RIP

The LAPD officer who fired the fatal rounds in the Burlington Coat Factory shooting, killing the suspect and an innocent bystander, looked like he went rogue ... so says a retired cop.

Timothy Williams Jr., an expert on the use of force in policing and a retired LAPD detective supervisor, joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and he broke down the police body cam footage in the fatal shooting ... and it's his opinion the shots were not justified.

The first thing that jumped out to Timothy ... the cop with the AR-15 appearing to act separately from the rest of the cops and gun down the suspect, even though other police in the group had less-lethal weapons.

Remember ... the suspect was wielding a bike lock and chain, bloodying a shopper and injuring others before cops arrived ... and Timothy says the use of force was warranted in this situation, but he thinks police didn't need to use lethal force and fire an assault rifle.

As you know ... the bullets from the AR-15 killed the suspect, as well as a 14-year-old girl who was cowering in the background in a dressing room. The walls in these kinds of stores are usually paper-thin, and the L.A. County Medical Examiner says a bullet struck her in the chest and killed her.

The LAPD just released police body cam footage showing the moment cops fired a round of fatal shots inside a Burlington Coat Factory ... killing the suspect and a teenage girl hiding in a dressing room.

The incident went down Thursday at a Burlington Coat Factory in North Hollywood, CA ... where police responded to a call about an assault and fatally shot the suspect, who was attacking shoppers with a bike lock and chain.

In the police footage released Monday, you see cops armed to the teeth walking through the store in search of the suspect, when they come across blood on the floor and a woman writhing in pain, with the suspect standing in an aisle.

The video shows an officer with an assault rifle firing what appears to be 3 shots ... and the suspect crumples to the floor.

However, police say they were unaware there was a 14-year-old girl cowering in a dressing room behind the suspect ... and one of the bullets struck her in the chest, killing her.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the girl's death a homicide. She was identified as Valentina Orellana-Peralta and she was in the store shopping for a dress for her upcoming birthday party.

There's an LAPD regulation that says an officer can use deadly force against a fleeing suspect if the suspect poses a grave danger to others. In this case, the suspect had attacked 3 women with the lock and chain, drawing blood. In addition, the initial 911 call was for possible shots fired.

But, there's another part of the regulation that says when officers use their guns they must be aware of their surroundings. Here, shoppers had been in the store, and the walls -- especially those in the dressing rooms -- are paper thin. That could be problematic for the officer.

Jean-Marc Vallee, the director of "Dallas Buyers Club," "Sharp Objects," and "Big Little Lies," has died ... and it was both sudden and unexpected.

Vallee passed near Quebec City, at his cabin.

His producing partner, Nathan Ross, said ... "Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently. He was a true artist and a generous, loving guy. Everyone who worked with him couldn't help but see the talent and vision he possessed. He was a friend, creative partner and an older brother to me. The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on."

Vallee was acclaimed in his field, and the awards underscore his achievements. He received an Oscar nom for editing "Dallas Buyers Club," and snagged 2 Emmys for directing and producing "Big Little Lies." "Sharp Objects" was nominated for Emmys 8 times over.

Vallee's big break came with "C.R.A.Z.Y.," which he directed and wrote.

Vallee is survived by sons Alex and Emile.

He was 58. RIP

Diddy is getting rid of some bad memories ... because he sold the mansion where his late soulmate, Kim Porter, died.

Diddy put the Toluca Lake mansion up for sale back in October, listing it for $7 mil, and now there's a buyer ... the deal is pending and will likely close this week, but the sale is not final.

The sprawling estate is 9,655 square feet with 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms ... and it's got all the bells and whistles, including a family-sized pool and spa, plus a sports court.

The gated property sits on a half-acre on one of the most famous streets in the San Fernando Valley ... and the celeb neighbors include Steve Carell, Billy Ray Cyrus, Viola Davis and Sia.

As you know ... Kim, a model and actress, dated Diddy off and on for 13 years and they had 3 kids together, including 2 daughters and a son.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim was found dead in the home back in November 2018 at the age of 47, after losing her battle with pneumonia.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a leader in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, has died.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Tutu's death, praising him as "a patriot without equal," adding he was "A man of extraordinary intellect, integrity and invincibility against the forces of apartheid, he was also tender and vulnerable in his compassion for those who had suffered oppression, injustice and violence under apartheid, and oppressed and downtrodden people around the world."

