Legal

An ex-Virginia Tech women's soccer star is suing her former coach ... claiming she was benched, berated and ultimately forced off the team because she refused to kneel.

Kiersten Hening -- a 21-year-old midfielder/defender who played for the Hokies from 2018 to 2020 -- spelled it all out in a federal lawsuit filed last month ... saying her former head coach, Charles "Chugger" Adair, straight-up hated her political views.

In the docs, Hening claims at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement last summer ... she had differing opinions on social justice protests than most on her Hokies team.

Hening said in her suit that she "supports social justice and believes that black lives matter," but claimed she "does not support BLM the organization."

In the docs, Hening said she disagrees with BLM's "tactics and core tenets of its mission statement, including defunding the police."

As a result, Hening says she was subject to ridicule from Adair ... which only grew louder after she refused to participate in a pregame kneeling demonstration on Sept. 12, 2020.

Hening claims many of her teammates knelt before their match with Virginia during a reading of a "unity statement" ... but she remained standing, and insists she was ultimately singled out for it.

Hening says at halftime of the game, Adair unloaded on her, claiming he "verbally attacked her."

Hening claims Adair pointed a finger "directly in her face" and denounced her for "'bitching and moaning,' for being selfish and individualistic, and for 'doing her own thing.'"

Hening says Adair continued to target her in the ensuing days with verbal rants, and ultimately benched her. She says things got so "intolerable that she felt compelled" to eventually leave the team.

Hening is now suing for undisclosed damages claiming her constitutional rights have been violated. She also wants the judge to order Adair to get training on the First Amendment and let her back on the team.

Hening had been one of the best players on Virginia Tech's squad ... she started 19 games as a true freshman in 2018 and 18 more as a sophomore in 2019.

The infamous Palm Beach mansion where Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted many of his young victims has been reduced to rubble.

The demolition came 5 months after Florida real estate developer Todd Michael Glaser inked a deal to buy the waterfront property for $18.5 mil. He vowed to obliterate the 14,000 square-foot mansion.

Proceeds from the sale will go to a Victims' Compensation Program, which will distribute the funds to some of Epstein's victims. Epstein had been locked up in a Manhattan federal jail for sex trafficking when he killed himself behind bars back in August, 2019.

Palm Beach real estate broker Lawrence A. Moens told the Palm Beach Daily News he only got involved "to ensure it would be wiped off the map of Palm Beach."

The injuries Sterling Brown suffered during a violent attack outside a Miami strip club this week were MUCH worse than originally reported -- he was rushed to the emergency room while bleeding profusely and some teammates feared for his life.

It's all spelled out in a bombshell report by The Athletic ... which details how the Houston Rockets player was badly beaten outside the Booby Trap strip club in Miami early Monday morning.

According to the report, Brown accidentally got in the wrong vehicle on the way out of the club -- and the people inside didn't take too kindly to the mix-up.

The men reportedly launched a vicious attack on Brown -- cracking him in the head with a liquor bottle ... which opened up gashes all over his face.

Brown's teammate, Kevin Porter, Jr., reportedly took action and tried to rescue Brown ... but suffered his own injuries in the process. Porter's injuries were minor ... and he ended up playing Monday night.

Brown, on the other hand, is still in very bad shape -- one source told The Athletic, "His face is jacked up."

Brown required "multiple heavy stitching jobs for his facial injuries," according to the Athletic -- which describes the scene at the hospital this way, "blood was everywhere."

One source summed it up this way ... "If he hadn’t been as physically strong and tough, he might not have made it out of the situation ... He could have died.”

Despite the severity of the injuries, Brown has since been discharged from the hospital ... and has returned to Houston for more treatment.

The former North Carolina cop captured on video hanging a K-9 by its leash will not face criminal charges for the horrifying incident that already cost him his job.

