Crime

Lady Gaga's dog walker -- who put his life on the line for her beloved animals -- is expected to make a full recovery ... and his family is thanking Gaga for her support.

The family of Ryan Fischer tells us, "Ryan is receiving extraordinary care in the hospital right now and his doctors expect him to make a full recovery. We cannot possibly say enough to thank all of the first responders, nurses and doctors who have worked so tirelessly to care for Ryan."

They also give a massive thank you to Gaga, saying, "Of course, we also want to thank Lady Gaga who has shown nothing but non-stop love and concern for Ryan and our family right from the outset. Ryan loves Gustavo and Koji as much as Lady Gaga does; so we join in her plea for their safe return."

TMZ broke the story, Fischer was shot while walking Gaga's 3 French bulldog's Wednesday night in Hollywood ... the thieves made off with 2 of the dogs, leaving Ryan begging for help on the sidewalk.

Cops have not yet named any suspects, but our sources say there's reason to believe the attack was a targeted hit on Gaga's dogs for ransom.

Jeremy Lin is fed up with people acting like anti-Asian American racism doesn't exist -- saying he's personally experienced the hatred on the basketball court where he's been called names like "Coronavirus."

The former NBA star -- who currently plays for the Santa Cruz Warriors -- unloaded on social media about the rising numbers of hate incidents directed at Asians in America.

In New York and San Francisco, officials say hate crime incidents are up BIG versus previous years.

The NYPD reported 28 hate crimes against Asian Americans in 2020 ... up from 3 in 2019.

Data out of SF shows 9 hate crimes against Asians in 2020 ... up 33% from the 6 in 2019, according to the Washington Post.

Additionally, the Asian American advocacy group AAPI says it's received more than 2,500 reports of hate incidents in the U.S. directed at Asians since March 2020.

Enter Lin ... who's simply had enough.

"Something is changing in this generation of Asian Americans," 32-year-old Lin said Thursday in an emotionally-charged Facebook post.

"We are tired of being told that we don't experience racism, we are tired of being told to keep our heads down and not make trouble."

"We are tired of Asian American kids growing up and being asked where they're REALLY from, of having our eyes mocked, of being objectified as exotic or being told we're inherently unattractive."

"We are tired of the stereotypes in Hollywood affecting our psyche and limiting who we think we can be. We are tired of being invisible, of being mistaken for our colleague or told our struggles aren't as real."

Lin -- a Taiwanese-American -- says he's motivated to make a difference to make sure future generations are treated equally and respectfully in the U.S.

"I want better for my niece and nephew and future kids. I want better for the next generation of Asian American athletes than to have to work so hard to just be 'deceptively athletic.'"

Lin also noted he's been called names like "coronavirus" on the court -- and doesn't want anyone else to have to experience the same racism.

More bombshell allegations in the world of international gymnastics -- with 17 British gymnasts alleging "systemic physical and psychological abuse" from British coaches.

The group of women -- which includes 3 Olympians -- issued a notice to the British Gymnastics association spelling out plans to take legal action.

The group -- whose ages range from 15 to 43 -- allege coaches grossly mistreated them while implementing an iron-fisted "winning at all costs" mentality ... which included the use of physical force against athletes as young as 6-years-old.

In the notice, the women claim the physical abuse included "inappropriate use of physical force by coaches against gymnasts constituting physical assault" -- as well as "abusive and harmful coaching techniques which have no justification in science or theory."

The women point to "consistent reports of coaches slapping, pushing, and using physical force to reprimand, punish, stretch, and/or 'correct' gymnasts during training."

All of the alleged victims claim the abuse took place at various training centers across the U.K., each affiliated with British Gymnastics.

As a result of the alleged abuse, the women say they are now physically and emotionally scarred -- dealing with issues from depression to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

One of the accusers has identified herself publicly as Claire Heafford -- and issued a statement saying the action the group is taking is a "landmark moment in our campaign for justice."

"This is not and has never been about a few bad apples, this is about decades of systemic abuse, encouraged and covered up by those at the top."

