RIP

A Wendy's employee was concerned Rayshard Brooks had drank too much because he was sleeping in his car, but also made it clear she didn't think he posed any danger.

TMZ's obtained audio of the 911 call that employee made, and she told the dispatcher she needed police to respond because Brooks is asleep at the wheel and partially blocking the drive-thru. She said she believed he was "intoxicated."

The woman said she tried to wake Brooks, and get him to pull off to the side ... but she couldn't get through to him.

The Wendy's employee described Rayshard's car, and when asked, told the operator he was black. When the operator asked if he had any weapons, the worker replied ... "No, no I think he's intoxicated."

As we reported ... Rayshard was cordial and cooperative with the 2 officers who arrived -- Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan -- for nearly 30 minutes ... based on Brosnan's bodycam footage.

However, after a failed field sobriety test, he resisted when Rolfe tried to slap the cuffs on him, a struggle ensued. When Rayshard took off running, Rolfe opened fire ... hitting him twice in the back.

Rolfe has since been fired, and Brosnan placed on administrative leave. Neither has been arrested or charged yet.

The Atlanta PD has released body cam video showing the interaction between Rayshard Brooks and cops in a Wendy's parking lot moments before Brooks was shot and killed.

The conversation between Brooks and Officer Garrett Rolfe starts out cordial. Rolfe suspects Brooks had been drinking and driving, although when cops came on scene Brooks was not driving ... he had fallen asleep in his car.

Rolfe is trying to get Brooks to admit he had been drinking and driving, pressing him to take a field sobriety test. Brooks says he had a few drinks during his daughter's birthday party, but that was it.

Brooks makes it clear ... he doesn't want trouble and agreed to leave his car behind and walk home. Rolfe clearly views that comment as a confession Brooks is unable to drive.

Eventually, Brooks takes the test and the officer tries to handcuff him, and that's when a struggle ensues.

Again, Brooks was able to grab one of the officer's tasers and run, so the officers knew a man accused of a non-violent misdemeanor was running away from them with a NON-LETHAL weapon, yet Brooks was shot 3 times.

The family lawyer is indignant the cops waited more than 2 minutes to even check on Brooks once he was down.

Officer Garrett Rolfe was fired and Devin Brosnan, whose body cam footage it is, has been placed on administrative leave.

It's official ... the Black Lives Matter movement is a global phenomenon.

Protests have erupted all over the world with people taking to the streets with signs highlighting the BLM movement following the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It's incredible, tbh ... seeing people all over the world calling for justice and equality.

Check out the pics ... you'll see hundreds of people gathered in Madrid, Spain protesting racism. Over in Porto, Portugal, a peaceful demonstration was held against racism and xenophobia. South Koreans also rallied behind the US of A's BLM movement.

Again, these are incredible images that expand far and wide ... from Rio De Janeiro and Barking, England to Milan, Italy ... where one person held a sign with the drawing of an alien that read, "I see humans but no humanity."

It should be noted ... President Trump a few weeks ago said Minnesota was "a laughing stock all over the world" after protests erupted there and across the country.

The attorney for George Floyd's family just released a video of the murder, and this clearly shows bystanders begging former-officer Tou Thao to take some action and save the man who was dying before his eyes.

Attorney Ben Crump makes it clear ... "Warning: This is beyond disturbing, even harder to watch than the first video."

The video which Crump says is new -- maybe a slightly wider angle -- and you see more of Thao, who stands impervious to what is going on right in front of his face. Bystanders are imploring him to do something ... to just look at George Floyd lying on the pavement unconscious and realize he's about to die. But, Thao does nothing.

It's an especially powerful video, because it really underscores a basic problem of law enforcement ... that seniority should have no place when the senior officer crosses the line by brutalizing and killing citizens who pose no threat. Until the culture of the police departments fundamentally change -- where NO DEFERENCE is paid to rogue cops, despite their seniority, and de-escalation and proportionality of force becomes engrained -- these murders will not stop.

Katherine Williams-Dunning, daughter of country music icon Hank Williams, Jr., died Saturday night after losing control of her SUV.

