Crime

Young Dolph will be forever remembered in the Memphis neighborhood where he grew up ... because the city is naming a street after him.

The City of Memphis just announced plans to change a street name to something in his honor, and the unveiling is set for Dec. 15 at an intersection near the Memphis Depot Industrial Park.

The effort is being led by city councilman JB Smiley and we're told he wanted to wait until getting the green light from the family before honoring Dolph with the gesture.

Young Dolph's family says the street name will serve as a reminder to folks in the Castalia Heights community of someone who embodies hard work and perseverance.

The family sums it up like this ... "He sent the message that someone who went to the same schools as them, and walked the same streets that they do, was able to not only create a successful legacy for himself, but also prioritized family and community."

As we reported ... Young Dolph was gunned down last month while he was inside a Memphis cookie shop.

UFC fighter Geoff Neal was arrested on Thanksgiving after cops say he was drinking and driving with a firearm ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to police records, Neal -- who's slated to fight at UFC 269 on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas -- was taken into custody at 3:47 AM on Nov. 25.

Details surrounding the stop are unclear -- we're working on it -- but records show Neal was booked on charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon.

The records show the 31-year-old was eventually released from jail at 8:08 PM on Thanksgiving night.

Neal is set to scrap with Santiago Ponzinibbio, and, according to the UFC, the fight is still on despite the arrest.

"UFC is aware of the recent situation involving Geoff Neal," UFC officials said in a statement. "The organization has been in communication with him and is in the process of gathering more details. Neal's bout at UFC 269 on December 11th remains as scheduled."

Neal, meanwhile, has denied the allegations against him ... with his attorney telling ESPN this week that he believes bloodwork results will show the UFC fighter was not illegally drinking and driving.

"If it turns out he was not legally intoxicated -- which we expect the blood test will show -- there won't be a gun charge, either," said Brandon Barnett, who claims Neal legally had a licensed gun in his vehicle at the time of the arrest.

"I think it's somewhat premature to report on this at this point," Barnett added. "Doing what I do for a living, there's a lot of occasions where you see an arrest and then based on the evidence that comes back there's never even a case file."

Billy Dee Williams thinks America is in one of its darkest periods ever ... referencing the latest act of violence against his dear friends.

We got Billy Dee Thursday in WeHo and asked about the murder this week of Jacqueline Avant, wife of music legend Clarence Avant.

Billy Dee is clearly upset, saying, "There's a dark energy that's permeating our lives right now.  I call it Lucifer."

The legendary actor seems to think this is a tipping point, wondering what's going on in America with all the violence and insanity?"

Billy Dee is fatalistic about his own safety in a city -- Los Angeles -- that is becoming treacherous on so many levels.

Jussie Smollett's claim one of the Osundairo bros is homophobic -- and that motivated him to pull off the alleged attack -- is getting shot down in court by the brother himself, who brought Pride pics as evidence.

Ola Osundairo -- one of the prosecution's star witnesses, along with his brother Abel -- testified Thursday in Chicago, saying he respects the gay community and had worked as a bouncer in a gay club called Boystown.

He stopped short of dropping the old "I have gay friends" trope but did say he'd been knee-deep in Pride celebrations. The jury was shown a 2015 photo of one such time -- Ola said he was "handing out condoms and flexing" while dressed as a Trojan warrior.

Get it? Condoms? Trojan? Anyway, there are no cameras in court, so we haven't actually seen the pic in question.

The man who allegedly killed Jacqueline Avant was caught in a backyard roughly an hour after shooting the 81-year-old ... and video shows him handcuffed to a wheelchair after being taken into custody.

According to cops, Aariel Maynor traveled from Beverly Hills to the Hollywood Hills after his attack on the Avant home. He attempted to break into another home in the Hills, and in the process somehow shot himself in the foot with an AR-15.

You can see in new video, Maynor was tended to by paramedics, and handcuffed to a wheelchair while he was loaded into an ambulance. Maynor appears to be quite chatty with first responders, though it's unclear exactly what he was saying.

His right foot -- presumably the one he shot -- is bandaged.

TMZ broke the story, Maynor was arrested in connection to Avant's case ... cops say neighborhood surveillance helped them connect him from the crime in Hollywood to the murder at the Avant home.