She continued, "The hopes and dreams of countless children and young adults of competing as professional gymnasts have been destroyed and their love for the sport is now shrouded in fear and suffering."

"My heart goes out to everyone who has felt this pain and have not yet spoken out -- we want you to know that we are here, fighting on your side."

British Gymnastics has issued a statement saying they've received the notice -- but explaining, "It would not be appropriate or fair to all parties for us to make any comment until we have had the opportunity for it to be fully considered."

The news comes one day after former Team USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert took his own life ... hours after he was charged with multiple counts of human trafficking and sexual assault.

Lady Gaga may have been the target of criminals who shot her dog walker and stole 2 of her French Bulldogs ... law enforcement tells TMZ.

We're told the LAPD is seriously looking at the possibility the shooter/thieves knew the dogs were owned by Gaga, and the video obtained by TMZ more than supports that theory.

If you look closely, the car that comes upon dog walker Ryan Fischer clearly was headed for him. The car stops and two people immediately jump out and attack the dog walker. There's no way they would have instantly known these dogs were a valuable breed ... they're small and it was dark outside. The dogs could have easily been rescues, mixed breeds, a less valuable breed ... fact is, these criminals knew.

What's more ... our law enforcement sources tell us, Ryan Fischer told numerous people in the neighborhood he was walking Gaga's dogs, so lots of people knew.

From what we know, this was supposed to be a short walk -- 10 PM at night, so the dogs could go poop and pee. It's not like the robbers were able to follow Ryan a long distance ... if they were indeed targeting Gaga's dogs, they could have scoped him out in the days before to determine his walking schedule.

As for the $500,000 ransom Gaga is offering ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ no one has been in touch with the singer or her reps so far demanding payment.

Officials in Atlanta have confirmed the fire that gutted Shaq's iconic Krispy Kreme was caused by an arsonist ... and now, they say they're on the hunt for the suspect.

The famous donut shop -- which is located on Ponce de Leon Ave. and has ties to Martin Luther King Jr. -- was nearly burnt to the ground shortly after midnight on Feb. 10.

Officials say 2 employees who were in the store were able to escape the fire safely ... but the place took SERIOUS damage from the flames.

Now, officials say they believe the blaze was NOT caused by an accident ... but rather, by a person who wanted to see it burn.

Officials say they have surveillance video of the suspect ... and revealed images of the person from the video early Friday morning. Officials added there's now a $10,000 reward for help in identifying the suspect.

"The fire that occurred at @krispykreme Doughnuts (295 Ponce de Leon) on February 10th, 2021 has been determined to be a result of ARSON," officials said. "We are seeking the public’s help in identifying & locating the suspect in these pictures."

Officials say call 1-800-282-5804 if you have any information.

The donut shop, meanwhile, is one of the most famous in the country ... it was bought by Shaq back in 2016 and gained fame in 1968 for donating boxes of treats to mourners who flocked to Atlanta to grieve the death of MLK Jr.

The abduction of Lady Gaga's dogs and the shooting of her dog walker has put Hollywood dog walkers on high alert ... they're looking to protect themselves and the pets they care for with some significant firepower.

We contacted a bunch of dog walking companies in the Hollywood area -- where the shooting/abduction went down -- and according to a few companies, they're increasing security -- changing their dog-walking schedules to prevent a repeat of what happened Wednesday night.

Anna-Marie Arredondo, owner of Happy Heart Pet Care in WeHo, tells TMZ ... she's looking to get a concealed carry permit, STAT. If she's successful -- which is incredibly difficult to obtain in California -- she plans on packing heat on her walks.

She's also looking into taking jiu-jitsu classes so she can protect herself and the pets. What's more ... all nighttime walks will only go down in well-lit, highly-trafficked areas. She says if it's too dark or sketchy ... she'll haul the dogs in her car and drive to a safer spot.

Renee Lutz, owner of Fetch! Pet Care in the Hollywood Hills, tells TMZ ... she'll give all 38 of her dog walkers pepper spray and flashlights. She's also 86ing nighttime walks.

