Crime

The punishment doesn't fit the crime. That's what Sean Reed's family's saying about the cop who got suspended for his "closed casket" joke ... saying he deserved to be fired.

You'll recall the Indianapolis detective got suspended and reassigned after he was heard saying, "I think it's going to be a closed casket, homie" moments after Reed was fatally shot during an incident Reed streamed live on Facebook.

Well, the Reed family's furious over what they essentially say is a slap on the wrist. Sean's uncle, Tyrell Reed, tells TMZ ... he doesn't think the cop received a harsh enough punishment. In fact, Tyrell tells us, "I feel like [the detective] shouldn't be on the force or allowed to be a police officer."

What's more ... Tyrell says the detective's true colors came out with his distasteful joke, because he had no clue Reed's camera was still streaming live. Tyrell adds, "He thought he was doing things in the dark. Now, those words leave a mark on our family forever. I probably don't think his fellow officers appreciated the comment either."

Tyrell says the Reeds have been shaken to their core with the crack made by the detective, whose identity has not been disclosed because of safety concerns. For what it's worth ... Tyrell says things have slowly gotten better over the last few days, thanks to the overwhelming support the family's been receiving from friends and others in the community.

As we first reported ... Tyrell told us it's a terrible enough situation to have one of your family members shot and killed with a camera filming it ... even worse when a cop makes a quip that will be seared into their memories forever.

Joe Exotic's new legal team is true to its word -- they hit the road bright and early Monday AM, heading for Washington D.C. ... where they hope to ask President Trump to pardon the 'Tiger King' star.

Team Tiger's leader, Eric Love, just shared a video update from the official "Please Pardon Joe Exotic" tour bus ... saying they're en route to The White House with one goal in mind.

Love says they have some live entertainment onboard to pass the time -- it's a 1,300-mile drive -- and he's really loving all the support and encouragement from Joe's fans along the way.

As we first told you ... Love and the rest of the Exotic's legal dream team out of Fort Worth are hoping their trip to the nation's capital will grab the President's interest, in case the Texas-style video asking him for a pardon didn't do the trick.

Team Tiger's stance is not just that Joe's not guilty of trying to get Carole Baskin killed ... he was actually framed.

Exotic's lawyers are also appealing Joe's conviction and pursuing a malicious prosecution lawsuit against several people involved in his criminal trial.

Of course, a pardon from POTUS is a huge ask ... but it's not outside the realm of possibility. Trump joked about it when talking about the 'Tiger King' at a coronavirus briefing ... so it's already on his radar.  If he thinks Joe can help him in November ... who knows?

A couple of real-life melon heads thought it'd be a great idea to walk into a store wearing these homemade masks to jack some s*** -- luckily, cops might've already cracked the case.

Check out these two bozos out of Louisa, Virginia -- not too far from Washington D.C. -- walking into a gas station convenience store called Sheetz about a week or so ago and making off with some goodies inside -- with watermelon bandit disguises in tow, no less.

The Louisa Police Department was asking for the public's help in identifying the two larceny suspects -- who were caught on surveillance video before hopping in their getaway vehicle. The department wrote ... "On May 6, 2020, at 2135 hours, two subjects arrived at the Sheetz in a LIFTED 2006 Black Toyota Tacoma wearing hollowed-out watermelon rinds with holes cut out for the eyes into the store where they proceeded to commit a larceny."

Looks like their local citizenry recognized the seedless perps, 'cause an arrest was recently made and the cops thanked their community for the assistance.

Unclear what these boys might've taken, but it doesn't sound like weapons were used in the alleged grab and snatch. We're guessing they left their bananas at home for this heist.

Two Kansas City cops now face criminal charges in the alleged assault against a transgender woman ... this as video of the incident has surfaced.

It happened a year ago this month, but the video has just been released.

A woman near a beauty supply store recorded the confrontation. You see one of the officers knee the woman in her face and ribs. At one point her face is slammed into the concrete.

She apparently got into a dispute inside the store, and police responded to several 911 calls, one placed by the transgender woman. The cops in question claimed she was resisting, which is why they used force. She was arrested for disorderly conduct, trespassing and resisting arrest, along with drug paraphernalia possession.

The P.D. investigated and concluded the cops did nothing improper ... this according to the police union. Prosecutors then brought the case to the grand jury because they were stymied ... saying the police department was not cooperating with its investigation by turning over key documents. Prosecutors took the case to the grand jury, which indicted the 2 cops on assault charges. Both officers are now on desk duty.

The woman has since died after being shot and killed in an unrelated incident.

The case has caused tension in the city ... the woman is African-American and the officers are white. The lawyer for the woman's family, David Smith, says the case was botched by police and he's calling for the resignation of the Police Chief, adding, "You don't treat this woman like a piece of trash because you think she's a freak."

Martin Shkreli will have to finish out the rest of his sentence behind bars -- despite wanting out over coronavirus concerns -- 'cause he's a picture of health, and letting him out would make zero sense ... so says a judge.