Tutu was recognized worldwide for his efforts, winning a Nobel Peace Prize ... among many other honors.

Tutu's efforts cannot be overstated ... he was the major force behind the challenge to end racial segregation in South Africa. After Nelson Mandela was released from prison and became President of South Africa, he tapped Tutu for the position of chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation said of Tutu ... "He was larger than life, and for so many in South Africa and around the world his life has been a blessing. His contributions to struggles against injustice, locally and globally, are matched only by the depth of his thinking about the making of liberatory futures for human societies."

Tutu received praise from the U.S. for his efforts to end apartheid. Back in 2009, then-President Obama bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tutu.

Tutu's efforts were not without great risk. As you know, the South African government retaliated against many leaders in the movement, including Nelson Mandela ... throwing a number of them in prison and shutting down opposition groups.

The Archbishop of Cape Town announced the church will organize Tutu's funeral and memorial, saying ... "Desmond Tutu's legacy is moral strength, moral courage and clarity. He felt with the people. In public and alone, he cried because he felt people's pain. And he laughed -- no, not just laughed, he cackled with delight when he shared their joy."

The Pope has died while discussing Covid-19 -- at least that's what one broadcaster almost had her viewers thinking ... when she mistakenly said the guy had croaked.

Francis' Christmas day remarks were being recapped Saturday by ITV broadcaster Kylie Pentelow, who was plugging along nicely ... until a little slip at the end when she said, "His death was announced ..."

Pentelow caught herself before she said anything more, and then apologized briefly before doing a hard pause and moving on to the next story.

There didn't seem to be any explanation as to why she said that -- but the obvious answer seems to be that she was reading off of a teleprompter, which must've said something to that effect. Indeed, a true Ron Burgundy moment in real-time.

Of course, the Pope isn't dead -- he's alive and kicking. And as for what he had to say about 'rona during his speech at the Vatican ... it was all about praying the pandemic away, and lamenting those who've suffered through the era of Covid.

A woman is dead after suffering injuries in a car crash where the driver was Washington Football Team Safety Deshazor Everett.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Deshazor was behind the wheel of the car when it hit multiple trees, killing a female passenger, 29-year-old Olivia S. Peters, who lived in Las Vegas. She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Everett was taken to a local hospital, where he remained Friday morning. His injuries are reportedly serious but not life-threatening.

The accident occurred at around 9:15 Thursday night in Loudoun County, Virginia. Everett was driving a 2010 Nissan GT-R and actually hit a few trees before it rolled over.

Cops tell us the crash is under investigation but so far ... no arrests and no charges.

The cause of the crash has not been disclosed.

Alec Baldwin hopped on cam to deliver a holiday message ... thanking people who have supported him in the wake of the fatal shooting on the "Rust" set, saying it's been a rough road for him.

Baldwin expressed gratitude to people who reached out to him with messages of sympathy and support ... "I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all the people who sent me such kind words and best wishes and strength and hope and prayers, thoughts and lots of encouragement. I got hundreds, hundreds of emails from friends, family and colleagues and people I haven't heard from in quite a while to send me strength and good wishes and so forth. I'm really grateful to them."

Baldwin talked about his desire to put the tragedy behind him, and at the same time acknowledged the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins will never be forgotten ... "I'm looking forward to some aspects of this being behind me, of course. For everyone who is involved in this, it'll never be behind us because someone died so tragically. I never lose sight of that, not a day goes by I don't think about that."

He then talked about the center of his life ... "It's true, I only care about my wife and my kids and moving forward with my life and trying to get through a tough time, a really tough time."

Robbie Roper -- a star high school quarterback from the 2022 class in Georgia -- tragically died on Wednesday after complications from surgery.

He was only 18.

Roper's family made the devastating announcement via Twitter ... saying, "We just wanted to update everyone on Robbie. Robbie just passed."

"He was the biggest joy to our family. We are proud of the young man he has become."

"He will be missed by his friends and family dearly."