A suspect has been taken into custody in the shooting death of music legend Clarence Avant's wife, Jacqueline ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources with direct knowledge tell us a man has been arrested in connection to the murder.

TMZ broke the story, 81-year-old Jackie was shot and killed inside the couple's Trousdale Estates home in Beverly Hills Wednesday morning. At the time, we were told at least one suspect made it into the home. A smashed glass door appeared to be the point of entry.

What's more ... a private security guard for the Avant's was on duty, and was shot at, but was not struck and did not return fire. It's not known if the guard was armed.

Clarence was not injured during the attack..

During a press conference Wednesday, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook shared a message from the family, but wouldn't share details on the investigation or who was involved.

Among tributes to Jacqueline was one from former President Bill Clinton, who said, "Jackie Avant was a wonderful woman, a great partner to Clarence and mother to Alex and Nicole, an active citizen & a dear friend to Hillary and me for 30 years. She inspired admiration, respect & affection in everyone who knew her. We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed."

The high school basketball player who was seen on video sucker-punching his opponent in a post-game handshake line was arrested on Wednesday and charged with a felony, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court documents, officials accused 17-year-old Carter Prenosil of knocking out his opponent after the Carlisle vs. Nevada hoops game on Tuesday night in Iowa.

In the docs, cops say Prenosil "threw an unwarranted punch" at a Nevada player in both the stomach and the face.

In a video of the altercation, you can see the attack was violent -- with the alleged victim appearing to be KO'ed on his feet.

According to the docs, the player suffered a concussion and a cut to his mouth that required four stitches.

Cops -- who were in attendance at the arena -- say they launched an investigation ... and ultimately arrested Prenosil on Wednesday. He was later charged with felony willful injury -- causing serious injury.

Prenosil is facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the charge. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter on Dec. 13.

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

As for Prenosil's school, Carlisle Community School District superintendent Bryce Amos told us in a statement Wednesday, "This is without question an unfortunate incident that is not representative of the school culture that exists in Carlisle Community School District."

Former UFC champion Nicco Montano says her face was stomped on and she was repeatedly kicked in the head during a violent attack at an Austin hotel early Tuesday morning, sending her to the hospital.

Thankfully, the 32-year-old fighter appears to be okay, and is now back home in New Mexico, manager Ricky Kottenstette tells TMZ Sports.

Montano recounted the alleged attack on social media ... and it sounds terrifying.

"Tonight [he] stood on my neck and stomped my face [and then] kept kicking me and shoving my hair into his fist and the corner of the bed frame," Nicco wrote.

"I got away for a second to run down the hall (naked) screaming for my life as he tried to drag me back by my hair."

"Luckily someone from the hotel heard my screams and came to my rescue."

Kottenstette tells us the alleged attacker became jealous while having drinks at a hotel bar with Nicco ... before attacking her in their room.

FYI, Montano became the UFC's first Flyweight champion in 2017 ... after she appeared on The Ultimate Fighter. In the show's finale -- with the title on the line -- Nicco beat Roxanne Modafferi by unanimous decision.

Nico last fought in July 2019, losing a unanimous decision to Julianna Pena (who's fighting Amanda Nunes at UFC 269). NM was released by the UFC this summer.

Kottenstette tells us Nicco underwent a battery of tests at the hospital ... but says thankfully the scans came back clean. The manager also says his client spoke to police at the hospital.

We've reached out to law enforcement ... but so far, no word back.

Jonshel Alexander, the former child actor who co-starred in the Oscar-nominated film “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” is dead after a shooting in her native Louisiana.

Jonshel -- who was 12 when she got the role in the 2012 film -- was sitting in a vehicle with a man last Saturday in New Orleans when someone opened fire on them. Jonshel was pronounced dead on the scene, her friend survived and went to a hospital for treatment.

Police have released a photo of a person of interest -- a Black male wearing a ski mask -- and are asking the public for help identifying and locating him.

Jonshel played Joy Strong in 'Beasts' ... a drama filmed in Louisiana about a struggling bayou community, which also had then-6-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis in the lead role. The movie got 4 Oscar noms, including Best Picture, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Director Benh Zeitlin has said he pretty much created the role of Joy specifically for Jonshel. As he put it, “A lot of the lines were written by her, and so much of the character grew out of who Jonshel was. Her character in the film is named Joy Strong, which always seemed like a perfect description of Jonshel. She was a really bright burning light.”

'Beasts' was her only acting role. After graduating high school, Jonshel worked as a hostess in restaurants and had a daughter ... according to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate.

Jonshel was 22.

Neighbors of Clarence and Jacqueline Avant have been alarmed by the crime wave in Beverly Hills and L.A. ... so much so they hired armed guards before Wednesday's fatal home invasion.

Residents in Trousdale Estate tell us just last week a bunch of neighbors got together and hired a private security firm. Law enforcement tells us there has been a spike in home and vehicle burglaries in Trousdale ... and it's got residents scared stiff.

Our source tells us the neighbors pooled cash and hired the security company ... problem is, the guards hadn't started patrols yet.

Some residents are so concerned after Wednesday's home invasion ... they've individually hired armed guards. And, on top of that, sources at the Beverly Hills PD tell us they will be measurably increasing patrols in the area. The PD has also hired a private security company to make sure the area is adequately covered.

Our BHPD sources tell us as far as they can see there is no connection to the smash-and-grab robberies in Beverly Hills and L.A. Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue were both hit recently in Bev Hills.

TMZ broke the story, Avant was killed in her home early Wednesday morning. We know at least one suspect made their way into the home where Jackie was shot in the stomach ... she was awake and alert when paramedics arrived, but later died at the hospital.

Clarence Avant, a legendary music exec who was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a tragedy at home Tuesday night ... a home invasion where his wife of 54 years -- Jacqueline Avant -- was shot and killed ... TMZ has learned.

It happened in the Trousdale Estates ... a high-end area neighboring Beverly Hills. Law enforcement tells TMZ, Beverly Hills PD got a call at 2:30 AM for a home invasion. The caller told the dispatcher someone had been shot. By the time they arrived, Jackie had already been rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A family source tells us the people who broke into the house fired shots and hit Jackie. Clarence was home at the time. We do not know if he was hurt.

Jackie and Clarence's daughter is Nicole Avant, who is married to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.

Clarence is known as the Godfather of Black Music. He's been regularly celebrated by the likes of Jay-Z and Diddy, L.A. Reid and Babyface. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in October.

Jackie served as the President of the Neighbors of Watts, a support group that focused on child care. She was also on the Board of Directors of UCLA's International Student Center.

Jacqueline was 81.

RIP

Tate Myre -- a star junior for the Oxford Wildcats football team -- died trying to disarm the gunman during the tragic school shooting on Tuesday ... and now, the running back's peers want to honor his legacy by renaming the stadium after him.

A 15-year-old was taken into custody after 3 students were killed and 8 others were injured in the 5-minute attack ... with witnesses claiming the athlete tried to subdue the shooter.

16-year-old Myre was shot in the confrontation and was rushed by a deputy to a local hospital. Unfortunately, Myre succumbed to his injuries in the police car.

Myre's classmates have been posting about their grief ... sharing memorable stories about Tate. One person even launched a Change.org petition, calling on the school to rename Wildcats Stadium in his honor -- it currently has more than 55,000 signatures.

Myre was a standout athlete for the Wildcats -- he was interested in playing for schools like Michigan State, Texas, Notre Dame, USC, Texas A&M and more.

In his recruitment bio, Myre had goals of playing at the next level.

"I have been in love with football since I was young and always dreamed of playing college football," he said in his profile. "If I play college football I will be the hardest worker on the field and no matter the situation in the game I will give all my effort."

Myre appeared to be on his way to making that dream a reality -- he recently visited the University of Toledo on a recruitment trip.

Alec Baldwin says he didn't pull the trigger on the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins, the first time we've heard him make the new claim, and leaving many more questions to be answered.

The actor is speaking out about the 'Rust' tragedy in his first sit-down interview, which will air Thursday on ABC. The network just released a teaser for what is to be discussed, and there's a lot to unpack -- including his claim that he didn't squeeze the trigger.

In a nearly 2 minute clip, you hear anchor George Stephanopoulos peppering Baldwin with questions -- and it sounds like he's asking everything that most everybody has wondered about this story ... and Alec seems to respond to much of it, oftentimes in emotional terms.

One question revolves around the alleged fact that Alec pulling the trigger during the rehearsal that day was not called for in the script ... at least according to people who've sued over this so far.

Immediately in response, Alec is heard saying ... "Well, the trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger." GS seems stunned, but AB insists he'd never point a gun at someone and fire. Of course, this would mean Baldwin is suggesting the gun misfired on its own.

There's not much clarity on what Alec means exactly -- but we suppose everyone will get the answer when this chat hits the airwaves tomorrow.

An Indiana cop captured on video kicking a dog on someone's front porch will not be prosecuted ... and his bosses say that's due to the full picture of what happened.

The disturbing video was posted this week by a woman who wrote, "Yesterday evening while my family and I were at work, someone broke into my home. My dogs ran the intruder off. This was the response shortly after a neighbor called. My home needed help and all it received was hurt."

Of course, outrage ensued ... and many were calling for the officer's badge number, not to mention his job. On its face, it looks like the cop is just going to town on the unleashed dog, which was barking at him.

Well, apparently there's more to the story. Terre Haute PD tells TMZ neighbors had been calling about this dog and another from this home constantly being on the loose and attacking people, including kids.

On this particular night, Nov. 29, they got a call about a white pit bull on the loose in the neighborhood -- just the latest call for this exact thing, they say. Officers came out, and THPD says they actually encountered 2 dogs -- including the one seen in this video -- which were allegedly lunging at the officers.

After talking to neighbors about how the dogs escaped their backyard, THPD says this sergeant walked onto the porch ... and that's where the video picks begins. The owners apparently weren't home, so the officers waited ... and then cited the owners when they eventually arrived, ringing 'em up for 6 separate counts related to the dogs being loose.

As for what happens now ... well, THPD says the Virgo County Prosecutor's Office has already reviewed the case, and found the cop didn't violate any laws. Still, the department says it's conducting its own review, and the cop is on leave for now.

Vivica A. Fox is a ride or die friend, because she made it clear Tuesday night ... she stands by Jussie Smollett in bad times as well as good.

Vivica was at the TCL Chinese Theatre for the premiere of her movie, "True to the Game 3." Our photog asked about her ties with Jussie, and Vivica showed Smollett mad love.

What's interesting ... she never said if she believed he was actually attacked on the streets of Chicago back in 2019. Clearly, prosecutors don't believe him, because he's currently on trial for allegedly staging the incident. He's charged with 6 felonies and could be sent to prison for years if convicted.

A jury has been selected and testimony has begun. It's unclear if Jussie will take the stand in his own defense. Typically, defendants in criminal cases stay mum, but this case almost demands Jussie tell the jury his version of what happened.

Chris Cuomo will be off the air for the foreseeable future on CNN's airwaves -- the cable news network just suspended the guy ... all over his efforts to protect his brother.  The question ... does Chris survive this at CNN?

CNN just announced they're benching Chris indefinitely over newly released evidence put out by the New York Attorney General's Office, which shows purported texts Chris sent to people on Andrew Cuomo's team in the middle of his sexual harassment scandal.

They say the new transcripts and exhibits that were dumped Monday "shed new light on Chris Cuomo's involvement in his brother's defense. The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions."

CNN goes on to add Chris told them he admitted he'd offered advice to his brother's staff, breaking their rules ... which the network acknowledged publicly some time ago.

A network rep says they understood where he was coming from at the time, but in light of this -- they say, "[T]hese documents point to a greater level of involvement ... than we previously knew." As a result, he's suspended pending further evaluation.

ICYMI ... Chris was revealed to have texted about specific accusers, including Anna Ruch -- who accused Andrew of kissing her at a wedding. CC allegedly wrote to a staffer of Andrew's ... "I have a lead on the wedding girl," which implies he was looking into her.

The NY AG docs also suggest Chris was reaching out to his media industry sources to get recon on who else might be coming forward with allegations against his bro.

As you know ... Gov. Cuomo ultimately resigned from his post, maintaining he never purposely did anything inappropriate. However, he has since been embroiled legally as well ... now facing criminal charges over some of the claims against him.

Cuomo's ratings have tanked over the last few months, and the fact CNN is characterizing his suspension as "indefinite" opens the door to the question ... will CC ever return to the CNN anchor seat?