Police

Miya Ponsetto, the SoHo Karen who falsely accused a black teen of stealing her iPhone and then attacked him, went wild on cops when she was arrested last year for DUI.

As we reported, Mia and her mom, Nicole, were charged with another crime last year which involved being drunk in public -- more on that in a minute. But, THE DAY AFTER Miya was charged, cops spotted her in Malibu driving erratically and pulled her over.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Miya copped to being in an altered state, saying she had taken a Xanax and had some wine. Cops asked her to step out of her Range Rover, and that's when the craziness began.

We're told when she got out, cops said they wanted to perform a field sobriety test, which she flat out refused and cops say she was downright belligerent. Our sources say cops tried slapping handcuffs on her, but she resisted and they then took her to the ground.

At that point, cops say Miya threw a tantrum, kicking the ground, thrashing her body and even knocking her head on the pavement.

As we reported, she was taken to jail and booked for DUI. She pled no contest and received 3 years probation, 30 hours of community service and she's required to take a 9-month alcohol/drug counseling program.

As you know, Miya was at a fancy NYC hotel last month when she realized she didn't have her iPhone and immediately zeroed in on the 14-year-old son of Grammy-winning musician, Keyon Harold, who was holding an iPhone, accusing the child of stealing her phone. She attacked Keyon Jr. and New York cops now want to talk to her.

Turns out she seems to have issues with hotels, because early last year she and her mom were at the Peninsula hotel in Bev Hills where employees asked them in vain to leave after they appeared inebriated. The cops came, Miya's mom, Nicole, allegedly pushed and kicked an officer. The mom was arrested for battery on an officer and being drunk in public. Miya was arrested for being drunk in public as well. They pled not guilty and have a hearing next month.

It's hard to keep track of how many times Joe Biden's been confirmed as the next U.S. President, but there are still some formalities left to make it official ... and D.C. officials are concerned the next one could lead to more civil unrest.

Congress is set to convene January 6 to officially count the electoral votes and certify the winner of the election ... which ended with 306 votes for Biden and 232 for Trump.

TMZ's learned the nation's capital is preparing for the large scheduled protest by Trump supporters -- starting January 5 -- and ending on the 7th.

Obviously, officials are worried the protests could get out of hand and lead to violent clashes with counter-protesters ... so police are being asked to step up in advance.

Trump has tweeted several times, promoting the main protest -- scheduled for January 6 -- and even teasing an appearance at the event.

Our law enforcement sources tell us ... D.C. cops will not be allowed to take days off from Jan. 5-7, and they're implementing a plan to have a heavy police presence in the area -- both uniformed and in street clothes.

On the political side ... Senator Ted Cruz is among 12 Republican Senators who have announced they'll challenge Biden's win on January 6.

Just a day after Minneapolis cops shot and killed Dolal Idd, his family's home was raided ... and there's new body cam video showing the tense scene inside the home.

Idd was shot and killed during a traffic stop last Wednesday, after he shot at officers. He was a suspect in a felony.

Hours later, just after 2 AM the next day, cops served a search warrant on the family home. You see in the video, cops zip tied family members as they searched the home.

BTW ... it's significant this was a "knock and announce" warrant ... which became the central issue in the Breonna Taylor case. The police clearly ID'd themselves in the Idd case, screaming "Police search warrant! Let me see your hands" just before entering the house.

A woman inside the house pleads, "I have small children." She mentions one of the kids is a special needs child. At one point you see one of the cops carry a small child who appeared to have been hiding in the stairwell.

One of the deputies orders a colleague, "Make sure the 18-year-old male is cuffed behind his back."

It got extremely tense as time went on, with one of the occupants calling the cops "racist bitches."

It's unclear what, if anything, was seized from the home.

As for Dolal Idd's death, body cam video was released which, when slowed down, appears to show Idd fired a shot from inside his car, shattering the window before cops opened fire.

Andre Hill, the black man who was shot and killed by a Columbus, Ohio cop, lay dying for a full 10 minutes before he received ANY first aid from officers ... this based on newly-released body cam video.