The incarcerated pharma bro just had his petition for a compassionate release due to COVID-19 shot down by a NYC court, which basically told him every criteria he technically needed to possibly get sprung early just didn't fit his situation whatsoever, and obviously so.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge says his correctional facility -- FCI Allenwood Low in Pennsylvania -- has zero confirmed cases between the inmates and staff. So, right off the bat ... the court says Shkreli has no reason to be concerned about contracting it yet, and more importantly ... no reason to ask for a premature release -- as it's just not there.

Furthermore, the judge says he doesn't have any underlying conditions that warrant him being released early, despite recent claims that he does. The court notes he takes Claritin for seasonal allergies, but that's about it. Shkreli recently tried alleging he had asthma and that made him more susceptible, but the judge calls BS ... saying that's likely a lie.

Then comes the nail in the coffin, with the court saying even though Shkreli has claimed he wants out to help find a cure for COVID-19 -- he worked in pharmaceuticals, so sure ... Hail Mary -- the court seems to agree with the Probation Dept.'s scathing rebuke.

They wrote of his claim of finding a cure that has "so far eluded the best medical and scientific minds in the world working around the clock" is the type of "delusional self-aggrandizing behavior" that precipitated the offenses was convicted for, per legal docs. The court didn't refute that, adding his altruistic intentions aren't enough to cut him loose.

Washington Redskins star Cody Latimer was hauled off to jail this weekend after cops say he was involved in assaulting someone and illegally using a firearm.

The wide receiver was arrested early Saturday morning just after midnight in Englewood, Colorado, where cops were summoned to an apartment complex Cody was at. It's unclear what led up to the arrest or why police were called -- but Cody was taken into custody.

He was booked on several charges ... assault in the second degree, illegal discharge of a firearm, prohibited use of a weapon, reckless endangerment and menacing. He was processed at the Douglas County Detention Facility -- and has reportedly already bailed out on a $25,000 bond.

The Redskins have responded to Latimer's arrest, saying ... "We are aware of the situation and have informed the NFL League Office. We will continue to gather more information and have no further comment at this time."

Cody's had a run-in with the law before in Colorado -- he was arrested in 2016 during a domestic disturbance call he made on his GF ... back when he was a Bronco. Later, it was revealed Cody was only taken in on an outstanding warrant for a failure to appear in court from a traffic ticket.

Ahmaud Arbery's murder case is drawing national attention and outrage similar to the slaying of Trayvon Martin in 2012 ... and TMZ's learned the parents of both young men want to meet.

Lee Merritt -- attorney for Ahmaud's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones -- tells us ... the goal is to get both sets of parents together on a phone call soon, but so far, they've not been able to get schedules to line up.

We're told both sides have expressed interest in talking as they have something incredibly tragic in common -- losing children to violence, apparently racially motivated, and targeting unarmed young black men.

Merritt says a meeting of the 2 families will hopefully allow them to encourage each other, learn from each other and advocate for their sons. He's hoping Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton can provide guidance for Ahmaud's parents on handling the case, while also trying to recover from his death.

Of course, it will have to just be via a phone or video call for now due to the pandemic ... but we're told both sides are eager to make it happen.

The parents also have a legal connection -- Ahmaud's father's attorney is Ben Crump, who's worked with Trayvon's family.

As you know ... Ahmaud was killed on a Brunswick, GA road back in February after being confronted by 2 armed white men -- Travis and Gregory McMichael -- who claim they thought he was a suspect in a series of recent burglaries. They weren't arrested until last week when video leaked of the incident, which has since been described as "modern-day lynching."

The Indianapolis PD detective caught making a disgusting remark moments after Sean Reed was shot and killed will be suspended and reassigned.

Indy Metro Police Chief Randal Taylor told the Indianapolis Star the detective will be suspended, although he didn't say for how long. When he returns he'll be assigned to a new unit. The cop's identity remains anonymous for safety concerns ... according to the Chief.

TMZ broke the story ... Reed's family told us the grief was made even worse when they heard the detective saying, "I think it's going to be a closed casket, homie" moments after Reed was fatally shot during an encounter Reed streamed live on Facebook.

During the incident, Reed was seen behind the wheel of a car before he bailed out on foot. As he ran, someone was heard yelling, "Stop, stop." Reed respond, "F**k you" ... and then shots were fired and Reed fell to the ground.

His phone was still streaming, and that's when the detective popped off with the disgusting remark.

The shooting triggered tons of protests while others, like comedian Mike Epps, called on Indy PD to act swiftly while imploring the black community to "stop giving them an opportunity to kill us."

The police chief said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

A strange note was left at the exact spot where Ahmaud Arbery was shot to death -- and it seems to imply there's a witness to his slaying who hasn't come forward yet.

This card was placed at the makeshift memorial for Ahmaud on the same street he was killed in February. Local news station, News4JAX, captured the photo of the card, and what it says is incredibly haunting.

The note reads, "Ahmaud, I am so sorry. I should have stopped them. I am so sorry." No name is signed at the bottom, and no other information or context is provided. It's also unclear when the card was left there.

While the meaning is somewhat ambiguous, the most obvious possible takeaway from this is that there might've been a person witnessing the killing first-hand -- perhaps from a neighboring home nearby -- but only watched from afar instead of stepping in to help.

