Crime

Police in our nation's capital are gearing for the upcoming rally at the Capitol ... with plans to send officers out in droves to protect DC and prevent anything like January 6 from happening again.

Sources within Capitol Police tell TMZ, there's an all-hands-on-deck policy, with all field officers expected to show up for the protest so they won't be outmanned and underprepared like they were back on that fateful day in January.

We're told officers will get an official briefing Friday on strategy for the September 18 rally ... and Capitol Police brass are expected to field questions from the rank and file.

As we've reported ... many CPD officers have been angry for a long time about leadership not having a set game plan for a potential repeat of January 6. We're told many of them see today's briefing as a good first step.

Our sources say officers will seek answers regarding use of lethal force, and whether to retreat or fight back if perimeter fences and barriers are breached?

D.C. Metro Police are also getting prepared for the Sept. 18 rally, activating the entire department of 3,300 officers ... something that did not happen on Jan. 6.

A bodybuilder sent Kobe Bryant a letter in 2003 offering to kill his rape accuser ... and the guy later asked for $3 MILLION to do the deed -- this according to newly released FBI docs.

The papers -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- were released by feds earlier this month ... and they reveal new details from the '03 case against Patrick Graber.

The docs, in which Graber's name is redacted, show how feds say they got Graber to fess up to attempting to get cash from Bryant in exchange for making his "problem" disappear.

Federal investigators in the docs say Graber -- who they say was a gym rat -- mailed a FedEx letter to Bryant with the offer ... adding that Bryant's team immediately turned it over to local authorities.

In the docs, officials say they then set up meetings with Graber ... and he allegedly told them the price tag he wanted in order to make Kobe's "problem" go away.

Investigators in the docs say deputies traveled to Kobe's accuser's residence in Colorado to tell her of the possible threat.

Graber was eventually arrested after a lengthy investigation ... and was hit with several charges, including solicitation to commit murder.

Ross Mathews has a message for the high school kid who was attacked by a fellow student for draping himself in a Pride flag -- stay strong, because you are loved.

As we reported ... the high schooler in Valdosta, GA was violently pulled to the ground and had his flag ripped away and thrown in the trash by one of his peers, while other students looked on and laughed.

Ross is circumspect ... saying this sort of homophobia is nothing new, sadly ... but he's trying to lead the charge to rally around the student who was attacked, embrace him, and send him love.

In fact, the "RuPaul's Drag Race" judge says if he were still in high school ... he'd ask the kid to prom to show him he's got his back.

Andrea Constand is breaking her silence over the release of Bill Cosby -- and her first reaction is utter disgust over what she calls a screwed-up criminal justice system.

She spoke to NBC in an exclusive sit-down -- the first she's given since Cosby was sprung from prison 2 months ago -- and makes it pretty clear ... she's not happy about him getting to walk free over a deal he struck years ago, which the State Supreme Court honored.

Constand calls it a "back door deal" that she can't believe the court honored and the D.A. should've considered pursuing charges against BC anew ... saying she's shocked and disappointed.

As for the man himself ... Constand says she finds the fact that he's roaming free horrid, because there was enough there to put him away based on her testimony -- evidenced in the conviction itself. With that said, she says she doesn't regret anything ... even now. She says it was worth it.

She goes on to label him a "violent predator" who's been let back into society, and says anyone giving him a platform oughta be ashamed. Constand notes Cosby hasn't shown remorse, which he himself has said he won't do -- ever since first being locked up in 2018.

A high school student draped in a Pride flag had it violently ripped from him and thrown in the trash by one of his peers ... who's facing charges for his seemingly homophobic attack.

Video of the disgusting incident comes from Lowndes High School in Valdosta, GA, where a male student in a black shirt was filmed running up to the student with the rainbow flag and taking it from him ... knocking him down in the process.

One of the student's friends tries to ward off the attacker, but he pulls the flag away and forcefully shoves it in the trash before the video cuts off.

According to Lowndes County Sheriff, Ashley Paulk, a juvenile has been charged in the incident. The charges include disorderly conduct, simple battery and disruption of a public facility.

The school's assistant principal, Rodney Green, says, "We take the well-being and safety of our students seriously. Our staff works hard to provide a safe environment where all of our students feel valued."

Takeshi Kitano, the famed Japanese actor/director, was attacked with a pickaxe by a man who was angry Kitano wouldn't help him break into showbiz.

Kitano was leaving the TBS studio in Tokyo Saturday night when the attacker used the pickaxe to smash his car windows and demanded Kitano get out of the vehicle. Fortunately, the attacker was subdued and then arrested. Kitano was not injured.

Police say the suspect is in his 40s and was carrying a knife with a 4-inch blade.

As for why the man attacked ... he reportedly was angry the 74-year-old icon snubbed him back in June when he kneeled in front of Kitano's car ... begging to give him an entree into the entertainment industry.

