'Cheer' Coach Monica Aldama Denies Trying To Hide Sexual Assault ... College Preparing To Fight In Court
Coach Monica Aldama, known from the hit Netflix series "Cheer," is pushing back on the claims and lawsuit against her ... saying in no way did she try to silence one of her cheerleader's claims of sexual assault.
Aldama tells TMZ ... she's "heartbroken by the false allegations" made against her by former Navarro College and cheer squad member Madi Lane -- adding the safety of her students is a top priority.
Aldama says she worked "year after year" to keep Navarro Cheer a safe space, adding she'd never remain silent about sexual assault claims "if I were aware that any sexual misconduct occurred in the Cheer program."
Navarro College, which is also getting sued by Lane, echoed Aldama's denial -- with a rep telling us it's prepared to "vigorously defend itself in court."
As we reported, Lane claims she was sexually assaulted by a fellow teammate in 2021 during her freshman year ... saying she brought it to Aldama's attention, but was allegedly told, "If you keep quiet, I’ll make sure you can cheer anywhere you want."
Lane alleges she spoke about the ordeal to an older cheer squad member, who she says told her "You just need to drink it off and get your mind off it" and "We don't tell anyone. We just keep it to ourselves."
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Jonathan Majors Ordered to Stay Away from Ex-GF ... Alleged Dom. Violence Victim
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Jonathan Majors has just been ordered to keep away from the ex-girlfriend he allegedly assaulted, TMZ has learned ... but his team still denies he attacked her.
A rep for the Manhattan D.A.'s office tells TMZ ... a judge granted a full temporary order of protection Thursday for the alleged victim, at her request. We're told Majors didn't oppose the request, and the case is scheduled to return to court in a couple of weeks.
Majors' attorney, Priya Chaudhry, tells us, "We consented because Mr. Majors wants nothing to do with the woman who assaulted him" -- adding their team provided evidence from a doctor and trauma specialist, which they insist backs up his side of the story.
Chaudhry goes on to say, "It is disturbing that even when presented with this incontrovertible evidence, the District Attorney continues this false case."
TMZ broke the story ... Majors' legal team submitted security footage which they say shows his ex went to a nightclub after the alleged attack, and didn't seem to be injured at all. As you know, she alleges Majors broke her finger and left a laceration behind her ear.
We asked the D.A. for comment regarding the surveillance video, but they have yet to respond.
The D.A.'s reportedly been in contact with other alleged victims ... though, that's yet to be confirmed, and it's unclear if it would even be admissible IF Majors' case goes to trial.
Chaudhry also claims texts the ex-girlfriend sent to Majors further show she was the one who attacked him last month during their car ride.
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Bam Margera Telling Family Members He Hates Them ... Disturbing Calls on the Run
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Bam Margera is on the run from cops, but he's still contacting family members with disturbing and aggressive phone calls ... blaming them for his struggles.
Sources close to Margera tell us ... Bam's family is clueless as to where he fled since disappearing Sunday. We're told everyone who loves Bam is extremely worried -- he's been a loose cannon lately and they want him to come home so they can help him.
What's more ... our sources say Bam has made random calls to family members -- seemingly intoxicated -- telling them how much he hates all of them for putting him in a Florida treatment center last year. He's also accusing them of selling his home and stealing money. He trusts no one and has threatened to sue them for money he claims they stole from him.
During these phone calls, we're told Bam refuses to disclose his location ... they don't even know if he's still in Pennsylvania. Our sources say cops are interviewing people and trying to determine his whereabouts.
Bam doesn't have a cell phone, and cops have allegedly told the family they aren't working to ping the girlfriend's cell (he's allegedly traveling with her) because the case isn't considered a priority.
TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to a home in Pocopson Township Sunday, April 23 after Bam's brother, Jess, says Bam attacked him, striking him multiple times in the head. Jess says Bam was enraged, allegedly saying, "I'll kill you. I'll put a bullet in your head."
Jess says Bam fled into the woods behind the house after the alleged attack, and cops have not been able to locate him since.
On Wednesday, Jess took to Twitter to claim Bam's also got his girlfriend and her 8-year-old daughter with him on the run ... and that he's been using meth.
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Floyd Mayweather Fighting John Gotti's Grandson ... Ozuna Performing
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Floyd Mayweather's next fight isn't just going to be a boxing match, it's also going to be a big music event, too ... 'cause TBE will be squaring up against John Gotti's grandson, John Gotti III -- and music superstar Ozuna will be performing!!
