Crime

The so-called rifle-toting "vigilante" in Kenosha seemed pretty chummy with law enforcement before his alleged shooting spree -- receiving water and even praise from cops ... which could explain a lot.

The guy, Kyle Rittenhouse, who was seen firing rounds at protesters in the street Monday night appears to be part of an extremist militia group that set up shop at a few places in town, including some sort of car dealership ... where a cameraman caught him on film before the madness erupted.

You clearly see it's the same guy with the backward hat -- he's standing guard at the facility with another rifle-bearing man ... and they both say they're locals doing their duty.

Shortly afterward, the camera catches a few armored police vehicles rolling by and seemingly telling the militia group to scram, specifically telling them to move south. However, the cops don't let these boys leave without some replenishment first ... as in a few water bottles.

Check it out ... you see the "vigilante" in question run over and interact with some officers to retrieve some water for the crew -- and you even hear a cop say they appreciate what these guys are doing. Hard to say if they were actually teamed up in a concerted effort to ward off would-be looters, but the cops certainly sanctioned this set-up, unofficially at best.

This connects to later that same night ... when the same man -- who allegedly shot at multiple people, and killed two -- ran up to and eventually past these same armored vehicles, and wasn't stopped or apprehended. If anything, they seemed to recognize him.

"Ink Master" star Daniel Silva has just been sentenced in his criminal case involving the death of his friend, YouTube star Corey La Barrie, but he won't be spending much longer behind bars.

Silva was sentenced Tuesday to 4 years in state prison but that sentence is suspended. He did, however, get 365 days in county jail with 216 days of credit. He's also getting 5 years of probation and 250 hours of community service.

His attorney, Mike Cavalluzzi, tells TMZ ... Daniel believes the sentence is fair, and in serving the probation there is a chance the charge can be reduced to a misdemeanor in the future. Cavalluzzi added, "It's important to Daniel to work with Corey's family to make sure the memory of his friend is never forgotten."

As we first reported ... Silva pled no contest to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence last month. As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to drop the 2nd-degree murder charge ... this according to the L.A. County D.A.'s Office. Cavalluzzi was confident Daniel would beat the murder charge following the fatal crash of a McLaren sports car back in May.

TMZ broke the story ... Daniel was busted and charged with 2nd-degree murder after Corey died from injuries in a car wreck just hours after they left Corey's 25th birthday party. Corey was a passenger in the car. We were told Daniel was seen drinking before getting behind the wheel of the car.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been found GUILTY of a number of charges stemming from a massive brawl in Greece last week.

The 27-year-old superstar defender was vacationing with family in Mykonos late last Thursday when a fight broke out on the beach over allegations his sister was injected with a "rape drug."

Officers in plainclothes tried to break up the scuffle ... but ended up injured in the process, according to law enforcement.

At the time of the arrest, Maguire allegedly told cops, "Do you know who I am? I am the captain of Manchester United. I am very rich, I can give you money, I can pay you, please let us go."

Maguire was held in custody for nearly 2 days before being released on Saturday.

On Tuesday (apparently, the courts move super quick there) Maguire was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery ... resulting in a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days.

Man. U released a statement ... saying, "Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence."

The team added ... "It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare."

Police in America don't hesitate to shoot and kill Black people in a confrontation because they consistently get away with it ... that's what Jacob Blake's family lawyer, Ben Crump, thinks anyway.

The civil rights attorney -- who's also representing the families of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others -- is going to work for Blake now as well, after the 29-year-old father was shot in the back 7 times by a white cop in Kenosha, WI.

Crump tells us the family's been assured by the Governor's office that an independent and unbiased investigation into the shooting will be launched ... but he says Kenosha residents are understandably skeptical.

Crump cites a pattern of cops killing Black people -- not just in Kenosha, but throughout the history of the U.S. -- and facing zero consequences ... to the point where it's become totally normalized.

That's why, according to Crump, we continue to see white officers pulling the trigger on people of color ... even when they know everything is recorded these days.

