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The city of Bev Hills just announced they have closed Rodeo Drive.

As more riots break out into straight-up looting across the U.S. in the wake of George Floyd's death ... high fashion luxury stores are preparing for the worst as well.

A bunch of top-shelf retail giants out in D.C. scrambled Saturday to have their windows and doors boarded up, once again, on the heels of massive looting that's been taking place in several cities ... where some protesters are starting to hit up and bust through the priciest shops to take what they can amid all the chaos. Case in point, Dior and Gucci out in ATL.

Someone captured video of some guys trying to break through Gucci's windows at Phipps Plaza about a day or so ago, and not too far away ... a Dior store had been ransacked and cleaned out. Reports of looting going down at the ritzy Lenox Square mall surfaced as well.

In light of all that craziness, it would seem managers heading up this strip of high fashion retail in the middle of CityCenterDC got the memo ... and hired construction crews to start barricading their shops. It's crazy -- some of these guys said they'd just gotten done taking the wood panels down at a lot of these stores ('cause of D.C. being allowed to open up again) but were called shortly thereafter and told to board these places back up once more.

Ditto for some shops out in Beverly Hills, including the Gucci location there. Workers were quickly putting up wood boards on their windows as well. Not just that ... they were clearing the sidewalk trash cans, too, which they said was being done as a safety precaution.

Check it out -- sounds like L.A. protesters are coming in hot around the corner. 😬

Elon Musk and co. are officially ready for round 2 of takeoff, just days after calling off their monumental space mission ... and TMZ is streaming the event live.

A couple of NASA astronauts are set to be launched into orbit Saturday via SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and accompanying the Crew Dragon capsule, which will be blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission has been dubbed, Demo-2.

Of course, Saturday's mission was supposed to go down Wednesday -- but it got pushed back due to bad weather ... something the space team there didn't wanna toy with and risk. Now, they're running it back with a predicted 50/50 chance of acceptable conditions.

The team is sending these astronauts to the International Space Station -- 250 miles or so above the Earth. This would mark the first spaceflight launched from U.S. soil in just under a decade. The point of the mission is to see if we're able to taxi astronauts to and from the ISS and Earth -- something Elon's rocketship proved to be capable of a few years ago when SpaceX first secured a multi-billion dollar contract with NASA and passed some tests.

Looks like the two American astronauts being sent up there -- Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken -- are already suited up and aboard the spacecraft. SpaceX says all systems are a go (for now) ... and everything seems primed for an actual launch -- barring any unforeseen mishaps (like an explosion at the launchpad or a lightning storm or something).

Originally Published -- 11:53 AM PT

King Louis XVI lost more than his head in Kentucky -- a statue of the guillotined monarch lost its hand too ... and a long lost family member of the guy wants it good as new ASAP.

ICYMI ... a protester in Louisville hopped up on the historical landmark that's smack-dab in the middle of downtown with a massive crowd swarming about, and when he jumped down, he took ol' Louis' right hand with him! Literally, that piece broke clean off at the wrist.

A reporter there said the protester "made off" with the hand. It's unclear if that's entirely accurate or not -- although some of the protesters were reportedly seen passing it around and flaunting it shortly afterward -- but, in any case, the statue is currently hand-less ... and officials seem to have come up empty-handed in locating/replacing it quite yet. 👋🏽

All jokes aside, it would appear the vandalism on King Louis has caught the attention of an actual presumed blood relative of the man himself -- a guy by the name of Louis Alphonse of Bourbon ... whom, as recognized by Legitimist royalists, is the rightful successor to the French crown. Supposedly, he's a senior agnatic descendant of KLXVI ... meaning, he comes straight from the male side of the fam all the way through the 21st century.

LAB said of the defacement, "As the heir of #LouisXVI, and attached to the defense of his memory, I do hope that the damage will be repaired and that the statue will be restored. I already thank the Authorities for the measures they will take for that."

Some people are giving Louis Jr. here s**t for making a big deal about a piece of rock when there are way bigger issues at play right now. Also, people are pointing out that King Louis wasn't necessarily seen as a friend of the people back in the late 1700s -- remember, he got beheaded during the French Revolution when they did away with kings, etc.

Looks like the outrage over George Floyd's death has trickled over to a part of society that doesn't usually hear about stuff right away -- yes, it's the Amish ... that, or their peaceful brethren.

A group of about 10 people dressed in Amish-esque garb (plain, old-fashioned clothes from the 1800s or something) were spotted out Friday in Minneapolis -- before the latest round of nighttime chaos began -- with signs showing solidarity with George Floyd protesters.

