Crime

Police are still on the hunt for the SoCal "Karen" who went on 2 racist tirades -- and it's possible she'll face charges when she's found ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops have been unable to locate the woman -- who's been identified as 56-year-old Lena Hernandez -- since she was involved in multiple verbal attacks last week.

We're told officers checked her most recently listed address but she was no longer living there, so they're hoping the public can help them track her down.

As we reported ... the woman's racist rants just outside L.A. triggered police reports for criminal threats by 2 different people.

Torrance PD later announced Hernandez has allegedly been involved in at least 3 racial incidents in which criminal reports were taken. During one incident in October, cops say she allegedly harassed a custodian and physically assaulted a Good Samaritan.

Our sources tell us all 3 alleged victims have asked that Hernandez be prosecuted. We're told her case has been kicked over to the City Attorney's Office to determine whether or not to file charges.

Rayshard Brooks' family members are talking about his killing in public for the first time since he was gunned down Friday night ... and we're streaming their remarks live.

The Brooks family is coming to the podium in Atlanta, where they'll discuss losing their loved one needlessly and senselessly at the hands of 2 police officers ... one of whom opened fire on Rayshard, shooting him twice in the back, as he attempted to flee arrest in a Wendy's parking lot.

In the body cam footage, you see Rayshard was cooperative with the officers after they found him sleeping in his car. He explained he'd just come from a relative's birthday party where he admitted to having a drink or two ... which led to field sobriety testing, and the cops attempting to arrest him.

Rayshard was begging the officers to let him go and allow him to walk home, which was no more than a few blocks away. The cops refused though, and insisted on taking him in.

As we reported, while wrestling with the officers, Rayshard took one of their tasers -- a non-lethal weapon -- and seemed to point it at them while running away. That's when the cop open fired 3 times. The autopsy results show he was struck twice in the back, and the medical examiner ruled it a homicide.

Atlanta's mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, decried the killing ... and accepted the resignation of the APD Chief of Police in response. One of the officers involved in the shooting, Garrett Rolfe, has been fired ... the other cop was placed on administrative leave.

Ex-'Teen Mom' star Jenelle Evans appears to be leaving her volatile husband, David Eason, for good -- this after the guy allegedly pistol-whipped a man and got arrested.

We confirmed Eason was busted and booked Friday night out in Columbus County, North Carolina on two different charges -- assault with a deadly weapon and communicating threats.

As for what happened leading up to this ... reports say, and Jenelle seems to confirm on social media, that a scuffle broke out between a couple of her guy friends and David ... when she returned to the house to get some of her things. Eason allegedly pistol-whipped one of the dudes over a misunderstanding over keys.

Jenelle is reportedly staying with a relative now.

She wrote on FB, "I just want to let the public, tabloids, and my fans know that IM OK, IM SAFE AND SO ARE THE KIDS! I'm going to take a few days out to myself to gather my thoughts and focus on what's going on so I won't be on social media much. I love you all for the support that you all have shown me and I'll be stronger and better than ever soon!"

Jenelle also told Celebernation that it was time she and David went their separate ways ... again.

Cops released Eason on an unsecured bond.

One of Jussie Smollett's alleged attackers has a need for speed ... at least according to cops, who arrested him for flying ... more than 30 MPH OVER the limit.

Ola Osundairo got busted in the Chicago suburb of Orland Park, and we got the video of his failed attempt to talk his way out of it with the cops. Hey, everybody tries ... can't knock him for that.

Law enforcement sources tell us the cops got Ola on radar last Sunday doing 81 MPH in a 45 MPH zone. In Illinois, like many states, 25 MPH over the limit can get you a pair of handcuffs and a trip to jail ... and that's what happened to Ola.

Ola's telling a different story though ... he claims he was driving the posted speed limit, in his girlfriend's Jeep, and the officer had no grounds to arrest him.

It's kinda funny ... according to the police report, Ola tried to pull the ol' "don't you know who I am?" card, but it backfired when the cop didn't know who he was. That alleged interaction is not in the video and Ola's attorney, Gloria Schmidt, tells us Ola denies it even happened.

In any event, Ola was taken to the Orland Park Police Station and booked for a Class A misdemeanor for speeding 35+ over the posted limit. He bailed out later that night.

Ola's attorney also says he will file a complaint against the officers because they towed the Jeep instead of releasing it to his girlfriend, whose name is on the Jeep's insurance card.

Best part of the video? His 4th gear theory, which cops didn't buy at all. As they say ... tell it to the judge.

San Bernardino Police gunned down what's been described as a homeless man, who they say waved what might have been a handgun at them ... but it's not clear if he was actually armed.

