George Floyd Courage Award for Teen Who Recorded His Death
Darnella Frazier -- the teenager who captured George Floyd's final minutes and started a worldwide movement -- is getting an award from a prestigious nonprofit.
PEN America announced Tuesday they were honoring 17-year-old Darnella with its annual PEN/Benenson Courage Award. The org's CEO, Suzanne Nossel, says, "With nothing more than a cell phone and sheer guts, Darnella changed the course of history in this country, sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black racism and violence at the hands of police."
5/25/20
Nossel adds, "Without Darnella’s presence of mind and readiness to risk her own safety and wellbeing, we may never have known the truth about George Floyd’s murder. We are proud to recognize her exceptional courage with this award."
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump -- who reps George's family now -- praised Darnella as well on Twitter, saying she showed tremendous courage and the award was well-deserved.
As we reported ... Darnella went through a lot of backlash in the immediate aftermath of her video being posted, with many questioning why she didn't do more than record it. Her family told us they were seeking therapy to help Darnella cope with the emotional trauma.
Darnella will share the award with Marie Yovanovitch ... the ex-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who helped expose President Trump's efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.
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Lizzo I'm 100% That Voter
Lizzo has voted ... and she REALLY made it count.
The singer submitted her ballot for the 2020 election in West Hollywood, and she made her presence felt ... by strutting her way to the dropbox in an American flag tank top, white booty shorts and glittery golden boots.
It looks like the modern Miss Liberty carries a Maison Margiela foldover patent-leather clutch, too. Naturally.
Lizzo's scored her voting vid with a little ditty about it being "time to vote" ... something several celebrities have been promoting lately.
Unlike Chris Rock, Chelsea Handler, Mark Ruffalo, Sarah Silverman and Lil Dicky, Lizzo didn't get naked for her voting reminder ... but she still made it sexy with some celebratory twerking.
She says this is the third time she's voted in her life, and she believes "this is the beginning of making voting ACCESSIBLE and FAIR so that this country reflects its people."
Lizzo also thanks all the activists out there working hard to make sure people are able to exercise their right to vote, "so we can get back to the good fight for true liberty and justice for ALL."
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Applebee's Disputes Woman's High Chairs Account ... It Was a Fire Hazard!!!
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2:19 PM PT -- A rep for Applebee's has doubled down on what was told to cops about a fire hazard, telling TMZ ... they simply couldn't put 2 high chairs where Malcolm wanted, because it would've been dangerous. They even attached photos to show where her booth was, and you can see ... it's right near a set of stairs that appear to lead to an exit. Pretty tight space.
They add, "We made attempts to reseat the party at a different table that would safely accommodate children in the two high chairs. While we understand the guests may have been disappointed to not be seated at the booth of their choice, we must adhere to local guidelines to maintain a safe dining experience for all our guests."
Here's an odd one -- a woman was arrested at an Ohio Applebee's after getting ticked off the restaurant refused to give her 2 high chairs for 2 babies ... and she streamed the encounter live.
Shannel Malcolm hit record when she and her family -- consisting of 5 people total -- allegedly got a hard time Sunday evening from the staff ... all because, she says, she wanted 2 high chairs for her twin 1-year-olds. Seems like a simple request, right?
Well, the Marion County Sheriff's Department tells TMZ ... Applebee's told responding deputies they denied Shannel the high chairs because she wanted them at a booth, which the restaurant told her would cause a fire hazard.
So, cops say the staff told them they offered to seat her at another table that could safely accommodate the 2 high chairs ... but it doesn't sound like that went over well.
The Sheriff's Department says they tried calming down Shannel, who they say was acting unruly and wasn't cooperating. There's no evidence in the video she posted ... in fact, she was complimentary to the cops. However, they ended up arresting her after cops first tried to resolve it by just giving her a court summons.
She was booked for disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice, and released later that evening.
One last thing about this ... in her disbelief at the situation, Shannel -- who is Black -- does make mention of 2020 being "real," and her eyes being "open" in light of this. Unclear if she was insinuating racism was in play here .... but if so, she never explicitly says so.
Now there's a movement growing to boycott the Applebee's over the episode. We've also reached out to the restaurant for more clarification ... so far, no word back
Originally Published -- 1:23 PM PT
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Breonna Taylor's Mom Wants Grand Jury to Hear New Case ... Step Aside, AG Cameron!!!
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Breonna Taylor's mother says the case KY Attorney General Daniel Cameron presented to the grand jury was flawed and biased ... and she's pushing for a do-over.
Tamika Palmer's filed legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- seeking to have an independent prosecutor appointed to her daughter's case in order to give a brand new grand jury an "unbiased" presentation of the evidence.