They were singing songs in a chorus together -- possibly hymns -- and a lot of them were holding signs that reflected what a lot of other protesters in town have been shouting at the top of their lungs ... "Justice for George Floyd." One sign said just that -- others read, "I Can't Breathe," "Thou Shall Not Kill Any Man," and "Standing Against Systems of Oppression."

They were getting rounds of applause from the crowd that had gathered around them, and a lot of surprised reactions online too. Many simply couldn't believe the Amish had even heard about George Floyd -- seeing how they're so isolated and technology-less and all -- which then led to some speculation that these good folks here might not be Amish at all.

Some people are speculating this group might be Mennonites -- which are slightly different from the Amish, in that they're allowed to use basic technology and usually pull up in actual vehicles as opposed to horse-and-cart buggies. Others said the might be mere Quakers.

George Floyd had the weight of 3 full-grown men on him -- not just Derek Chauvin on his neck -- when he was killed ... as a new angle of the deadly incident reveals.

The video, obtained by NBC News, is from the opposite side of the street from the original video ... so, for the first time, we can see the other 2 now ex-officers, who not only subdued him in handcuffs ... but kept him pinned down for more than 8 minutes.

Throughout the 16 seconds of video, you can hear George saying he can't breathe and begging, "Please let me stand."

In the horrific original video, we only saw Chauvin with his knee on George's neck. This new clip was shot sometime earlier.

As we reported, Chauvin maintained his knee on George's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds ... according to the criminal complaint. Also, for 2 minutes and 53 seconds of that time, the 46-year-old man was non-responsive.

The complaint also says one of the other 2 officers, seen in this new video on George's back and legs, suggested they flip him on his side when he said he couldn't breathe.

Chauvin's mugshot has just been released.

Former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter, and according to the complaint he created "an unreasonable risk and taking a chance of causing death or great bodily harm to George Floyd."

The D.A. announced the charges Friday and said Chauvin is in custody, but the other 3 officers are still under investigation and no charges have been filed ... at least not yet.

According to the complaint, an officer approached George Floyd's car and ordered him out at gunpoint, claiming he passed counterfeit currency. Once Floyd put his hands on the steering wheel, the cop holstered his gun.

The complaint says George "actively resisted being handcuffed." Once in cuffs, however, he became compliant, according to the complaint.

The complaint is based, in part, on the various body cam videos the D.A. reviewed. Cops told George he was being arrested for passing bogus money, and then walked him across the street to a squad car, where George "stiffened up, fell to the ground, and told the officers he was claustrophobic."

At that point, according to the complaint, Chauvin arrives on scene in his squad car. According to the complaint, cops made several attempts to get George in the back of the squad car, but he would not voluntarily go and struggled.

While standing outside the car, George repeatedly said he could not breathe. This is before Chauvin put his knee on George's neck.

At 8:19 PM, Chauvin pulled George out of the squad car and Floyd went to the ground, handcuffed. There are 2 other officers on George's back and legs -- you can't see them in the video, but this is the moment when Chauvin placed his left knee on George's neck.

George keeps saying, "I can't breathe" and "Mama" and "please." The officers said to George, "You are talking fine." One of the other officers said, "Should we roll him on his side?" and Chauvin replied, "No, staying put where we got him."

Another officer said, "I am worried about excited delirium or whatever." Chauvin said, "That's why we have him on his stomach."

At 8:24 PM, George stopped moving, and at 8:25 PM video appears to show him cease breathing or speaking.

At this point, another officer checks George's wrist for a pulse and says, "I couldn't find one." None of the officers moved from their position. At 8:27 Chauvin finally removed his knee. In all, Chauvin had his knee on George's neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds ... 2 minutes, 53 seconds of that was AFTER GEORGE BECAME UNRESPONSIVE.

According to the complaint, "Police are trained that this type of restraint with a subject in a prone position is inherently dangerous."

The autopsy says George had underlying medical conditions, including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The M.E. said, "The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death." These are preliminary findings pending toxicology tests.

The M.E. does say there were no "physical findings to support diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation."

The 3rd-degree murder charge carries a max sentence of 25 years.

The George Floyd killing is sparking massive protests in Minneapolis, and the local NAACP is helping protesters ... by distributing face masks and tips for coping with the danger.

The Minneapolis NAACP plans to help protesters in the city by not only providing face coverings so they can stay safe in the age of COVID-19 but also by teaching techniques on meditation and deep breathing to help relax and cope with Floyd's death ... Leslie Redmond, president of the Minneapolis NAACP tells TMZ.