The shooting occurred Saturday night at a gas station, where cops were responding to reports of a man brandishing a gun on the premises. When they showed up, cops say the guy was still carrying what appeared to them to be a firearm, and refused to put it down.

In bystander video, you can hear the officers giving the order ... and seconds later, they fire multiple rounds. The man was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. It's unclear what made the cops shoot, but SBPD released an image seemingly hinting at the reason.

They put up this photo, which they say shows the suspect pointing what was perceived as a possible weapon at the officers. Interestingly, though, SBPD has not yet confirmed if a gun was in fact found.

Witnesses on scene told the L.A. Times they'd seen the guy there earlier in the day rummaging through trash cans and panhandling. A cashier at the Circle K across the street says she believes the police mistook a flashlight he had as a gun, adding he was harmless.

Beyonce is shining a light on Breonna Taylor's case ... calling on Kentucky's top prosecutor to bring charges against the cops who killed her during a "no-knock" search warrant in March.

The pop star penned and posted an open letter on her site Sunday to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, highlighting the fact that while a new law has been passed in her name banning the use of no-knock warrants ... her family has still not received true justice.

She says it plainly, writing ... "Three months have passed -- and zero arrests have been made, and no officers have been fired. The LMPD's investigation was turned over to your office, and yet all of the officers involved in the shooting remain employed by the LMPD."

Beyonce adds, "Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison must be held accountable for their actions." They're the ones who busted into her apartment -- believing it was being used to house drugs -- and opened fire upon her and her boyfriend inside ... unloading 20 rounds, eight of which struck and ultimately killed Breonna.

The three officers were put on administrative leave -- the case is still under investigation.

Bey ends her letter with a list of demands for AG Cameron, saying she and the community want to see criminal charges brought against the three men, transparency in the investigation and subsequent prosecution of them, and then calls for a separate investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department's handling of the case from the jump.

Beyonce caps it off with a heartfelt plea ... "Don't let this case fall into the pattern of no action after a terrible tragedy. With every death of a Black person at the hands of the police, there are two real tragedies: the death itself, and the inaction and delays that follow it. This is your chance to end that pattern. Take swift and decisive action in charging the officers."

The attorney for George Floyd's family just released a video of the murder, and this clearly shows bystanders begging former-officer Tou Thao to take some action and save the man who was dying before his eyes.

Attorney Ben Crump makes it clear ... "Warning: This is beyond disturbing, even harder to watch than the first video."

The video which Crump says is new -- maybe a slightly wider angle -- and you see more of Thao, who stands impervious to what is going on right in front of his face. Bystanders are imploring him to do something ... to just look at George Floyd lying on the pavement unconscious and realize he's about to die. But, Thao does nothing.

It's an especially powerful video, because it really underscores a basic problem of law enforcement ... that seniority should have no place when the senior officer crosses the line by brutalizing and killing citizens who pose no threat. Until the culture of the police departments fundamentally change -- where NO DEFERENCE is paid to rogue cops, despite their seniority, and de-escalation and proportionality of force becomes engrained -- these murders will not stop.

The Wendy's in Atlanta -- where a man who fell asleep in his car and essentially received a death sentence by cops -- has been burned down, during a night of protest and civil disturbance.

A video posted on Twitter shows the beginnings of the blaze ... you hear the man shooting the video say, "Look at this white girl. Look at the white girl trying to burn down the Wendy's. This wasn't us."

The fast-food restaurant became a flashpoint Saturday for protests against police brutality and racism.

As TMZ reported all day Saturday, cops got a call that someone in line was sleeping and partially blocking the drive-thru. Cops arrived, and the situation escalated to where Brooks grabbed one of the officer's tasers and began running. As he ran, he appeared to vaguely point the NON-LETHAL weapon behind him, and that's when Brooks was shot 3 times.

The cop involved in the shooting was fired overnight, and the other cop assisting was put on administrative leave. This, as the Police Chief submitted her resignation.

A little perspective ... so in Minneapolis, a call over what at worst was passing a counterfeit bill turned to a brutal murder. And in Atlanta, sleeping in the car ended with death. And, check out the video of a violent confrontation that started with a call that someone might have been smoking weed in a car.

Cities and counties can ban all sorts of police techniques, but until there is a cultural shift, built from the ground up in these departments, where de-escalation becomes the guiding light, this insane violence will continue.

The City of Richmond, CA and a handful of their police officers are being hauled into court over an incident that reeks of police brutality ... and it's all on video.

According to court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- two black men will sue the city, along with three to four cops who were involved in detaining and eventually arresting these guys over a weed bust back in late April. The body cam video tells the story.

Per the lawsuits -- filed by attorney Daniel Horowitz -- Dejon Brown and Johnathan Spragan claim they were roughed up bad and wrongfully arrested for something they never should have been hassled for in the first place.

Long story short ... cops responded to a call for someone sitting in a car and possibly smoking weed in a residential neighborhood, and when they arrived, they came with a bunch of squad cars ... which was met with curious/outraged neighbors watching it unfold.

As the officers dealt with the two men in the car, another man from the sidewalk starts to call them out for bothering them at all. He gets into a shouting match with one of the officers, ID'd in the suit as Ahmed Khalfan, and eventually turned his back on the officer.

Apparently, the cop didn't like that -- or what Dejon said -- and proceeded to rush over and throw him on the ground as more of his fellow officers came over to help detain Dejon. We're told Dejon's brother, Dareron, tried pushing some of the officers off his brother, and then ran away ... which led to a brief chase and eventual tasing, all caught on camera.

Enter Johnathan, a bystander watching this all unfold, who tried intervening to deescalate the situation, per his attorney, Dan Horowitz. You can see what happened to him when he wouldn't back down. He, too, was manhandled and arrested.

What's crazy ...  before they jump on Johnathan, you can hear a couple cops apparently discussing what they could possibly arrest him for ... and bring up not wearing a mask.

A racist woman in L.A. brought hammers to a face-off with her neighbors -- whose car she proceeded to smash up ... which got her an ass-whooping.

Check out this video that was shot earlier this week in Chatsworth, just outside of central L.A. in the San Fernando Valley. The video picks up with this older white-looking woman using two hammers to bang up the side of her neighbor's sedan. You only see her hit it twice once the camera starts rolling, but if you take a good look along the exterior ... it looks like she went to town on it beforehand.

The woman proceeds to walk toward the neighbors with both hammers in hand, almost as if she's going to attack -- but she stops, and tells them to "get the f*** out of this neighborhood." She then tells 'em to call the cops, but the neighbors are way ahead of her.

While one of the neighbors is heard off-camera talking to an operator describing the situation, this new 'Karen' knocked over their recycling bin with a hammer, and headed back to her stoop. What happened next is wild -- another nearby neighbor came over and manhandled this woman on their own.

The guy who posted these videos -- Edy Perez -- tells us he and his roommates moved into the house next door to this woman early last year ... and says she's been hurling racial epithets at them since day one. He says they never retaliated ... just ignored her.

Fast-forward to Wednesday, and he says his sister heard banging from insider their house ... and low and behold, he says she saw this next-door neighbor of theirs doing this for no reason at all. That's where things get rolling in the clip, and it's all downhill from there.

Now, Edy says this woman was arrested ... but got cut loose the next day due to COVID-19. We checked the L.A. County Sheriff's Office site, and sure enough ... a woman by the same name was in fact arrested that day and cut loose less than 24 hours later.

Rep. Eric Swalwell says District Attorneys across the country should not prosecute cops they normally work with on cases -- there are just too many conflicts of interest, perceived and real.

The Congressman from CA joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to talk about the police reform bill Democrats are proposing, and he said the challenges of prosecuting has to be addressed. Swalwell, a former prosecutor himself, says D.A.s and cops are partners who develop bonds over time.

As you know ... the D.A.s in nearly every major city are the ones tasked with investigating officer-involved shootings and police brutality incidents ... like we've seen in Minneapolis, Atlanta and Buffalo.

Swalwell's thought about this problem, and you have to hear his solution. He laid it out for us ... describing a system that would greatly reduce, if not eliminate, all conflict of interests when putting bad cops on trial.

Eric thinks the tide is turning after George Floyd's death, and believes it's time for the country to make major changes and reforms that could go a long way toward ensuring justice for all.

Antonio Brown entered a Florida courtroom Friday and pled no contest in his moving truck driver battery case.

Brown was accused of attacking the driver in front of his Hollywood, FL home back in January 2020. The moving truck driver claimed Brown got violent after a dispute over payment.

Brown was initially hit with three criminal charges including burglary with assault, burglary conveyance and criminal mischief.

But, the 31-year-old wide receiver cut a deal with prosecutors this week in which he changed his plea to no contest ... and in exchange, he was sentenced to 2 years probation, a 13-week anger management course and ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation.

Brown must also complete 100 hours of community service. The judge also ordered Brown to stay away from the two victims in the cases.

Brown appeared in court wearing a slick grey suit and a black facemask ... but left the building without speaking to reporters.

This is important ... Brown is allowed to travel throughout the country under the terms of his probation -- which means no travel restrictions if he returns to the NFL.

San Antonio Spurs star Lonnie Walker IV is sharing the serious reason behind cutting his signature hair ... saying he was using it as a "cloaking device" after he was raped and abused as a child ... and was finally ready to move on.

Walker -- the 18th overall pick to the Spurs in 2018 -- has been growing his hair out since the 5th grade ... and it eventually turned into "the pineapple," one of the most notable cuts in the NBA.

The 21-year-old decided it was time to part ways with his hair earlier this week ... and it's got a much deeper meaning than just wanting a new look.

"The real truth as to why i started doing this early 5th grade, it was a cloaking device for me," Walker said on IG.

"During the summer of my 5th grade year I was around more family ... I was sexually harassed, raped, abused, I even got accustomed to it because being at that age you don’t know what is what."

"I had a mindset that my hair was something that I can control. My hair was what I can make and create and be mine."

Walker says he used his time during the coronavirus to accept his past and forgive everyone responsible for his struggles ... calling it "dead weight."

"Me cutting my hair was more than a cut," Walker continued. "My hair was a mask of me hiding the insecurity’s that I felt the world wasn’t ready for. But now better then ever. Out with old. In with the new. I have shed my skin mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually."

Walker streamed the monumental moment ... and the hooper was overcome with emotions when the haircut was complete.

An LAPD cop who was caught on video giving a man a beating earlier this year is now going to court ... he's been charged with assault by the District Attorney.

Los Angeles County D.A. Jackie Lacey announced the charge Tuesday against Officer Frank Hernandez -- who video shows pummeled a man with his fists this past April out in Boyle Heights.  As we reported, the officer was responding to a call for trespass. Hernandez now faces one count of felony assault under color of authority.

At the time, Hernandez and his partner encountered the guy after seeing him on a lot he allegedly wasn't supposed to be on -- but after refusing to leave the area entirely on the officers' orders, things got heated ... and eventually, they came to blows.

According to the D.A., Hernandez is accused of repeatedly punching the man over a dozen times over the head, neck and body. The D.A. calls it "a disturbing case of the illegal use of force at the hands of a police officer. In this case, we believe the force was neither legally necessary nor reasonable."

The NYPD police officer who shoved a female protester to the ground -- on camera -- has now been arrested and charged with assault ... among other crimes.

Officer Vincent D'Andraia surrendered to authorities at the Downtown Brooklyn precinct Tuesday morning. He was booked for assault, criminal mischief, harassment, and menacing. He appeared for his arraignment by a video feed, due to coronavirus concerns. He was released on his own recognizance.

D'Andraia has been ID'd by city officials as the officer seen in a video pushing a woman to the ground in late May near the Barclays Center ... where she was participating in a George Floyd protest. She says she suffered a concussion and a seizure.

The cop was suspended without pay shortly thereafter, and his supervisor was reportedly transferred to another precinct. The case is already being reviewed by Internal Affairs.

Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez says of the case, "I fully support the long-held American tradition of non-violent protest. As District Attorney I cannot tolerate the use of excessive force against anyone exercising this Constitutionally guaranteed right."

He adds, "This is especially true of those who are sworn to protect us and uphold the law. I am deeply troubled by this unnecessary assault. We will now seek to hold this defendant accountable."

One of the accused ex-cops in George Floyd's murder case needs financial assistance, and believe it or not, he's hoping the public will lend a hand as he tries to mount his legal defense ... which is that he claims he tried to do the right thing.

The family of Thomas Lane is soliciting donations via a website they've set up. His bail's been set at a million bucks ... and if convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison.

Lane, along with the 2 other ex-officers beside Derek Chauvin, was arrested and charged with aiding and abetting 2nd-degree murder, and aiding and abetting 2nd-degree manslaughter.

Through their website -- which reads more like a resume -- Lane's family tries pleading his case, arguing Lane did everything he had the power and authority to do to save George's life on May 25. They point out Lane suggested rolling him on his side ... which they -- and prosecutors -- say Chauvin refused to do.

However, Lane was also involved in pinning George on the ground. The vast majority of America, and several law enforcement veterans, think he and his comrades should have removed Chauvin.

Anyway, the family says Lane called for the ambulance prior to George losing consciousness, and when it arrived Lane "did not hesitate to jump into the Ambulance where he started performing CPR to try and save George Floyd’s life."

They say chain of command is the only thing that stopped him from doing more. Lane's defense attorney offered that same explanation last week during arraignment.

On top of that, they note he was brand new on the job ... just 4 days on the streets.