Police

Police in Vermont investigating the sudden death of 24-year-old actress Sophie Nyweide say she was found lifeless on a riverbank ... and they're looking into a range of possible causes, including foul play.

Bennington Police tell TMZ ... Sophie's body was found not far from a high school in Bennington around 4 AM on April 14, and she was declared dead at the scene.

We're told her body was near a lean-to -- a makeshift structure made from downed trees -- and nothing is being ruled out at this point in terms of a cause of death.

9:25 AM PT -- Shannon Sharpe and his attorney, Lanny J. Davis, have vowed to address the audio later Tuesday.

The Hall of Famer, Davis said, will make a statement on his Instagram page. The lawyer said he'd then follow that up with his own conference call a short time later.

The woman accusing Shannon Sharpe of rape has now released audio of a conversation she says she had with the Pro Football Hall of Famer ... and in it, Sharpe can be heard telling her he's "going to f***ing choke the shit out" of her.

Karen Read’s stepping into her retrial for Boston cop John O'Keefe’s murder like a woman on a mission -- and she’s making sure everyone knows she’s ready to fight in round 2.

As you can see, Karen walked into the courthouse in Dedham, Massachusetts, on Tuesday with all the glam and confidence -- flawless makeup, a perfect blowout, and strutting in a sleek black outfit.

Karen walked in with her team looking totally self-assured -- and it seems like she's feeling way more prepared this time around.

Tekashi 6ix9ine could be landing in a big pot of boiling water if convicted of violating parole ... federal agents say the rainbow-haired rapper flagrantly had drugs and a gun inside his home, but he's claiming he was framed!!!

On Monday, Tekashi apologized in open court for the trouble surrounding the March raid of his Florida home ... an Assistant United States Attorney says a confidential source led them to retrieve MMDA, as well as a bag with cocaine residue, and a Glock handgun stashed inside the pool house.

Tekashi 6ix9ine tells TMZ ... he believes the confidential informant in question could be a former friend who planted the drugs and gun. His lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, tells TMZ he's confident they will be able to resolve the situation in a very favorable manner.

Haley Joel Osment was described as "very intoxicated and unruly" in dispatch audio from his recent arrest at a California ski resort ... according to the 911 call placed by ski patrol.

In the audio, obtained by TMZ, you hear a member of the Mammoth Mountain ski patrol tell the dispatcher Haley was out of control in the Chair 2 parking lot.

The patroller also says Haley's not being cooperative.

New details have surfaced in the fatal police shooting of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Lydia McLaughlin's brother ... police say he grabbed the cop's taser and assaulted the officer before getting shot during a traffic stop.

According to Newport Beach Police, Geoffrey Shyam Stirling "managed to remove the department-issued taser from the officer’s duty belt and attempted to deploy it multiple times against the officer" during the traffic stop Thursday in Orange County, CA. The department claims, "at that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred."

The PD went on to confirm what law enforcement sources told us on Friday ... that Geoffrey was uncooperative and assaulted the cop.

Haley Joel Osment revealed his plans to go up to Mammoth Lakes, California for a much-needed vacation days before he was arrested earlier this month ... telling Andy Richter he wanted to give his loving sister a break from him and his dogs.

Here's the deal ... Osment chatted with Richter on his podcast "The Three Questions with Andy Richter" -- and, the two discussed Haley's house burning down in the Eaton Fire during L.A.'s January wildfires.

The episode was published April 15, but it was recorded days before Osment was arrested -- and used a slur for a Jewish person -- in Mammoth on April 8 ... 'cause he actually says he's going up to the area with his dogs in the coming days.

Police in Idaho just released body cam video of a fatal interaction with an autistic teen ... and everything happens super fast.

Cops released footage Thursday and it shows officers from the Pocatello Police Department opening fire on 17-year-old Victor Perez just seconds after arriving at the scene and getting out of their squad cars.

Police say a home connected to Austin Metcalf -- the teenager who lost his life during a stabbing incident at a track meet earlier this month -- was swatted on Thursday.