Leslie says folks in Minneapolis are so upset by Floyd's killing, there is no end in sight to the protests ... so the NAACP is stepping up with face masks, which will come in handy in the face of a respiratory pandemic posing danger to large gatherings.

As for those coping mechanisms ... the Minneapolis NAACP is holding health and wellness Facebook Live sessions aimed at young people, where they can learn to meditate and breathe deeper to relieve stress.

The deep breathing lessons are a case of tragic irony ... Floyd's slow death came at the hands of a cop kneeling on his carotid artery, while witnesses filmed and George told the officer he couldn't breathe.

As we reported ... the protests and riots in Minneapolis have seen violence and looting.

The Minneapolis NAACP says the riots are a byproduct of years of neglect from the city and businesses, coupled with the pandemic.

Leslie says folks in Minny are starving, literally and figuratively, and Floyd's killing is the straw that broke the camels back. She says the NAACP has been trying to sound the alarm for years that something like this could happen, and while she's sad it's descended to this point, she's not surprised.

Redmond says the NAACP looks at the riots and protests "as an uprising of oppressed and hurt people" ... and she says the solution is simple -- police need to stop killing black people.

The NAACP is hoping folks take their messaging to heart ... Leslie says a lot of the protesters in the streets are kids who don't mean harm, and they're just frustrated and need someone to provide guidance.

The 911 caller who reported George Floyd to police claimed he was drunk when he entered their store, and allegedly tried to pay with counterfeit money.

Police released the transcript of the call made Monday night around 8 PM by an employee at the Cup Foods ... across the street from where George was initially put in handcuffs. The caller said, "Someone comes our store and give us fake bills and we realize it before he left the store, and we ran back outside, they was sitting on their car."

The caller said they, along with a coworker, asked George to return some cigarettes, but, "he doesn't want to do that, and he's sitting on his car cause he is awfully drunk and he's not in control of himself."

The interaction between the employees and George was visible in the surveillance footage from the restaurant across the street from Cup Foods.

The operator then got a description of George and the blue van where police found him when they arrived on the scene. Before hanging up, the operator asked again if George was under the influence, and the caller said, "Something like that, yes. He is not acting right."

As we reported, when police arrived ... George was in the blue van, but appeared to peacefully allow an officer to put him in handcuffs. He showed no signs of resisting arrest ... for more than 6 minutes. So, even if he was under the influence, it had no visible impact on his demeanor with cops.

Authorities are not yet ready to charge any of the officers involved in Floyd's death. The point of the news conference was to let the public know they're working on the case, and to plead for patience and an end to violent protests.

Erica MacDonald, the U.S. Attorney of the District of Minnesota, opened by saying a “robust and meticulous investigation” into the horrible incident and the actions of the police officers involved is underway. She says they are working around the clock to determine whether one or more of the cops committed a criminal civil rights violation.

MacDonald described Floyd’s death as a "disturbing loss of life," and says the case is a top priority for the Department of Justice, and President Trump and Attorney General William Barr are actively monitoring the situation.

She also said it “breaks my heart” to see what’s happening in Minneapolis — the riots, looting and violence — and pleaded with the public to remain calm ... and let them conduct their investigation. MacDonald and others encouraged peaceful protests.

Rainer Drolshagen, the FBI special agent in charge, also called for anyone who has information related to Floyd’s case to come forward, saying, “no tip is too small.”

Finally -- when asked how it's possible the police officer in the video seen pressing his knee on Floyd's neck hasn't been charged yet -- Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said he will not be quick to rush to justice.

He stated there is certainly evidence that suggests a criminal charge could be coming, but also said, "There is other evidence that does not warrant a criminal charge." Freeman strongly implied he wants to get this right, and only bring charges when he knows they will stick.

Sources connected to George Floyd's family tell TMZ ... the FBI contacted the family ahead of the news conference and said "justice will be done." It sounds like they may announce charges.

The FBI and local prosecutors in Minneapolis are about to hold a news conference to announce developments -- and possible charges -- in the George Floyd killing.

We're told the announcements will be significant, and possibly accelerated by the unrest in the City following the shocking and unjustified death of Floyd.

In fact, ahead of the news conference, Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies were lined up outside the D.A.'s Office.

The 4 officers involved have been fired, but there are cries for them to be prosecuted for murder.

The City has been gripped by 2 straight nights of protests, fires, tear gas ... and showdowns with police in riot gear.

Floyd's brother and cousin, along with the family lawyer, Ben Crump, appeared on "TMZ Live" and said there can be no justice unless criminal charges are filed. Congresswoman Maxine Waters said it's particularly appalling because she feels the officer who had his knee on George's neck for more than 5 minutes seemed to be enjoying it.