TMZ Sports is told the bash will go down on June 11 in Sunrise, Florida ... and Floyd (50-0, 27 KOs) is expected to make the exhibition bout official at a press conference on Thursday.
We're told Ozuna -- whose songs have billions of views on the internet -- will be taking the stage for a special set during the extravaganza ... making it an entertaining night in both sports AND music.
Gotti III -- a mixed martial arts fighter (5-1-0) -- is 2-0 (1 KO) as a professional boxer ... and the fight is being promoted as a "Last Names Matter" spectacle ... which makes sense, considering his grandpa is one of the most infamous crime bosses ever.
"Floyd was the first to start the exhibition concept, and everyone followed. Now he is adding some spice to the mix," James McNair, Mayweather’s pal, and president of the Money Team, told TMZ Sports.
"A boxing exhibition and musical performances all under one roof."
— OCP (@effdmca) February 25, 2023 @effdmca
Mayweather's last exhibition was in February against former Bellator MMA fighter and reality TV star Aaron Chalmers at the O2 arena in London, but no official winner was declared.
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Ex-'Hot Bench' Star Larry Bakman Sues Assault Accuser ... You Cornered Me in Courthouse!!!
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1:13 PM PT -- Larry Bakman is now suing Fari Nejadpour after the latter claimed he'd been battered -- with LB not only defending his actions ... but arguing he had no other option under the circumstances.
In legal docs obtained by TMZ, Larry claims Fari's placed him in a false light by suggesting he was brutally beaten in the courthouse Monday -- because, according to Larry, that couldn't be further from the truth ... claiming Fari's account is grossly exaggerated.
Here's what happened, per Larry. He claims Fari essentially bum-rushed him in the building and was super aggressive by shoving a recorder in his face without permission ... a situation which Larry says he tried to walk away from, but allegedly couldn't as he says Fari pursued him.
He asserts that Fari was harassing him and made him fear for his safety -- and not just that, but was straight up getting into his personal space and essentially obstructing his movement. So, Larry says he did the only thing he could to break free ... claiming he "slightly pushed" him away.
Larry claims the contact was minimal -- just enough to get Fari up off of him -- but that the dude totally milked it ... acting as if he'd been punched in the chest by the Hulk Hogan and claims Larry "intentionally stumbled backward and unceremoniously fell to the floor."
Larry says Fari's responsible for this mess for initiating everything -- and adds that he's actually the one who needs to answer for it, legally. In addition to false light, Larry's suing Fari for assult, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Larry Bakman -- an ex-TV judge on the reality show "Hot Bench" -- might end up having to answer to one himself because an attorney claims he got violent ... and has the whole thing captured on audio.
Fari B. Nejadpour -- who's been repping a woman in a DV case here in L.A. -- tells TMZ ... Bakman is representing the woman's husband. Nejadpour says the case started last fall but things took a nasty turn this week.
According to Nejadpour ... Bakman had filed a motion asking that Nejadpour be disqualified as the wife's attorney due to an alleged conflict -- namely, he'd repped the aunt of a client of Bakman's about a year ago ... something Nejadpour says is completely irrelevant.
He filed an opposition to Larry's motion, which was going to be heard Monday in an L.A. courtroom -- Nejadpour tells us that's when he ran into Bakman in a courthouse hallway.
Nejadpour says he confronted Bakman about his filing, and claims Bakman responded with hostility ... allegedly replying, "F*** you, ass****."
Nejadpour tells us he was shocked and told Bakman he was going to record him to show the judge how he was behaving. He says he turned on the recorder and started following Bakman, who he says was walking away to enter the courtroom.
At this point -- which we're told is when the audio starts to pick up -- Nejadpour claims Bakman quickly turned around and punched him in the chest with both hands ... which Nejadpour says sent him crumbling to his feet and writhing in pain.
He tells us he checked into a hospital that day, where he currently remains. Nejadpour claims to have suffered a laceration to the right side of his chest and an injury to his knee ... he also says he wants Bakman prosecuted.
LAPD tells us a battery report was filed, and they're investigating. We're told Bakman hasn't been arrested.
We also reached out to Bakman, who declined to comment.
Originally Published -- 12:45 AM PT
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'RHOSLC' JEN SHAH Husband Passes on New Season ... Despite Producers Wanting Him on Cam
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Jen Shah's husband will NOT be making any appearances in the upcoming season of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" -- while she's doing time -- even though producers tried to get him on camera.
Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... producers approached Jen's husband, Sharrieff Shah, last month in hopes of getting him to appear in the new season, but after talking to his wife -- who's in federal prison -- he ultimately declined the offer.
We're told the Bravo show production team wanted to have Sharrieff meet up with the other husbands of "RHOSLC" to talk about Jen's prison bid and how he's dealing with it.
Our sources say one of the reasons Sharrieff and Jen ultimately decided to pass on him making cameos is because they're not happy with how the network treated her after she was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison.
In case you didn't know ... Jen blasted Bravo in January -- after the sentencing in her wire fraud case -- refusing a one-on-one with Andy Cohen and Bravo because "of their unwillingness to remove contractual provisions that allow the network to legally make misrepresentations of me and my story."
The show will obviously go on, but Sharrieff and Jen's views won't be part of it.
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Casey Anthony Continues Disney Adventure ... Browses Kids' Toys
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Casey Anthony hanging out in the kids' toy section at Disney World sure is a strange sight to see -- but that's exactly what you got here as she continues her trip at the house of mouse.
The formerly acquitted defendant -- who was on trial in Florida over a decade ago for the murder of her daughter -- was spotted again Friday at the Happiest Place on Earth ... only this time, she seemed interested in the plush doll options that the Mouse House had to offer.
We're told these photos were taken inside one of the general merchandise stores within Downtown Disney Springs ... and, as you can see, she's perusing and browsing the toys.
Granted, just about everything inside this store is child-friendly -- but still ... it's a little jarring considering her history with her own late daughter, Caylee -- who was found dead in 2008 not far from here, which became the center of a massively publicized trial against her mom.
Like we said ... Casey was found not guilty of any of the serious charges pertaining to Caylee's death. She was only found guilty of lying to the police at the time -- and got off on everything else. And yet, she still has that stench hovering around here ... just like O.J.
Anyhoo ... Casey ventured elsewhere at Disney World this weekend, including to the Epcot Center where eyewitnesses saw her in the Japan area. Epcot breaks up its sections into worldly corners, and this photo of Casey suggests she knew people recognized her.
As we reported ... Casey appears to be there with at least two other women who are tagging along, and there's been no indication she's trying to maintain a low profile whatsoever.
Of course, that's her prerogative ... but she's also gotta realize people are probably going to do double takes if they notice her, and Disney-goers undoubtedly have. Nevertheless, CA seems to be relatively unbothered and is carrying on with her business like nothing happened.
Of course, something horrible did happen ... and many haven't forgotten.
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Casey Anthony I'm Ready for Innocent Fun At Disney World ... Just Adults, No Kids!!!
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Casey Anthony is feeling the magic at Mickey's kingdom, which just so happens to be down the street from where she was once accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter.
The formerly accused, but acquitted defendant was spotted Friday in Orlando ... as she checked in to one of the Walt Disney World hotels.
It looks like Casey's going to spend the weekend enjoying all WDW has to offer ... and she doesn't have to worry about pushing strollers or keeping kids entertained at the Mouse House, because "Tot Mom" is rolling with an adult friend.
Hotel guests tell TMZ ... Casey checked in with a blonde woman and didn't seem to be trying to keep a low profile, openly walking around the lobby with her luggage in tow.
We haven't seen Casey since she was back in the spotlight at the end of 2022, when her controversial documentary, "Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies" was released.
You won't find that doc on Disney+, though ... it's a Peacock production.
Of course, Casey's got deep ties to Orlando ... that's where she lived in June 2008, when her 2-year-old daughter Caylee was reported missing.
Caylee's skeletal remains were ultimately found a few months later in a wooded area near the Anthony family's, and Casey was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
She pleaded not guilty and stood trial in 2011, with the jury acquitting her of murder, manslaughter and child abuse. She was only found guilty of lying to cops.
But, that's all in her rearview, and Casey looks focused on having a fun time at Disney ... but ya gotta wonder how parents will react if they recognize her.
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Jonathan Majors Video, Witness Prove I Didn't Strike Ex-GF ... She Went Clubbing After Incident
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Jonathan Majors says the man who was driving him and his now ex-girlfriend the night of their alleged domestic incident will testify the actor did not strike her -- and he claims there's video proof she was not injured when she went out to a club after their altercation.