According to the Frisco Police Department, authorities rushed to a Metcalf family home in Frisco, Texas after receiving a call regarding a gunshot.

An FPD spokesperson, though, said officers on the scene quickly determined it was a swatting call -- aka a hoax aimed to disturb the Metcalfs -- and they left.

6:42 PM PT -- Haley Joel Osment tells TMZ ... "I’m absolutely horrified by my behavior. Had I known I used this disgraceful language in the throes of a blackout, I would have spoken up sooner. The past few months of loss and displacement have broken me down to a very low emotional place."

Haley is referring to the loss of his home and belongings during the Eaton Fire this past January.

Haley's statement continues... "But that’s no excuse for using this disgusting word. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to absolutely everyone that this hurts. What came out of my mouth was nonsensical garbage - I’ve let the Jewish community down and it devastates me. I don’t ask for anyone’s forgiveness, but I promise to atone for my terrible mistake."

Haley Joel Osment was in the back of a police car on his way to jail when he called his arresting officer a "Nazi" and a Jewish slur ... at least according to police body cam footage.

TMZ just obtained the video from Haley's arrest at a California ski resort and you hear him calling the cop driving him to jail a "f***** Nazi" and the "K" word.

Video also shows the moment cops claim they found cocaine in Haley's possession ... and the drugs appear to be concealed in a $20 bill.

Paul Rodriguez won't face consequences for his recent possession arrest ... 'cause the city where he was arrested has decided not to move forward with the case.

The Burbank City Attorney tells TMZ ... the case has been rejected for lack of sufficient evidence.

As we told you ... Paul was arrested for allegedly possessing narcotics in late March, though Rodriguez maintained the drugs weren't his.

1:35 PM PT -- The Tallahassee Police Department said in a 4:30 PM ET news conference ... two people are dead. They were not students. Police said a shooting suspect was detained. Five victims were hospitalized, with one in critical condition ... the suspect was also being treated at a hospital.

Police said they have identified the shooting suspect ... 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, who is the son of a Leon County Sheriff's deputy.

Eric Mabius made sure cops knew he'd been cast in law enforcement roles for tons of Hollywood productions before they threw handcuffs on him and stuffed him in the back of a squad car ... new police video shows.

In body cam footage, obtained by TMZ, Eric pulls the celeb card while being arrested for battery in Florida.

Eric's interacting with Nassau County sheriff's deputies outside a bar when he tells them, "You know what's so funny, I play characters like you in movies all the time. I do ... I get paid money."

Two Florida cops came terrifyingly close to death when an SUV barreling down the highway slammed straight into a patrol unit and a disabled car pulled over on the side of the road -- and the whole thing was caught on dashcam video.

The unoccupied sheriff's SUV was parked on the right shoulder in front of another marked police unit and a disabled vehicle, which was occupied by a passenger -- and despite emergency lights flashing, a 35-year-old female driver veered onto the shoulder and slammed straight into the cop vehicle in the rear with full force in Volusia County.

The impact caused the SUV to strike the disabled vehicle too, sending the woman's Hyundai Tucson spinning across three lanes of traffic before it smashed into a guardrail on the other side. The whole thing happened early Sunday around 3 AM.

An ATV driver in Kansas City, Missouri went rogue over the weekend ... running over a KC police officer as they attempted to avoid a tire-deflation device employed by the officer.

The shocking scene was captured on video ... the officer appears to be in direct contact with the ATV, gripping it with both hands -- before it rapidly backs up, forcing the officer to tumble to the ground.

The officer gets back to his feet ... but not for long, as the ATV pops a wheelie and fully runs him over, before fleeing.

A wild scene played out in Massachusetts on Monday when a man wearing a gas mask and carrying pepper spray went on a rampage at a courthouse ... but was eventually arrested by the authorities.

Surveillance video of the incident was released Tuesday, and it shows suspect Nicholas Akerberg climbing the steps of Woburn District Court in a helmet, gas mask and combat boots before rushing up to the front door.

Akerberg allegedly points the can of pepper spray at a guard who's trying to shut the door from inside the building.