In an horrific scene .... you see 47-year-old Hill laying partly inside an open garage as cops hover around him. They don't give him first aid, but they do walk over and handcuff him and then wait a full 10 minutes before doing chest compressions.

Hill was unarmed, and you hear a woman inside the house who comes out and says, "He was bringing me Christmas money. He didn't do anything." One of the cops orders her back inside the house.

As for why Officer Adam Coy, a 19-year veteran of the force, shot and killed Hill ... Coy saw Hill enter an open garage. Coy asked Hill to come out of the garage, but according to another cop who was on scene did not command him to come out with hands up. The observing officer says she saw Hill raise one hand with a cellphone in it. Coy screamed, "There's a gun in his other hand, there's a gun in his other hand" and then Coy shot Hill.

There was no gun in Hill's other hand or anywhere else. He was unarmed.

Coy and the other officer did not turn on their body cams before the shooting, which is a violation of department policy. But, the body cams have a feature that captures the minute before they're turned on, and that's why the shooting was captured on video, although muted.

As for the new body cam video, it's all post-shooting. We have not put the full video in this post, but there's a full 10 minutes when cops do nothing to help the dying man.

Coy has been fired for violating department policy by failing to turn on his body cam and also failing to render first aid.

Gotta hand it to Florida in 2021 ... it never disappoints.

Just one hour into the New Year, a massive fight erupts in downtown Sarasota, and it doesn't seem coincidental it's right next to a brewery. The video begins with a skinny guy in a fake Versace shirt taking a fighting stance. The skinny dude tries looking tough ... dancing around as if he's ready to trade blows.

Well, he gets more than he bargains for, because another guy punches him, knocking him back against a car. Then, another guy from the group lends a hand and sucker punches him.

And then ... a guy hovers over the dude and literally uses his face as a punching bag, striking him more than a dozen times.

Another fight then breaks out nearby, and eventually cops come to break it all up.

The Sarasota Police Watch Commander tells TMZ, cops responded to 2 separate fights. In each fight, one person went to the hospital, although no one was seriously injured.

You know things are bad when people in Canada start fighting cops and hurling the f-word.

The violent confrontation went down in Quebec on New Year's Eve, when cops were called to a home after neighbors complained there was a party raging inside, in violation of COVID guidelines.

Cops say the homeowner lied to them and claimed there were only 2 people inside the house. The noise inside told a different story, as well as the number of cars that were parked outside.

All hell breaks loose, as people inside the home start fighting the cops. The homeowner claimed cops used excessive force, and also tore into the P.D. because one cop was not wearing a mask. A spokesperson for the department says yeah, the cop wasn't wearing one because someone had just hit the guy on the head and his mask flew off.

Cops say it's highly likely everyone inside the home will get slapped with a big fine. The Dept. is also considering assault charges against some of the people inside.

Cops in Quebec City issued 46 tickets for public health violations.

Country star Tyler Rich ended 2020 with an horrific shock ... he found a dead body.

Tyler was jogging at a park in Massachusetts when he came upon the body of a man. The body was in a heavily wooded area and at first Rich thought it was a young, homeless man who was asleep.

Tyler kept running but became concerned and circled back to make sure the guy was ok. He explained what happened next ... "I realize he isn't breathing, and as I get around to the front of him, all I see is a lifeless face covered in blood. Everywhere.  Looked like maybe shot, or blunt force. At this moment, I freak out and sprint up the steep hill to try and find anyone with a phone to call police."

He said that he then stumbled upon a couple walking on the main path and used their phone to call authorities. After they arrived, Rich gave his statement to law enforcement officers and the FBI.

Tyler says cops came and they found a gun in the guy's hand, under his body, concluding "it potentially could have been a suicide ... Not that there is any type of thing that could help me cope with finding him like this."

Although Tyler says it was a small comfort to know the body wasn't discarded by someone else, he's still extremely shaken ... “I’m doing what I can to process this, the image, the reality. It’s been a rough 24 hours ... Something I’ll never unsee or forget ... He looked like a young, normal kid. Someone with a family probably wondering where he was.”

