RIP

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.

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.

Dawn Wells, who became a megastar by playing the sexy Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island" has died.

Her rep says Dawn died from COVID Wednesday.

Wells was one of 2 surviving members of the cast ... Tina Louise, who played Ginger on the show, is now the sole surviving cast member.

The show only ran 3 years -- from 1964-1967, but it became a cultural phenomenon. The premise -- Gilligan, the skipper et al hopped on a boat for a 3-hour tour -- A THREE HOUR TOUR -- and it became shipwrecked on a deserted island. The show was all about the hijinks of survival and the interaction with the hilarious characters, including Professor Roy and a very rich couple, Lovey and Thurston Howell III.

After 'Gilligan's' Dawn appeared in various TV shows, including "The Wild Wild West" and "Bonanza." In all, she appeared in more than 60 series ... and also appeared on Broadway and in movies.

Dawn's show biz career actually began with beauty pageants ... she was crowned Miss Nevada in the 1959 Miss America pageant.

She established an institute for up-and-coming filmmakers in Idaho ... it's called the Spud Film Institute.

There was actually a big debate among fans of 'Gilligan's' during the run of the show -- namely, who's sexier -- the wholesome Mary Ann or the sultry movie star, Ginger.

Dawn was married once in the '60s to Larry Rosen. They divorced after 5 years.

Dawn was 82.

Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quiñones, the famous breakdancer and star of the 1984 movie, "Breakin'," has died.

Shabba-Doo's family announced his sudden passing in L.A. Wednesday, only a day after he had posted an image of himself in bed, saying he was feeling sluggish but had tested negative for COVID-19.

So far, no cause of death has been announced. Law enforcement sources tell us it appears a roommate found Shabba unconscious Wednesday night, and there were no signs of foul play.

His sister said goodbye in a heartfelt social media post, saying ... "My Heart is Broken apart we look alike and DANCE ALIKE MY HEART WILL NEVER BE THE SAME IT HURTS!"

Shabba-Doo rose to fame back in the '80s, becoming one of the most well-known and legendary breakdancers on the West Coast. He instantly became a heartthrob and sex symbol after starring in "Breakin'" and "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo."

In addition to his work on the big screen, Shabba Doo also choreographed and appeared in Lionel Richie's "All Night Long" music video

Shabba-Doo was born in Chicago before making it big out West. He was a member of Toni Basil's iconic street dance crew The Lockers. Toni also posted about his sudden death.

Shabba was married twice. His first marriage was to Gwendolyn Powell, and after they divorced in 1982 he married Lela Rochon. who he divorced 5 years later.

He's survived by his daughter and son.

Shabba-Doo was 65.

Louisville Metro PD is about to fire 2 cops involved in the Breonna Taylor raid ... one of whom was responsible for getting the search warrant for the deadly raid.

Detectives Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove both received pre-termination letters from LMPD's Chief Yvette Gentry ... according to their lawyers. Cosgrove was one of the officers present during the raid and did fire shots.

Jaynes was not there but filed the paperwork with a judge to get a warrant. He had said that was based on information from a postal inspector that drug suspect -- Breonna's ex-boyfriend -- had received packages at her home -- but Jaynes later admitted he never verified that info with the post office.

According to the New York Times, the letters both officers got said, "These are extreme violations of our policies."

LMPD previously fired Brett Hankison, saying he had "violated obedience to rules and regulations," and use of deadly force while serving the warrant.

Hankison is also the sole officer the grand jury indicted on a wanton endangerment charge. He was not charged for the shooting of Breonna ... he was charged with shooting into a neighboring apartment.

Principal Joe Louis Clark, whose tough-as-nails approach was the subject of the movie "Lean on Me," has died.

Joe's family says he passed away Tuesday at home in Gainesville, FL after a long battle with an undisclosed illness. He was surrounded by family members, but will also be mourned by hundreds, if not thousands, of graduates from his time as a legendary principal in Northern New Jersey.

Morgan Freeman played Joe in the 1989 film which chronicled his hard-nosed efforts to improve Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ. The school was described as crime and drug-ridden when Joe took over as principal there in 1983.

