Crime

The 3 officers who watched Derek Chauvin choke the life out of George Floyd will soon go on trial for doing nothing to stop the murder. We surveyed a number of police departments around the country to see if they allow/encourage officers to step in when another officer -- even if it's a senior officer -- crosses the line ... like what happened in the O.C. this week.

What we found was interesting. Virtually every department we contacted said they have a policy in place requiring officers to intervene when another cop uses excessive force. The question is, of course, are these regulations really followed? Here's what we found.

MIAMI PD -- "The MDPD has a policy on an officer's duty to intervene. This policy is specific to seeing another officer using force that is clearly beyond that which objectively is reasonable ... they are mandated to take action and stop these acts from taking place."

INDIANAPOLIS PD -- "Officers are required to take appropriate action when they are aware of violations of department policies. It does not matter the rank or seniority of the people involved."

NYPD -- "All members of the service must intervene to stop another member of the service from using excessive force. Failure to intervene in the use of excessive force, or report excessive force, or failure to request or ensure timely medical treatment for an individual is serious misconduct that may result in criminal and civil liability and will result in Department discipline, up to and including dismissal."

CHICAGO PD -- "A Department member who directly observes a use of force and identifies the force as excessive or otherwise in violation of this directive will, except in extraordinary circumstances, act to intervene on the person's behalf. Such action may include, but is not limited to, verbally or physically intervening to try and stop the violation."

LAPD -- "Regardless of rank, officers have a duty to intercede and report misconduct."

D.C. POLICE -- "The MPD has policy on an officer's duty to intervene. This policy is specific to seeing another officer using force that is clearly beyond that which objectively is reasonable."

ATLANTA PD -- "Any employee present and observing or who becomes aware of another employee exhibiting behaviors or performing actions that violate any department policy ... shall intercede to prevent such behavior or actions, when in a position to do so safely."

DALLAS PD -- "It shall be the duty of every employee present at any scene where physical force is being applied to either stop, or attempt to stop, another employee when force is being inappropriately applied or is no longer required."

CHARLOTTESVILLE PD -- "Any law enforcement officer who, while in the performance of his official duties, witnesses another law enforcement officer engaging or attempting to engage in the use of excessive force against another person shall intervene, when such intervention is feasible, to end the use of excessive force or attempted use of excessive force, or to prevent the further use of excessive force."

NEW ORLEANS PD -- "The core component of the training teaches officers, regardless of rank, to intervene and de-escalate an encounter before harmful action is taken."

OKLAHOMA CITY PD -- "Intervening to prevent excessive force where officers observe another officer using excessive force and they have a realistic and safe opportunity to stop the other officer from using the excessive force, they should attempt to stop the other officer."

We contacted a number of other departments as well, and virtually all of them said they have a policy requiring officers to intervene when they see a fellow cop using excessive force. Furthermore, almost all of the departments say this policy was in place BEFORE the murder of George Floyd.

Cops are investigating a double shooting -- including one fatality -- in the now-famous L.A. neighborhood where the movie "Friday" was filmed.

According to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department ... homicide detectives responded to a shooting call around 11:30 AM on April 20 in South L.A., near 126th and Normandie ... it's the same block where Ice Cube's character lived in the movie.

Cops tell us a man was pronounced dead at the scene, and a woman was transported to a local hospital and treated for her injuries. Law enforcement sources tell us they were hit in a drive by shooting.

For those not familiar with the area ... this is where Cube's "Friday" character, Craig Jones, chilled and smoked weed with Chris Tucker's character, Smokey. They actually filmed the movie here, not on a studio backlot.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the victims were in the area to check out the house ... remember this happened on 420 and "Friday" is a big deal in marijuana culture.

It's interesting ... we're told some folks in the neighborhood are fed up with the daily traffic as their block's become a tourist attraction.

Rich the Kid's injecting his own stimulus package ... for those lucky enough to catch it on Rodeo Drive 'cause that's where he was making it rain.

The rapper pulled up in his expensive Rolls-Royce Phantom on Thursday right outside the Burberry and Louis Vuitton stores in Beverly Hills, where he started throwing wads of cash in the air. It wasn't long before a throng of fans -- of the rapper and money, of course -- showed up to catch it.

Our guy asks him how much he's throwing but it's hard to tell if RTK gives a direct answer. He wishes a woman happy birthday before pulling out another wad of bills.

Then, things get interesting ... for Rich, anyway.

You can see near the end of the video he's taking a selfie and 2 police motorcycles pull up behind him. RTK's driver takes off ... and the cops follow right behind him. We never saw the sirens and lights go on, but our law enforcement sources tell us Rich did end up getting a ticket ... for littering. That's gonna cost him a few more dollar bills -- minimum $250, max $1,000 for a first offense.

BTW ... Rich was definitely in a celebratory mood 'cause we're told he had just been inside the Patek Philippe store on the eve of dropping his new track, "Richard Mille Patek."

As for the Phantom, we're told it's a brand new model and around $600k. Rich was cruising around town with his buddy, RD Whittington, who owns celebrity auto and aircraft super-firm Wires Only ... so you gotta imagine he helped hook him up.

Justin Bieber knows when it comes to showbiz, ya gotta know your audience ... which probably explains the song he chose to perform at a prison -- a tune that was sure to connect with inmates.

As we first told you ... JB and his pastor paid a visit to California State Prison in L.A. County to support the prison's faith-based programs -- but until we got this video, we didn't know he'd belted out any hits for them.

Now, we know Justin did a short set during his trip last month, and it included an acoustic rendition of his single, "Lonely."

We're told Bieber sang 3 or 4 of his songs, focusing on slower tracks that translate better with an acoustic guitar accompanying him ... but it's hard to imagine any of his lyrics hitting harder with the inmates than, "I'm so lonely."

We're told by people who were present that Bieber's mini unplugged set was emotional, empathetic and had him on the verge of tears. It was well received by the inmates and followed by a sermon.

Kendall Jenner has now been granted her second restraining order in as many days ... this time against the guy who allegedly tried to take a naked dip in her pool.

The 27-year-old man, Shaquan King, was ordered by the judge at a Thursday hearing to keep at least 100 yards away from Kendall for the next 5 years. The restraining order also protects Kris and Kylie Jenner, whose gated community King made a beeline for after spending 6 hours in jail for the alleged intrusion at Kendall's home.

King can't contact the 3 Jenner women, directly or indirectly, in any way, shape or form. He also can't get near their homes, workplaces and vehicles. Kendall, who's recently increased her security dramatically, was represented at the hearing by her attorney, Kate Mangels. King did not appear, nor did he have representation there.

As we reported ... cops say King got naked by Kendall’s pool and banged on windows at her home before her security apprehended him. Cops came and arrested him, but his jail stay was brief due to COVID protocols.

Lil Mosey's in big trouble in the state of Washington ... he's been charged with rape, and there's a warrant out for his arrest after failing to appear for a court hearing.

The “Pull Up" rapper was supposed to appear in court Wednesday, just weeks after he was charged with second-degree rape. We’re told Mosey never showed up ... so now he's a wanted man.

This all stems from an alleged incident back in January after a woman says she and a girlfriend went to a cabin to see Mosey but claims they ended up getting raped by him and another man.

According to the affidavit, obtained by TMZ, one of the alleged victims says she consented to having sex with Mosey in a vehicle but goes on to says she blacked out afterward in the cabin after drinking White Claws and champagne. She claims a short time later Mosey got on top of her and was pushing her legs up and apart while he was having sex with her. She said she recalled having pain in her leg muscles while Mosey was pushing her legs.

She says she blacked out again and woke up to find the other man forcing himself on her.

In the affidavit, the woman says she suffered injuries, including bruising on her arm, neck and inner knee. She also claims she got a message from one of the people at the party that said the guys were talking about "training two girls."

Police officers stopped and detained 2 guys riding by on their bicycles ... apparently because they looked like two other guys they were after, but considering the current climate, it was a pretty scary encounter for the cyclists.

Check out this video ... you see 2 young men -- possibly minors -- cruising on the sidewalk in Orlando, when all of a sudden they come across a few police cruisers that have their lights flashing. The cops tell them to stop, get off the bikes and to get on the ground.

The guy recording -- who seems to be shooting from a GoPro -- asks what's going on and why they're being stopped. He even asks why the officers have their guns drawn, but it's hard to make out if they're actually pointing weapons from his vantage point.

Anyway, the video continues ... and you see the guy filming seated on the ground with his legs crossed, continuing to ask why they were stopped. One cop tells him they're being detained for matching the description of a couple suspects.

Unclear what crime was committed, but the dude recording -- who is Black -- continues to insist he and his pal are innocent, and that they'd just come from shopping at a 7-Eleven.

In a later video ... he further explained what happened after they were stopped and searched. He says the officers actually trotted out an alleged robbery victim to ID them -- but he told the officers the 2 guys on bikes weren't the ones who did him wrong ... so they were cut loose.

Baby Blue was trying to protect his cousin when he got shot during a robbery attempt, and the bullet pierced his lung and sent him to the ICU ... this according to his brother and fellow Pretty Ricky member, Spectacular Smith.

Smith tells TMZ ... Blue is still in the ICU and has been hooked up to a breathing machine due to his injury, and so far only his mom and dad have been able to see him in the hospital due to COVID restrictions.

We're told during the confrontation at SpareZ Bowling Alley in Davie, Florida ... Baby Blue tried to grab the gun from one of the suspects in the attempted robbery to keep his cousin from getting shot, and he got shot instead.

Smith says the bullet went through Blue's shoulder and pierced his lung, and a graphic video of the scene -- posted by Hollywood Unlocked -- immediately afterward is terrifying and chaotic ... with the cousin screaming out for help.

As we reported ... cops say the rapper was shot during a physical altercation with 2 armed male suspects who approached to try to steal a gold chain necklace. The suspects fled before police arrived and so far no arrests have been made.

The injuries Sterling Brown suffered during a violent attack outside a Miami strip club this week were MUCH worse than originally reported -- he was rushed to the emergency room while bleeding profusely and some teammates feared for his life.

It's all spelled out in a bombshell report by The Athletic ... which details how the Houston Rockets player was badly beaten outside the Booby Trap strip club in Miami early Monday morning.

According to the report, Brown accidentally got in the wrong vehicle on the way out of the club -- and the people inside didn't take too kindly to the mix-up.

The men reportedly launched a vicious attack on Brown -- cracking him in the head with a liquor bottle ... which opened up gashes all over his face.

Brown's teammate, Kevin Porter, Jr., reportedly took action and tried to rescue Brown ... but suffered his own injuries in the process. Porter's injuries were minor ... and he ended up playing Monday night.

Brown, on the other hand, is still in very bad shape -- one source told The Athletic, "His face is jacked up."

Brown required "multiple heavy stitching jobs for his facial injuries," according to the Athletic -- which describes the scene at the hospital this way, "blood was everywhere."

One source summed it up this way ... "If he hadn’t been as physically strong and tough, he might not have made it out of the situation ... He could have died.”

Despite the severity of the injuries, Brown has since been discharged from the hospital ... and has returned to Houston for more treatment.

Jacob Blake's reaction to Derek Chauvin being found guilty of George Floyd's murder is joy for Floyd's family, admiration for the people who fought for the verdict ... and hope that it's the first big step in changing the world for the better.