The 27-year-old was driving a Chevy Tahoe in Henry County, Tennessee when it began drifting across the median, triggering a rollover sequence. No other cars were involved.

Katherine was pronounced dead and her husband, 29-year-old Tyler Dunning, was airlifted to a nearby hospital. His condition is unknown.

Katherine's family is country music royalty. Her dad, 71-year-old Hank, Jr., has topped the charts with songs like "All My Rowdy Friends," which is ESPN's "Monday Night Football" theme song. Hank's dad is one of the giants in the history of country music, who died at 29 but produced hit after hit.

Katherine leaves behind her husband and 2 young children.

She was 27.

Josie Harris -- Floyd Mayweather's ex -- died from the result of an accidental overdose of Rx medication, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story, Harris was found unresponsive in her car in front of her Valencia, Calif. family home back in March.

We were told despite lifesaving efforts from emergency personnel ... Harris passed away on the scene at 40 years old.

An autopsy was conducted, which included toxicology, and we're told the family has now been informed the official cause of death is listed as an accidental overdose.

We spoke with Josie's attorney, Dan Friedlander, who issued a statement on behalf of the family.

"The family is aware the medical examiner has released the report and they are thankful for the closure. Josie will be remembered as a truly kind and giving person and loving mother. She was loved and will be missed."

Floyd dated Harris in a famously up-and-down relationship from 1995 until 2010 ... and after her death, he called her "a great woman" and "a great person."

As we previously reported, Floyd was so rocked by the passing of Josie, as well as his Uncle, Roger Mayweather, he decided against making a return to the pro boxing ring in 2020.

A teenage soccer player in Mexico allegedly murdered by police scored the final goal at his own funeral Friday ... and the video of it will bring you to tears.

The powerful scene all went down in Oaxaca ... where teammates decided to honor their fallen 16-year-old friend by setting him up for one last shot attempt.

Check out the clip, the boys positioned his casket so they could redirect a soccer ball off of it ... and when the ball slid past the keeper into the makeshift goal -- things got emotional.

All of his teammates surrounded the casket, hugged it and sobbed uncontrollably.

Sports reporter Guillermo Schutz posted the vid to social media ... captioning it in Spanish, "In Oaxaca, this is how they bid Alexander a final goodbye, the 16-year-old teen murdered by municipal police. His friends honor him with one last goal. We're all crying."

The footage was so touching ... even former UCLA hoops star Lorenzo Mata had to share it on Twitter.

Powerful stuff.

Former Playboy Playmate Ashley Mattingly -- a domestic violence survivor at the hands of Lane Garrison -- took her own life with a gunshot to the head ... according to her autopsy.

The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office says Ashley put a handgun in her mouth when she pulled the trigger. The rest of the report reveals graphic, and quite frankly, obvious details we don't need to get into here.

The ME's report, obtained by TMZ, also includes toxicology results that show Ashley had opiates and benzos in her system when she died.

TMZ broke the story ... Ashley died back in April at her home in Austin, Texas, leaving a suicide note. Her family told us Ashley was struggling with substance abuse and alcohol abuse.

While they acknowledge she had many demons, they also say she was trying to get her life back on track.

Ashley was 33.

George Floyd's name could be worth a lot of money in the entertainment business ... and now one man is looking to lock up the rights to his name for movies and TV shows.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a man named Munemo Mushonga filed a trademark application to use the name George Floyd in the "production and distribution of television shows and movies."

It seems Mushonga is looking to capitalize on the Black Lives Matter movement that sprouted up in the wake of Floyd's killing, because he has no known connection to George's family and wouldn't tell us his grand plans.

Mushonga was mum when we asked him what he hoped to gain from the trademark, if approved, and refused to divulge why he filed the application or the inspiration behind it.

The guy could be facing an uphill battle in his quest to lock up the rights to George Floyd's name ... the United States Patent and Trademark Office generally doesn't allow trademarks for people's names unless certain conditions are met, such as getting the consent of the person, the name being very unique, or the name being part of a unique and widely recognized brand.

Blake Shelton's shout-out to a fan's new book -- written in honor of her late daughter -- is giving her a huge emotional pick-me-up, and it ain't bad for sales!