It could mean any number of things, though ... but it certainly appears somebody is feeling regret after the fact about something that could've been done to potentially save Ahmaud's life.

Now, the McMichaels are facing murder and aggravated assault charges -- and a new prosecutor has been assigned to the case. As we reported ... Ahmaud's mother says she wants an eye for an eye here, demanding the death penalty for her son's killers.

A guy was caught on camera choking his ex-girlfriend's dog -- and now ... he's facing criminal charges for the sickeningly evil deed.

30-year-old Shane Mitchell allegedly took his ex's pup -- a Doberman named Rubyjean -- without permission, and when he showed up at the owner's front door with Rubyjean, the owner threatened him with a call to the cops. That set Mitchell off, and what happened next is disturbing.

While his ex remained behind her front door during the argument, her Ring doorbell cam recorded Mitchell angrily reaching down and yanking up the dog by its leash, suffocating it, and letting it dangle in front of the camera. The owner shrieks from inside, pleading for him to stop -- then, the video ends.

Cops in Slidell, Louisiana say Mitchell was eventually arrested and booked on animal cruelty charges after the clip made the rounds online, and even better news ... Rubyjean is okay.

She's back in her home and doesn't seem to have suffered any permanent damage as a result of the choking. The city's police chief issued a strong statement of the heinous act, saying ... "I was sick to my stomach watching that video." He added, "How someone can hurt a defenseless animal is beyond me."

Ahmaud Arbery's mother believes his murder shows more than the existence of racism in America -- she feels it's spreading like wildfire in small towns ... where people think they can get away with it.

Wanda Cooper-Jones tells TMZ ... her son's death is shining a light on a huge problem in the U.S., particularly in smaller towns in the south that she claims are racist and riddled with corruption.

She says what happened to her son in Glynn County, Georgia is Exhibit A right now. As you know ... Ahmaud was ambushed and killed by Gregory and Travis McMichael back in February, but no arrests were made until last week after video of the slaying leaked, and the case drew national attention and outrage.

Wanda tells us during the gap between her son's death and the arrests, she felt hopeless and feared there would be no justice ... but she's encouraged things are heading in the right direction now.

Still, she feels there's a long way to go. As we first told you, Ahmaud's family and legal team want everyone involved in his death to be convicted and "appropriately sentenced." For the McMichaels, at least, Wanda believes that means the death penalty.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother says, since her son was killed, the people who took his life also deserve to lose theirs ... at the hands of the State of Georgia.

Wanda Cooper-Jones tells TMZ ... she would like prosecutors to seek death penalty sentences for Travis and Gregory McMichael ... the two men charged with Ahmaud's murder.

We spoke to Wanda Tuesday afternoon for TMZ Live ... and asked her if capital punishment was appropriate in this case. As Wanda put it, "Coming from my point of view, my son died, so they should die as well."

There may be several circumstances in this case that would allow the prosecutor to seek the death penalty, including this provision of Georgia law ... the death penalty can be sought if "the capital offense was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible, or inhuman in that it involved torture, depravity of mind or an aggravated battery to the victim."

Wanda told us she's already spoken to the newly appointed prosecutor, Joyette Holmes. During our interview, Wanda's attorney, Lee Merritt, didn't want her to disclose too much about her conversation with Holmes.

Ahmaud Arbery's family and legal team know who they want punished for the killing of Ahmaud ... they want everyone involved with the case, from the accused murderers to law enforcement held accountable ... and they have specific punishments in mind.

Ahmaud's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, tells TMZ ... "We want all parties involved to go to prison for life." She says this includes the 2 current murder suspects -- Gregory and Travis McMichael -- along with the man who recorded Arbery's slaying, William "Roddie" Bryan.

Wanda tells us she and Ahmaud's legal team believe Bryan was involved in the fatal incident, but as we reported ... he claims he had nothing to do with it. However, he has not explained why he was recording.

For his part, Ahmaud's family's attorney, Lee Merritt, wants everyone involved in Arbery's death convicted and "appropriately sentenced."

Merritt believes Bryan should be prosecuted along with the McMichaels ... "because he actively participated in the ambush according to previous statements by the McMichaels” and “because our forensic expert says that he was likely holding and brandishing a firearm."

Merritt adds that for justice to be done, members of the Glynn County Police Department who initially failed to investigate Arbery's killing and make any arrests need to be held accountable.

He's also going after Jackie Johnson and George Barnhill, district attorneys involved in the case, for allegedly mishandling it at best ... or committing prosecutorial misconduct at worst.

Merritt tells us he believes Barnhill specifically should be disbarred by the Georgia State Bar, as well as removed from his position as District Attorney ... because of his role in both withholding information and actively attempting to taint the jury pool.

A new lead prosecutor has been appointed to the case by the Georgia Attorney General -- Joyette Holmes, the district attorney of the Cobb County Judicial Circuit.

Ahmaud's mom tells us Holmes called her to introduce herself and let her know she is taking over. Clearly, the expectations for her from Arbery's family are high.