Alyssa and Saul, owners of Troop Canine in Griffith Park, tell TMZ ... they, too, are no longer doing nighttime walks ... for the foreseeable future, they'll limiting walks to mornings and afternoons. They're also looking into purchasing body cams, like GoPros, so cameras are rolling should any would-be thieves want to get handsy.

All the owners we spoke to said they'll continue to walk French Bulldogs ... a coveted breed. TMZ broke the story ... Lady Gaga's dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot Wednesday night in Hollywood after 2 men got out of a white sedan and abducted 2 of her French bulldogs, Koji and Gustav.

The criminal case against ex-Team USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert is as good as dead -- because officials know there's no point in prosecuting a deceased person.

Geddert had just been hit with 24 criminal charges -- including 20 counts of human trafficking and 2 counts of sexual assault -- when he took his own life Thursday afternoon. State officials in Michigan say they believe it was a self-inflicted gunshot.

If convicted on all counts, Geddert was facing life in prison.

Prosecutors clearly felt they had enough evidence to get a conviction -- but the case can never get off the ground now that Geddert is dead.

The legal explanation comes down to 2 points. One, you have the right to defend yourself in a criminal trial, which is impossible once you're dead.

Second, most of the goals of punishing people in a criminal case -- to rehabilitate, to deter, etc. -- are pointless once the defendant is dead.

As to the notion that the case should play out so Geddert can go down in history as an officially convicted sexual predator ... most courts don't see it that way because we cherish the principle that people are innocent until PROVEN guilty.

Basically, Geddert robbed his victims of the opportunity to get justice through the criminal court system -- but they may not be out of options.

Victims can still sue Geddert's estate in civil court where the evidentiary bar is lower -- and there's a decent chance they can win a monetary judgment.

The man who punched Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Spencer Jones in the face repeatedly in a violent bar brawl earlier this month claims he was simply acting in self-defense, insisting his actions were "legally justified."

Walker Brown says -- just before a camera filmed him whaling on Jones in a bathroom at Logie's on the Corner in Norman, OK -- he was the one who was initially attacked at the bar on Feb. 13.

Brown, through his attorney, Steve Stice, says Jones and his friends were the aggressors in the situation ... and had roughed him up prior to the violent affair on the bathroom floor.

"There is more to the story than what is depicted in the video," Stice said this week. "What is not shown is the original assault and battery suffered by Mr. Brown at the hands of Mr. Jones and his friend shortly before the captured footage."

"As can be seen, my client's nose and clothing were bloodied prior to the beginning of the video. Mr. Brown was legally justified in defending himself in this matter."

In fact, Stice says Brown was actually seriously injured in the melee ... claiming Brown suffered a torn biceps tendon that will require surgery as well as bruises and lacerations.

The Norman Police Department tells TMZ Sports it's currently investigating the fight ... after Jones called in to report an assault 3 days after the brawl.

Jones, meanwhile, is currently recovering after having surgery to repair eye damage he suffered in the scrap.

Jones' attorney, Woodrow "Woody" Glass, said earlier this week Jones was NOT the aggressor in the situation, insisting the football player was just trying to play peacekeeper.

Bruce Springsteen's criminal record won't show any guilty plea to driving under the influence -- because the Boss just struck a deal with prosecutors.

Springsteen pled guilty to only one misdemeanor count of consuming alcohol in a closed area. He admitted to drinking at the Gateway National Recreational Area -- a federal property, where booze is forbidden.

The other charges he was facing -- DWI and reckless driving -- were dismissed by prosecutors ... who said, in court, his BAC was well below the legal limit at .02, so they felt they couldn't prove their case.

Bruce's penalty was a $500 fine and an extra $40 for court fees -- which he said he could take care of immediately.

His attorney, Mitchell Ansell, says ... "Mr. Springsteen is pleased with the outcome of today’s court appearance." He adds, "Mr. Springsteen, who has no previous criminal record of any kind, voluntarily plead guilty to a violation of consuming an alcoholic beverage in a closed area, agreeing to a fine of $500. We want to thank the Court and will have no further comment at this time."

TMZ broke the story ... the Boss was arrested for DWI back in November at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, NJ, but it came to light when we reported it earlier this month. He was cited for DWI, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area.

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Sheree Whitfield is free to love whoever she wants ... now that the guy she wants is free from prison!

Sheree's boyfriend, Tyrone Gilliams, tells TMZ ... he was released from prison in Kentucky last week and ever since then he's been spending lots of QT with Sheree. We're told they've mostly been spending time in Philly ... going out and enjoying cheesesteaks, naturally.

We're told Sheree's helping him acclimate back into life on the outside ... which includes helping him catch up with the latest technology.

True 'RHOA' fans know Tyrone and Sheree dated briefly nearly a decade ago, but he cut off contact when he realized the feds were going to indict him in a wire fraud case. Tyrone was ultimately sentenced to 10 years back in October 2013.

They reconnected around her birthday in 2016, and decided to start dating again -- which meant communicating as much as possible, and Sheree visited him in prison.

Things went south, though, in 2018 when Tyrone says he lost an appeal ... so they stopped dating.

Now that Sheree's single and he's scored an early release -- due to COVID spreading in prison -- he says the time was right to rekindle that old flame.

Zachery Ty Bryan struck a plea deal in his domestic violence case ... and it looks like he won’t do any time behind bars.

The "Home Improvement" star pled guilty to 2 misdemeanor counts -- menacing and assault in the fourth degree -- for his arrest in Oregon last year after an altercation with his girlfriend.

According to legal docs ... Bryan's 2 felony charges -- strangulation and coercion -- along with several misdemeanor charges have been dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Bryan's sentence includes 3 years probation during which he must complete a batterers intervention program.

George Clooney is so disgusted by the former Ohio State University sports doctor who allegedly committed rape at least 47 times ... he's producing a docuseries about the scandal.

Here's the backstory ... scumbag Richard Strauss was a doctor who was employed by the OSU athletics dept. from 1978 to 1998 and allegedly committed more than 1,400 sexual assaults in those 2 decades.

In fact, OSU commissioned an independent investigation to look into the allegations in 2018 -- which concluded Strauss committed at least 47 rapes and 1,429 sexual assaults on mostly male victims. A large number of victims were members of the OSU wrestling team.

Several athletes reported unnecessary genital and rectal probes under the guise of a typical medical examination -- it's all very similar to the allegations against ex-Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

Strauss died in 2005 by suicide. He left a note, but it did not reference the allegations against him.

There are claims several OSU officials knew about Strauss' conduct -- including Rep. Jim Jordan, who was an asst. wrestling coach at OSU at the time -- but they didn't take proper action.

For the record, Rep. Jordan is adamant he was not aware of Strauss' conduct and did NOT try to protect him in any way shape or form.

As for Clooney, he was inspired to make the docuseries after reading an article about it in Sports Illustrated. His company, Smokehouse Pictures, is teaming up with S.I. and 1010 Studios to make the series.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother just filed a bombshell federal lawsuit, alleging the men charged in her son's death were in cahoots with local law enforcement.

Wanda Cooper is suing Greg and Travis McMichael and William Bryan -- the 3 who've been charged in connection with Ahmaud's killing one year ago Tuesday  ... as well as a number of police officials in Glynn County, and the county itself ... all of whom she says violated Ahmaud's civil rights.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Wanda recounts the events of Feb. 23, 2020 ... claiming Ahmaud went out for a jog that day, only to be targeted by the McMichaels and Bryan, who she alleges were deputized by Glynn County PD, and says Greg McMichael even had a police-issued revolver.

With those firearms -- including the revolver and a 12-gauge shotgun carried by Travis McMichael -- Wanda claims the men chased Ahmaud down on a "gut feeling" that he might be involved with recent break-ins in their neighborhood ... and then murdered him in cold blood.

Once Travis McMichael shot at Ahmaud point-blank range with his shotgun, Wanda alleges he uttered the words, "f***ing N***er." The aftermath, she alleges, is just as disturbing.