Frankie Williams is the author of "The Merdragon," a fictional children's book she wrote for her daughter, Shauntae, who passed away last year. Shauntae was only 36 and died from undiagnosed heart disease.

Frankie says, at the time, she tweeted at Shelton and his country singer friend Craig Morgan, because Craig had written a song about his son's tragic death. Blake was promoting the tune, "The Father, My Son and The Holy Ghost" ... and she found it very inspiring.

Frankie says Blake replied, saying he was inspired by people like her and Craig who find ways to help others deal with grief while still dealing with their own ... and it motivated her to write the book as a tribute to Shauntae.

Flash forward to Monday -- Frankie tweeted at Shelton saying she wanted to send him a copy of 'Merdragon' as a token of gratitude for his kind words, and he responded again ... saying he'll order it instead.

And, the kicker ... he encouraged all of his 20 million followers to order it, too!

Frankie tells us ever since Blake's tweet, her book's been selling like hotcakes. She says she doesn't have official sales numbers yet, but it's currently in the top 5 in three different children's categories on Amazon ... skyrocketing up the charts from the 400-500 range it was in before Shelton's shout-out.

Eric Garner's mother says George Floyd's death is largely responsible for an anti-chokehold bill finally getting passed in NY -- making it a bittersweet victory for her after years of fighting for it.

Gwen Carr spoke to us a few days after New York lawmakers passed the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act -- which Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already said he'll sign into law -- and said it's a step in the right direction.

Gwen's been pushing for this bill since 2014, when Eric was killed -- and it will make it illegal for cops to use a chokehold or a similar restraining move, resulting in serious injury or death. Similar language has been in the NYPD rule book since 1993, but now it's on its way to becoming state law.

Gwen told us she feels George's death was the last straw that finally got local politicians to commit to passing the legislation -- as, she notes, his killing has reverberated even beyond Eric's story.

It's heartbreaking, because Gwen says she felt like she was hearing her own son from the grave listening to George plead with officers that he couldn't breathe. New York's State Assembly was also moved, because it passed the bill just 2 weeks after George was killed -- even though Ms. Carr had been lobbying for it for nearly 6 years.

Rev. Al Sharpton says his eulogy for George Floyd was intended to underscore the suffering black families have endured for centuries ... and to demand those responsible finally be held accountable.

The civil rights activist joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday to expand on the powerful message he delivered Tuesday in Houston. Al says he wanted to remind everyone that George's killing is not an isolated incident ... and that's the root of the protests and the growing movement for justice and equality.

Sharpton says with family members for Eric Garner and Ahmaud Arbery in attendance ... it was appropriate to discuss, not only their pain, but the fact they've yet to get justice.

The Rev. told us it's way past time to stop ignoring this and change the law enforcement system that continues to allow it to happen. He suggested one fix that could greatly aid in the prosecution of bad cops.

He acknowledged it won't be easy to change -- but Sharpton believes George's death can be the tipping point America needs to make it happen. As he put it, slavery and Jim Crow went on for a long time too.

George Floyd's brother is pushing for a lasting change to policing in America, which is why he fought off tears while testifying before Congress and implored them ... enough is enough.

Philonise Floyd went before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday on Capitol Hill, and made an emotional plea for Congress to bring an end to police brutality and systemic racism. Philonise's testimony came just one day after he buried his big brother in Houston and 16 days after he was killed while in Minneapolis police custody -- and it was obvious the pain is still fresh for him.

Philonise's plea included asking lawmakers, "Is that what a black man's worth? $20? This is 2020. Enough is enough. The people marching in the streets is telling you 'enough is enough.'" The $20, of course, is a direct reference to cops being called after Floyd allegedly spent a counterfeit $20 bill.

The hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability came just 2 days after Democrats introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 that would, among other things, prohibit chokeholds, create a registry to track officers with serious misconduct records and eliminate legal protections that currently make it challenging to go after officers in court for using excessive force.

Philonise told lawmakers, George's name stands for something and they "have the opportunity here today to make your names mean something too." Former VP Joe Biden, in a prerecorded message played at Floyd's funeral, said he hopes his death can be a turning point that can help America achieve true equality.

