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A Capitol rioter from Texas threatened to shoot his own children if they snitched on him to the feds ... at least according to the FBI.

According to his wife, Guy Reffitt told his son and daughter, "If you turn me in, you're a traitor and you know what happens to traitors ... traitors get shot" ... and it's all spelled out in an affidavit signed by FBI special agent Thomas Ryan.

In the affidavit, obtained by TMZ, the FBI agent says Reffitt was seen in restricted areas of the Capitol during the riots. Reffitt's accused of unlawful entry and obstruction of justice.

Reffitt's alleged threats didn't stop there, according to the feds ... he told his daughter he would "put a bullet" through her phone if she told friends her dad was at the Capitol.

Images of Reffitt from the insurrection show what appears to be a camera on his helmet, and the FBI says he admitted to his son he "stormed the Capitol" and told his family he had to scrub his Go-Pro footage from Jan. 6 because the FBI was on to him.

The guy's wife told the feds he's a member of a right-wing militia group, the Three Percenters, adding she didn't believe he would follow through with his alleged threats and was more disturbed by his extreme rhetoric.

Staging preparations for Joe Biden's inauguration were interrupted Monday morning when smoke billowed up nearby ... prompting a lockdown of Capitol Hill.

As multiple groups were meeting to practice for the festivities on Wednesday, smoke was seen rising up behind the Capitol Building ... forcing an evacuation.

According to reports ... Capitol Hill staffers received a message warning of an "external security threat" prior to the dress rehearsal for the inauguration.

Everyone was ordered back inside and instructed to stay away from windows and doors and seek cover if outside.

The good news -- the D.C. Fire Dept. located the fire and put it out ... and nobody was hurt. Our sources say the fire was started at a homeless encampment and is no longer viewed as any sort of threat.

Of course, there is a very strong security presence everywhere in the area -- bolstered by some 20,000 National Guard troops -- and the brief evacuation is a sign of the high alert that remains since the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

We already knew Joe Biden was bringing 2 dogs to the White House, but now he'll also have Doggface -- the TikTok superstar -- as part of his welcoming committee.

TMZ's learned viral "Dreams" skateboarder Nathan Apodaca will be part of Biden's virtual inauguration parade next week, which will feature the stories and talents of Americans from all across the country.

Sources close to the President-elect's inauguration planning team tell us ... they reached out to Nathan to ask him to join the project, because they saw how his feel-good video uplifted the world this past fall during social unrest and pandemic anxiety.

We're told Biden's team was impressed by Nathan's humble response to the immense worldwide reaction to his video ... and suggested he incorporate the skateboarding into Biden's digital celebration on January 20.

We're told Nathan agreed and has already shot something for the virtual parade from his home in Idaho Falls.

Doggface is one of the few people who had an amazing 2020 after the TikTok of him skateboarding and grooving to the Fleetwood Mac tune -- while sipping cranberry juice -- blew up online.

Ocean Spray gifted him a brand new truck, his merchandise biz took off, he bought a home ... and he got engaged to his girlfriend, Estela! Unfortunately, he and his fiancee also got COVID in December ... but thankfully they've recovered.

Bow Wow's the fall guy for all of the events in Houston this weekend that didn't follow proper COVID-19 protocols ... according to the rapper himself, who believes the mayor has it out for him.

As we reported ... BW was criticized for drawing a large, mostly unmasked crowd at a club Friday night, and caught the attention of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner because he had more gigs scheduled the rest of the weekend.

The mayor tweeted Sunday that Bow Wow's scheduled events in Houston were on his radar, adding ... "Other bars/clubs that are operating as restaurants, beyond capacity and social distancing requirements, please expect visits."

Though the mayor cited rising COVID cases and deaths in his city and made it clear "Concerts are not allowed in Houston at this time unless it is virtual," Bow Wow's taking it personally ... griping, "Safe to say the mayor of houston hates my guts."

The rapper says he's skipping town but he can't believe he's getting blamed for the whole weekend, and points out he wasn't the only celeb there over the weekend.

That's true -- as we told you ... Meek Mill and J. Prince Jr. were also at the club with Bow Wow Friday night, and neither seemed to be wearing masks, like most of the crowd.

Joe Biden's getting sworn in as the 46th President of the United States in just a few days, but his dog's getting sworn in right now -- with none other than Josh Groban helping out.

