Crime

Skateboarding star Terry Kennedy has just been charged with 1st-degree murder ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office tells us the charge was formally filed Monday afternoon ... after the man Kennedy allegedly attacked at an Illinois motel last week died over the weekend.

We're told Kennedy appeared in court for a bond hearing after the filing ... though the proceedings were continued until Tuesday morning.

Kennedy is now facing up to life behind bars if convicted.

As we previously reported, officials say Kennedy attacked 23-year-old Josiah Kassahun in Oakbrook Terrace, IL on July 27 and then fled the scene.

Details of the incident are still unclear.

Kennedy was eventually located, arrested, and initially booked for several charges, including aggravated battery in a public place and threatening a public official.

But, we're told Kennedy was hit with the murder charge after the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Kassahun's death on Saturday as a homicide.

We've reached out to Kennedy's reps for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Kennedy is a big star in the skating world ... he's appeared in the popular "Skate" video games -- and has often boarded with Rob Dyrdek over the years.

USC WR Bru McCoy -- who was expected to have a breakout season with the Trojans -- was arrested last week in L.A. for felony domestic violence ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

And to make matters worse for the 21-year-old, McCoy has also been suspended from the football team.

Here's the deal ... a spokesperson for LAPD tells us McCoy was arrested July 24 for "intimate partner violence with injury" -- a felony.

We're told the alleged incident which led to Bru's arrest went down near the USC campus around 5:30 PM.

The charge is described in California Penal Code as ... "Any person who willfully inflicts corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon a victim described in subdivision (b) is guilty of a felony."

This afternoon the Trojans announced they were suspending McCoy, writing ... "USC does not condone violence of any kind. We are aware of the situation, and USC’s Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX is reviewing it," according to Keely Eure.

USC added ... “The student-athlete has been temporarily removed from team activities.”

McCoy -- who was the MaxPreps Player of the Year while starring at Mater Dei -- caught 21 balls for 236 yards during the 2020 season. However, Bru was expected to be a key member of the offense ... as one of starting quarterback Kedon Slovis' favorite targets.

McCoy's bail was set at $50k ... which he posted hours after being arrested.

Bru is scheduled to appear in court on November 5 ... 2 months after the Trojans season kicks off.

Kyle Kuzma's SUV was stolen ... and then taken on a joy ride that led to a high-speed chase, and an eventual crash.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Kuzma's Chevy Tahoe SUV was stolen somewhere in Hollywood and eventually became involved in a police pursuit around 1:30 AM early Sunday morning. The chase, we're told, ended with the suspect hitting a cop car, and sending an officer to the hospital with minor injuries.

The suspect was eventually nabbed, and we're told he'll be booked on a number of charges. Eyewitnesses on the scene tell us the Tahoe came to a halt when it finally crashed into a gate at Belmont High School, just outside of DTLA ... which is a ways from Hollywood proper.

We're told the driver was detained, and taken to a hospital ... as they appeared to have suffered some sort of a leg injury. Some of the aftermath of that wreckage was captured by photogs who showed up on the scene ... and it looks like a lot of police were called in to deal.

It's unclear if the vehicle was stolen from Kyle's house, or just off the streets somewhere.

In any case -- sources familiar with the situation confirm to TMZ that the SUV is, indeed, registered to Kyle ... but we've been assured, he had nothing to do with the incident itself. We're told Kyle's manager drives the car, and is the one who filed the police report. Kyle wasn't even made aware the car was gone until sometime Sunday morning.

Famed skateboarder Terry Kennedy will likely be facing homicide charges now -- the man he allegedly attacked in an Illinois motel has died ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office tells us 23-year-old Josiah Kassahun passed away Saturday. TMZ Sports broke the story ... Kennedy was arrested last week after cops say he attacked Josiah in an Oakbrook Terrace motel, leaving him with a fractured skull and a concussion.

Those injuries have proven fatal, and while Kennedy had initially been booked for the assault ... prosecutors will now have to consider adding a manslaughter or murder charge. We've reached out to the DuPage State's Attorney's Office for clarification.

As we first reported, Kennedy was also booked last week for repeatedly threatening to murder the cops who tracked him down and arrested him for the alleged attack on Josiah.

A police spokesperson says Kennedy told cops, "I will kill one of you police. We kill police where I'm from."