The Rowan County District Attorney’s Office just announced its decision not to bring charges against James Hampton, the former officer who came under fire last month when video surfaced showing him manhandling the hell out of Zuul, the police dog with which he was partnered.

The D.A. says a review of the incident didn't turn up enough evidence to warrant criminal charges, but they admit the optics for Hampton don't look great. In fact, the D.A. added that while the video might show a "bad act," and a controversial one that violates police procedures ... that doesn't mean they had sufficient evidence of a crime.

During its investigation, the D.A.'s Office interviewed Hampton's fellow officers, who said Zuul was disciplined incorrectly, but they didn’t believe Hampton acted with malice or bad intent -- despite the video evidence.

The D.A. also says Hampton's former supervisor said he loved his previous K-9s, and paid thousands out of his own pocket for veterinary bills.

Jacob Blake's reaction to Derek Chauvin being found guilty of George Floyd's murder is joy for Floyd's family, admiration for the people who fought for the verdict ... and hope that it's the first big step in changing the world for the better.

Blake -- who's paralyzed after a Kenosha, Wisconsin cop shot him -- told TMZ he's "extremely happy" justice was served in Floyd's death, and gives shout-outs to everyone who helped ensure the outcome ... family, friends, lawyers, advocates, protesters and the judge and jury in Chauvin's trial.

Jacob says of Chauvin being convicted of murder, "We got one ... let's get the rest of 'em."

Though Blake's elated over the outcome, he's mindful there's a long way to go when it comes to police brutality, adding ... "Y'all gotta stop killing us. You have to. If you don't, this world ain't gonna last."

As you know ... stories of police brutality and fatal shootings have definitely not stopped after George Floyd's death, and Blake's shooting in August was another lightning rod situation that sparked mass protests and criticism of policing in America.

The world would know nothing of George Floyd's death without the civilian video showing his murder at the hands of then-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin ... so say George's brother and family attorney.

Philonise Floyd and Ben Crump joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and we asked if they believe Floyd's murderer would still be on the police force if 17-year-old Darnella Frazier hadn't stopped and hit record on her camera phone.

Philonise says his brother would be "just another dead man" if not for Darnella's video, which Crump says has been viewed over 50 million times around the world.

Crump believes Derek Chauvin may never have been prosecuted without the shocking footage, because as he points out ... police departments often try to sweep critical details under the rug in cases like George's, or omit them completely.

Before Darnella posted the video of what really happened, the initial police report made no mention of Chauvin pressing his knee on George's neck for over 9 minutes ... and Crump says the teen is the unsung hero in the Floyd family's fight for justice.

In the end, Darnella's video was crucial in the family getting some justice with Chauvin's guilty verdict, which Philonise tells us was bittersweet.

It's a powerful conversation ... and Crump tells us why the upcoming trial of the other officers involved in Floyd's fatal arrest could be enormously significant in terms of police reform.

Cops in Louisiana are on the hunt for Aldon Smith ... they say the new Seahawks pass rusher committed 2nd-degree battery at a coffee shop in the New Orleans area on Saturday.

According to a wanted bulletin from the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, Smith allegedly committed the crime while at the French Press Coffee House near Home Depot in Chalmette.

Officials say the entire incident was captured on video, according to WDSU in New Orleans.

Cops added in the bulletin, "The subject does not have a local address but has relatives in the New Orleans Area. Subject was last observed in a white in color Nissan sedan with an unknown license plate."

Smith is no stranger to trouble with the law ... he's been arrested multiple times in the past few years -- though he had famously cleaned up his life and rejoined the NFL last season.

31-year-old Smith was a star for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 ... recording five sacks and two fumble recoveries.

He just signed a one-year contract last week to play for the Seahawks in the 2021 season.

Story developing ...

George Floyd's family getting justice -- with Derek Chauvin being found guilty of murder -- is providing a morale boost for Daunte Wright's family, even as they prepare for a very difficult day.