As we've reported ... the ex-cops involved in Floyd's death have been criminally charged. Derek Chauvin is facing second-degree murder for having his knee on George's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Philonise said, "The man who took his life ... [Floyd] still called him 'sir' as he begged for his life."

The other 3 officers -- Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao -- have also been charged with felonies, aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

The manner in which Floyd died triggered protests throughout the country and around the world. Philonise said George changed the world. He also had some parting words for his brother, "I know he's looking down at us now. You changed the world. I hope you found mama and you can rest in peace with power."

George's family just paid their final respects, remembering their uncle, brother, son, cousin and nephew ... and it was super emotional.

His aunt, Kathleen McGee, spoke about the George the world doesn't know. His niece, Brooke Williams, called for justice and change. His brothers, Terrence and Philonise, said he was their Superman and talked about his final words, "I can't breathe."

Joe Biden’s pre-recorded message was just played at the funeral, and he addressed George’s killing -- and all the similar tragedies that have befallen black families -- by offering hope that Floyd’s death can be a turning point … one that finally helps America achieve true equality.

As we reported … Biden met with George’s grieving family privately for over an hour Monday and listened to them express their pain. The family lawyer, Ben Crump, said the gesture “meant the world” to them, and added …  “Listening to one another is what will begin to heal America.”

George Floyd's loved ones will pay their final respects in Houston Tuesday ... which has officially been declared George Floyd Day in the area.

Floyd's hometown funeral is the last of four services held for him over the past few days. The ceremony will be held at Fountain of Praise Church -- just like Monday's public viewing -- and then he'll be buried in a grave beside his mother's.

TMZ will be live streaming the event at 11 AM CT. Among those in attendance will be Ahmaud Arbery's mother. As we reported ... Ahmaud's father spoke during Monday's public memorial, along with parents of Eric Garner and Michael Brown.

George's family also spoke and delivered a powerful message, saying they believe if he had known he needed to sacrifice his life to bring the world together ... he would have done it.

Floyd was honored last week in Minneapolis, and then again in his birth state of North Carolina over the weekend.

Of course, George's death has touched millions of people around the world, sparked international protests and demonstrations in his name ... and could lead to an overhaul of policing across the U.S., as evidenced by what's happening with the Minneapolis PD.

The cops involved in his killing have been criminally charged. Derek Chauvin is facing second-degree murder for having his knee on George's neck for nearly 9 minutes. The other 3 officers -- Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao -- have also been charged with felonies, aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

George was killed on May 25. He was 46.

RIP

"As a brother with a good heart, I say 'f*** you' if you racist or white staying quiet, you disabling the changes."

NBA superstar Damian Lillard -- AKA Dame DOLLA -- is sending a strong message about police brutality and the recent peaceful protests across the country ... dropping a spoken word track titled "Blacklist," in honor of George Floyd.

Here are some notable lyrics ...

"We in a pandemic, thought getting out I’d be more joyed, then I watched a cop knee to the neck kill George Floyd"

"As a rich black man living in this country, it’s hard being comfy when the hate your people get is coming from the ones amongst me"

"Used to call us 'monkeys' and 'slaves' and we overcame. Still our work is just beginning, protests look like parades."

"The kind of sh*t we experience, how we felt when the country turned on Kaepernick after he knelted."

Lillard also calls out President Donald Trump for saying, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" ... calling POTUS a "clown" and a "trust fund baby."

Lillard has personally taken the streets of Portland to protest the recent deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery ... vowing to bring change to the country.

NFL superstar J.J. Watt and Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien are among those mourning George Floyd's death on Tuesday ... with several members of the team attending the funeral service in Houston.

The Texans coach spoke at length last week about his frustrations over Floyd's death ... and vowed not to hold any off-season activities so players could attend the service.

Watt -- alongside former teammate D.J. Reader -- paid their respects to Floyd at the Fountain of Praise Church ... as well as Texans chairman Cal McNair and other staffers.

Watt recently spoke out following Floyd's death ... saying, "I've seen the video and I think it's disgusting. I don't understand how that situation can't be remedied in a way that doesn't end in his death."