Tyler and his wife were in Massachusetts visiting relatives for the holiday.

Cops are not disclosing any more information about the death.

Somebody left Speaker Nancy Pelosi a very disturbing message to kick off the new year ... and it seems to be related to the ongoing financial struggles of millions of Americans.

Pelosi's San Francisco home was vandalized overnight ... most of the damage was done to her garage door and driveway. The perp or perps spray-painted "Cancel Rent!" and "We Want Everything" in big black letters on her door ... and there's also a nod to the failed $2,000 government stimulus checks.

Even more unnerving, what looks like a pig's head and fake blood were also staged in front of her garage.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... San Fran cops responded to a vandalism call at Pelosi's home around 3 AM. We're told a police report was taken, but it's unclear if they have any suspects.

As you've probably heard ... Congress has been unable to reach a deal for a $2,000 relief bill in recent weeks, and Speaker Pelosi publicly called out Sen. Mitch McConnell for claiming there was "no realistic path" to make it happen.

Instead, many Americans will receive $600 instead ... but clearly the person who vandalized Pelosi's home doesn't think any of that is enough.

Corey Harrison from "Pawn Stars" trashed an RV he rented, essentially wrecking it ... that's what the guy who rented him the RV told police.

Corey rented a 37-foot RV two months ago through RVShare (think Airbnb but for RVs) for a trip to a desert in California. But, what was supposed to be a 3-day rental from October 20-23 turned into a week-long nightmare, so says William Villafana who rented him the RV.

Villafana says he was contacted by Corey's assistant on the 24th ... saying they were involved in an accident and were going to have the RV towed back. The RV didn't show up until the 26th and Villafana says it was wrecked.

You can see from the pics ... the body of the RV is damaged ... the awning ripped off. The inside was a mess. Villafana says it was littered with empty bottles and eggs, among other things. He estimates the damages between $20k and $30k.

Villafana claims Harrison refused to pay for the damages ... this on top of the extra 3 days the RV was in their possession. The RV owner says as a result of the damage he had to cancel 10 reservations.

Villafana filed a report with the North Las Vegas Police Department, which he says was necessary in order to go after Harrison's insurance.

Watching this daring dog rescue might make you shiver, but the end result is heart-warming ... a much needed boost to end the year.

A Boxer found itself in peril Wednesday in the town of Cheektowaga, outside Buffalo, NY, stuck in an icy cold creek as temperatures were barely above freezing.

Cheektowaga PD says the super timid pup -- recently rescued from a puppy mill -- got spooked, ran from its owner and unfortunately headed toward the creek.

Cops had a hard time locating the poor pooch, but Patrolman James Rutkowski eventually spotted it and jumped into the chilly water -- up to his waist -- for the rescue mission.

Officer Rutkowski was slipping and sliding over trees to get to the cold doggie, but fortunately, it was already wearing a harness ... which allowed him to lift the dog out to safety and hand it to another cop closer to dry land.

Minneapolis Police just released body cam footage of officers shooting and killing a Black man Wednesday night, but they say he shot first -- a claim the video seems to support.

The incident began as a traffic stop of a man Minneapolis PD say was a suspect in a felony crime. When the video begins 3 cop cars are surrounding the man's vehicle in a gas station parking lot. You can hear one officer yell, "Drop your gun" as another charges toward the scene with his weapon drawn.

As officers yelled for him to stop and put his hands up, the man tried to drive away ... but the cops had him pinned in with their patrol cars. That's when it appears a bullet shattered the windshield of a cop car, and then multiple officers started shooting.

You can hear at least a dozen shots fired. The man was killed ... while his female passenger was not hurt. Police have not identified the man, but his family says it was 23-year-old Dolal Idd.

The 4 officers charged in the killing of George Floyd might have to wait a few more months to stand trial ... because the State of Minnesota believes it will be better for public health.