Bryce Hall won't end up in any serious trouble for scuffling in public -- because instead of a court date, he’s getting a talking-to ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office tells us ... the TikTok star-turned amateur boxer was investigated for felony battery following a brawl at a Mexican restaurant last October. Bryce was vaping in the restaurant and when an employee asked him to stop he allegedly blew smoke in the guy's face. At that point, all hell broke loose and fists started flying. The employee had a bruised wrist, but otherwise no serious injuries.

The case was sent to the L.A. County DA's Office for review -- but it was ultimately kicked over to the City Attorney for possible misdemeanor charges.

Anyway, our sources tell us prosecutors decided the best way to deal with this was to bring Bryce in for a City Attorney hearing ... where he'll be schooled on what he did wrong and told how to handle similar situations in the future.

We're told Bryce will get a stern warning ... if he doesn't keep his nose clean over the next year, criminal charges could be filed.

It's a pretty sweet outcome for Bryce all things considered, because frankly ... that dog pile was ugly, and some employees wanted Bryce charged.

Oscar De La Hoya is opening up on one of the most traumatic experiences of his life ... revealing he was raped at age 13 by an "older woman" -- something he's still struggling to come to terms with today.

The 48-year-old boxing legend detailed the alleged incident for the first time this week ... claiming it happened at a boxing tournament in Hawaii with a woman who was "over 35."

"I was raped at 13, from a woman, an older woman," ODLH told the L.A. Times. "13, lost my virginity over being, you know, being raped, basically."

De La Hoya says he used fighting to cope with the trauma from his childhood ... which included the experience in Hawaii.

"You suppress everything," he added. "You’re living this life, the 'Golden Boy,' but, oh s***, wait, that’s still there. Like, I never thought about it, I never processed it, I never really thought how my feelings are ... until one day it just comes out, and you don’t know how to deal with it."

ODLH -- who has previously dealt with drug and alcohol abuse -- says he has been working on improving his health ... because he felt he was "going to throw my life away."

De La Hoya himself has faced sexual assault accusations in the past -- he was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1996 when he was 23, which reportedly resulted in a settlement outside of court ... and another woman claimed he raped her in 1999, which he's adamantly denied.

In 2019, a woman sued ODLH for sexual assault and battery -- but he told us at the time the allegations were "completely false."

Now, De La Hoya is preparing to make his return to the boxing ring for the first time since 2008 ... going up against UFC star Vitor Belfort on September 11.

Ex-congressman Joseph Kennedy III is outraged at the looming release of the man who killed his grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy ... standing in square opposition to two of RFK's own children.

Joe put out a statement Wednesday after last week's news that assassin Sirhan Sirhan was getting out of prison after 53 years. It's pretty scathing ... he says flatly, Sirhan doesn't deserve it.

He writes, "I echo the anger and heartache of my father, a majority of his siblings, and my grandmother at the California Parole Board's recent recommendation. For our family, there has been no apology, no acceptance of responsibility, and no remorse."

JKIII adds this ... "For our country, there has been no justification for letting the perpetrator of one of our most devastating political assassinations walk free."

Joe goes on to explain the U.S. cannot accept violence as an answer to political disagreement ... which he suggests is what led to Sirhan killing Bobby all those years ago. He adds he's all for rehabilitation of criminals, but for those who skirt responsibility -- like Sirhan  -- Joe says "there should be no accommodation."

It's a pretty fierce take on the strong likelihood that the 77-year-old will walk free soon. He's also standing against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Douglas Kennedy -- two of RFK's sons who've come out in support of SS's release.

The family of Elijah McClain -- the unarmed Black man killed in Colorado 2 years ago during a run-in with cops -- feel they just got a measure of justice, because those involved in his death have just been indicted.

Colorado AG, Phil Weiser, announced the 32-charge indictment Wednesday against 5 people tied to McClain's 2019 detainment and subsequent medical transport -- slapping 3 Aurora PD cops (2 current, 1 former) and two Aurora Fire medics with two counts each ... manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Two of those officers -- Randy Roedema and Jason Rosenblatt -- face additional charges ... 2nd-degree assault with the intent to cause bodily injury. The indictment comes after Weiser was tapped as a special prosecutor to investigate ... this following massive public outrage.

Weiser says he handed over his findings to a grand jury this past January -- and now, some 8 months later, it seems they've found sufficient evidence to bring these folks to trial.

You might recall ... McClain was walking home on August 24, 2019 when he was stopped by the three officers mentioned, who apparently accosted him because he seemed "suspicious" -- which one of the cops can be heard saying in since-released body cam footage.

Before long, things escalated ... and the cops had McClain in a carotid hold, among others for quite a while. He passed out during the struggle -- and the medics are alleged to have administered a lethal dose of ketamine, which prosecutors believe kill him.

The incident occurred well before George Floyd's case gripped the nation last year -- but was among the many high profile stories that led to mass protests for Black Lives Matter.

Dale Brisby is getting hyped as 2021's version of Joe Exotic -- and while he does have a new show on Netflix, Dale says there's one huge difference ... he's not behind bars!!!

The star of "How To Be a Cowboy" joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to tell us how a long-time ranch manager and pro bull rider becomes the subject of a wild new TV docuseries.