It's still unclear what prompted the alleged motel attack, but based on social media postings ... it appears Kassahun and Kennedy were friends at one time.

Kennedy -- a big-name skater who's ridden with Rob Dyrdek and appeared in several skating video games -- is still behind bars. The 36-year-old's bail had been set at $100,000 during a hearing last week.

It will likely be jacked up much higher, now that Josiah has died as a result of the attack.

A white cop mounted a Black teen in Texas, who was being smothered by his body weight and screaming "I can't breathe" ... all this to apparently prevent her from killing herself.

18-year-old Nekia Trigg had 911 called on her Tuesday after she was spotted in a Forney, TX neighborhood partaking in what eyewitnesses seemingly thought was suicidal behavior -- namely, allegedly walking in front of cars in what some took as attempts at self-harm.

A Kaufman County Sheriff's deputy is said to have shown up shortly thereafter, and seems to have physically intervened ... which is where the video starts -- after Nekia's family members showed up to the scene and started recording a chaotic 7-minute plus episode with officers.

At the moment the clip begins, you can see Nekia pinned to the ground by the deputy -- ID'd as Officer Conner Martin -- who's literally straddling her and holding her arms down above her head. She's frantically screaming for help, and yelling out she's short of breath ... and appears to either be vomiting and/or foaming at the mouth throughout the ordeal.

Nekia's family plead with the officer, as well as others who show up not too long after, to let her up and that they can manage things ... but the cops insist on cuffing her to make sure she's okay -- as they clearly believe she's suicidal, saying the word a few different times.

The family disputes the characterization of what Nekia was doing from the outset, insisting she was simply walking across the street -- although, body cam footage the Kaufman County Sheriff released gives some context of what happened before, and Nekia does indeed seem distraught from the get-go ... but things escalate quickly with Officer Martin.

Anyway, they eventually get Nekia up and start to escort her to a police cruiser ... at which point her mom jumps in and appears to get physical with some of the cops as well.

The cops end up restraining her too, and they ultimately arrested her for assault of a public servant, among other charges ... so says the woman's other daughter, who posted this footage. Nekia ended up getting taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

TikToker Anthony Barajas has died a few days after being shot at a movie theater, and having his date killed in front of him as well.

The social media influencer passed away Saturday morning in a hospital -- where he'd been on life support since Monday ... when he was shot in the eye by whom authorities suspect was someone named Joseph Jimenez ... who's facing multiple charges over this.

Anthony's date, 18-year-old Rylee Goodrich, was shot in the head too ... and died instantly. The shooting happened at a theater in Corona, CA -- and cops say it appears unprovoked, with the suspect seeming to have no connection to either Anthony or Rylee.

Jimenez was facing a murder count, an attempted murder count and robbery -- this after police say he actually stole Rylee's wallet after gunning her down. Amid Anthony's death, the charges are sure to be updated to include two counts of murder.

Rylee's father detailed the story that led up to the date -- apparently, his kid had met the TikToker over 4th of July weekend ... and after warming up to him, said she seemed happy for the date and got herself all dolled up to go out.

Anthony was just 19.

R. Kelly doesn't want the feds to be given a chance to prove he had sex with a male -- because the jury isn't ready for that wrench ... and might take it out on him in a verdict, assuming they're homophobic.

The singer's legal team fired back to what federal prosecutors submitted last week -- namely, a request to have new evidence they say they have touching on several new allegations ... the most shocking of which being R. Kelly groomed and molested a 17-year-old boy.

You'll recall ... prosecutors filed a bombshell just mere weeks ahead of the start of Kelly's Chicago case, the first of his many cases that'll start before any of the others. In addition to bribery, they claimed he started a relationship with a male minor in the mid-2000s -- this after supposedly meeting him at a McDonald's and taking him under his wing.

There was another 17-year-old boy the feds claim R. Kelly met as a result of this relationship -- but it sounds like things didn't turn sexual until years later for that second John Doe, per their filing. At any rate, Kelly's team says NONE of it should be allowed into the record.

Of the many reasons they list in their docs, obtained by TMZ, Kelly's attorneys -- Thomas A. Farinella and Nicole Blank Becker -- list timeliness (or a lack thereof), ongoing anonymity, purpose and jury selection as their main concerns for why this stuff shouldn't be heard.

