey put his face close to her breasts and asked her where she got them. He then allegedly attempted to unlatch her bra strap. The other woman claimed he grabbed her butt.

The following day, cops say they got a call from a man who reported his daughter was also sexually assaulted by Busey at the event, that victim claimed Busey grabbed her butt as well.

According to the legal docs, when cops first made contact with Busey about the allegations, he denied groping anyone.

Then, Busey allegedly asked to apologize to the women before, "Claiming that sometimes it is possible to accidentally touch someone in a specific body part."

Busey has been charged with several counts of committing criminal sexual contact and 1 count of harassment.

Oakland A's Couple Allegedly Engages In Sex Act At Game ... Cops Investigating

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A couple allegedly engaged in a sex act in the stands at the Oakland A's game on Sunday ... and now, police tell TMZ Sports they're investigating it all.

The two MLB fans were accused of going at it at some point during the Athletics' tilt with the Seattle Mariners at RingCentral Coliseum ... when a spectator in another part of the stadium appeared to capture the two getting it on in one of the last rows of the venue.

Footage appears to show the woman performing oral sex on the man for several seconds.

An Oakland Police Dept. spokesperson says cops are aware of the allegations ... and have launched a probe into the matter.

"The Oakland Police Department was not alerted to this until after the game," the spokesperson said, "and we have initiated an investigation."

If charged and ultimately convicted, we're told the penalty for the offense is up to 6 months behind bars and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

Fetty Wap Pleads Guilty To Drug Charges ... Mandatory 5 Year Sentence

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UPDATE

3:09 PM PT -- A rep for the U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern District of NY has just clarified part of Fetty's plea, telling us, "Count One of the superseding indictment references multiple controlled substances, but the defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine only."

Fetty Wap will be sentenced to at least 5 years behind bars after pleading guilty to a federal drug charge.

Fetty was in court Monday where he pled guilty to one count of intent to distribute controlled substances including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl for his arrest back in October.

Two of his co-defendants, Robert Leonardi and Anthony Cyntje pleaded guilty to the same count, in addition to firearms charges.

According to a rep for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York ... the 31-year-old rap star faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Officials are estimating he’ll serve anywhere between 87-108 months … but he can't get less than the 5-year minimum. We're told Fetty is currently in custody.

TMZ broke the story … Fetty was traveling for Rolling Loud New York when feds apprehended him and his co-defendants and accused them of using USPS trucks to smuggle drugs. Over the course of their investigation, feds say they uncovered $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, fentanyl pills and several guns.

Fetty also has another case pending ... for allegedly making death threats during a December 2021 Facetime call.

Originally Published -- 10:36 AM PT

Tyson Fury Cousin Stabbed To Death In UK ... Boxing Star Mourns

Published

Tyson Fury says his cousin was killed after being stabbed in the neck in the UK over the weekend ... and now, he's pleading with government officials to crack down on knife crime in wake of the tragedy.

According to authorities, Fury's relative, 31-year-old Rico Burton, was killed following an incident at a popular bar at around 3 AM on Sunday in Manchester. A 17-year-old was also injured in the altercation, cops said, and remains hospitalized.

Fury took to his Instagram page after learning of Burton's death to mourn the loss -- and called for greater punishment for knife crimes to hopefully deter similar incidents from happening going forward.

"This is becoming ridiculous," the boxing superstar said. "Idiots carry knives. This needs to stop 🛑 Asap, uk 🇬🇧 government needs to bring higher sentencing for knife crime, its a pandemic & you dont know how bad it is until its 1 of your own!"

He added, "Life is very precious & it can be taken away very quick enjoy every moment🙏RIP RICO BURTON 🙏 may the lord god grant you a good place in heven. see you soon"

Police say they have arrested two men who they believe were involved in the stabbing. They added that they are increasing police patrols in the area with the hopes of preventing future crimes.

"This was a senseless attack," Greater Manchester Police spokesperson Ben Ewart said, "and both victims should've returned home this morning after enjoying a night out with friends."

Police are asking anyone with information or photos/videos of the incident to reach out ASAP.

Aqib Talib Stepping Away From Amazon Job ... After Brother Charged With Murder

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Aqib Talib won't be broadcasting NFL games for Amazon after all -- at least not for the foreseeable future -- he's stepping away from the gig following his brother's murder charge.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported the news late Sunday evening ... saying after Talib and his older brother, Yaqub Talib, were involved in an altercation at a youth football game earlier this month where a man died, Aqib is now prioritizing time with his family instead of work.