As a bunch of city slickers, we gotta say it was eye-opening! Dale says he has a fresh group of interns -- half a dozen of 'em -- hungry to learn how to be a real-life cowboy, or how to ride a bull.

He says they're bucket list items for some, and a career starter for others.

The Netflix show drops Wednesday and the reviews are already comparing it to last year's Netflix phenomenon, 'Tiger King.'

Dale seems pretty comfortable with the comparisons, but he makes it clear he doesn't come with Exotic baggage. His character, though, seems just as bold.

BTW, if you're digging Dale's look ... you gotta see him explain why his shades never come off, even when he's riding bulls.

An hour before Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley took the ring Sunday night, a man contacted police and said he planted 17 bombs around the arena and was going to blow the place up, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a police incident report, cops got a call from a person claiming to be from Afghanistan around 10:15 PM ... stating he placed pipe bombs underneath the stage, in the bathrooms and under seats at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, where the fight went down.

The man -- who said the bombs were going to go off in minutes -- told cops he was targeting non-believers, who he believed should be killed. He told police Paul was a non-believer.

The caller stated he planted the devices 1.5 hours before the event started.

At one point, the caller told authorities they should evacuate the arena ... as the bombs were about to detonate.

FYI, there were reportedly about 16,000 fans in the buiilding.

Police dispatched the bomb unit -- including a bomb sniffing K9 -- and swept the building.

Thankfully, it seems it was an empty threat or terrible prank ... 'cause no explosive devices were located.

A police spokesperson told us no arrests have been made ... and the investigation is ongoing.

Evander Kane is accusing his estranged wife of being a husband beater ... claiming the woman has punched him in the face multiple times in past -- and now, the NHL star has obtained a domestic violence temporary restraining order over it all.

It's all spelled out in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, which show Kane was granted a TRO earlier this month after he alleged Anna Kane had been violent with him in the past.

Evander says in the docs that the physical altercations first began in 2019 -- about a year after they were married -- saying Anna got so upset with him during an argument that she hit him "7-8 times in the face with her fist."

In Oct. 2020, Evander says Anna again struck him in the face after they had an argument while Anna's mother was visiting.

Less than a year later, in April 2021, Evander says his wife exploded on him again ... after she had gone through his phone.

In the docs, the 30-year-old San Jose Sharks player says Anna "started uncontrollably throwing things at me" ... before she punched and slapped him repeatedly in the head and face.

Evander says in July, there was yet another incident of violence ... claiming when he was trying to get away from Anna after an argument in San Jose, she pushed him and also violently tugged on a bag he had thrown over his shoulder.

During that same incident, Evander also says Anna dangerously swung around their baby daughter.

Evander was ultimately granted a temporary restraining order against Anna ... and is now seeking a permanent one against her. A hearing on that matter is scheduled for next month.

As we previously reported, Anna filed for divorce from Evander back on July 16 ... and accused him of being a deadbeat dad who had bet on his own NHL games.

President Biden just delivered an unmistakable threat to terrorists responsible for the suicide bombings in Afghanistan that killed at least a dozen U.S. service members ... and he got emotional doing it.

Biden offered this not-so-subtle warning to those who carried out the attack, saying ... "We will hunt you down and make you pay."

The Prez then started to get emotional when remembering the 11 marines and 1 Navy medic killed in the explosion Thursday outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

At one point during his remarks, it looked like Biden was about to break down and cry.

As we reported ... the blast rocked the Kabul airport, where crowds of Afghans have been gathering to try and get into the airport and catch a flight out of the country.

The attack came on the heels of Biden's highly criticized decision to withdraw U.S. forces amid the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

"True Life: Crime" is taking a deep dive into the fatal shooting of Darrien Hunt for its season 2 finale ... and one of show host Dometi Pongo's goals is to have the case re-opened.

The MTV host joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and said Darrien's family never got justice after he was gunned down in 2014 by police in Saratoga Springs, Utah. At the time, the case drew national attention following an outcry over inconsistencies in the police narrative.

Darrien was shot and killed September 10, 2014 after cops said the 22-year-old lunged at them with a sword.

An autopsy report later showed Darrien -- who was cosplaying as a samurai while carrying a decorative sword -- was shot 6 times in the back. Surveillance footage shows Darrien running from cops -- a glaring inconsistency from the police report.

The Utah County D.A.'s Office concluded the use of deadly force was justified. Fast forward to now ... there's a Change.org petition demanding officials reopen the case. The petition is now 744,000 signatures strong.

Manchester City soccer player Benjamin Mendy has been suspended from his team after he was charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The Cheshire Police announced the charges against the 27-year-old on Thursday ... saying three complainants accused the soccer player of sexually assaulting them between Oct. 2020 and Aug. 2021.

The police said Mendy will remain in custody ... and appear at Chester Magistrates' Court on Friday.

After the shocking arrest, Man City released a statement ... explaining Mendy has been suspended indefinitely.

"Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation," club officials said.

"The matter is subject to a legal process and the club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete."

Mendy signed with Man City in 2017 -- winning the English League Club twice and the Premier League three times.