The jury thing is perhaps the most interesting though -- it speaks to what Kelly's team appears to be anticipating in terms of jurors who may or may not have a bias on the issue of same-sex relationships. That's important ... 'cause the jury questionnaire is already filed and submitted, which his lawyers say is messed up considering this late, new development.

Long story short, his attorneys argue the questionnaires potential jurors will see soon are "void of a single question about their opinions or feelings on same-sex relationships" -- which they think is important, since that could end in bigots on the panel who may decide unfavorably against Kelly simply due of the nature of the evidence/allegations ... aka, the implication that R. Kelly is gay and/or bisexual. His attorneys say ... that's not fair.

The 2 attorneys further tell TMZ that it's no secret the issue of sexual orientation is still a lightning rod issue in 2021, and needs to be vetted to give Kelly an impartial jury.

Gonzoe the rapper -- a friend of Tupac and Ice Cube -- has been murdered.

Police say Gonzoe was shot 3 times in the chest near a gas station in Seattle, Washington. The gunman is still at large and cops are on the hunt.

The 45-year-old rapper -- real name Ronald Moore -- was from Los Angeles. He was a member of the Outlawz and got his nickname from Tupac himself. His albums include "If I Live & Nothing Happens," and he contributed on "Kuruption" and "Godzilla."

After Gonzoe was shot he ran to a Shell gas station that was close by and then collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital where he died overnight.

It appears he was shot while driving ... cops found a vehicle riddled with bullets in the area.

Gonzoe was a member of Kausion ... a '90s group supported by Ice Cube. The group's album, "South Central Los Skanless," rose to #37 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Rapper C-Bo paid his respects to Gonzoe on social media, posting a throwback video of the two of them out together

Gonzoe was reportedly "working on numerous business deals after the high-profile fight with Boskoe, with whom he started a boxing league with after squashing their beef," All Hip Hop explained.

Gonzoe had started a boxing league with fellow-rapper Boskoe100. The 2 of them got in the ring and fought it out to a draw back in April.

Gonzoe was 45.

Terry Kennedy -- a famous skateboarder who's ridden with Rob Dyrdek and appeared in several skating video games -- was arrested Tuesday after he was accused of several heinous crimes, including threatening to murder cops.

A DuPage State's Attorney's Office spokesperson tells TMZ Sports ... it all started after law enforcement responded to a report of a battery at a motel on July 27 in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

The spokesperson says Kennedy was accused of violently attacking a man at the motel -- leaving the guy with a fractured skull and a concussion -- and then fleeing the scene.

It's unclear what provoked the alleged attack ... but we're told Kennedy was eventually located and taken into custody.

During the booking process, though, the spokesperson says the skater became aggressive toward cops.

Kennedy allegedly threatened to murder officers NINE different times ... with the spokesperson saying Kennedy told cops, "I will kill one of you police. We kill police where I'm from."

The spokesperson says Kennedy then referenced a 2017 cop-killing incident in Whittier, CA. ... claiming the skateboarder said, "We killed ya'll in Whittier, California. We killed ya'll bitch ass."

Kennedy was ultimately arrested and booked on multiple charges including aggravated battery in a public place and threatening a public official, court records show.

The spokesperson said Kennedy had been out on bail due to a previous arrest earlier this month ... so he was also booked on a charge of violation of bail bond.

Kennedy showed up in court on Wednesday ... and his bail was set at $100,000, the spokesperson said. Jail records show the 36-year-old skater is still currently behind bars.

His next court date has been set for late August.

We've reached out to Kennedy's reps for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Kennedy is one of the more famous figures in the skating world ... appearing in the "Skate" video game franchise as well as often riding at Dyrdek's fantasy factory.

In fact, back in 2010, Justin Bieber did a trick over Kennedy and Dyrdek at the famous skate spot.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is so damn famous, all eyes were glued on him instead of a nearby thief -- with great timing -- who made off with millions in jewels ... on a scooter.

So, get this ... a grey-haired man in a suit reportedly held up the high-end jewelry store Chaumet in Paris earlier this week. Cops say he pulled a knife during the robbery, and while no one was injured ... the suspect took off with a "monumental haul" in jewels and gemstones. Cops say he nabbed somewhere between $2.4 million and $3.5 mil.

What's shocking is the guy got away on a green, electric scooter ... which makes ya wonder how he was able to pull this off -- and that's where JCVD comes in.

Law enforcement says there were plenty of potential witnesses nearby, but they were all distracted by Van Damme ... who was inside a nearby optometrist's office.

The "Bloodsport" and "Street Fighter" star had inadvertently drawn the attention of just about everyone on the block ... allowing Scooter McJewelThief to make a clean getaway.

Well, nearly clean. Cops did have surveillance cameras, and we've confirmed they arrested 2 suspects in connection with the heist. We're told cops also recovered a substantial part of the stolen jewelry.

Officer Michael Fanone says his testimony for Congress is triggering the hell out of someone who left him a vile voicemail ... filled with hate speech and wishing death on him and other police officers.

The Washington D.C. police officer says this message was waiting for him after he testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill, and it's clear the person was watching him on TV at the time. The caller said, "You want an Emmy, an Oscar? What are you trying to go for here, man? You're so full of s**t you little f****t f**ker."

Typically, we would censor much of this recording, but we think it's important to hear the venom this caller spewed. His disgusting rant continued with ... "How about all the scummy Black f**king scum for 2 years destroying our cities and burning 'em?"

Fanone has been outspoken about the violence that rioters unleashed on him and other officers during the Jan. 6 riot -- but the caller thinks they got off easy. He added, "That was s**t on the God damn Capitol. I wish they woulda killed all you scumbags. They stole the election from Trump and you know that, you scumbag."

Fanone is one of several officers who testified this week for the Jan. 6 insurrection hearing convened by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Reacting to the voicemail, Fanone told CNN, "This is what happens to people that tell the truth in Trump's America."

Celebrity dermatologist Dr. Alex Khadavi is under investigation by a governing body of medical professionals ... following his homophobic rant.

A spox for the Medical Board of California tells TMZ ... they're aware of Dr. Khadavi's recent episode and are reviewing it to see if any disciplinary action is warranted.

As for what that punishment could include ... the board wouldn't speak specifically to Khadavi's case, but did say the range of possibilities include everything from public reprimand to license revocation when it comes to violating the standards of patient care. Of course, Khadavi's incident didn't involve patient care, but was disturbing nonetheless.

The Board also pointed out Dr. Khadavi has no record of discipline on his license at this time.

As we reported ... Khadavi was caught on camera having a meltdown in the lobby of his apartment complex -- where he made homophobic comments, including using the f-word. He appeared to be fuming over a couple of neighbors.

The neighbors -- a gay couple -- filed for a restraining order over this ... claiming they'd been told Khadavi had made mention of wanting to kill them, and that he also allegedly once flashed a gun at the concierge, seemingly to show he was packing and meant business.

Todd Chrisley's daughter had the cops called on her after allegedly throwing a drink at one of her brother's friends -- but she says the guy was getting in her and her friends' faces.

Lindsie Chrisley -- who's appeared on her parents' show, 'Chrisley Knows Best' -- is under the microscope of the Atlanta PD after a pal of her younger brother, Chase, filed a report this weekend following an altercation that went down Saturday night in the ATL.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, a guy named Austin Duriez claims he was at a bar in town where Lindsie also happened to be. He says, for some unexplained reason, she threw a glass with a drink at him -- which he says hit him in the head. He says he flagged down a bouncer and had her removed.

He says after she was bounced, Lindsie made a scene -- so he decided to leave. Austin called the cops the next day ... he wasn't sure if he wanted to press charges since Lindsie is his friend's sister. There's body cam footage of his interaction with cops -- and this all seems to harken back to the 2019 drama.

You'll recall ... the Chrisleys faced tax evasion charges at both the state and federal level -- mucked up further by allegations of an affair Todd claimed Lindsie had started with a tax official, which is what he believed led to the authorities getting the dirt they needed.

It was a whole ordeal, and essentially left Lindsie estranged from a good chunk of the family, including Chase.

As for what she has to say about all this ... her attorney, Musa Ghanayem, tells TMZ, yes, Lindsie may have gestured toward Austin as if to throw the drink ... and that if any liquid made contact, it was a tiny bit. The real perpetrator though, according to the lawyer, is Austin.