Blake -- who's paralyzed after a Kenosha, Wisconsin cop shot him -- told TMZ he's "extremely happy" justice was served in Floyd's death, and gives shout-outs to everyone who helped ensure the outcome ... family, friends, lawyers, advocates, protesters and the judge and jury in Chauvin's trial.

Jacob says of Chauvin being convicted of murder, "We got one ... let's get the rest of 'em."

Though Blake's elated over the outcome, he's mindful there's a long way to go when it comes to police brutality, adding ... "Y'all gotta stop killing us. You have to. If you don't, this world ain't gonna last."

As you know ... stories of police brutality and fatal shootings have definitely not stopped after George Floyd's death, and Blake's shooting in August was another lightning rod situation that sparked mass protests and criticism of policing in America.

The world would know nothing of George Floyd's death without the civilian video showing his murder at the hands of then-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin ... so say George's brother and family attorney.

Philonise Floyd and Ben Crump joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and we asked if they believe Floyd's murderer would still be on the police force if 17-year-old Darnella Frazier hadn't stopped and hit record on her camera phone.

Philonise says his brother would be "just another dead man" if not for Darnella's video, which Crump says has been viewed over 50 million times around the world.

Crump believes Derek Chauvin may never have been prosecuted without the shocking footage, because as he points out ... police departments often try to sweep critical details under the rug in cases like George's, or omit them completely.

Before Darnella posted the video of what really happened, the initial police report made no mention of Chauvin pressing his knee on George's neck for over 9 minutes ... and Crump says the teen is the unsung hero in the Floyd family's fight for justice.

In the end, Darnella's video was crucial in the family getting some justice with Chauvin's guilty verdict, which Philonise tells us was bittersweet.

It's a powerful conversation ... and Crump tells us why the upcoming trial of the other officers involved in Floyd's fatal arrest could be enormously significant in terms of police reform.

Pretty Ricky's Baby Blue is in critical condition after cops say he was shot in Florida during an attempted robbery.

According to police, the rapper was shot Monday around midnight while in the parking lot of SpareZ Bowling Alley in Davie, Florida. Cops say Baby Blue and a friend were next to their vehicles when two armed male suspects approached.

A physical altercation erupted when the men tried to steal a gold chain necklace ... and cops say it was during the scuffle that Baby Blue was shot in the left shoulder area. It's unclear if the suspects took off with the chain.

Baby Blue, who was in town for a release party for his new track, "Jerry Rice," was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition. Cops say the two suspects fled before cops arrived on scene.

Antonio Brown's rep claims the NFL star has struck a settlement with the woman who sued him for sexual assault back in 2019 -- insisting, "The dispute is resolved."

In her original lawsuit, Britney Taylor -- who worked for AB as a personal trainer -- alleged Brown sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, including a violent rape in 2018.

Taylor claimed she was so traumatized from the alleged incidents she "had near-daily panic attacks, frequent suicidal ideations, and insomnia."

Brown had denied the allegations -- with his attorney claiming, "Any sexual interaction with Mr. Brown was entirely consensual."

Now, Brown's rep, Alana Burstyn, claims the saga is over ... the two have reached some sort of settlement and the insinuation is Taylor will drop her lawsuit against the NFL star.

Burstyn is not revealing the details of the agreement -- however, she issued a statement explaining the situation ...

"Antonio and Britney have been friends for over a decade. Several years ago they almost became business partners. Recently, they were involved in aggressive litigation."

"Having reflected on their relationship, both feel that the time has come to move on. Antonio is grateful for Britney’s excellent training assistance. They are pleased that Antonio is doing so well with the Bucs and has a ring. Their dispute is resolved and they wish each other great continued success."

Story developing ...

TMZ now knows what was on Derek Chauvin's hand ... he wanted to make sure he had his lawyer's phone number in case he was convicted and sent directly to jail.

Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, tells TMZ, his client wrote the number ahead of the conviction, because the convicted former cop knew if the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder he'd almost certainly have his bail revoked and he'd be remanded to custody.