Ironically, Cameron had taken over the case back in May, as a special prosecutor, to avoid the appearance of impropriety arising from the local Jefferson County D.A. investigating Louisville cops.
Palmer's asking the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council to begin the process to "restore the confidence in the grand jury process" in the state ... according to her lawyers.
The request comes on the heels of multiple grand jurors speaking out against AG Cameron, claiming he neglected to present a case for possible homicide charges against the police officers who shot Breonna.
According to the jurors, they were never given the option to even consider homicide charges because Cameron told them they wouldn't hold up in court. The jurors say they felt otherwise.
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Activist To KC Police Commissioners 'Stop Using Black Children as Photo Opportunities'
This young activist is going viral for roasting a bunch of police commissioners, and ya gotta see the video ... she's not holding anything back!!!
Keiajah Brooks went OFF at a recent meeting with members of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, dragging them for using Black kids as photo ops ... at least that's how she sees it.
With the election drawing near, Keiajah is sick and tired of seeing politicians and city officials using folks in her community to try to look woke for cameras.
Keiajah starts out swinging, telling the commissioners she's done being nice and respectable and, "y'all can't and won't be both my savior and my oppressor."
She added the kids cops pose with today will be seen as suspects by the same officers 10 years from now.
Watch ... Keiajah also rails against police reform, oppression and the cops' bloated budget.
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Breonna Taylor Grand Jurors Speak, Feel Betrayed Over Lack of Homicide Charges
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Two grand jurors in the Breonna Taylor case are speaking on camera to call out Attorney General Daniel Cameron -- who they say betrayed them by never giving them a chance to consider murder or manslaughter charges against the officers.
CBS News' Gayle King spoke to the 2 male jurors -- one Black and one white -- who told Gayle they wanted to set the record straight about Cameron's characterization of their thinking.
The takeaway from their statements ... the AG's office did NOT present them any possible murder charges, attempted murder charges or manslaughter charges -- which the two jurors believe would've been appropriate to consider, had they been given a chance to do so. The jurors make clear that after 20 hours of testimony, they thought that's where the case was going -- murder charges against the cops -- but when they got to the finish line ... all Cameron's team had for them was a wanton endangerment charge.
Gayle asks if the room said something in that moment, when nothing but a minor charge against former Officer Hankison was presented -- and both men say yes, telling her there was uproar and confusion. The answer they say they got back from prosecutors ... that's all that would stick.
There's more ... the grand jurors say they were pissed when Daniel Cameron got up to the podium on the day he broke down their decision and told the media that even though there are 6 possible homicide charges under Kentucky law ... none of them applied to this case since the officers were justified in firing back in self-defense, and that the grand jury agreed.
The men say that couldn't be further from the truth, adding that the first time they'd heard about 6 possible homicide charges was right then and there when Cameron made it seem like it was their decision.
Speaking of the firing back at Kenneth Walker -- who says he fired one warning shot, thinking the cops were intruders -- the 2 anonymous grand jurors here say they find his story believable, and that there are too many inconsistencies with the officers' accounts.
The white juror says that night of the raid was a complete mess on the LMPD's part -- no leadership, no solid plan and no organization ... just a ragtag team winging it. The Black juror puts it a bit more bluntly as far as the aftermath -- telling Gayle the state of Kentucky covered their ass and the ass of those officers, saying, "they covered it up."
One last thing ... AG Cameron recently told a FOX affiliate if the grand jurors wanted to ponder more charges in the moment, they could've -- doesn't sound like that was the case, though.
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Halloween Display Cops Called for Fake Massacre ... What a Bloody Mess!!!
A morbid, bloody and frightful Halloween display at a Texas man's home is eliciting more than gasps from his neighbors ... he's getting police visits too.
Artist Steven Novak turned the front yard of his Dallas residence into a gory scene straight out of a horror movie -- or several of them -- using dummies, props, and more than 20 gallons of fake blood.
Check it out -- there's a man killed by a chainsaw, another killed by a safe dropped on his head, one more with a knife to the skull, an apparent dead body in a bag ... and a wheelbarrow full of severed limbs!!!
Steve really went all out.
The shocking and way-too-realistic display might take the cake for 2020's best Halloween decorations, but it's also prompted several complaints from locals ... and cops have been called to the fake massacre location multiple times.
Novak says he's been home twice when police showed up, and the officers told him they just had to check it out because they received calls ... but they thought it was cool.
The artist says the only major issue with the display is rain keeps washing away the fake blood, so he has to add more the mornings after ... much to the horror of his neighbors.
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Philadelphia Unrest Longtime Couple Gets Engaged ... In the Middle of Philly Protests
In a true sign that love knows no bounds ... a man proposed to his longtime girlfriend on the second night of protests in Philadelphia, and she said yes!!!
Maurice Small got down on bended knee Tuesday night in West Philly in front of a line of cops as a stunned and elated Tenesha Pennington looked on in disbelief ... before saying yes. It all went down as Philly residents protested the fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.
Check out the video ... if only for a moment in time, the crowd cheered as the couple embraced after Small popped the question. They've been dating for 8 years.
As we reported ... the fatal shooting of Wallace triggered protests that led to 30 cops being injured, including 1 hit by a truck. Wallace, who was holding a knife and walking toward police, was shot 14 times. The shooting sparked riots across the city.
And now an engagement too.
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President Trump Campaign Website 'Seized' by Hackers
President Trump's campaign website was apparently "seized" by hackers claiming to have evidence of him trying to manipulate the election ... but the alleged hack didn't last long.
Visitors to the campaign site, DonaldJTrump.com, were greeted Tuesday afternoon by a homepage message claiming "this site has been seized." Eventually, the entire site was taken offline Tuesday evening ... according to the Daily Mail.
The message reportedly said the world "has had enough fake news spread daily by the president ... it is time to allow the world to know the truth." There were also several wild, unfounded claims about the President and the coronavirus and foreign interference in the 2020 election.
It's unclear exactly how long the alleged hack lasted, but the site is now back up and running. We've reached out to the campaign ... no word back yet.
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Terrelle Pryor & Ex-GF Get Probation In Stabbing Case ... After Cutting Plea Deals
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Former NFL star Terrelle Pryor and his ex-girlfriend, Shalaya Briston, were just sentenced to probation stemming from their infamous 2019 stabbing altercation ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.
Court records show both Pryor and Briston cut plea deals with prosecutors to close out the cases Tuesday ... and in exchange for guilty pleas to lesser charges, the 2 were each hit with probation.
In Pryor's case ... court records show he pled down from misdemeanor assault to harassment and got 90 days probation.
In Briston's case ... the docs show she pled down from felony aggravated assault to misdemeanor simple assault and got 2 years probation.
As we previously reported, the two were both hit with criminal charges after Briston stabbed Pryor (nearly to death) during an altercation at TP's Pittsburgh-area home on Nov. 30, 2019.
According to the police report, a witness claimed Pryor attacked Briston and her friends after a night out of partying ... which led to Briston ultimately stabbing the former Browns receiver in defense.
Pyror's attorney had vehemently denied those allegations ... claiming it was Briston and her friends who were the aggressors.
Ultimately, Pryor ended up campaigning for Briston's release from jail in a court hearing a few weeks after the incident ... reportedly saying, "let her out."
We've reached out to attorneys for both Pryor and Briston for comment -- as well as prosecutors in the case -- but so far, no word back from anyone yet.
Pryor -- who's since recovered from his stab wounds -- says he's fully recovered and wants to continue his NFL career.
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2020 Election 'Trump Store' Collecting Ballots ... Undercover Video Shows
Here's a GOP campaign HQ in California, doubling as a Trump merchandise store, AND allegedly collecting ballots -- a state violation -- according to this undercover video.
The video was shot in Newport Beach and shows "Trump Store" employees offering to collect a voter's ballot for storage in their safe. The footage was filed with a complaint made to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
Vice obtained the video which briefly shows the inside of the store filled with Trump merch, before the lens is covered ... but you can clearly hear the conversation about collecting ballots. An employee, or volunteer, says "it's very safe" to drop off a ballot there.
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra fired off a cease and desist to the California GOP over its use of ballot boxes. The person who filed the complaint says the video was shot after that cease and desist.
The GOP has defended using ballot boxes, claiming they are legal under the state's ballot collection law.
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Arizona Racist Busted for Telling Black Man 'This is a No N***** Zone,' Fired Too
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11:21 AM PT -- The man who said the n-word right in front of a Black man in Arizona actually told cops he said it off-camera before saying it again when the film started to roll ... this according to the police report from the incident.
According to the Scottsdale PD, at least a couple different officers were made aware of the altercation between Ng and Abram after the department getting a call from the owner of a nearby business getting negative threatening comments, even though the owner said she was in no way affiliated with Ng.
Remember, Ng was leaf-blowing in front of a business in Abram's video, and it seems like the owner was concerned Ng would be tied to her and the biz, and that retaliation would follow. Two officers followed up and tracked Ng down at his home.
According to the cops, Ng says Abram said something to the effect of a lot of racist white people being in Scottsdale -- to which Ng said he replied, "Well, not all of them are white, n*****." As for why he even bothered to approach Abram and his Black friend, Ng told cops he often keeps an eye out in the community, and takes notes of suspicious behavior and was concerned that the men were casing the area.
In the wake of recent looting, Ng told cops he's been extra vigilant for outside agitators ... thinking Abrams and his buddy might be one of them. Ng was apparently worried the two of them were doing "recon" scouting work.
When cops asked him if he realized how his comments could be perceived as inflammatory and spark a fight, officers claim Ng pushed back at first ... but ultimately said he understood but didn't see why so much energy was wasted on the incident. Didn't get him off the hook though -- because officers eventually arrested and cited him for disorderly conduct.
A racist had the gall to tell a Black man to his face that the public area he was trying to film in was a "no-n***er zone" ... and somehow walked away unscathed, at least at first.
The victim is Andre Abram, who was recording an episode for his podcast in Old Town Scottsdale, AZ last Friday with his cameraman, who's also African-American. As they were doing their thing, Abram says he noticed a guy giving 'em the eye ... who then approached.
That's when he started rolling and caught the guy's vile words on camera. The older man -- who, interestingly, is of Asian descent -- walks up casually and asks them what they're doing ... to which Abram tells him, filming on a public road, as he asks why the guy came over at all.
The man, who has since been identified as Paul Ng, then flat out tells Abram ... "this is a no-n***** zone," while going on to admit that he is, in fact, a racist. Abram disputes his claim about the area, and Ng continues to press him on where he's from and why he's there.
Abram then tells Ng to back up and step away ... he's clearly upset, but controls himself as he addresses his own camera about the situation. Ng, from across the way now, proceeds to use a leaf blower in front of a building ... which Abram assumes is his place of business.
After the fact, local reports say Ng was later arrested by police on a disorderly conduct charge after the video was posted and went viral. Turns out, he was also fired from his real estate job -- with Russ Lyon Sotheby's Int'l Realty recommending his license be revoked.
One outlet reports that Ng later expressed regret for his comment -- and said he was simply looking out for his neighborhood, as they had had "trouble" there recently.
Originally Published -- 7:41 AM PT
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NYC Voters Lined Up Around Blocks In Person ... One Week to Go
Early, in-person voting kicked off in NYC this weekend, and a few days later -- and exactly one week out from Election Day -- there are no signs of those lines fizzling out.
Check out the scores upon scores of people in the Big Apple Tuesday, all of whom are waiting up to about 3 hours just to cast their ballot in the flesh. These shots show a Iine stretching 5 city blocks -- 58th to 63rd Streets -- near Columbus Circle in Manhattan.
NYC voters seem dead set on the age-old tradition of voting in person ... even though mail-in voting is right there for the doing.
Of course, President Trump has sown a lot of doubt and apprehension about mail-in ballots -- not to mention widespread accusations of shenanigans at the U.S. Postal Service. So, people might have reason to be concerned.
Remember, we saw people wrapped around blocks as well on Saturday ... the first day of early voting in the city. Early voting is also underway in all 50 states now -- and this year might prove to be one the biggest turnouts yet.
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DeAndre Hopkins Admits Flipping Off Trump Train ... They Were Messing With Me
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7:57 AM PT -- DeAndre Hopkins admits throwing the double bird at a caravan of Donald Trump supporters on Sunday ... but he says it's only because they were screwing with him in traffic.
The NFL star says he was just trying to get State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. to play the Seahawks ... when he came upon the Trump train on the highway.
"I guess I got in between a train or a bunch of cars that I wasn't supposed to be in between," Hopkins said on the "All Things Covered Podcast" with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden.
"I really was about to give the peace sign to them, but this finger was kinda hurting so it didn't make it up in time..."
— Bryant McFadden (@BMac_SportsTalk) October 27, 2020 @BMac_SportsTalk
You have to hear @DeAndreHopkins side of the story about what happened on the way to the game the other night...
"They were honking the horn at me to tell me to get out of their way -- and I didn't -- and the guy in front of me stepped on his brakes and tried to stop dead in traffic."
In other words, Hopkins says the Trump supporters were messing with traffic and he didn't appreciate it.
"I was going to do the peace sign to him but this finger here [index finger] was kind of hurting so it didn't make it up in time," Hopkins said.
Hopkins is adamant he did not throw anything at the Trump supporters and was NOT speeding or driving dangerously.
He even dropped this quote ... "If I was in a Ferrari speeding, I don't think you would be able to take a still picture of me."
He's got a point.
NFL superstar DeAndre Hopkins is accused of swerving in and out of a Trump caravan in his Ferrari before his game in Arizona on Sunday ... all while shooting POTUS supporters 2 middle fingers.
People who claim to be a part of the Trump rally say the scene all went down at around 1:30 PM in the Phoenix area ... just a couple hours before Hopkins' Cardinals took on the Seahawks.
One Twitter user, Richard Williams, claimed the 28-year-old receiver was driving recklessly in his pricey convertible ride amid the Trump caravan ... and accused the NFL player of straight-up putting lives "at risk."
@DeAndreHopkins My 8 yr old son was in one of the cars you were swerving in and out of as you were disrupting the PHX Trump Train drive and trying to cause an accident. You're a piece of trash. Make your political statements, but you out people at risk today. @espn @AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/7tAuuyM5Or
— Richard Williams (@rwilliams254) October 25, 2020 @rwilliams254
"My 8 yr old son was in one of the cars you were swerving in and out of as you were disrupting the PHX Trump Train drive and trying to cause an accident," Williams wrote in a scathing message to the Cards player.
"You're a piece of trash. Make your political statements, but you out people at risk today."
Several other people who claimed to witness Hopkins at the rally say they too believe Hopkins put people in danger with his actions.
"It's scary when they are coming up fast and swerving into you," April Garcia told azcentral.com.
The Cardinals have yet to comment on the allegations. Hopkins, meanwhile, has not addressed the alleged incident either.
We've reached out to DeAndre's reps for comment, but so far, no word back yet.
Hopkins -- who's advocated heavily for social justice throughout the Black Lives Matter movement this summer -- played a huge role in getting Arizona a win over Seattle, catching 10 passes for 103 yards and a TD.
Originally published -- 6:52 AM PT
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Murder Hornets' Queen She Lives!!! Still in Tree, Job Not Done
Washington officials would've really liked to say, "off with her head" ... as it relates to the queen bee hornet in that nest they destroyed ... but, sadly, they can't just yet.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture has confirmed their team from the Pest Program who ventured into the woods this weekend did NOT retrieve the mother of the hive -- the queen remains in the tree as far as they can tell ... implication being, she's alive.
The officials who found and destroyed the nest in Washington state revealed that they did not capture the queen murder hornet. @KaynaWhitworth reports. https://t.co/b7aFWiEfr3
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 27, 2020 @GMA
An official for WSDA also told 'GMA' the tracker they recently placed on another one of those hornets was also still in the trunk ... so clearly, there's still some buggers in there somewhere. They say they sucked out roughly a hundred or so with their high-tech mission.
You'll recall ... about ten of those folks went out there at the crack of dawn Saturday in a sneak attack of sorts -- hoping to catch the hornets off guard by wrapping the area where their nest was in plastic wrap, filling it with a substance and then sucking 'em out dry.
They captured quite a lot in their haul -- but it appears the most important one remains ... and they might need to head back for a 2nd go. The WSDA official adds ... there are probably a handful of other nests they need to locate in the state, so the job's definitely not done.
Here's another scary factoid about these little bastards ... apparently, they can sting you with their venom multiple times. Not only that, but they can SPIT IT TOO!!! Worst of all, the hornets have a habit of wiping out bee colonies -- which can affect our crops/food supply.
Take heed, y'all.
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Black Teen Dragged Kid Forgives Cop ... Says Don't Fire Officer
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The 17-year-old who got dragged across the pavement by an arresting officer -- despite being handcuffed and compliant -- says he forgives the cop for doing him wrong, but he'd appreciate an apology.
D'Angelo Chapman tells TMZ ... even though Officer Jordan Moore's actions are inexcusable, he's not one for holding grudges. He knows what the cop did has his family and his community in Mansfield, Ohio justifiably upset ... but he feels Moore's paid suspension for the dragging incident is fine, even if others disagree.
The teenager tells us he doesn't want the officer to get fired because he'd be without a paycheck for his family, and says as long as Moore learns from his mistake, and takes the training necessary before returning to his job ... he's okay with that.
D'Angelo says he'd be down to speak with Moore too ... as long as the officer is prepared to make a genuine apology.
Though his reaction to the incident is noble, D'Angelo has been feeling negative effects from it. He says he's lost trust in police and gets anxiety now when he sees cop cars ... something he never felt before.
He also tells us the attention he's been getting is a bit overwhelming, but he does appreciate the support.
As we reported ... Moore's suspended with pay until January 11. The Mansfield police chief said, "Moore’s response was found to be improper which resulted in the misapplication of force used on a person that was handcuffed, in custody and offering no resistance."
Cops were reportedly called to the scene initially because Dwaine Chapman, D'Angelo's father, was allegedly threatening to have his dog attack his roommate. Dwaine is facing charges of menacing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.