Ghanayem says Austin accosted Lindsie and her group at their table ... and then started to harass and intimidate them, to the point one of her friends had to push him off her. He also claims Austin was trying to snap pictures of them, and made them feel uncomfortable.

Deshaun Watson is open to settling with the 20-plus women accusing him of sexual misconduct -- but only if confidentiality agreements are NOT involved ... this, according to the NFL superstar's attorney.

The Texans QB's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, gave an update on his client's legal battle to ESPN on Monday ... saying he's not opposed to hashing out a financial settlement with accusers -- but any deal HAS to remain public.

"I do not want anybody to be saying that this guy paid off women to stay quiet and so, if there ever was a settlement of any kind, it would have to be public and therefore both sides, [Watson] and the women, would be able to say to the world at large whatever they wanted," Hardin said.

As for the accusers, lawyer Tony Buzbee has previously made it clear there will not be any settlements ... saying, it's "not happening."

Hardin also says 10 women have filed criminal complaints with police ... adding 2 of those women are not involved in the civil case.

R. Kelly is facing new allegations in his criminal case out of Chicago -- which is about to go to trial next month -- including claims that he sexually abused a male minor ... whom he's said to have met at a McDonald's.

Prosecutors in Kelly's federal sex trafficking case filed the bombshell Friday, seeking to enter new evidence they say supports their accusations of a slew of new crimes they insist Kelly committed ... including alleged abuse of a male under the age of 18 in the 2000s.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Kelly met a 17-year-old boy in 2006 at a McDonald's ... whom they say Kelly then invited to a party at his Chicago residence. The kid went with his parents, but the feds say Kelly told him to swing by next time by himself ... and, apparently, the 17-year-old did -- at which point, things allegedly turned sexual.

The feds say that upon returning visits to Kelly's place -- and under the guise of trying to help jumpstart the boy's singing career -- Kelly began a sexual relationship with him. Soon after that, prosecutors claim the 17-year-old intro'd Kelly to yet another minor male -- who was either 16 or 17 at the time -- and they say Kelly sought to sexually abuse him too.

It wasn't until years later, it seems, that something materialized between the second John Doe and Kelly, so say the feds. They say Kelly did, in fact, begin a sexual relationship with him as well -- but that he allegedly would command the guy to have sex with women in his orbit ... and allegedly filmed a lot of those encounters. There are new Jane Does sprinkled in the filing as well, BTW ... on top of the ones he's already alleged to have trafficked.

The McDonald's thing is interesting ... we know he's a fan of the Golden Arches. He went there for after posting bail and (temporarily) being sprung from jail more than 2 years ago.

Anyway, there are even more accusations the federal government wants permission to support with new evidence it says it's obtained ... including the claim that someone on R. Kelly's team successfully bribed a Cook County official for inside info on the case back in 2019.

Allegedly, that CC official took $2,500 from this Kelly team member ... as well as a burner phone so they could communicate. The official is said to be a clerk ... but is unnamed.

A judge has yet to rule on what Uncle Sam wants -- namely, to submit this new evidence they say they have, to have it looked over, which they hope leads to even further charges filed against the singer. This trial is supposed to get underway in about 4 weeks.

R. Kelly has other legal trouble in other states ... but the federal case seems to be the one that'll get started first. He's been given more time to secure and confer with new attorneys in the wake of much of his old legal team jumping ship in the past several months.

A couple of New York cops are being hailed heroes after this INSANE encounter where they saved a baby girl who was pinned underneath a car -- and after watching this video ... you might give 'em a round of applause yourself.

This wild episode went down Friday in Yonkers ... where a vehicle that was cruising through a not-so-busy street lost control while trying to make a simple left turn at a stop sign -- slamming into a parked car, then accelerating into a woman carrying an infant ... and then into a building.

The car actually crashed straight into a barbershop ... where this lady and her 8-month-old ended up getting dragged into after the vehicle came barreling through the wall, with them on the hood. The 2 cops who saved the day, Officers Fusco and Samoyedny, were at a nearby shop ... and responded after hearing the commotion. Luckily, they sprung into action as quickly as they did ... 'cause the kid ended up getting trapped underneath somehow!!!

You gotta watch this body cam footage to see what they did. With the help of bystanders, they lifted the car enough to be able to grab the girl and pull her out from under the rubble. You can hear her crying, and her mother screaming, as they finally lift her to safety.