The former Army Reserve sergeant and drill instructor took no crap from the student body, and once expelled 300 kids in one day for fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers and drugs.

The image of Joe roaming school hallways with a bullhorn and baseball bat wasn't just something Hollywood cooked up for Freeman's role ... it's how Joe rolled in real life.

His style earned him national headlines and made him controversial ... critics felt he was way too aggressive, but his admirers pointed to positive results at the school.

Joe was 82.

A Russian sumo wrestler who used to be known as the "world's heaviest boy" has reportedly died at a very young age ... this after years of concern about his extreme weight.

Dzhambulat Khatokhov recently passed away, per Betal Gubzhev -- president of Sumo and Mass Wrestling Federation in Kabardino-Balkaria ... that's where Khatokhov had lived and grew up wrestling. A cause of death is unknown, but word is he'd lately had kidney problems.

The guy was a worldwide phenomenon for a couple reasons -- for one, he competed on the mat, but also other strength challenges (like arm wrestling) and proved to be successful at a young age. Second ... he was absolutely enormous size-wise, especially for his age.

At birth, reports say he only weighed in at around 6 lbs -- but by his first birthday ... he already clocked in at over 28 pounds and continued growing heavier and heavier. By the time he was nine, they say he weighed well over 300 pounds.

Khatokhov became the subject of much speculation, and the focus of several documentaries over the course of his life. Different experts examined him, and most expressed worry his life expectancy would be drastically shorter than normal kids his age.

You might think there was some sort of genetic defect he was dealing with that was causing his excessive weight gain and growth, but according to his mom there was nothing doctors could find to explain it.

She reportedly said this is just how God made her boy, and she, apparently, believed he was fully healthy.

Khatokhov was just 21.

'Deadliest Catch' star Nick McGlashan appears to have died from some sort of drug overdose ... according to police investigating his death.

Law enforcement sources tell us Nashville PD got a call to a Holiday Inn outside Nashville Sunday afternoon. We're told Nick had been discovered unresponsive in his room by a friend. We're told the evidence at the scene "indicated the possibility of drug involvement."

Authorities still need to wait for the results from a toxicology test before making a final ruling on Nick's cause of death.

McGlashan was a prominent figure on the show ... making appearances from 2013-2020. He started fishing at a young age, just 13, and made his way up to captaining boats like the Cape Caution and Summer Bay -- but he battled addiction with drugs and alcohol along the way.

Nick McGlashan, a 7th generation fisherman who starred in "Deadliest Catch," has died ... TMZ has learned.

The Medical Examiner and family tell TMZ ... Nick passed away Sunday in Nashville. The cause of death has not been determined.

Nick appeared on the show for years ... from 2013 - 2020, in 78 episodes.

Nick's family has a storied tale of the sea. His great uncle worked on the first boat in the U.S. crab industry. Two of his aunts were crabbers ... one of who was lost at sea after the boat sank.

As for Nick ... he started crabbing at age 13. Nick quickly earned his stripes and up piloting the Cape Caution ... eventually upgrading to the Summer Bay.

Nick was an unrelenting figure on the boat. Nothing could stop him ... not pain, nothing. He never gave up ... even when the boat had perilous mechanical problems.

He struggled for years with addiction to alcohol and drugs ... it got bad enough he was suspended from part of Season 13 and ended up in rehab. It got so bad he said he was drinking a half-gallon of vodka and shooting up with one gram of meth and 2 grams of heroin in a single day. He tried hard to stay sober and said he was trying to inspire others to get clean.

The show has had its share of tragedies. We broke the story ... deckhand Mahlon Reyes died back in August after suffering a heart attack.

Nick was 33.

Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro -- famous for his wicked knuckleball that allowed him to pitch as an older guy -- has died.

The Atlanta Braves made the announcement Sunday, saying Niekro passed away Saturday in his sleep at his home in the ATL suburb of Flowery Branch. They say he'd been battling cancer for a while.