Chauvin clearly knew given his former profession, he would have limited access to a phone but would be allowed to call his lawyer ... thus the scribble on his left hand. Chauvin has been in court many times, so he clearly knew a conviction would lead to swift incarceration, with no opportunity to speak to his lawyer in court after the verdict.

Nelson didn't say what the nature of such a call might be, but clearly, Chauvin wanted to discuss the next steps with his attorney. There are issues of sentencing and appeal that the defense will certainly address.

We're guessing Chauvin wrote the phone number on his hand because he was concerned if he wrote it on a piece of paper it might be confiscated when he was booked into jail.

YouTube star Kyle Foregeard learned the hard way that allegedly pretending to be a Paul Blart has consequences ... like getting arrested.

So, get this ... Kyle, who is widely known in the YouTube and social media world for pulling off incredible pranks, is alleged to have impersonated a mall security officer at the Grapevine Mills Mall in Tarrant County, Texas.

What's more ... according to the police report, cops say Kyle even had his own segway. Word of the arrest eventually made it on social media after Kyle's prank group, the Nelk Boys, tweeted Monday that one of their own had just been taken into custody.

It wasn't long before the Nelk Boys' legion of fans made #FreeKyle a trend on Twitter. According to police records ... Kyle was taken into custody Tuesday but it wasn't long before he was released after posting a $750 bond.

Derek Chauvin -- the former Minneapolis officer who pressed his knee on George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes during his fatal arrest on May 25, 2020 -- has been found guilty of 2nd-degree murder.

The jury delivered the verdict after more than 10 hours of deliberation. The maximum penalty for 2nd-degree unintentional murder is 40 years in prison. Sentencing will be handed down in 8 weeks. Chauvin's bail was revoked and he was remanded into custody.

The jury also found Chauvin guilty of 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter, but the 2nd degree takes precedence since it was the highest charge.

The Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, tweeted just minutes after the verdict was read, "GUILTY! Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyd’s family. This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!"

Crump continues, "We thank AG Keith Ellison & his team, along with our legal team, for fierce dedication to justice. But it does not end here. We still have work to do! We must pass George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to hold police accountable & prevent unjustified killings of marginalized POC."

The decision came after the jury heard from 38 prosecution witnesses, including the Minneapolis Police Chief and use-of-force experts who criticized Chauvin ... and medical experts who explained Floyd died from more than 9 minutes of pressure from Chauvin's knee.

The defense called 7 witnesses, but Chauvin did not take the stand himself as he invoked his 5th Amendment right.

Chauvin was the first of the officers involved in Floyd's arrest to stand trial for the incident. He was charged with killing Floyd less than a week after video of him pressing his knee into Floyd's neck spread like wildfire online, and sparked nationwide protests and riots.

Chauvin's main defense in the case was that Floyd allegedly died from drugs and a heart condition and not from the ex-cop's actions. Chauvin's lawyers claimed Floyd "put drugs in his mouth" to conceal them when confronted by cops, and the drugs exacerbated his heart condition and caused his death.

But, prosecutors insisted drug use was a bogus defense, and Floyd was killed by Chauvin's unforgiving knee ... which he held to Floyd's neck as he struggled to breathe for more than 9 minutes.

Several witnesses supported the prosecution's theory, including Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, who took the stand to testify Chauvin's actions "absolutely" violated police policy.

Chauvin, however, defended his actions at the time by telling a witness he and the other cops had to stay on top of Floyd to control him because he's a "sizable guy" and because he was "probably on something."

During the trial, a couple paramedics testified Floyd's heart had already stopped by the time they arrived on scene. The ER doctor who pronounced Floyd dead at the hospital testified he believed oxygen deficiency was "one of the more likely" causes of his death.

Floyd's family already got a measure of justice when the City of Minneapolis settled a wrongful death lawsuit, agreeing to pay the family $27 million.