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SHOTS FIRED

As we previously reported, the Talib brothers were helping coach kids at a football game in Texas on Aug. 13 when an argument between coaches and refs turned deadly.

According to a witness on the field, Aqib was upset with a penalty call and ran onto the playing surface to confront refs. A short time later, a scuffle broke out.

Video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows a man who appeared to be wielding a down marker to hit others was eventually shot. Authorities say he was transported to a local hospital, but died there due to his injuries.

Cops have accused Yaqub of pulling the trigger ... and the 39-year-old has since been charged with murder.

36-year-old Aqib, meanwhile has not been charged with any crimes.

"Aqib was present when this unfortunate incident occurred and is very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life," Aqib's attorney said following the incident. "He would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy."

Aqib signed on to help Amazon with its NFL coverage earlier this summer. He was expected to have an in-studio role breaking down games this season.

Jake Atlas Arrest Video ... Wrestler Pulled Celeb Card, Bashed 'Terrible At Sex' BF

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Former AEW star Jake Atlas told cops he was "an international trained superstar" and then slammed his boyfriend as "terrible at sex" in a rant during his arrest back in May ... new police video shows.

In the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see a police officer was trying to ask an agitated Atlas questions about an alleged domestic violence incident between him and his BF outside of his Orlando, Fl. home on May 23.

But, the wrestler, whose boyfriend had accused him of roughing him up during an argument earlier in the evening, appeared to be in no mood to play ball with the cop.

Instead, Atlas told the officer about his wrestling resume, all while bashing his boyfriend and their relationship repeatedly.

"I am an international trained superstar," said the 27-year-old, who is openly gay. "I have worked across the country, across the world, with my name. He is a nobody."

Atlas, real name Kenny Sanchez Martinez, went on to call the man a "f**ing bitch ass, f***ing p***y" ... before ultimately telling the cop, "[he] is a terrible boyfriend and he's terrible at sex."

The cop tried repeatedly to get Atlas to tell his side of the story and explain the events that had gone down earlier in the evening, but the wrestler never seemed to cooperate. Atlas was eventually arrested on the scene and later booked on a domestic violence battery charge.

Atlas' charges were eventually dropped, however ... with officials writing in court documents, "this case is not suitable for prosecution."

The wrestler later commented on the case following its disposition in July, apologizing "for my wrongdoing and any hurt, disappointment and complication I may have caused to my colleagues and fans."

Atlas said he participated in an outpatient program to deal with "a dual diagnosis in substance abuse and mental health," and is continuing to seek treatment.

Atlas wrestled in the WWE from 2019 to 2021, and later went on to wrestle with AEW in late 2021. But, after suffering a significant knee injury in Jan. 2022, he has yet to return to the ring.

NFL's Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown Ticketed For Speeding Weeks Before Arrest ... Records Show

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Marquise "Hollywood" Brown apparently has a need for speed ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the Cardinals star was ticketed for going 71 MPH in a 50 zone just weeks before he was arrested for allegedly going 126 MPH in a 65.

According to court documents, cops say Brown went roughly 21 MPH over the speed limit in a black Mercedes on June 9 in Maricopa County, Ariz. He was issued a ticket for the offense on July 11.

Per the docs, Brown is facing a fine of $350. Records show he's due in court for a hearing on the matter in October.

Of course, Brown was arrested back on Aug. 3 -- less than a month after his initial speeding ticket arrived in the mail -- following accusations that he went 61 MPH over the speed limit in a white Mercedes in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Records show he's due in court for a hearing in that case next month.

Brown apologized for the recent arrest earlier this week, vowing to be better going forward -- but he made no note of the earlier ticket in his chat with reporters.

081722_marquise_brown_kal_1 8/17/22
SLOWING IT DOWN

As for his head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, he said following Brown's arrest that he was disappointed in his receiver ... adding, "he knows he's got to be better than that."

Brown and the Cardinals will kick off their first game of the season in Arizona on Sept. 11 against the Chiefs.

Kim Kardashian Alleged Jewel Thief Has No Remorse ... Over 2016 Paris Robbery

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One of the men accused of robbing Kim Kardashian in Paris -- who seems to have fessed up to it, at least partially -- says he doesn't feel bad about what happened.

Yunis Abbas is one of several men who has been charged in connection to the 2016 heist -- and he did an interview with Vice News ... dishing on what he says went into the planning and execution of the stick-up job where they walked away with millions in stolen jewelry.

He explains that they were tracking Kim on social media and through her show, and kept tabs on her when she came to Paris that year ... detailing her movements, much of which were being covered by the press and by social media -- her own and others.

