Police

Protests over the brutal slaying of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police boiled over in NYC Friday night, but overall the demonstrations were peaceful across the country.

Check out this footage -- a man standing on the hood of an NYPD vehicle in Times Square packed with demonstrators marching against the 5 fired Memphis cops now charged with Tyre's recorded on-camera murder.

He stomps and punches the windshield, crushing the glass. Cops quickly swarm him, throwing him to the ground and cuffing him. Protesters gather around and film the arrest, repeatedly telling the officers ... "Easy, don't hurt him."

NYPD heard the message loud and clear ... the officers led the man through the crowd, asking people to back away so they could get through.

The suspect was booked for criminal mischief. Two women were also arrested -- one for making graffiti on a police car (not clear what she wrote) and the other for assaulting a cop.

More protests formed in cities across the country, including Washington D.C., Boston, Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta and Memphis, where Tyre was killed. But they were all largely peaceful.

Al Sharpton went in on the fired Memphis police officers accused of murdering Tyre Nichols, saying the fact the 5 ex-cops are all Black makes the situation even worse.

We caught up with the Reverend on Friday outside NBC Studios in NYC ... and he didn't mince words after the release of police body cam footage showing Tyre's deadly assault.

The Rev told us ... "I want to make it clear: these five officers are Black does not make it less. In fact, it's more egregious that some black cops in a town where MLK gave his life, that's where he was killed, would do this is outrageous."

Of course, Al was referring to the fatal shooting of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, TN, on April 4, 1968. James Earl Ray confessed to the murder and died of liver disease in prison.

What's more, the Rev said the ex-officers did a disservice to Black people trying to change the justice system from within ... "We fought to get them on the [police] force to correct the force, not to do this."

He also took a swipe at Congress for failing to pass into law the 2021 George Floyd Act, which would have increased accountability for police misconduct.

The Rev said ... "I put this at the feet of those that would not vote for federal law after George Floyd, there were no laws changed!"

Floyd, as you know, was infamously killed in 2020 by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of the homicide and sentenced to decades behind bars.

Al wrapped things up by urging anyone protesting in Tyre's name not to engage in violence. He said if they do riot it will only help the accused officers defend themselves in the criminal case.

Tyre Nichols' mother can't bring herself to watch the video of Memphis police beating her son so badly he ended up dying in a hospital -- she says it would just be too painful.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Nichols family, tells TMZ ... Tyre's mother, RowVaughn Wells, is still not interested in watching the police body cam footage ... even though it was released Friday to the public.

We're told Tyre's mom is glad the video is out now, so folks can see what really happened ... but she just can't bear to see it herself -- just as she didn't when it was first made available to the family. Ben says she probably never will watch it.

As we reported ... the video is every bit as disturbing as Tyre's family and law enforcement described, and it all started with a traffic stop Jan. 7 in Memphis.

In the footage, you see officers wail on Tyre as he screams for his mom -- punching him in the face, kicking him in the head, using pepper spray and even beating him with a baton.

After a massive struggle, cops got Tyre in handcuffs and sat him up against a police car -- Tyre writhes in pain for nearly 20 minutes before he's given medical assistance.

Following a vicious beating from cops, Tyre complained he was having shortness of breath and he was rushed to a hospital, where he died 3 days later.

While gruesome, Crump says Tyre's mom thinks it's extremely important for the world to see how police treated her son ... and she hopes the video prevents a similar tragedy from happening to another family.

The video's already being linked to the beating of Rodney King way back in 1991 ... and we're told Tyre's mom understands the footage is triggering for many, and she's preparing to be flooded with calls.

The 5 Memphis police officers involved in the incident -- Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith -- have already been fired and charged with second-degree murder.

One thing Tyre's mom doesn't want to get glossed over ... the incident isn't just a hashtag for her ... her son is dead.

Memphis police just released the graphic body cam footage from Tyre Nichols' brutal arrest -- and the video is every bit as disturbing as Tyre's family and law enforcement have described it.

In the clips, pulled from both body cam and overhead cameras, you see officers swarm Tyre -- demanding he get down and give up his hands. Although he's laying on his side with an officer on top of him, he's hesitant to lie flat on his stomach.

One officer threatens to deploy his Taser, and after about a minute-long struggle ... Tyre gets up to start running, and one of the cops fires his Taser, but he gets away.

About 7 minutes later, they catch up to Tyre in a residential neighborhood, and this is when it gets brutal. While he's pinned to the ground -- reportedly about 100 yards from his family's home -- Tyre repeatedly yells, "Mom!!!"

Then one officer kicks him twice, and another yells, "Watch out, I'mma baton the f**k out you," and then strikes Tyre twice before they pull him up on his feet.

While 2 officers are holding him with his hands behind his back ... another punches Tyre 5 times with a closed fist, sending him back down to his knees again.