Daunte's aunt, Naisha Wright, tells TMZ ... with Tuesday's verdict, she feels like real change has begun in this country, and Daunte's loved ones are feeling more confident they will also get justice for his killing at the hands of police.

Naisha says there's a major parallel in the 2 cases, in that Floyd's killing was a cold-blooded murder that people across the world witnessed on video ... and she believes her nephew's killing is the same situation.

She says now that they've seen Floyd's family get justice, it's helping lift their spirits as they prepare to lay Daunte to rest. The 20-year-old's wake is being held Wednesday, and the funeral will be on Thursday -- it's obviously a very heavy time, but Naisha tells us the Floyd family has been incredibly supportive throughout this tragedy.

She says the Floyds are truly an amazing family and even though it's sad they had to meet under these circumstances ... she's happy they've been there for the Wrights.

As we've reported ... Daunte was killed last week during a traffic stop in Minnesota by ex-Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter. Potter fatally shot Daunte as he was trying to get back into his car, but claims she meant to fire her Taser.

Potter resigned after the incident and was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter shortly afterward.

Derek Chauvin's conviction was a stunning statement by a diverse jury that brutalizing a citizen will even get cops punished, but it's critical to know how close Chauvin came to getting away with it.

The way these cases have gone in the past ... the police department issues a statement, and if there's no citizen-generated video, it's often the end of it. In Chauvin's case, the initial police report -- written before any video surfaced -- made absolutely no mention of his conduct ... cutting off George Floyd's air supply for more than 9 minutes.

The Minneapolis PD issued a statement after Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, passing his death off as a "medical incident."

The day after Floyd's death, the PD put out a statement, saying police responded to a "forgery in progress" and advised the suspect "was sitting on top of a blue car and appeared to be under the influence."

The statement goes on ... "Two officers arrived and located the suspect, a male believed to be in his 40s, in his car.  He was ordered to step from his car. After he got out, he physically resisted officers. Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress. Officers called for an ambulance. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center by ambulance where he died a short time later." It went on to say "At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident."

The statement notes there was body cam video, but there was no mention of what it showed.

MPD eventually updated their release to call it a "critical incident" and to say that as more info became available, it'd been determined the FBI was going to get involved.

The case flew under the radar until Darnella Frazier posted video of what REALLY happened. There was a clear cover-up by cops who never said anything about Chauvin's knee, and we may never have known what really happened if it weren't for 17-year-old Darnella and her cellphone.

Remember ... Chauvin had issues with excessive force on the PD before he encountered George Floyd, yet he remained on the force and he might still be a cop if it weren't for Frazier's video.

This is Derek Chauvin ahead of his first night in jail as a convicted murderer ... he had his new mug shot taken Tuesday evening after he was led out of court in handcuffs.

Chauvin is being held in Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office checked him into the jail -- which he'll call home, until sentencing in about 8 weeks -- around 5 PM Tuesday, immediately after he was found guilty of murdering George Floyd.

We know Chauvin prepped to make at least one phone call after arriving at the jail -- TMZ broke the story, Chauvin scribbled the phone number for Eric Nelson, his defense attorney, on the palm of his left hand. The smudged pen marks were visible on his hand as the bailiff led him out of the courtroom.

Chauvin posed for his first mug when he was arrested for the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

Peloton's Tread+ treadmill is a killer machine ... literally, according to a new class-action lawsuit filed by a woman who claims the fitness equipment is utterly unsafe for anyone with kids ... or even pets.

In the suit, Shannon Albright says Peloton's $4,295 treadmill is marketed as a device that'll give you "Your hardest training session" on "Your softest road" thanks to a shock-absorbing belt that's built with 59 individual slats.

Shannon's issue is that, although Peloton does have warnings on the machine ... she feels they're not sufficient to alert customers to the true danger -- which is that the treadmill's design allegedly makes it "extremely susceptible" to children and pets getting trapped underneath the machine.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Albright claims some customers have had "children approach the machine, out of eyesight of the parent, and those children [have] been trapped and injured by the Tread+ machine.”