5/28 -- Stephen Jackson is now calling for prosecutors to go for the death penalty for the main police officer involved in the death of George Floyd.

"I know we not gon' get the death penalty but I'm goin for it," Jackson said Thursday morning on The Breakfast Club.

"Because the only way that they can stop kiling us is if they see one of their own sitting at the chair and fry for something they did and knowing that could be them."

"We had to see it, the world had to see it, my brother die then the world has to see one of them die. That's the only way we gon' get justice."

Jackson also said he spoke with the mother of Floyd's 6-year-old daughter ... who says she's still so shaken up, she hasn't broken the news to their child.

Jackson is NOT happy with Denver Nuggets player Michael Porter Jr.'s comments on George Floyd's death ... telling the young star to "go sit yo young Privileged ass down."

MPJ faced backlash when addressing the Floyd incident on Wednesday when he tweeted, "As much as you pray for George family, gotta also pray for the police officer(s) who were involved in this evil."

He continued ... "As hard as it is, pray for them instead of hate them...Pray that God changes their hearts."

Jackson got wind of MPJ's words and spoke his mind shortly after, saying "Either u with us or against us. @MPJr not now bruh f*k dat."

"Rest Easy Twin I don’t have a prob with u Youngin ain’t no time for that. Easy to say that nobody dying close to u. Pick a side."

"My boy was doing what he was supposed to be doing and ya'll go and kill my brother, man."

Stephen Jackson spent Tuesday emotionally reflecting on his time with George Floyd -- a man the former NBA star says he called "twin" -- and he's now demanding justice for the 46-year-old after officers appeared to have killed him Monday.

Jackson says he spent his childhood in the same Houston, Texas circles as Floyd ... and claims the two were so close, he had just sent the guy clothes days before his death this week.

"Floyd was my brother," Jackson said. "We called each other twins, bruh. Everybody knows me and Floyd called each other twins. My brother was only out there in Minnesota, he was trying to change his life."

42-year-old Jackson says he's now on his way to Minnesota ... and he's promising to help find justice for George after a cop pinned him down with a knee to the neck and wouldn't let go.

"I can't let this ride, dawg," Jackson said. "Ya'll not going to be mad until it hits ya'll front door. Bullsh*t."

As we previously reported, Floyd died in Minneapolis, Minn. after officers responded to a call about a forgery in progress on Monday.

During the stop, officers held down George for several minutes ... despite the man telling cops he could not breathe.

The FBI is now investigating the incident ... while all four officers involved have been fired.

Police released new footage of George Floyd's arrest -- body cam from an officer on the scene -- but it's puzzling why they released it, because it creates more questions than answers.

The video is from the point-of-view of the Minneapolis Park Police officer who pulled up while Floyd was already detained by Minneapolis PD cops. It shows the Park officer arriving to assist, but the video is heavily redacted. Much of the audio is muted, and no suspects' faces are shown, including Floyd's.

The Park Police officer was only briefly near the spot where Floyd was sitting, already handcuffed, with the PD officers. The closest this video comes to showing the crucial moment of the arrest is at the 1:30 mark.

After, the Park Police officer moves his vehicle closer to where the PD cops had George in custody. One of the PD officers quickly told the Park officer to go back across the street ... but you can hear the muffled sound of a struggle. It might be George's voice, but the video is blacked out, so we can't say for sure.

Park Police say this shows their officer was not near the incident, and couldn't have intervened. However, he's clearly aware of George's dire condition, because he tells the other suspects, "Right now, we're grabbing an ambulance for your buddy."

It's odd for cops to release this video first, because it sheds NO new light about how officer Derek Chauvin ended up putting his knee on George Floyd and killing him.

As you know, 4 Minn. PD officers involved in the arrest were fired -- the Park Police officer wasn't -- so it would be much more significant to release the PD cops' body cam footage, especially Chauvin's.

Of course, the new footage comes as pressure is mounting on police and the City of Minneapolis to get justice for George. Protests have broken out the past 2 nights, and some demonstrators turned to looting Wednesday night.

Far more tragically -- one person was killed during the violent protests and looting. Minneapolis police say a man was shot in the midst of the chaos. As you can see in video ... 2 officers respond to the gunshot victim and one administers CPR to try to save him. He was transferred to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Cops say they have a suspect in custody.

Rep. Maxine Waters says George Floyd's killing has her thinking some police officers wake up thinking, "I'm gonna get me one today," and she suspects George was this guy's one.

The Congresswoman from California joined us on "TMZ Live" and was outraged by Floyd's death at the hands of police, telling us it's got her reflecting on other killings of young black men by cops and white supremacists.