Roswell High School football coach, Chris Prewett, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Roper was in the hospital on Sunday after suffering complications from a routine surgery.

"Robbie fought hard," Coach Prewett said, "and battled until the very end like he did everything else."

Roper was a dual-threat QB who had 3,010 yards and 37 touchdowns this season -- in one of those games, he had 447 yards and 6 TDs.

The 6'4", 215 pound QB led Roswell High to a 10-3 winning record and was named Georgia's Region 5 Class 7A Player Of The Year.

Roper received several college offers including Massachusetts, Morehead State and recently the Florida Gators who were informed of the terrible news.

"During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Roper family," the Florida team said.

Roper was also a great student and earned a 3.9 GPA.

Actor Alicia Witt's lost both of her parents in very mysterious circumstances -- the couple was found dead in their home ... but cops have no clear indication on how they passed.

The 'Walking Dead' star says she asked a relative to check on her folks -- Robert and Diane, who are 87 and 75, respectively -- after not hearing from them for a few days, and on Monday, their bodies were discovered by police in Worcester, MA.

Cops tell us the deaths are not considered suspicious at this time, and while the fire department checked the home with meters -- presumably for carbon monoxide -- there weren't any abnormal readings.

Local reports say the Witts had recently been having issues with their furnace and were using a space heater, but without an abnormal carbon monoxide reading ... their cause of death won't be determined until after autopsies are completed.

Alicia is obviously devastated, saying, "the outcome was unimaginable" and she needs "time to grieve and to wrap my head around this turn of events and this surreal loss."

Former NFL star Vincent Jackson died of chronic alcohol use, autopsy results -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- revealed.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office released the findings Wednesday ... calling the manner of death "natural."

As we previously reported, Jackson was found dead in a Florida hotel room on Feb. 15, 2021. He was just 38 years old.

His wife, Lindsey Jackson, said last week that Jackson had been suffering from memory loss and mood swings before his passing ... and revealed that a study on his brain had shown he was suffering from stage 2 CTE.

Lindsey also said Vincent had been drinking heavily before his death, explaining that he had told her it helped him "feel calm."

He would have turned 39 years old in January.

Vincent was a big star in the NFL for years, recording 9,080 receiving yards and 57 TDs in his 12-year career. He was selected to three Pro Bowls.

Bob Keselowski -- former ARCA Menards Series champion and father of Brad and Brian Keselowski -- has died after a battle with cancer, the family announced on Wednesday.

He was 70 years old.

Brad confirmed the news in an emotional post ... saying, "My dad will always be my hero. He was quiet and understated, but that didn’t change the impact he had on me or that I watched him have on everyone who knew him."

"I am forever grateful for what I learned from this man, and I will remember him every day."

Brad's brother, Brian, also expressed his sorrow ... saying, "Got the chance to go with my dad a couple times this year to watch him drive his car."

"We never thought we would be here still after 2 1/2 years of fighting this. Still losing him isn’t easy knowing it’s coming, but I’m so glad I took the opportunity when I had the chance to do it."

Bob and his brother, Ron, were introduced to racing as teens when they served as crew members for their father, John.

Bob went on to have a decorated career -- he won 24 races in the ARCA series, including his championship run in 1989 ... ranking him eighth on the all-time series wins list.

Keselowski's dominance in the sport spanned over a decade -- from 1985-1996 -- and he finished top three in the points for a remarkable 7 consecutive years.

By 1995, Bob had taken his talents to the Camping World Truck series, where he was a driver and co-owned the K Automotive team, winning his lone race in 1977 at Richmond.

NASCAR released a statement saying ... "Bob Keselowski was a true racer whose determination and love of the sport embodied the NASCAR and ARCA spirit."

"He worked tirelessly to build his family-owned team, doing whatever it took to compete. Our thoughts are with the Keselowski family during this difficult time."

Jason Hitch's death has shocked "90 Day Fiance" fans and his family members, who want something positive to come out of their loss ... and that's convincing doubters to wake up and get the COVID-19 jab.

Jason's sister, Shannon Speagle, tells TMZ ... she's beyond devastated following her brother's tragic death from the coronavirus. She says he wasn't vaccinated and wants Jason to be a cautionary tale for others.