Joe's second German Shepherd, Major, is being honored Sunday with a virtual celebration via Zoom, which has been appropriately tagged -- "inDOGuration." During the event, Major will get some serious screen time with ticketholders and partake in pooch-friendly activities, with Jill Martin from the "TODAY" show hosting, and Darius Brown appearing as a guest.

They won't be the only human faces to drop in though ... Groban was added as a bit of a last-minute booking for some live entertainment. He willed his desire to perform for the "inDOGuration" into existence, recently asking Joe's team to let him sing for it.

Looks like his wish was granted, because on Sunday Josh wrote, "IT CAME TRUE!! I am so happy. The world is a mess, but we can all agree dogs rule. Let’s celebrate Major’s Indoguration and raise $$ for his rescue shelter, Delaware Humane Association."

Tickets go for $10, and the show starts at 3 PM ET. As for what Josh is gonna be doing exactly ... word is, he'll be singing an original dog-themed song. Sounds about right!

As you might know, Joe adopted Major in 2018 from the animal shelter mentioned above ... making him the first shelter dog to occupy the White House. The Bidens have another German Shepherd, Champ, who's been in their family for well over a decade now.

It's been 4 years since we've had some canines in the White House. Trump infamously didn't have any pets ... despite it being a tradition for Presidents to have some furry friends.

Joe Biden's inauguration will still have some semblance of normalcy when he's taking his oath of office, because there's going to be a crowd out there watching him ... whose seating arrangement is now becoming crystal clear.

Construction for the inauguration stage -- as well as for the surrounding viewing area, as it were -- at the Capitol is in full swing, and on Sunday ... somebody captured a full front-to-back shot of what the layout is looking like thus far, just three days before Jan. 20.

As you can see, there will be butts in those chairs watching JB and Kamala Harris be sworn in ... which are spaced out for social distancing. They only go back so far, taking up just the first patch of grass on the west side of the Capitol. It's unclear if they're planning to set more before Wednesday, but probably not. It's gonna be relatively small crowd.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies laid out the ground rules in December, saying only members of the 117th Congress were allowed to attend and watch in-person ... plus one guest for each member. All in all, that accounts for about 1,000 people.

As you might've heard, the National Mall and surrounding roads/bridges throughout D.C. have been closed ahead of the ceremony ... so you're not likely to see any normies out there trying to watch the festivities. That closure, of course, is because of the Capitol riot ... law enforcement's running a tight ship, so gatherings of any sort probably won't fly.

The way things currently stand, it looks like just members of Congress and other invited guests of Biden and Harris will be there in the flesh to witness the inauguration. The rest of it, including the traditional parade through the streets, will be broadcast virtually.

Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are also set to perform that day, and it appears they'll also be there in person to put on a show.

Video has just surfaced -- the most dramatic and upsetting by far -- showing the Capitol insurrectionists storming the building as they told cops, "There's a f***ing million of us out there. We are listening to Trump, your boss."

And as they enter the Senate Chamber you hear someone say, "While we're here we must as well set up a government."

The video was shot by New Yorker war correspondent Luke Mogelson, who was covering the "Stop the Steal" rally.

The video is unlike all the others, in that you really see how determined the rioters were to invade the Capitol ... pretty clearly determined to do great harm. As they breach the Chamber, you hear someone say in frustration, "Where the f*** is Nancy." Someone else screams, "Where the f** are they?"

The group at times tries to compliment the cops and other times they attack, screaming, "F*** you police" and "f*** the blue" as they enter the building.

It's clear all members of Congress were at grave risk. You hear someone scream, "Start making a list, put all those names down and start hunting them down one by one." And then someone screams, "Traitors get the guillotine."

Jake Angeli, the "Q Shaman," is anything but chill, as he sits in Pence's chair and screams, "Mike Pence is a f***ing traitor." Angeli tries to act like the leader, chanting, praying, and screaming obscenities. Then he has someone take a photo of him at Pence's desk.

As they peruse Ted Cruz's notebook, someone says, "I think Cruz would want us to do this."

This is a story of life and death -- two 911 calls a day apart to help a man with a mental disability, two different officers respond, and in the first case the man lives and in the second he's shot dead ... and the proof is in the 2 videos below.

Patrick Warren -- the unarmed Black man who was shot and killed in Texas after having an episode that required de-escalation -- was able to get the help he needed just one day prior to his death ... proving that training makes a world of difference in these situations.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9TH -- Patrick was behaving erratically so a family member called 911 for help. A Mental Health Resource officer with de-escalation training responds, greets Patrick and asks if they could sit on the sofa and talk. The officer listened to Patrick unload his feelings and he began calming down. They continued to talk, and then the officer told Patrick he was concerned about him and maybe it was a good idea to get checked out.

TMZ has obtained new Ring doorbell video from Patrick's family home, showing the officer and Patrick walk calmly to the car. The officer took Patrick to the hospital where doctors examined him and then he went home.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10TH Another 911 call, but this time no Mental Health Resource officers were available, so police officers showed up. As you have seen from the video, this went the opposite of de-escalation. Patrick failed to follow orders, so he was tased and ultimately shot dead.

Mind you ... the 2,911 calls were for the identical problem with the same person, yet the techniques could not have been more different -- nor could the result.

BTW ... the Mental Health Resource Unit is part of the Police Department. Maybe one solution would be to increase the number of officers in that unit so they would be available whenever such calls come in.

One of the Capitol rioters who was arrested in the aftermath now has an audacious ask of President Trump ... she's begging for a pardon, saying she was just following his orders.

Texas realtor Jenna Ryan told CBS11 in Dallas she deserves a full pardon by 45 after she was arrested and charged by the FBI this past week during a national roundup of numerous insurrectionists.

Ryan faces 2 charges ... knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. But, according to her, she's been grossly overcharged -- she feels she did nothing wrong.

Check out her full remarks ... kinda surreal hearing her defend her actions by saying the exact opposite of things she said on Jan. 6 as she breached the Capitol. She's blaming Trump for gathering the crowd and rising them up ... and because of that, she says she and all the other charged rioters should be let off the hook.

Ryan doesn't get into the details of her case, but does say she's not the person people have made her out to be online ... a privileged, tone-deaf Trump supporter. We say privileged because she reportedly flew to D.C. on a private jet with friends.

As for tone-deaf ... there are tons of photos and videos of Ryan posing in front of the Capitol and with rioters behind her, acting like she was on vacation or something. She also admits to criminality in videos she posted ... and proudly said she and the mob were there to take back their country.

A Virginia man got busted trying to breach a D.C. checkpoint with a stash of ammo and a couple of guns ... this just a few days before Joe Biden's inauguration.

Wesley Allen Beeler was arrested Friday night after coming across a checkpoint in downtown D.C., where Metro PD officers stopped and questioned him. According to CNN, the guy allegedly tried presenting fake inauguration credentials ... and while searching him, cops found out he was packing.

The outlet reports officers asked if he had any weapons on him, and Beeler allegedly admitted to having a Glock semi-automatic pistol on him. Turns out, he had a lot more than that, according to police ... who say they uncovered a treasure trove of ammo.

In the police report, obtained by TMZ, MPD lists 509 rounds of ammunition for a 9MM handgun -- matching the Glock Beeler allegedly had -- as well as 21 12-gauge shotgun shells and a 17-round magazine, which was loaded in the gun and ready to fire.

Unclear what Beeler told officers he was doing there with his bogus credentials, but in any case ... he was cuffed and hauled off to jail on a slew of weapons charges.

The guy was booked for possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of unregistered ammunition, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device ... and for breaking the stay-at-home order in town.

A week after the chaos at the Capitol, and it appears bad actors are still trying to infiltrate the area leading up to Wednesday's inauguration.

Kaley Cuoco is mourning the death of her pooch, Norman ... which has left the actress heart-broken, considering how big of a dog lover she is.

The 'Big Bang Theory' star broke the tragic news Saturday, posting two black and white photos of her with her beloved Norman, writing ... "💔 earth shattering deep gut wrenching pain I didn’t know was possible. Norman, you were my entire world for 14 years."

Kaley adds, "Thank you for smiling at me as you left this world, confirming for me once again our language was ours alone. You will always have my heart. 💔"

No word on how exactly her pit bull died, but he was a regular on her IG feed as one of several dogs she appears to own and/or adopts on a semi-regular basis. Kaley has a bunch of photos and videos of her and Norman specifically, where they are often snuggling.

She even made an Instagram page for him at one point, which had thousands of followers. It has since been deactivated.

Kaley rescued Norman when he was around 2, and he had a broken leg at the time ... which she nursed back to full health. She's publicly credited him with inspiring her to be an animal rescuer at large -- KC partnered with Paw Works shortly after taking him in, and she's been deeply involved in rescues, adoptions and fostering in and around L.A. ever since.