The lawsuit mentions at least one child has died as a result of the Tread+ ... and at least several dozen more have been injured. Albright claims injuries range from bruising and abrasion to broken bones, permanent brain injury and death.

What's more ... Albright claims Peloton has essentially ignored the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s warning that directs consumers to "stop using the Peloton Tread+ if there are small children or pets at home." There's even a video apparently showing 2 kids playing on the Tread+ and one child getting trapped.

Albright claims Peloton has known or should have known about its defective machine ... so she's trying to form a class action and is suing for more than $5 million in damages.

Antonio Brown's rep claims the NFL star has struck a settlement with the woman who sued him for sexual assault back in 2019 -- insisting, "The dispute is resolved."

In her original lawsuit, Britney Taylor -- who worked for AB as a personal trainer -- alleged Brown sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, including a violent rape in 2018.

Taylor claimed she was so traumatized from the alleged incidents she "had near-daily panic attacks, frequent suicidal ideations, and insomnia."

Brown had denied the allegations -- with his attorney claiming, "Any sexual interaction with Mr. Brown was entirely consensual."

Now, Brown's rep, Alana Burstyn, claims the saga is over ... the two have reached some sort of settlement and the insinuation is Taylor will drop her lawsuit against the NFL star.

Burstyn is not revealing the details of the agreement -- however, she issued a statement explaining the situation ...

"Antonio and Britney have been friends for over a decade. Several years ago they almost became business partners. Recently, they were involved in aggressive litigation."

"Having reflected on their relationship, both feel that the time has come to move on. Antonio is grateful for Britney’s excellent training assistance. They are pleased that Antonio is doing so well with the Bucs and has a ring. Their dispute is resolved and they wish each other great continued success."

Story developing ...

TMZ now knows what was on Derek Chauvin's hand ... he wanted to make sure he had his lawyer's phone number in case he was convicted and sent directly to jail.

Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, tells TMZ, his client wrote the number ahead of the conviction, because the convicted former cop knew if the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder he'd almost certainly have his bail revoked and he'd be remanded to custody.

Chauvin clearly knew given his former profession, he would have limited access to a phone but would be allowed to call his lawyer ... thus the scribble on his left hand. Chauvin has been in court many times, so he clearly knew a conviction would lead to swift incarceration, with no opportunity to speak to his lawyer in court after the verdict.

Nelson didn't say what the nature of such a call might be, but clearly, Chauvin wanted to discuss the next steps with his attorney. There are issues of sentencing and appeal that the defense will certainly address.

We're guessing Chauvin wrote the phone number on his hand because he was concerned if he wrote it on a piece of paper it might be confiscated when he was booked into jail.

Swae Lee is finally hearing from his brother facing a first-degree murder charge in his father's death ... and TMZ has the first look at their phone call from jail, and it's powerful.

The rapper and his mother, Bernadette Walker, got super emotional as they dialed up her son, Michael Sullivan, as he sits in a Mississippi jail and asked about the night in January 2020 when Swae's stepfather -- who helped raise him -- was gunned down.

The emotional jail phone call is part of Swae's new docuseries on Snapchat, "Swae Meets World," which premiered last Saturday and features Swae talking about his stepfather's death on camera for the first time.

Michael, who suffers from a mental illness requiring medication, tells Swae what was going through his head the night his father, Floyd Sullivan Jr., died ... and it sounds pretty intense.

TMZ broke the story ... Swae and Slim Jxmmi's half-brother was arrested for murder the day after their stepfather was shot to death, and Michael's been charged with murder and is facing life in prison if convicted.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris just reacted to the guilty verdict that was handed down in the Derek Chauvin murder trial ... and they say it's a catalyst for ending systemic racism.

Biden says he told George Floyd's daughter, Gianna, her father "changed the world" ... and he's calling on Americans to unite behind the guilty verdict and help make the country a better place where folks don't have reason to fear law enforcement.

POTUS says Floyd's murder in broad daylight ripped the blinders off and allowed the world to see the systemic racism rooted in America ... and Biden says the verdict is a step towards changing the country's trajectory.

Harris says the guilty verdict offers a bit of relief, but it can't bring back Floyd or take away his family's pain ... and she says now's the time to reform policing in America.

In the courthouse hallway moments after the verdict, Biden called the Floyd family and expressed his feelings that justice was served.

As you know by now, a Minneapolis jury just found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder and third-degree murder for killing Floyd during his arrest on May 25, 2020. Chauvin was also found guilty of second-degree manslaughter.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Prez commented that he had checked in on Floyd's family and told them he was "praying the verdict is the right verdict." He also called the Chauvin case "overwhelming."

The Chauvin verdict does not mean the overwhelming nature of the case is over ... as the 3 other officers involved in Floyd's arrest are due to stand trial soon as well.

Chauvin was booked at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights, he was booked at 4:55pm local time.

George Floyd's family attorney, Ben Crump, is introducing George's family members ... who are about to speak about the verdict as well.

Earlier, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with several other members of the prosecution team, addressed the media about the Chauvin verdict.

Rev. Al Sharpton also spoke and delivered a prayer, praising God for justice being served.

Derek Chauvin -- the former Minneapolis officer who pressed his knee on George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes during his fatal arrest on May 25, 2020 -- has been found guilty of 2nd-degree murder.

The jury delivered the verdict after more than 10 hours of deliberation. The maximum penalty for 2nd-degree unintentional murder is 40 years in prison. Sentencing will be handed down in 8 weeks. Chauvin's bail was revoked and he was remanded into custody.

The jury also found Chauvin guilty of 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter, but the 2nd degree takes precedence since it was the highest charge.

The Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, tweeted just minutes after the verdict was read, "GUILTY! Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyd’s family. This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!"

Crump continues, "We thank AG Keith Ellison & his team, along with our legal team, for fierce dedication to justice. But it does not end here. We still have work to do! We must pass George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to hold police accountable & prevent unjustified killings of marginalized POC."

The decision came after the jury heard from 38 prosecution witnesses, including the Minneapolis Police Chief and use-of-force experts who criticized Chauvin ... and medical experts who explained Floyd died from more than 9 minutes of pressure from Chauvin's knee.

The defense called 7 witnesses, but Chauvin did not take the stand himself as he invoked his 5th Amendment right.

Chauvin was the first of the officers involved in Floyd's arrest to stand trial for the incident. He was charged with killing Floyd less than a week after video of him pressing his knee into Floyd's neck spread like wildfire online, and sparked nationwide protests and riots.

Chauvin's main defense in the case was that Floyd allegedly died from drugs and a heart condition and not from the ex-cop's actions. Chauvin's lawyers claimed Floyd "put drugs in his mouth" to conceal them when confronted by cops, and the drugs exacerbated his heart condition and caused his death.

But, prosecutors insisted drug use was a bogus defense, and Floyd was killed by Chauvin's unforgiving knee ... which he held to Floyd's neck as he struggled to breathe for more than 9 minutes.

Several witnesses supported the prosecution's theory, including Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, who took the stand to testify Chauvin's actions "absolutely" violated police policy.

Chauvin, however, defended his actions at the time by telling a witness he and the other cops had to stay on top of Floyd to control him because he's a "sizable guy" and because he was "probably on something."

During the trial, a couple paramedics testified Floyd's heart had already stopped by the time they arrived on scene. The ER doctor who pronounced Floyd dead at the hospital testified he believed oxygen deficiency was "one of the more likely" causes of his death.

Floyd's family already got a measure of justice when the City of Minneapolis settled a wrongful death lawsuit, agreeing to pay the family $27 million.