The way she sees it, Jason dying should highlight the importance of getting vaccinated and taking every preventative measure you can against COVID, even if you think you're healthy.

Shannon, who's vaccinated, says she'd argue with Jason about getting the vaccine ... as he was an anti-vaxxer -- at least for COVID -- and sent her misinformation about the vaccine not being effective.

She says her brother -- who was on season 2 of '90 Day' and married to Cássia Tavares -- just figured he was a healthy 45-year-old man, and if he did get COVID, he was certain he'd be fine ... like the majority of people.

During their final convo, Shannon urged him to get vaccinated because he was planning to visit her and her children. She says Jason ultimately refused, and didn't visit them.

Here's the really sad part ... when Jason got COVID, Shannon says she didn't want to call him because she thought it'd come off as her rubbing it in his face. It wasn't until Jason was hospitalized that she understood the severity of his condition, and flew out to see him.

By the time she flew out to see him, she says he was sedated and on a ventilator, and it was the worst sight she had ever seen. She was by his bedside when he passed away last week.

Blac Youngsta is either clueless or he's gonna have a wave of hate coming his way from Young Dolph fans after posing next to a tomb with the late rapper's name on it in a new music video.

Youngsta -- who was a known enemy of Dolph -- released the video for his song "Im Assuming" Monday, filmed almost entirely in a cemetery. While it's very brief, around the 1-minute-mark of the video, you see the last name Thornton on the tomb he's rapping in front of ... Dolph's real name was Adolph Thornton Jr.

While the song's lyrics don't seem to directly talk about Dolph's death, they're certainly violent -- "I been a street n**** that murder s*** ... I'm on the verge, 'bout to purge with the young n*****. They stackin' bodies."

Blac Youngsta and Young Dolph had a very nasty history, back in 2017 BY turned himself in to cops investigating a Dolph shooting in Charlotte ... and he was also named a person of interest when Dolph was shot in L.A. later that year.

Charges against BY in the Charlotte case -- where more than 100 rounds were fired into an SUV Dolph was traveling in -- were dropped for lack of evidence.

Kimera Bartee -- Detroit Tigers first base coach and former MLB outfielder -- has died, the team announced in a statement on Tuesday.

He was just 49 years old.

Tigers GM Al Avila confirmed the tragic news, saying ... "All of us in the Tigers baseball family were shocked and saddened to learn that first base coach Kimera Bartee suddenly passed away on Monday at the age of 49."

"Throughout his time in our organization as both a player and coach, Kimera was known as a kind soul but intense competitor who did his best every day to elevate those around him to do great things."

The cause of death is not known at this time, but Bartee was visiting his father in Omaha, when he suddenly collapsed ... according to the Detroit Free Press.

Bartee -- a 14th-round draft pick by the Orioles out of Creighton University -- made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 1996.

Kimera spent 4 of his 6 seasons in the big leagues with Detroit ... before becoming a coach for three different orgs. -- the Pirates, Phillies, and Tigers.

Pirates chairman Bob Nutting released his own statement on Kimera's passing saying ... "We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden passing of Kimera Bartee."

"He was a great person, whose upbeat attitude and infectious smile would always lift the spirits of anyone who interacted with him. Our hearts go out to his family, whom he loved so much. He was much too young and will be dearly missed."

Eric Decker choked back tears as he remembered his friend and former teammate Demaryius Thomas on Monday ... giving a powerful speech at the former NFL star's celebration of life.

Past and present members of the Denver Broncos flew to Atlanta to pay tribute to Thomas ... with John Elway, Champ Bailey, Courtland Sutton, T.J. Ward and more attending the service.

Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion was filled with mementos of Thomas' career -- including game balls, jerseys, and a large #88 hanging behind the stage.

Decker and Bailey -- who both played with Thomas on the Broncos -- spoke to the crowd ... and it's pretty emotional.

"He was the brother I always wanted," Decker said, fighting tears.

Bailey added ... "I just hope that D.T. understands that I have tremendous love for him. And I hope he felt it, because I definitely felt the love he had for me. I was one of those people that he stopped and paid attention to."

"I don't know why he came into my life, but I'm sure glad he did. I'm going to miss him so dearly."