Prosecutors filed legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- asking to continue the trial to June 7 due to the recent approval of 2 COVID-19 vaccines. The State believes "moving the start of this trial to June 2021 would reduce the public health risks associated with conducting the trial during the COVID-19 pandemic" in light of this development.

Prosecutors add that moving the trial from March to June "would also reduce the likelihood that the trial will be disrupted by COVID-19 cases among court staff, lawyers, jurors, and witnesses."

The State makes a point to say it's ready to try the case March 8 as scheduled, but feels a 3-month delay would be in the best interest of public health ... especially in a high-profile case that may pose unique health risks.

According to the docs ... the trial involves "a larger-than-usual number of participants, including four Defendants, their counsel, and dozens of witnesses" and "is likely to be the subject of large public demonstrations, which may increase the risk of community spread of COVID-19."

A delay might work out for all parties, because just 2 weeks ago defense lawyers for the 4 former Minneapolis PD officers in Floyd's case argued for more time to prepare for the trial, because prosecutors revealed potential evidence after a court-imposed deadline.

A group of teen suspects in an armed robbery at a high-end fashion store made a break for it to their getaway cars ... but a few of them were left holding the bag.

Beverly Hills police say 10 suspects grabbed handbags and fled from a Fendi store on Rodeo Drive Tuesday night, and video from a passerby caught their escape attempt.

Cops reportedly caught up with one of the 3 getaway vehicles, recovered several stolen Fendi items and took the underage teens into custody. They were later released to their parents, but the other suspects are still at large.

The woman who falsely accused a 14-year-old boy of stealing her cellphone and then physically attacked him is now wanted by the NYPD, and new video shows the attack.

The NYPD just released surveillance video from the Arlo SoHo hotel in NYC, showing the end of the confrontation, where the woman clearly attacks the child before fleeing.

Cops have put a pic of her mug out, asking the public to help them locate her.

As we reported, the child and his parents, Grammy-winning jazz musician Keyon Harrold and his wife, Kat, a musician herself who plays sax for Beyonce, were at the hotel when the woman confronted them and accused the child of stealing her iPhone.

After causing a scene, attacking the child and fleeing, an Uber driver found her phone in his car and returned it. So, she left it in the Uber.

Harrold spoke at a rally at City Hall Wednesday, along with his famed lawyer, Ben Crump, and Rev. Al Sharpton. He played "America the Beautiful" and "We Shall Overcome."

Pennsylvania cops say a man reported as suicidal left them no choice but to open fire ... during a fatal standoff witnessed by several nearby drivers.

State Troopers responded Wednesday to a call for a suicidal man on a highway overpass in Hamilton Township, and they say when they arrived the man was holding a handgun ... which they told him to put down.

The police say the 19-year-old man initially obeyed and placed it on the ground -- but after the troopers continued talking to him, he reached for the weapon and started walking toward them. When he pointed the gun at the troopers, they shot him. He was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The fatal standoff played out as horrified drivers watched from a highway that runs under the bridge.

The video released Tuesday of a man getting tased by a park ranger now has context, because authorities have just released the full body cam video, and it's clear ... the park ranger was trying to deescalate the situation but the male hiker was uncooperative and defiant.

The video begins when the park ranger approaches the man and woman on a trail that they shouldn't have been on. The ranger asks for ID and the man refuses.

They go back and forth ... the man, who goes by Chief House on social media, said they were on the trail because the main trail had too many people and they didn't feel COVID-safe.

The ranger repeatedly tells the man all he's going to do is issue him and the woman a warning ... that's it, but he needs their ID so it can go in the system in case they try to hike on the same trail again at New Mexico's Petroglyph National Monument.

The man refuses, and says Native Americans and the government don't mesh well, adding, "You're on our land."

This goes on for nearly 8 minutes. The ranger calls for backup as Chief House walks away, despite the ranger's order to stay. The ranger then warns Chief House he will tase him if he doesn't cooperate, but he's having none of it.

After almost 8 minutes, the ranger fires his taser.

So, the question ... should the ranger have used his taser? True, it's just a hiking violation, but Chief House was extremely uncooperative. Does that justify being tased? You decide.