Jonathan's attorney Priya Chaudhry filed docs Wednesday in Manhattan, informing the court the driver witnessed what went down between Jonathan and the woman back in March. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the driver saw the woman assault Majors -- around 1 AM on March 25 -- "while she was attempting to steal his phone."
Further, the "Creed III" star says the driver will testify he never struck the alleged victim "in any way at any time, or even raised his voice." Majors and his attorney also say the driver saw her "hitting, scratching, and attacking" Jonathan ... and that Jonathan asked the driver to stop the car, so he could escape her attack ... which he did.
The woman allegedly told police she suffered a broken finger and a laceration behind her ear during the altercation -- however, in the document, Chaudhry says they have proof that's a "complete lie."
She says they have hours of security videos showing the woman went clubbing and got drunk after Majors left her in the car -- and she also texted him, accusing him of infidelity and threatening suicide.
As for what happened while she was out at a nightclub ... Majors' court filing includes screen shots of security video showing the woman freely using her right hand, which she claimed Majors injured.
In the videos, they say she casually pushes her hair behind her right ear, reaches into her bag several times, sorts through credit cards, handles phones, holds a menu and easily holds a glass of champagne.
They say she was seen partying pretty hard, throwing back shots and champagne with friends without any visible sign of injury.
When her night out at the club was over, they claim she showed up at Majors home at 3:23 AM ... entered his apartment, and called him 32 times and sent several angry, jealous text messages. Majors was not home when she got there.
Chaudhry says none of the text messages accuse Jonathan of injuring her, nor does she mention any discomfort from alleged injuries.
They say Majors got home at 11:13 AM, and found her unconscious and half naked on the floor of his walk-in closet. He also discovered she allegedly threw up in his bed, and told him she'd taken "a few sleeping tablets."
Majors then called 911, and claim when paramedics arrived, the woman repeatedly told them "I don't know" when asked what happened to her.
In the document, Chaudhry claims body cam footage shows police interviewing the woman, and "clearly coaching her to say that Mr. Majors grabbed her by the throat." Chaudhry claims the alleged victim never made that claim to anyone prior to the officer's direction.
TMZ broke the story ... Majors was arrested March 25th, and charged with misdemeanor assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault and harassment.
Chaudhry and Majors want the D.A. to review their evidence swiftly and "dismiss these false charges against him."
As we've reported, the case has already cost him a lot, professionally -- his management team and PR firm reportedly dropped him, and the U.S. Army yanked a popular recruiting commercial starring Majors.
NFL's Chris Claybrooks Arrested ... Allegedly Destroyed Woman's Phone At Theater
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Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Chris Claybrooks was arrested in Nashville over the weekend ... after officials say he destroyed a woman's phone during a wild dispute at a movie theater.
According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the alleged altercation between the football player and the woman went down at around 8 PM on April 14 in the parking lot of the Opry Mills establishment.
Prosecutors say Claybrooks had been there watching a movie with his girlfriend, when a woman showed up and attempted to inform the GF that she and Claybrooks had been together the night before "and that she had proof they were together on her phone."
In the docs, authorities say the woman told them Claybrooks then "grabbed her hand that was holding the phone and ripped it from her grasp." Claybrooks then allegedly chucked the device into the ground, destroying it.
According to the docs, the woman suffered bruises and abrasions on her hand from the incident. Officials say cops also observed that her phone was, indeed, broken.
The 25-year-old defensive back was arrested over the incident on April 15 ... and eventually hit with two criminal charges -- misdemeanor domestic assault causing bodily injury and misdemeanor vandalism of $1,000 or less. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter in May.
Claybrooks' attorney declined to comment on the case when reached on Wednesday.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, said in a statement they were "aware of a recent incident in Nashville, Tennessee involving Chris Claybrooks and are currently in the process of gathering information."
"We will have no further comment at this time," the team added.
Claybrooks, a former Memphis Tigers star, was a 7th-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft who went on to sign a 4-year rookie contract with the Jags worth a little over $3 million.
He's appeared in 46 games in his three years with Jacksonville ... totaling 81 tackles, and five pass deflections. He's also worked as the team's kick returner.
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Young Thug Attorney Calls 🧢 On Judge In Court ... 'Had to Let 'Em Know!!!'
Justin Hill, an attorney for Young Thug's YSL camp, has some serious cojones -- not only did he disagree with the judge in their RICO case, but he blatantly called "cap" on him in open court!!!
Hill was in court Monday when he was accused by Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville of not making a formal assertion before court started.
The lawyer during the YSL trial said, "cap". 😕😂pic.twitter.com/L4q2nNreqe
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) April 17, 2023 @GAFollowers
Although it was deemed a moot point, Hill stood his ground and basically told the judge he's an honorable fibber as the case proceeded.
Outside the courtroom, Hill, who represents YSL member Damone Blalock aka Bali, doubled down on his choice of words. He told reporter George Chidi he felt misrepresented during the proceedings, and using the word "cap" perfectly defined the moment.
A short conversation about Young Thug and attorney Justin Hill, and calling cap on the DA in court. pic.twitter.com/5xUfZgjTrI
— George Chidi (find me on Mastodon) (@neonflag) April 17, 2023 @neonflag
Thugger's RICO case has been filled with unpredictable hijinks -- back in January, one of his codefendants attempted to pass him drugs as court was ongoing and several others, including Gunna, have since taken plea deals.
On Monday, Judge Glanville had to scold another attorney on Thug's side ... after he failed to buy lunch for his colleagues as ordered back in March.
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F. Murray Abraham Apologizes for Alleged Sexual Misconduct Behind 'Mythic Quest' Firing
9:54 AM PT -- April 20 -- We just got the following statement from Abraham: "This is a sincere and deeply felt apology. Though never my intention to offend anyone, I told jokes, nothing more, that upset some of my colleagues and as a result lost a great job with wonderful people."
He concludes, "I have grown in my understanding from this experience, and I hope they will forgive me."
F. Murray Abraham, who's starred in "White Lotus" and "Homeland," faced sexual misconduct allegations on another hit show ... and it was so serious, it reportedly cost him his job.
Abraham got the boot from Apple TV+'s "Mythic Quest" about a year ago, but the reason for his departure was never revealed. Now, a new report in Rolling Stone magazine says the firing was due to 2 alleged incidents of the actor harassing, at the very least, female costars or crew members.
According to the report, Abraham was given a warning after one incident ... and was told to stay away from some of his female costars. Sources say a second incident later went down and when the show creator and star Rob McElhenny found out, Abraham was dropped.
Abraham played C.W. Longbottom, the pretentious head game writer at Mythic Quest HQ. His absence first went into effect at the beginning of season 3, and a send-off for the character was written into the show -- something McElhenny told Variety was "a really fitting tribute to him."
Lionsgate, which produces "Mythic Quest," tells TMZ ... "We take allegations of misconduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly. As a matter of corporate policy, we do not discuss personnel actions.”
We've reached out to Abraham's reps for comment ... so far, no word back.
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Brittany Matthews Defends Jackson Mahomes Against Critics ... 'Just Shut Up 👍'
Brittany Matthews doesn't play when it comes to Jackson Mahomes ... and just told his "ignorant" detractors to "shut up" when it comes to attacking her brother-in-law on social media.
The wife of Super Bowl champ Patrick Mahomes went off during a Q&A sesh with fans via Instagram on Sunday ... with one person asking "how do you feel about the comments about your [Brother-In-Law]?"
The fan didn't single out any specific comments ... but Jackson's become a star in his own right, and has made headlines for everything from his TikTok dances to throwing water on Ravens fans to an alleged assault. And, for it all, Jackson's been on the receiving end of A LOT of criticism online.
Jackson Mahomes pours water on Ravens fan after the chiefs loss! pic.twitter.com/KLpvSor5XH
— idk (@pheargers) September 20, 2021 @pheargers
Matthews responded to the question ... "They are ignorant."
"He is a human just trying to live his life and find his way and until you walk a day in his shoes (which no one ever will) you have no right to say s--- about him."
"So it's best to just shut up 👍."
Britt also took a shot at groupies when she was asked how she deals with women going after her NFL superstar husband.
"Lol it's actually really sad how disrespectful some women are," Matthews said. "But they are a waste of my time and not going to disturb my peace."
"But I did use to have a very hard time and get extremely annoyed. But I am now to a point where I could care less."
Patrick and Brittany have been together for 11 years and just celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary on March 12.
The couple have two children together and Brittany revealed in the Q&A she got their names, Sterling and Bronze, along with their birthdates, tatted on her wrist.
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Judge Mathis 50 Cent Rift Isn't Real Beef ... But Detroit's Getting That 'BMF' Bag!!!
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Judge Mathis says he has no hard feelings after going back and forth with 50 Cent earlier this month ... but he's still going forward with his own "BMF" project regardless!!!