Abbas explains they noticed Kim was showing off a lot of jewelry online and in person -- and they figured she had a lot of money ... especially from what they could see on 'KUWTK.'

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THE SECURITY FOOTAGE

It sounds like Abbas and co. were doing weeks of planning, and when the day came ... he says they hatched their plan to a T -- although he says he stayed downstairs while his associates went up and did the deed. He makes it seem like it was relatively easy to pull off.

Abbas goes on to say that he wasn't really aware of Kim at first -- more so Kanye -- and when asked if he regrets his part in the crime ... the dude says, absolutely not.

His rationale boils down to this ... he saw Kim "throwing money away," and justifies his actions by saying he was simply picking up what he thought she clearly didn't care about. So, no real remorse -- although he acknowledges she must've been traumatized from it all.

Kim herself has spoken on the aftermath at length ... saying she was scared for her life, and that she'd be harmed well beyond what actually happened. It also fundamentally changed her behavior going forward, especially when it came to security and flaunting jewelry.

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TAKING NO CHANCES

It's pretty fascinating to hear the tale from one of the suspects themselves. Abbas hasn't been shy about speaking on his involvement -- he's written a tell-all book about it since then, but at the same time ... has also reportedly pled not guilty to the charges against him.

12 men total were charged in connection to the incident -- and it seems it's still ongoing to this day, with the case being sent to trial last fall. Unclear where things stand now, though.

Gary Busey Hit w/ Sex Offense Charges in NJ ... Appeared at Monster Con

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UPDATE

4:38 PM PT -- An attorney repping the Monster Mania Convention organizers in this matter tells TMZ ... "Our client, Monster-Mania LLC, is assisting authorities in their investigation into an alleged incident involving an attendee and a celebrity guest at its convention in Cherry Hill, New Jersey last weekend. Immediately upon receiving a complaint from the attendee, the celebrity guest was removed from the convention and instructed not to return. Monster-Mania also encouraged the attendees to contact the police to file a report."

UPDATE

They add, "The safety and well-being of all our attendees is of the utmost importance to Monster-Mania, and the company will not tolerate any behavior that could compromise those values. Monster-Mania will continue to assist the authorities in any and every way possible."

Gary Busey is facing criminal charges out of New Jersey after cops claim he made inappropriate contact with people, among other things.

The actor was hit with four charges Friday by the Cherry Hill Police Department -- two counts of criminal sexual contact, one count of criminal attempt/criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Cops say this stems from a report of a sex offense during the weekend of August 12-14 at the Doubletree Hotel. They describe more than one incident that people reported during the Monster Mania Convention -- for which he was booked to appear -- but the details of any alleged acts are unclear at this point. CHPD didn't go into detail about what was reported.

There's no doubt Gary was in attendance for this thing BTW -- he took multiple photos with fans throughout the three days. Just check his tagged section on IG, and you'll see 'em all.

Unclear if Busey is still in town or not, or what the process will look like to have to answer for these charges in Jersey if he has, in fact, left the state. He, of course, lives in California ... and it doesn't sound like he was arrested there on the spot last week.

We've reached out to Gary's reps ... so far, no word back. TMZ has also reached out to Cherry Hill PD for more info on what this is all about -- but they haven't responded yet.

Originally Published -- 11:17 AM PT

Rapper Quando Rondo Caught In A Hail Of Bullets But He's "Ok"!!

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080222-rondo-quando-backgrid-kal AUGUST 2022
MURDER SCENE AFTERMATH
UPDATE

10:37 AM PT -- A rep for Quando tells TMZ ... "Quando was present during a shooting yesterday evening which resulted in the untimely death of another young man's life."

UPDATE

The rep continued ... "He himself didn't sustain any injuries during the shooting and is safe. We ask that his privacy is respected at this time."

Quando Rondo got caught in the middle of a deadly shooting in broad daylight in L.A. on Friday ... triggering a freak-out from the rapper.

Videos circulating online show Quando CLEARLY upset while talking to a police officer in West Hollywood right after the bloodshed. In the videos, Quando appears very animated, flailing his arms and stumbling backward.

At one point, Quando sees the police drag a body out of a black Escalade and he promptly walks away, screaming in agony.

A rep for Quando tells us the rapper is "OK," but then clammed up on us.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... several gunmen drove to a gas station in Beverly Grove and opened fire, hitting a young man.

His friends loaded him into the black SUV and drove about a mile to West Hollywood, where they were stopped by police officers responding to the shooting scene. This was where the videos of Quando were shot and it appears he's just a witness.

Cops gave CPR to the victim, who was breathing, but not conscious. An ambulance rushed the victim to the hospital, where he died.

The suspects fled in a white sedan.

Quando is no stranger to gun violence. He and his crew were shot at in Blackshear, Georgia, back in May 2021. One of his handlers was wounded in that attack.

Then, in November 2020, King Von was shot dead at an Atlanta hookah lounge following a confrontation between his crew and Quando's entourage.

Originally Published -- 7:47 AM PT

Vanessa Bryant Breaks Down In Tears At Trial ... 'Disgusted' With Officials Over Kobe Photos

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Vanessa Bryant just talked about Kobe Bryant, Gianna, the crash and the photos that officials took of their bodies while on the stand -- and she was overcome with emotion while trying to explain how awful it all has truly been for her.

Using a handkerchief to wipe away tears after nearly every sentence -- Vanessa said she first learned of the crash after an assistant informed her of it at her home. She said L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva was the one who eventually told her there were no survivors.

Vanessa said on the stand that she begged him to secure the area, as she was concerned about paparazzi. She testified he didn't tell her at the time that his deputies had photographed her family members' bodies.

She later said she learned of the graphic photos through the Los Angeles Times report -- and, while speaking through sobs, she said it gutted her.

"I felt like I wanted to run down the block and scream," she said in the courtroom. "I can’t escape my body. I can't escape what I feel."

She added that she was "blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed" to know that authorities had snapped pics at the scene.

"I trusted them," she said. "I trusted them to not do these things."

Vanessa told the courtroom one of the most disturbing things to her was that because of where Gianna was located at the crash scene, she believed officials had to have moved the 13-year-old's body in order to photograph it.

"They took advantage that Daddy couldn't protect her," she said. "He was at the morgue."

Vanessa testified that if the photos ever got out, and if she were to somehow see them, it'd rip her apart.

"I don't ever want to see my babies in that way," she said, explaining to the courtroom that she lives in constant fear that the photos could surface. "Nobody should ever have to see their family in that way."

As we reported, Vanessa arrived at the courtroom earlier Friday morning in a black dress, black coat and dark sunglasses. She wore a "Mama" necklace -- and appeared to be confident, flashing a smile on her way into the L.A. building.

The 40-year-old is suing L.A. County officials after learning deputies had taken and shared graphic photos from the wreckage scene.

Vanessa claimed in her suit the officials, and their actions, caused her severe emotional distress. She's suing for unspecified damages, including punitive damages ... and during her testimony on Friday, she said she's willing to "go through hell and back" to get justice for Kobe and Gianna.

Frank Grillo L.A. Crime is a Real Problem ... My Boxing Trainer Was Victim of Senseless Murder

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Actor Frank Grillo is speaking out about the senseless murder of his beloved boxing trainer ... and he's not pulling punches when it comes to what he views as L.A.'s crime problem.

Grillo, who played Crossbones in Marvel's 'Captain America' films, was visibly upset as he spoke about the death of Azuma Bennett during an interview at Fortune Boxing Gym in Hollywood on Thursday.

"He made everybody feel good about training," Grillo told KNBC. "I don't know what's happened to Los Angeles that a beautiful guy like this gets shot and killed over nothing."

Police say Bennett died en route to the hospital after he was struck by at least 8 bullets outside a marijuana dispensary in Windsor Hills last Friday. Detectives are still searching for the shooter, and there's not yet a motive.

Bennett was a centerpiece at Fortune Gym with a roster of celeb clients, including Grillo, UFC fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller and musicians Kiana Ledé and Eddie Benjamin.

The staff at Fortune Gym released a statement in Bennett's honor, "Azuma was our family. One of the best of the best. We are all so broken."

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money to help Bennett's family.

Mob Boss Whitey Bulger 3 Men Indicted Over Prison Killing

Published

Three men have been charged in connection with the killing of James "Whitey" Bulger, one of America's most notorious mobsters, nearly 4 years after he was beaten to death in federal prison.

The U.S. Attorney's office charged Fotios "Freddy" Geas, Paul "Pauly" J. DeCologero, and Sean McKinnon with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder Thursday in connection with Bulger's killing back in 2018 at the U.S. Penitentiary Hazleton in Bruceton Mills, WV.

Geas and DeCologero are accused of hitting Bulger multiple times in the head, causing his death -- they've also been charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

McKinnon faces a separate charge for making false statements to a federal agent.

As we reported, Bulger was beaten with a lock in a sock, away from security cameras, until he was unconscious -- the alleged perps also attempted to gouge out his eyes with some type of shiv, but were unsuccessful.

Bulger was serving out his life sentence after being convicted in 2013 for a slew of crimes when he died at 89.