Eventually, officers get Tyre handcuffed, put him up against a police cruiser and he writhes in pain for nearly 20 minutes before going limp.

As you know, the 5 Memphis PD officers stopped Tyre on Jan. 7 on suspicion of reckless driving ... but from the start, the cops were hyper-aggressive. Even the video does not make it clear why things got violent that quickly.

Once other officers show up to the scene, one of the cops involved in the beating says Tyre attempted to grab for another officer's gun -- causing them to unleash on him.

After the vicious beating ... Tyre was rushed to St. Francis Hospital because he was complaining he was short of breath. He was admitted in critical condition, and died in the hospital on January 10.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who's representing Tyre's family, reviewed the body cam footage with the family days before it was released, and likened the horrific scene to the beating of Rodney King in 1991.

The 5 Memphis police officers involved in the traffic stop -- Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith -- have been fired and charged with second-degree murder.

They also face additional charges of official misconduct, official oppression and aggravated kidnapping. Four of the 5 have posted bail and were released as of Friday morning.

Tyre's cause of death has not been released and the incident is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice.

The graphic footage of cops beating Tyre Nichols has Memphis City Council Chairman Martavius Jones at a loss for words, and instead, he was overcome with emotion on live TV.

CNN's Don Lemon interviewed Jones after the brutal police body cam footage was released to the public ... and Jones tells Don the video is especially hard to watch because everyone knows Tyre dies in the end.

That thought made it impossible for Jones to finish his sentence -- he broke down in tears, and needed a few minutes to compose himself.

As Don points out, lots of folks are having the same reaction to the video ... which shows cops punching, kicking and beating Tyre with a baton after pulling him over.

Tyre ended up in a hospital after the vicious beating ... and he died 3 days later.

Just as Tyre Nichols' death puts a spotlight on Memphis cops, the case of Keenan Anderson is doing the same in L.A. ... where his death has his family demanding changes in the way cops deploy Tasers.

Keenan's cousin happens to be Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, and she joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to discuss his fatal cardiac arrest ... suffered 4 hours after an LAPD officer tasered him multiple times.

Cops have already released body cam of the January 3rd incident, which Patrisse believes shows an abusive use of the taser -- she says Keenan was shocked by 52,000 volts for 42 seconds.

As an activist, and a concerned family member in this case, Patrisse started researching how many people die after getting zapped by a Taser ... and she says the data is alarming.

The Coroner's Office has yet to issue a cause of death for Keenan -- and while it's unclear if it played a role, LAPD's report on the incident says cocaine was found in his system.

For now, LAPD Chief Michael Moore says he's investigating and looking closely at the use of Tasers. Patrisse says LAPD hasn't had a policy regarding how long or often officers can safely deploy a Taser.

The family has filed a $50 million wrongful death suit against the city of Los Angeles. Ironically, Keenan had actually waved down police to help after he was involved in a car accident -- but Patrisse says armed officers aren't always necessary in cases like that.

Paul Pelosi's attacker cased the family's home before making a move inside, leading to a chilling 911 call from Paul where he subtly relayed to the operator he was in danger.

We've obtained additional footage from outside the Pelosi home in San Francisco from the night of the attack when David DePape broke in and struck Paul with a hammer. At first, DePape checks around the house, possibly looking for a way in.

A few minutes pass, and he returns with a bag ... pulling out a hammer and gloves. DePape doesn't waste a lot of time smashing the back door with his weapon and climbing inside.

The 911 call Paul made is equally as terrifying, you hear him try to stay calm -- without outright saying there was a problem -- it's clearly an attempt to keep DePape at bay.

He tells the operator his name, and states his friend is there but he doesn't know the "friend" as you can also hear DePape in the background. Paul then tells the operator he has to go, and that his "friend" really wants him to get off the phone.

In additional footage released Friday, you see cops find Pelosi and DePape at the door, Pelosi tries to wrestle the hammer away from the intruder -- but he strikes him in the head -- knocking Paul out cold before cops intervene.

Police body cam footage from Paul Pelosi's hammer-wielding home burglar attack has been released ... showing the 82-year-old getting struck in the head by a hammer.

The footage, released Friday, shows officers approach Paul and Nancy's home. Paul opens the door, standing next to his attacker, both men have their hands on the hammer in an effort to control it.

The attacker breaks away, holding the hammer, and immediately strikes Paul in the head with the weapon. Both men fall to the ground as police move into the house and take the attacker into custody. Paul is totally out cold from the impact.

As we reported, Paul was asleep at his San Francisco home in October when suspect David DePape broke in ... later telling the FBI he was planning on shattering the then-House Speaker's kneecaps because he thought she was a liar.