Waters says the Minneapolis cop who kept his knee jammed deep into Floyd's neck for several minutes actually "enjoyed doing it." She took it a step further with a theory about what goes through the minds of rogue police officers.

The way Rep. Waters sees it ... the cop was out for blood, and that's why he didn't care that citizens were not only witnessing his actions, but recording video of him slowly killing Floyd.

As for the other officers involved -- she's not letting them off the hook, criminally, either.

The Congresswoman says the police and white supremacists who think they can get away with killing a black person feel empowered because of "dog-whistling" from President Trump.

The girl who captured the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on video is not in a good space right now ... and it's all because of hate she's receiving online.

17-year-old Darnella Frazier tells TMZ ... she is utterly traumatized after recording the officer using his knee to suffocate George. Odd as it might sound, Darnella tells us a lot of people have criticized her for doing nothing more than shoot the encounter.

She says people on social media are telling her she should have done more to help George, like physically step in and intervene. While that emotion might be understandable, it's not really a practical notion for an African-American teenager.

Not just that, but folks are accusing Darnella of only posting the video for "clout" or attention, and possibly a payoff. She's vehemently refuted that.

She's also been facing a media frenzy surrounding her video -- dealing with reporters, and an onslaught of attention. And, of course, just witnessing George's death first-hand has scarred her as well, we're told.

Darnella's mother tells us her daughter was simply out making a store run, and never should have experienced this, including the nasty aftermath. She's concerned going forward because she says Darnella already suffers from social anxiety.

However, Mom believes her daughter was where she needed to be -- in order to capture the tragic event and share it with the world. To that point, without Darnella's video, we might not know what really happened.

As for those saying she should have done more. Keep in mind, she and several others on the scene shouted for several minutes at the officers ... pleading with them that George was dying.

The fact is ... Darnella's video could ultimately be the evidence that brings George's killer to justice. Internet trolls should think about that before attacking a teenage girl.

Some of the people protesting George Floyd's killing are resorting to looting ... as the tensions between citizens and cops in Minneapolis continue to escalate.

As the second day of demonstrations continued Wednesday -- hundreds came face-to-face with officers armed with riot gear -- some groups of protesters started looting a Target store.

As you can see in the video, folks are piling tons of goods into carts and baskets. The looters are running off with TVs, groceries and clothes.

The Target store is near the intersection where Floyd was killed after a now-fired cop killed him during an arrest for an alleged forgery.

As we reported ... footage of the incident shows an officer pressing his knee down on George's neck for several minutes, ignoring Floyd's pleas that he could not breathe, all while witnesses recorded video and shouted at officers that George was slowly dying.

The protests began in earnest Tuesday night in Minneapolis, with demonstrators clashing with cops who fired tear gas canisters and pepper spray into the crowd.

Less violent protests have sprung up across the country too ... including one very large one moving through Los Angeles.

Demonstrators from Black Lives Matter are protesting Floyd's death, and the protest has engulfed an overpass near the 101 Freeway.

President Trump is speaking out about the killing of George Floyd, saying federal law enforcement is on the case ... and promising there will be justice.

POTUS tweeted Wednesday about George's death, saying ... "At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd."

He went on to say, "I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!"

It's interesting ... we already knew the FBI was involved, but the fact the DOJ is jumping in right away as well is pretty telling. Seems the President is aware of how angry and fed up millions of Americans are after seeing the video of George's killing.

It's a more emphatic reaction than he had several days after the video surfaced of Ahmaud Arbery getting shot to death -- saying it was a horrible thing, and he was awaiting the results of several investigations.

In any case, it's good to see the case has caught the attention of the most powerful person in the country ... who can actually do something about this at the highest level.

John Boyega sees what's happening to black people here in the U.S. -- specifically, the killing of George Floyd -- and he has a message to racist white Americans who might also be his fans.

The 'Star Wars' actor went on an epic tirade Wednesday, going IN on "racist white people" who in any way, shape or form tolerate and/or downplay what's happening in our streets ... namely, the killing of unarmed, innocent African-Americans.

You gotta see this for yourself, John's very heated as he calls George Floyd's death part of a continuous cycle that he sees here in the States -- black men being killed by either cops or vigilantes trying to play cops. He says that's enough for him to stay away -- presumably in England, his home country.

John goes on to lay into ANYONE who's a fan -- and who's also a racist -- telling 'em to get off his page, off his timeline and out of his circle ... 'cause he ain't having it.

Interestingly, he also makes it clear that he doesn't care what this rant of his might mean for his career. There's a good reason for that though ... JB says he's "not Hollywood."