The Braves heaped praise on Phil ... "Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities." They add that he was a longtime presence in their clubhouse and community for years to come after finally retiring from baseball in 1987.

Niekro was one of the rare knuckleball pitchers who could seemingly wield an uncontrollable and unpredictable pitch ... a rare skill that helped him stay on the mound well into his 40s, which isn't all that common in baseball (for pitchers, anyway). And, yes, his stuff was nasty.

He had a cumulative ERA of 3.35 over the course of his 23-year career, with a total of 3,342 strikeouts and a win record of 318. Phil got his start in the big leagues with the Braves in '64 and played for them until 1983, at which he began to bounce around a few different teams.

The man played for the Yankees, the Indians, the Blue Jays ... and finally, circled back to his first love and ended his career in Atlanta. During his final outing on September 27, he received a massive standing ovation from the crowd as he bid them and baseball adieu.

Phil was a five-time gold glove winner and a five-time all-star, plus the recipient of tons of other accolades ... including the MLB ERA leader at one point, the National League strikeout leader and more. PN was inducted into the MLB HOF in 1997 as fifth ballot candidate.

He's survived by his wife, Nancy, his three sons and grandchildren. He was 81.

A Utah football star is dead after accidentally shooting himself.

Ty Jordan, a freshman running back at the University of Utah, died early Saturday ... reportedly the result of an accidental shooting.

Cops responded to a call from someone who reported a gunshot victim. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities believe the shooting was accidental.

Head Coach Kyle Whittingham said Saturday, "Words cannot express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother, Ty Jordan. Ty's personality and smile were infectious and he made a huge impact on our program in the short time he was with us." The Coach adds ... "All of us in the Utah Football Family want to say we love you Ty and may you rest in peace."

Jordan was the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Player of the Year, after rushing for 597 yards and scoring 6 touchdowns.

The 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Player of the Year allegedly died overnight in an ‘accidental shooting’ while in Texas.

Jordan was 19.

RIP

It took 10 days -- TEN DAYS -- but finally, the United Airlines passenger who hovered over a dying, COVID-infected man for 45 minutes administering CPR has been contacted that he was exposed to the virus.

Tony Aldapa tells TMZ, he got a call late Thursday from the L.A. County Dept. of Public Health ... informing him what we've been telling and showing for a week -- that the passenger he was trying to save had the virus and died shortly after the plane made an emergency landing.

It's a scary case of buck-passing. Despite the fact the COVID-positive man had lost his sense of taste and smell and had trouble breathing -- something his wife blurted out during the in-flight emergency -- United did not notify any of the passengers they might have been exposed.

A United spokesperson told us it wasn't their job to notify passengers. Instead, the airline gave its flight manifest to the CDC, telling us that agency would contact passengers.

Then the CDC told us they were passing the information along to local health officials. Finally, 10 days after exposure ... Tony was notified.

Tony, an EMT, had some COVID-like symptoms but tested negative and is feeling better.

A Columbus cop shot and killed an African-American man in his own garage ... and it all happened in 10 seconds.

Cops were responding to a non-emergency call ... someone reported a guy inside a car, turning the ignition on and off.

When officers arrived, they noticed the garage of 47-year-old Andre Maurice Hill was open. and Hill came out.

You don't hear the first 60 seconds of audio ... the cop's bodycam wasn't turned on. The cops shined their flashlights on Hill, who turned around and held his cellphone high in the air, almost to say he was not armed. They shot Hill, then ordered him to roll over on his stomach. He was unable to do anything but moan because he had been fatally shot. He died a short time later.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther says he was outraged by the shooting and demanded that the officer who shot Hill be fired. The Mayor was not just outraged at the shooting cop. He said he noted the bodycam video shows none of the officers jumped to give Hill any first aid ... no compression on the wound to stop the bleeding, no CPR. Columbus, Ohio police.

The police report does not go into any detail about the shooting other than to say, "Officer discharged his firearm upon confronting Mr. Hill. Mr. Hill did not survive his injuries."

Mountain guitarist and co-founder Leslie West has died.