DePape allegedly brought zip ties, tape and rope for Nancy -- who was in D.C. during the attack.

Pelosi made a 911 call, reportedly speaking in codes to the operator while alerting them something was wrong. Cops said they saw Pelosi fighting with DePape over a hammer when they arrived, which is when he got hit in the head.

The suspect's been charged with attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, and threats to a public official and their family -- and, if convicted, he faces 13 years to life.

Since the attack, Paul's had successful brain surgery, and attended a few public events where he seemed to be well on his way to making a full recovery.

Attorney Ben Crump, representing Tyre Nichols' family, is detailing the horrors of the brutal beatdown he saw in body cam footage from the incident ... telling us what he expects will happen once it's released to the public Friday night.

Crump will join us on "TMZ Live" Friday, in a preview from his interview, he says police will provide multiple angles of the incident, as well as graphic audio ... calling the clip, which he watched privately with the Nichols family, heartbreaking.

He tells us officers disrespected Tyre constantly in the clip, despite the 29-year-old asking them if he can just go home -- Crump believes it'll instantly strike a chord across the country.

As for what's next, Crump thinks peaceful protests will go down in Memphis  -- but he digs deep into the rough comparison between these 5 Black officers getting arrested swiftly and countless investigations into similar situations with white officers dragging out.

As we reported, Crump likened the horror of Tyre's beating to that of Rodney King back in 1991 ... and the public believes a response in terms of protests could be similar, too.

Rodney King's daughter knows Tyre Nichols' family is going to be in a world of hurt for a long time once the world sees the extent of their loved one's fatal beating ... and she's offering some advice before the body cam footage is released.

Lora King tells TMZ the pain her family went through after her father was brutally beaten by cops was indescribable -- adding the whole thing continues playing on a loop in your head after seeing the video, as Tyre's family has.

While she's trying to offer them some guidance, she also notes nothing can really prepare them for just how heartbroken they'll be while going through the legal process, and watching the public's reaction.

Lora was only 7 years old when the police brutality against her dad sparked nationwide outrage, which eventually erupted with massive riots when the involved LAPD officers were acquitted.

King died in 2012 of an accidental drowning in his pool.

Attorney Ben Crump -- who is repping Tyre's family and saw the body cam video of the arrest -- called the clip "appalling" and "heinous" and likened it to the beating of Rodney King.

All 5 officers involved in Nichols' death were promptly fired, and on Thursday, arrested and charged with second degree murder. Each of them face additional charges that include official misconduct, official oppression and aggravated kidnapping.

As the nation braces for the release of the Memphis PD footage, and the possibility of social unrest ... Lora advises Tyre's family, "There's no way to be normal after this."

The 5 police officers involved in the beating death of Tyre Nichols have each been charged with second-degree murder ... as the public awaits the release of video from the fatal beating.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were all booked into the Shelby County Jail in Memphis Thursday on a variety of charges -- including second-degree murder, official misconduct, official oppression and aggravated kidnapping.

In a press conference earlier this week, Tyre's stepdad, Rodney Wells, said anything less than a first-degree murder charge would be unacceptable.

Nichols was pulled over for reckless driving January 7 and things escalated to the point of a vicious beating from officers. He was hospitalized in critical condition after the incident and died January 10 -- an autopsy conducted by a specialist hired by the family determined Tyre died from internal bleeding caused by a severe beating.

Tyre's family was permitted to view police video from the traffic stop on Monday, and it's expected the public will see the video soon -- possibly by the end of the week.

All 5 of the officers were fired almost immediately following the beating, and 2 EMS workers were relieved of their duties until an investigation has been completed.

Tyre's family has hired civil rights attorney, Benjamin Crump, to represent them moving forward.

Matt Barnes is getting court-ordered protection from his fiancée's ex-husband ... after the former NBA champ said the guy had terrorized him in the lead-up to a wild spitting incident at the 49ers game on Sunday.

Barnes got a judge to sign off on a temporary restraining order against David Patterson Jr. on Wednesday ... just days after he spat on the man in a concourse at Levi's Stadium before the S.F. vs Dallas playoff game.

Barnes' TRO is slated to last until Feb. 16 -- when a hearing on the matter will go down in Los Angeles.

As part of the order, 37-year-old Patterson Jr. is required to have no contact with Barnes ... and must stay at least 100 yards away from the ex-Golden State Warriors forward. Patterson Jr. has also been ordered to have no firearms.

As we reported, 42-year-old Barnes initially filed for the TRO on Tuesday -- after he alleged Patterson Jr. had made his life hell the past few months.

Barnes claimed in his TRO application that Patterson Jr. was "jealous of my relationship with my ex-wife" ... and had harassed him repeatedly. At one point, according to Barnes, Patterson Jr. had threatened to shoot him with a gun.