Wanda claims there were efforts by Glynn County and Brunswick County prosecutors -- as well as other officials involved in the initial investigation -- to sweep the incident under the rug, as she says Gregory McMichael had once been employed by the local police force as well as by the D.A.'s office. She says if it wasn't for the video of Ahmuad's death being leaked, it's possible nobody would've ever known or believed what happened to her son.

Ahmaud's mom alleges multiple causes of action ... including excessive force, conspiracy to violate Ahmaud's civil rights, conspiracy to obstruct justice, a failure to properly train officers, and several others.

El Chapo's wife is apparently really keeping up with the family biz -- at least according to the feds who just busted her for international drug trafficking.

Emma Coronel Aispuro was arrested Monday at Dulles International Airport, and is facing a charge of participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana for importation to the U.S.

And, get this -- the feds are also claiming she conspired with others to help El Chapo make his July 11, 2015 prison escape in Mexico, and tried to help him do it again after he was recaptured. He was extradited to the U.S. in January 2017 ... before he could make that second escape.

As we reported, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman -- leader of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel -- was sentenced to life in prison in July 2019.

When we last heard from Emma, she was about to appear on the reality TV show "Cartel Crew" -- which she did for Season 2 -- but now it looks highly unlikely she'll be back.

The NY Rangers say allegations star player Artemi Panarin assaulted a woman in 2011 are "unfounded" -- suggesting the claims are all part of a Russian smear campaign to punish the NHL star for publicly criticizing Vladimir Putin.

Here's the deal ... on Monday, Panarin -- who's in the middle of a 7-year, $81 million contract -- announced he's taking a leave of absence from the Rangers for personal reasons.

The announcement comes in the wake of a report out of Russia that Panarin beat the hell out of an 18-year-old woman at a hotel bar in Latvia in 2011.

In an on-camera interview with a Russian news outlet, Nazarov says Panarin was detained by police during the alleged 2011 incident -- and references a rumor that the NHL star paid 40,000 euros to bribe his way out of trouble.

The man behind the allegations is Andrei Nazarov -- who coached Panarin during his time in the KHL (formerly known as the Russian Superleague).

Nazarov and Panarin reportedly clashed over politics -- since Panarin has been an outspoken critic of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Enter the NY Rangers ... the club says it has looked into the allegations and also spoke with Panarin and believes the whole thing is pure B.S. conjured up to ruin Panarin's career as punishment for criticizing Putin.

"Artemi vehemently and unequivocally denies any and all allegations in this fabricated story," the Rangers said Monday.

"This is clearly an intimidation tactic being used against him for being outspoken on recent political events. Artemi is obviously shaken and concerned and will take some time away from the team."

"The Rangers fully support Artemi and will work with him to identify the source of these unfounded allegations."

USA Today's NY Rangers reporter Vince Z. Mercogliano says Panarin is concerned about the safety and well-being of his family.

It’s rare for a Russian star athlete to speak out against the Russian government, but Panarin hasn’t been shy -- In a 2019 interview with a foreign publication, he sounded off on his frustration with economic structure.

"I think that the people who hush up the problems are more like foreign agents than those who talk about them," Panarin said at the time. "If I think about problems, I am coming from a positive place, I want to change something, to have people live better. I don't want to see retirees begging.”

FYI, Panarin voiced his support for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in an IG post from January 21 ... with the caption, "Freedom for Navalny."

The lawyer who killed the son of New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas had his sights set on Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor next ... according to Judge Salas.

Roy Den Hollander is believed to have posed as a FedEx delivery worker in July when he ambushed the home of Salas' family, fatally shooting her 20-year-old son and injuring her husband. At the time, Judge Salas was overseeing a case Hollander was arguing.

But Salas just revealed, on "60 Minutes" ... Hollander had more disturbing intentions.

After Hollander was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Salas says FBI agents found a locker belonging to him in which he had another gun, more ammo, and a manila folder with a "workup" of Justice Sotomayor ... including "her favorite restaurants, where she worked out, her friends."