The band dropped the sad news ... "With a heavy heart, we are saddened to hear about the passing of #Dean Artist and part of the Dean family, Leslie West. [He was] legendary and one of a kind. Rest In Peace."

Leslie went into cardiac arrest at his Florida home and died Monday.

Tributes are pouring in, from the likes of Geezer Butler, Peter Frampton, Tom Morello and Joe Satriani.

West was considered top of the game on guitar ... and he was in awesome company during his heyday ... his contemporaries included Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen.

Leslie was born in '45 in Hackensack, NJ. His first professional band was the Vagrants, which he started ... it was a reasonably successful soul band in the '60s.

In '69, Leslie co-founded Mountain. The group's big break was performing at Woodstock their first year as a band, and it instantly cemented their status.

He's best known for his vocals on the song "Mississippi Queen."

Here's how Leslie described "Mississippi Queen" ... "[it] had just everything you need to make it a winner. You’ve got the cowbell, the riff is pretty damn good, and it sounds incredible. It feels like it wants to jump out of your car radio. To me, it sounds like a big, thick milkshake. It’s rich and chocolatey. Who doesn’t love that?”

Leslie had his health struggles. His leg was amputated in 2011 ... the result of complications from diabetes.

West is survived by his wife, Jenni. He was 75.

John "Ecstasy" Fletcher, who co-founded the legendary hip-hop group Whodini and was known for rocking a Zorro hat like no other, has died.

John's death was announced Wednesday by Questlove, who remembers Fletcher as a "legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip-hop."

John was living in the Atlanta area, and his passing has come as a huge shock to close friends. So far, no cause of death has been announced by the family.

Together with Jalil Hutchins, John formed Whodini in Brooklyn way back in 1982 before DJ Grandmaster Dee joined in 1986 to form an iconic trio.

Whodini churned out a bunch of albums and hits, including "Freaks Come Out at Night," "Friends" and "The Haunted House of Rock."

The group earned the Hip Hop Icon Award at the 3rd Annual Black Music Honors in 2018 ... and Ice Cube's "Friday" movies often referenced Whodini songs like 'Friends' and 'Freaks.'

John, who provided the vocals with Jalil, was known for his trademark hat which helped him become one of rap's first sex symbols.

Whodini, managed by Russell Simmons during their 80s heyday, was one of the earliest acts to combine rap with rock, and they were the first to perform live with b-boy dancers. Their sound heavily influenced the launch of the New Jack Swing sound.

John's death is sending shockwaves through the music industry, with many artists posting pictures of him and sharing memories.

Cube thanked him for "showing us how to do it" and Jermaine Dupri says, "Ex you know I love you thank you for every word, every conversation, every good time."

Rapper Q-Tip remembered John as "one of the most under appreciated voices in hip hop" and LL Cool J says he's "one of the most important people in this culture to me.

Chuck D's also paying homage ... recalling the time John mentored him in the summer of 1987 and was always there to reassure him advice and tips.

Ecstasy was 56.

The family of a Southern California man who died in police custody is calling the deputies who arrested him murderers ... and they're going to sue over his death.

Ernie Serrano's family and their attorneys, Humberto Guizar and Christian Contreras, announced legal action Wednesday against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, claiming the 33-year-old's death amounts to murder and the officers killed him with a smile on their faces.

As we reported ... Ernie died last week after he was busted for assault with a deadly weapon following an alleged incident that required police assistance at a Stater Bros. supermarket in Jurupa Valley ... a fatal interaction with sheriffs that saw Ernie battered and bloodied before becoming unresponsive.

The family's legal team isn't buying the preliminary autopsy report -- concluding Ernie's death was the result of acute methamphetamine intoxication. Guizar claims body cam video shows he died from asphyxiation, so they want the officers charged with homicide.

Ernie's sister says even if he was on drugs ... he didn't deserve to die.

RCSD says they got calls from Stater Bros. about a man refusing to leave the store, but Serrano's attorneys claim the allegations aren't true and they're going to sue the grocery store as well.