Barnes also claimed in the documents that Patterson Jr. "hunted" him down at the 49ers game on Sunday ... and "aggressively confronted" him. Barnes said the guy yelled profanities and threats, and shoved him. It all ultimately led to Barnes spitting on him.

A stalker who just won't quit has gotten arrested again ... outside Kelly Clarkson's house, and there's a pattern with this one that is bizarre and alarming.

Huguette Nicole Young was arrested Wednesday night outside Kelly's San Fernando Valley home. Kelly already got a temporary restraining order against her and a permanent one as well, but the woman has now violated the terms of the restraining orders 12 times.

Security caught her meandering around Kelly's property and called 911. Cops quickly came and arrested her.

Now here's what's super weird. Young has repeatedly shown up at exactly 8:59 PM. So far there's no explanation for the time or its significance.

Young has a decade-long history with Kelly ... first tracking her down at her Nashville home and then following her out to L.A. She sometimes leaves unwanted gifts at the base of Kelly's property.

Sources connected to Kelly tell TMZ ... Kelly is so concerned she will not allow her kids to step outside the gate at night.

Kelly appeared by zoom earlier this month with her lawyer, Ed McPherson, for the hearing on the permanent restraining order, and told the judge about her fears.

Answers about Tyre Nichols' death are coming ... Memphis PD says it's preparing to release the graphic body cam footage of the 29-year-old Black man's arrest.

Police Chief Cerelyn Davis updated the public Wednesday night, saying the clip will be released "in the coming days" ... and promising her department will provide full cooperation to investigators surrounding the horrific incident.

She also says she's expecting protests to occur, but asks the community to keep each other safe in the process.

As you know, Nichols' death has sparked outrage across the country after getting pulled over on January 7 for reckless driving in Memphis -- allegedly running away from police on foot, and eventually getting apprehended.

Memphis PD says Nichols started complaining about shortness of breath during his arrest, which is when an ambulance was called -- and he was rushed to St. Francis Hospital, where he passed away 3 days later.

A gruesome image from inside the hospital was released by Nichols' stepfather this week, showing blood on his face and a severely swollen eye. His mother also says he was hooked up to a breathing machine.

Nichols' family, as well as attorney Ben Crump and his legal team, reviewed the body cam footage privately -- with Crump calling it "appalling" and "heinous."

Another attorney in Crump's firm referred to Nichols as "a human piñata for those police officers."

MPD has since fired the 5 officers involved in the arrest of Nichols, saying they violated "multiple department policies, including excessive use of force, duty to intervene, and duty to render aid."

Britney Spears was anything but thrilled to have sheriff’s deputies knocking at her door close to midnight … all thanks to some fans who thought their favorite singer may be in danger.

Sources connected to Spears tell us Brit was left “annoyed” after the unexpected visit. We’re told she understands how deeply her fans care about her and her well-being, so she wasn’t totally surprised things escalated to law enforcement’s involvement … but nonetheless, it was an inconvenience.

TMZ broke the story, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office paid Britney a visit at her Thousand Oaks home Tuesday night around 11PM to perform a welfare check.

Law enforcement sources told us they received several calls from fans who became concerned for Britney’s safety after she deleted her Instagram account.

We should note, Britney has deleted her IG several times before and our sources say she did it again, this time without a real reason … sometimes, she just feels like it.

The incident comes just days after Britney announced she was changing her name to River Red on IG.

TMZ broke the story, Britney and her husband, Sam Asghari, recently hit Joey in Woodland Hills for dinner — but the evening went awry — witnesses tell us Britney was acting “manic” to the point of Sam leaving.

Video, obtained by TMZ, showed the singer alone at the couple’s table and rambling incoherently.

Sam has since claimed he only left to get the couple’s car.

Dennis Schroder's Wednesday night went from awesome to pretty crappy real quick ... 'cause just after the Lakers point guard helped his team beat the Spurs -- a vehicle he was riding in was stopped by cops in Hollywood.

Cops tell TMZ Sports ... it all went down at around midnight, just a couple hours after the Lakers game had ended. According to an LAPD spokesperson, the stop was initiated after the vehicle allegedly had improper plates.

Video from the scene shows cops spoke with Schroder and what appeared to be his driver for about half an hour after pulling over the ride at a gas station.

It all seemed cordial, according to videos of the interaction ... with Schroder, at times, sporting a big smile on his face.

"I don't know what happened," the 29-year-old told a camera person during the stop. "I'm still surprised."

The LAPD says someone received a citation for improper plates during the stop, though it's unclear who the alleged violator was. Video shows Schroder was allowed to leave the scene without any issue.

Schroder's night had been going very well up until the pullover -- he played 37 minutes in the Lakers' win over San Antonio at Crypto.com Arena, logging nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks.