Police

The person of interest in the case of missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki is free to leave the Dominican Republic and return home.

A judge ruled Tuesday that Joshua Riibe, the last person to see Konanki alive, has the green light to go back to the United States.

The decision came down after an hours long court hearing which saw Riibe tell the judge, "I really want to be able to go home, talk to my family, give them hugs, tell them I miss them" ... according to Noticias SIN -- a TV news station in the DR.

Donald Trump's push to revoke Hunter and Ashley Biden's Secret Service protection has found some support from an ex-Secret Service agent.

Richard Staropoli, a former special agent with 25 years in the Secret Service, joined us Tuesday to talk about backing Trump’s decision, arguing it’s an extremely costly measure and there’s no real threat justifying their need for protection.

Staropoli -- who was appointed by Trump as the Chief Information Officer for the Department of Homeland Security in 2017 -- broke down the details of Secret Service protection, explaining it’s funded by U.S. taxpayers -- and he dives deep into the costs of providing protection for Hunter and Ashley.

Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, made phone calls to a medical center on the morning after the day officials first identified she was believed to have died -- throwing a wrench into the timeline of both their deaths.

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila stated the department obtained phone records confirming Betsy made three phone calls to a Santa Fe medical center on the morning of February 12 -- the day after New Mexico officials concluded she likely had died ... from hantavirus, a rare and potentially fatal disease.

Womack-Avila told TMZ Tuesday ... "We can now confirm that Mrs. Hackman’s phone was utilized on the morning of February 12 to call a medical center in Santa Fe, Cloudberry Health. A total of three calls were made that morning, all to the medical center."

Cops in Florida say a man stole an ambulance and led law enforcement on a wild car chase through the streets of Tampa ... finishing a can of beer before being dragged out of the driver's seat and thrown in handcuffs ... and it's all on video.

TMZ obtained dashcam footage from Saturday's police pursuit ... and it shows Florida Highway Patrol Troopers pursuing the ambulance as the emergency vehicle runs stop signs, swerves through traffic, drives on the wrong side of the road and nearly crashes into motorists.

When the driver finally pulls over, you see him down a canned drink -- cops say it was a beer -- before officers open the door and throw him to the ground.

Luigi Mangione says the cops who arrested him at a Pennsylvania McDonald's got a DNA sample with a little trickery ... by offering him a snack.

The accused murderer's legal team is now arguing police violated Luigi's rights when they arrested and questioned him ... and he wants the evidence they collected thrown out ... according to new court documents.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Luigi says cops pulled a fast one on him after arresting him at McDonald's in Altoona, PA ...  giving him some food and soda at the police station as a means of getting a sample of his DNA.

Wendy Williams is clearly happy to be out and about in the Big Apple ... flashing a big grin for cameras as she went out to dinner amid her guardianship fight.

The former talk show host grabbed a bite to eat at Tucci -- an Italian restaurant in New York City's trendy NoHo neighborhood -- Saturday, arriving in her mobility scooter.

Williams wore a fashionable jacket with blue faux fur trim ... and cherry red lipstick, too.

A police officer in Texas begged and pleaded with a man to drop a knife ... saying she didn't want to shoot him -- and, the moment was captured on harrowing body cam footage.

The video -- released Saturday -- captured the officer-involved shooting from February ... when a San Antonio police officer arrived at a park where a man was climbing out of a car that crashed into the lake.

It's unclear exactly how the car ended up in the lake ... but, the man -- later identified as 30-year-old Chase Deckard-Thomas -- hops out of the car with little issues.

The clothing belonging to the missing University of Pittsburgh college student was reportedly located at the beach where she went missing over a week ago.

Local news reports in the Dominican Republic claim a white netted sarong was found draped over a beach chair and a pair of beige flip-flops were discovered next to the leg of a beach chair and are believed to belong to 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki.

According to reports, the beachwear has a resemblance to the outfit Sudiksha was wearing the day she disappeared.

The 911 call from the night of the shocking University of Idaho murders has been released ... and, it gives a glimpse into how terrified the two surviving housemates truly were.

Authorities released the audio Friday ... and, it begins with the dispatcher asking about the emergency -- while the woman on the other end of the phone shrieks in a terrified voice that something is happening in the house, but they don't know what.

The first woman is so overcome by terror, another person -- who says she lives next door -- takes the phone and speaks with the dispatcher.

Ray J and Princess Love got into a heated fight ... and we're told things were so bad, police got involved and detained Ray in the back of a squad car.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Ray J came home from a tour Thursday afternoon and he and Princess Love started fighting about their pending divorce.

We're told Princess called LAPD, claiming Ray J was being aggressive, yelling, and possibly under the influence.

The person of interest in the disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki claims he saved her from drowning, as police continue to search for clues a week after she vanished during her spring break trip to the Dominican Republic.

Joshua Riibe told law enforcement he and Konanki were both nearly swept away in the ocean as they were wading in the water early on the morning of March 6 ... and that he struggled to get them to safety, according to a transcript obtained by Dominican Republic news outlet Noticias SIN.

Once back on land, the 22-year-old student claims he vomited seawater as Sudiksha walked away to get her personal belongings that had been pushed down the beach by waves.

A police officer in Florida added "deliver" to the whole "serve and protect" motto ... 'cause he took a pizza the last few hundred feet to a house after an alligator in the driveway terrified the delivery driver.

The incident went down in Bradenton -- a suburb of Sarasota -- earlier this week ... when someone called the cops about a huge 8-foot-long alligator hanging out under a parked car in a residential neighborhood.

The responding officer -- identified by the department as Officer Tolson -- calls the Florida Fish and Wildlife department to remove the gator ... but, before they arrive, a pizza deliverywoman comes up -- with an order for the house with the gator in the driveway.

5:59 PM PT -- Wendy Williams and her niece, Alex Finnie, just got back from dinner and talked with photogs before going inside the Coterie ... with Wendy saying the police report drama is "unbelievable."

Wendy and Alex say it's weird the Coterie took issue with them going out to dinner when her guardian claims there are no restrictions on her movements and family visitors.

WW says the guardian is lying and she says tonight's events are proof she is being treated poorly.

So much for Wendy Williams being able to come and go as she pleases and spend time with her family ... because the facility where she is being housed has filed a police report claiming that her niece broke the law by taking her to dinner.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Wendy's niece, Alex Finnie, accompanied Wendy on Wednesday from the hospital where WW has been staying for a psychological evaluation back to the Coterie where Wendy has been living for the past 8 months.

After spending time with Wendy at the Coterie, Alex took her famous aunt to an Italian restaurant for dinner. According to sources connected to Wendy and her guardian, the Coterie called NYPD and filed a police report claiming Alex evaded staff by taking Wendy out of the building.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's Florida mansion was crawling with law enforcement Wednesday ... federal officers and local police raided his home -- and the rapper claims they seized firearms and drugs, though he says he's done nothing wrong.

Tekashi tells TMZ ... the feds and local cops rushed the house Wednesday morning and kept him in handcuffs from 9 AM to 3 PM while they searched the place.

6ix9ine says law enforcement took DNA samples from him and turned his house upside down in search of something. He says they confiscated guns and drugs and want to see if his DNA is on the items recovered.

A former Illinois police chief may want a refresher on the Miranda Rights ... 'cause he didn't exercise his right to remain silent -- instead choosing to berate the cops who arrested him for DUI in shocking body cam video.

Walter Klimek -- former chief of police in Bridgeview, a suburb of Chicago -- was arrested one afternoon in December in the nearby town of Justice ... and the footage from the road shows the moments leading up to cops slapping the cuffs on him.

Check out the clip ... it starts with Klimek refusing to get out of the car -- repeatedly screaming "Let me go" while in park -- as officers gather around the vehicle.

8:36 AM PT -- Maui Police Chief John Pelletier tells TMZ ... "I have no connections whatsoever to any individuals named in the lawsuit. The allegations suggesting his involvement are entirely unfounded. I am confident that the evidence will demonstrate these claims to be false and will expose those who are deliberately trying to manipulate the legal system to spread misleading narratives."

In 2018, while serving as a Captain in Las Vegas, I was honored by the Rape Crisis Center for his exceptional leadership and commitment to community safety, specifically through [my] role as a champion of the Stay S.A.F.E. program dedicated to sexual assault prevention.

These baseless allegations not only are wrong but also show a lack of respect for victims of abuse, whose voices deserve to be heard and supported with compassion and integrity.

Diddy's alleged sexual assaults were aided by Maui's Chief of Police ... this according to an amended lawsuit that also named NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and influencer Druski as co-conspirators.