Crump adds that this isn't just a police issue ... it's a cultural pattern of condoning mistreatment of Black people that starts at the top, and continues to manifest itself in what he refers to as the "intellectual justification of discrimination."

As you know, Blake's story is just the latest example of an unarmed Black person being shot or killed by cops. The alarming trend has finally sparked massive outrage and nationwide protests against police brutality and racism this summer.

Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill has regrets about going to the NBA Bubble -- saying he feels helpless to take real action in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.

“It’s just sickening. It’s heartless. It’s a f*cked up situation,” Hill said after defeating the Orlando Magic in Monday's playoff game.

"You’re supposed to look at the police to protect and serve. Now, it’s looked at harass or shoot."

When asked what the Bucks organization and players can do -- since the shooting took place in Kenosha, WI (about 45 minutes from their home arena) -- Hill didn't hold back his thoughts.

"We can’t do anything. First of all, we shouldn’t have even came to this damn place, to be honest. I think coming here just took all the focal points off what the issues are."

Hill continued, "But, we’re here, so it is what it is,” Hill said. “We can’t do anything from right here, but I think definitely when it’s all settled, some things have to be done."

A group of Black activists were shot at -- and apparently hit at least once -- by a gun-toting Pennsylvania home-owner with a long-range rifle.

Activist Frank Nitty documented the incident on social media live Monday night, when he and several other protesters were marching/caravanning from Milwaukee to D.C. ... and stopped through a town in PA along the way, where things got deathly scary in a flash.

In Frank's video, you see he and other fellow marchers making their way through what appears to be an open residential street ... when, all of a sudden, you hear a loud shot ring out somewhere from a relatively close distance. It sounds almost like a sniper rifle round.

The video is a bit jumbled, but for a brief moment ... you can see the camera aimed at a house across the road with at least two to three men staring down the group. One of the men appears to be holding a long object in his arms, perhaps a firearm.

You hear one other gunshot and then you hear screaming and chaos. One of the marches can be heard telling the men they're leaving and that there's no need to get violent.

Frank and the rest of his group jump into vehicles that were accompanying them and race to the hospital. In a separate video, you can see him holding somebody in the car who appears to have a bloodied shirt. They arrive to the hospital and end up talking to cops about it.

Jacob Blake was shot 7 times by a white cop for the "crime" of being black ... so says Jacob's uncle, who's deeply distraught over what went down in Kenosha, WI.

Justin Blake tells TMZ ... the police officer who shot his nephew has absolutely no justification for what he did, and he should be charged with attempted murder.

Jacob's uncle says Jacob's 3 kids -- who were in the car when their dad was shot -- are severely traumatized and in the care of relatives. They don't really understand what happened, but they know their dad was hurt badly.

Justin says he's been at the hospital with Jacob's mother, sister and close relatives, but they were not able to see him because he underwent surgery and was recovering.

Justin says cops were called to the scene for an altercation between 2 women, and Jacob was trying to break it up ... which is how he got mixed up with the police.

As Earl Thomas deals with his own drama on the football field ... his wife is gearing up for a big hearing in her domestic violence case.

According to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, Nina Thomas' next court date on the matter is set for Sept. 3 in Texas at 1:30 PM CT.

Of course, there's a possibility the hearing could be pushed to a later date -- but the fact that it's on the calendar means, for now, the case is still very much alive.

We broke the story, Nina is accused of storming an Airbnb home in Texas and holding Earl at gunpoint after she allegedly caught him cheating.

But, the pretrial process has moved at a snail's pace ... with several hearings on the matter having already been pushed due to COVID-19.

For now, next week's hearing is still on ... although it's unclear if any resolution will come from the court date.

As we previously reported, it doesn't seem Earl wants to move forward with charges regardless ... he said in a video statement shortly after the incident that he and Nina have been talking, adding, "Stuff like this happens."

Nina also bought Earl a new diamond chain for his birthday back in May ... which the NFL player thanked her for publicly on social media.

Jacob Blake was in some sort of a tussle with police officers before breaking free and trying to walk away ... and before one of those cops fired 7 shots into his back.

New footage has emerged of the moments leading up to Blake being shot this weekend in Kenosha, WI -- and it shows a different angle than the viral clip captured from a home across the street. This time, the camera's rolling just a few yards away.

The angle depicts what was happening shortly before Blake stood up and walked around the side of his car and opened the door ... and then ultimately getting fired upon at point-blank range. While it's a bit hard to fully make out, you can clearly see a struggle between Blake and officers. Nonetheless, he's unarmed and unthreatening as his back is turned to the cop who repeatedly shoots him.

The full official details about what led up to the shooting are still hazy, but it appears Blake was already involved in some sort of altercation with police. Reports say witnesses claimed he was breaking up a fight between two females, nothing more.

The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while an investigation continues. Meanwhile, protests have erupted ... and more violence has broken out.

A group of teenagers broke into a New Jersey petting zoo and ran amok ... and cops say they turned the place upside down in the middle of the night and cruelly put lipstick on one of the animals.

Cops in Wyckoff, NJ say at least six teens illegally made their way onto Abma's Farm this weekend around 10 PM or so, well after business hours. The family that lives there and runs the place says they heard commotion outside, and ran out to see what was going on.

They claim they encountered a number of adolescents on the grounds in different animal pens. The family members say they tried chasing them down, but all the kids got away.

Afterward, the owner says he was sent a photo of a blonde girl riding one of his miniature donkeys, with her full weight on it ... and a Snapchat filter that read, "Abma's Farm." It also appears one of their ponies received a makeover ... with lipstick applied to its mouth.

The facility claims the kids also released a bunch of animals from their confined areas and interacted with the livestock in ways that were dangerous ... leaving the creatures frazzled after the fact. Luckily, Abma's Farm says all their animals are accounted for.

The place remained closed Monday as a vet went through and checked up on all of the 60 or so of the animals on the premises. Abma's Farm seemed irate in the Facebook post, saying this wasn't just teenage hijinks and pranks ... it was outright disrespectful and criminal.

Scott Peterson just got a big break, because the California Supreme Court has reversed his death penalty sentence for murdering his wife and unborn child.

The Court ruled the trial judge in the case erred by dismissing prospective jurors who opposed the death penalty but claimed they could still follow the law and impose it if the evidence so warranted.

The State's high court ruled unanimously ... opposition to the death penalty alone is not grounds to dismiss prospective jurors. They can be dismissed if they won't follow the law, but some people with strong opinions still have the capacity to follow the judge's instructions.

Peterson killed his wife, 27-year-old Laci Peterson, and their unborn son, Connor. Laci was 8 months pregnant when she and Connor were murdered on Xmas eve, 2002.

Protests that erupted over the police shooting of Jacob Blake -- the unarmed Black man who was shot 7 times in the back by a white police officer -- have triggered even more violence.

A Kenosha, WI police officer was struck in the temple with some sort of projectile ... which people on scene say was a brick. In the 40-second clip, you see the cop with a few of his fellow officers surrounded by protesters near their police cruiser, which appears to be under siege and near a fire.

The cops chase off some of the crowd, but eventually, someone breaks one of the car windows ... and as the officer in question runs to check it out, something strikes him hard in the head that was hurled off-camera ... knocking him out cold.

You hear someone say he got "bricked" and then more people scurry over to condemn the cops as the officers pull the man aside and try tending to him. It's a tense scene.

The protests are reactions to what certainly appears to be an outrageous use of excessive force/police brutality when a cop shot Jacob 7 times in the back when he was not threatening and was unarmed.

The unrest is a microcosm of what's been going on over the past 24 hours in Kenosha and surrounding areas -- reports of cops in riot gear facing off with civilians were aplenty, as were accounts of vehicles set ablaze and storefronts and other buildings vandalized.

A white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin opened fire on an unarmed Black man who was simply walking away from him -- shooting him point-blank seven times ... and it's all on video.

The officer-involved shooting went down Sunday near 40th and 28th Avenue -- where witnesses say the victim was simply breaking up a fight when cops were called to the scene. It's unclear what unfolded from there, but this video captures the crucial 20 seconds.

You see the man walking away from a few officers ... who appear to be telling him to stop, with guns drawn. He makes his away around a car in a nonthreatening manner, he opens the door and attempts to get inside. One of the cops grabs hold of his shirt, and for some inexplicable reason, he unloads seven rounds at arm's length. The victim was flown to a hospital and has been listed as being in serious condition.

Protests are now growing by the minute. Many are demanding the swift arrest of the officer who fired the shots.

While the situation is still very fluid, it seems an outright inexcusable act of police brutality. Even if the man was disobeying orders, he was nonviolent, nonthreatening, unarmed and there was no attempt to subdue him in the vehicle.

According to reports on the ground, the state Department of Justice is already taking over the investigation. Kenosha PD, for its part, says officers on the scene provided immediate aid -- but also note that they instantly transferred the case to outside agencies.

Cops fired flash-bang explosives into a crowd of protesters Saturday night in Lafayette, Louisiana ... this after Trayford Pellerin died being shot 11 times at a gas station.

The protest/vigil was held at the Shell gas station where 31-year-old Trayford Pellerin's life ended. He had allegedly been holding a knife as cops followed him. Police say they tased Pellerin, but he continued to walk toward the convenience store with a knife, and when he approached the door, they shot him.

What police didn't explain ... why 11 shots? Could they have disabled him with one shot so he couldn't enter the convenience store? So far, the PD has not addressed this point.

Around 150 people were at the station, when Lafayette Parish Sheriff's deputies wearing riot gear formed a line to block the protesters.

The protesters chanted, "Hands up, don't shoot," and at a point deputies fired their flash-bang explosives at the crowd.

A police officer caught on camera shooting and killing a fenced-in dog on its own property after it tangled with her own K-9 through a gate ... and the footage is horrible.

This incident was captured on a home security cam somewhere in Detroit, and it shows a medium-sized white pooch on his property behind a fence, following a cop and her K-9 walking on the sidewalk ... until they reach the end, and the two dogs get into it.

From the looks of the clip, it appears the cop did not have control of her dog ... and its snout gets latched onto by the white one through the rails. Rather than try to pull her dog away -- or literally anything else at all -- the officer is seen pulling out a weapon of some sort and discharging it right in the white dog's face.

People online are claiming she shot it with her gun, and that the dog died. Before that, however, you can see it twitching violently on the ground as other officers surround the scene. The video cuts shortly after that.

At a bare minimum, the cop is in clear violation of the leash law ... the dog was on a leash, but the officer did not adequately control the animal by keeping it away from the fence.

But, it's already catching national attention -- ex-Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro is demanding answers and accountability ... as are many others.

The Georgia police officer who used his Taser on a Black woman and continued to use what many consider excessive force afterward is now without a job ... according to his bosses.

Officer Michael Oxford was terminated this week from his job at the Gwinnett County Police Dept. after viral video surfaced showing him tasing and forcibly arresting an African-American woman on her front porch while surrounded by family members.

GCPD says they canned Oxford Friday for conduct they considered to go against their core values -- even though they do say he was technically in the right to try and arrest the woman, Kyndesia Smith. She was reported as a potential suspect who'd allegedly vandalized a neighbor's car and threatened them and their kid ... Oxford responded to check it out.

The department writes that while Oxford did have probable cause to detain and arrest Smith for obstruction of a law enforcement officer, they disagreed with how he went about doing it ... despite them saying his use of force was within their policy. Seemingly contradictory, but the bottom line here ... he didn't take the proper steps to try and keep the peace.

GCPD says their investigation looked into whether proper de-escalation techniques were used and whether Oxford had violated their standards in handling things. They add, "Our policy states that each member of this department shall consider it his or her duty to be of service to the general public and to render that service in a kind, considerate, and patient manner." Basically, they're saying he went above and beyond to be a jerk.

Another telling line from the department ... "One of our core values is courtesy. We strive to conduct ourselves in a manner that promotes mutual respect with the community and our peers." They went on to say that Oxford simply didn't meet that, so they cut him loose.