TMZ Hip Hop caught up with hizzoner at LAX, where he explained he and 50 haven't spoken since their social media disagreement over Mathis' upcoming biopic, "The First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story."
The TV judge is executive producing the film and 50's ex, Vivica A. Fox, is the director ... but 50 was more concerned with Tonesa being labeled a "BMF associate," because he says her ties are more with Detroit's 263 Crew ... a gang that preceded BMF.
Regardless of what the title says, JM tells us he's a proud Detroit native looking to get Tonesa's story out in the open, which will debut on BET+ later this year.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
He also doesn't mind 50's ribbing because he says they're both from the same walk of life!!!
50 infamously got shot 9 times before his rap career skyrocketed, while Mathis says he was shot twice and even showed his bullet wounds!
That being said, the Judge makes it clear there won't be any real-life strife in the streets between 50 and himself!!!
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Insane Attempted Carjacking Hero Takes On Group Of Violent Carjackers ... Wins Knock Down, Drag Out Fight!!!
A Connecticut man turned into a real-life version of Superman as he heroically fought off a group of violent carjackers trying to steal his car ... and the savage brawl was all caught on video.
Check out Ring camera footage showing one of the suspects sneaking up to a red Infiniti parked in a driveway while chatting on a cell phone in Rocky Hill, CT, on April 10.
He opened the unlocked driver's side door and jumped behind the wheel of the car, but he didn't get very far because a homeowner who lived nearby ran up to him and ripped him out of the seat.
The two started going at it, throwing punches at one another and wrestling on the ground. Two more assailants then entered the picture and continued beating the homeowner.
One of the attackers lost his shoe while kicking the homeowner, who kept defending himself. The aggressor scooped up his sneaker and proceeded to whack the homeowner in the head with it.
Then a fourth attacker joined in the melee and got in a few licks before the entire crew could no longer trade blows with the homeowner and decided to flee in a getaway car.
Investigators were still looking for the perpetrators as of this morning.
As for the homeowner, he was not seriously injured by the assault. It wasn't clear if he was also the owner of the car that was almost jacked.
But, one thing is for sure ... he should get a cape with a large "S" stenciled on back.
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Nashville Walgreens Worker Shoots Pregnant Woman ... Claims She Was Shoplifting
A pregnant woman was shot at a Walgreens after one of the workers claims to have chased her into the lot following alleged shoplifting ... which then spurred a premature delivery.
Per local reports, cops say 21-year-old Mitarius Boyd -- who's reported to have been working as the team lead on Wednesday when this horrific incident unfolded -- shot 34-year-old Travonsha Ferguson while trying to stop what he says was an active theft in progress.
Pregnant woman shot by Walgreens employee in East Nashville https://t.co/d6Vm60O55I
— WKRN News 2 (@WKRN) April 13, 2023 @WKRN
Boyd reportedly told investigators that he fired his weapon at both Ferguson and another woman she was with after pursuing them to their car ... where he claims they were trying to unload a bunch of stuff they'd allegedly just jacked from inside the Walgreens.
According to him, he felt his life was in danger when one of the women started to spray him with mace -- as he says he didn't know if they had a dangerous weapon on them. In other words, he's claiming self-defense here ... and has not been arrested at this point.
A woman who was shot during the altercation was pregnant and had to have an emergency C-Section operation.
— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) April 14, 2023 @NC5
The District Attorney's office will determine if the store employee will face charges after MNPD investigates the incident.https://t.co/OzQ32WtSS8
Cops say Ferguson -- who's reported to have been 7 months pregnant -- was hit 8 times ... twice in each leg and four times in the stomach. She and her friend made it into the car after the gun went off, and the friend is said to have dropped her off at the ER on her own.
Doctors attended to her immediately, and she underwent 3 surgeries. During those procedures, reports say an emergency C-section was done to take out the baby ... who was miraculously not hit during all this. Both she and her child are now in critical condition.
As a store employee he had no right to chase her. pic.twitter.com/gtbOaO3dDW
— Shea (@nichpic) April 15, 2023 @nichpic
The case is under investigation, and the D.A. is reviewing the Walgreens employee's claim -- namely, that he had to shoot in order to protect himself from imminent danger.
As you can imagine, this has gotten a big reaction online -- especially from those citing Walgreens' well-known "no chase" policy ... in which workers aren't supposed to go after suspected shoplifters. Walgreens doesn't appear to have commented on the situation yet.