Norman's death comes on the heels of another one of Kaley's dogs dying just a few months ago -- a pit bull named Petunia, who she and her husband, Karl, adopted as a senior.

While Kaley's had different dogs under her care at various points over the years, it appears Norman was her rock ... and her day 1, so to speak. So, this one's gotta hurt.

Bow Wow's catching heat for performing at a packed club this weekend, but more than him ... the people who put their lives at risk here who are catching major heat.

The rapper was one of a handful of artists who showed up Friday night to Cle Houston for a bash celebrating club promoter Larry Morrow's birthday ... with some footage from the event leaking online, showing just how packed it got -- packed and mostly unmasked.

Meek Mill and J. Prince Jr. were also there ... neither seemed to be wearing masks.

Anyway, the clip making the rounds captures the audience below the stage, and it's clear there are upwards of 100 people (and probably more) looking on as Bow Wow performed. They were singing the lyrics to his song "Like You" ... before BW jumped in to finish it off.

People were quick to criticize Bow Wow for participating in what appears to be a clearly unsafe event, especially as the pandemic continues to rage and cases surge -- especially there in Houston, which just reported over 24k new positive patients Friday alone.

Along with the criticism came jokes at Bow Wow's expense, with many openly wondering why anyone in their right mind would put their life on the line for ... a Bow Wow show. Even actor Zach Braff got in on the mockery, writing ... "I thought about it and have decided I’m not willing to die for Bow Wow." A lot of other folks felt the same way.

Of course, this comes about a week after he posted a video of himself on a boat with a bunch of ladies, all of whom weren't masked up. Basically, the guy seems to be flouting COVID protocols, and people are taking notice and calling him out.

Even for maskless Karens, this arrest is bizarre ... a woman -- decked out in animal print -- accused cops of violating her "personhood" and trying to kidnap her and steal her purse.

Cindy Falco-DiCorrado was arrested Thursday in Palm Beach County, Florida where she was filmed maskless inside an Einstein Bros. bagel joint ... after management says she refused to leave. She claimed it was her constitutional right to not wear a mask.

According to the arrest affidavit ... Falco-DiCorrado told cops she was within her constitutional right to not wear a mask, but when cops tried to arrest her for trespassing, the 61-year-old accused the cop of violating her "personhood." A second cop eventually comes in to help get her out of the bagel shop.

Falco-DiCorrado's finally taken outside where she's arrested. She then starts accusing the cops of trying to steal her purse. Then ... she starts praying. You can see the cops are amused.

She was eventually arrested and booked for trespassing and resisting arrest. BTW, it's not the first time she's been embroiled in controversy.

Falco-DiCorrado, a staunch Trump supporter, was forced to resign from her volunteer seat on the County's Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board in 2017, following controversial remarks made during a meeting to designate Boynton Beach a sanctuary city.

Airbnb is blocking and canceling reservations in the D.C. area for Inauguration Day, but supporters and protesters looking for a crash pad have a plan B ... they're flocking to Craigslist.

The online classifieds site is fast becoming the place to go for those looking to sleep somewhere other than a hotel for the Inauguration ... with accommodations ranging from apartments to homes, to vacation properties.

TMZ did some digging and here's what the inauguration rental landscape looks like on Craigslist:

One-bedroom apartments a little over a mile from the Capitol are running $250 per night, but there's a catch ... ya gotta book a minimum of 3 nights. That gets ya a fully furnished pad with a full kitchen that could come in handy due to COVID restrictions at restaurants.

A little further out from the Capitol -- 2.2 miles or a 15-minute drive -- 600-square-foot apartments loaded with amenities are running around $90 a night for 2 people.

One reason for low prices -- low demand, or at least that's what the Biden administration is hoping. They're encouraging people to take in the Inauguration from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Remember, the National Mall, where inauguration crowds typically gather, is now closed to the public due to heightened security.

For those who persist, and are traveling in big groups, nearby Arlington, VA has larger accommodations ... for instance, you can get 3 days in a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home for a total of $1,650. Again, that's a deep discount from the usual price of $4,500. There are also 5-bedroom options in Arlington.

Kyle Rittenhouse -- the teenager charged with homicide in the Kenosha, WI killings -- needs to stop drinking and flashing white power symbols ... at least that's what prosecutors want.

The Kenosha County D.A.'s Office is asking a judge to modify Rittenhouse's bond conditions to bar him from boozing, going anywhere alcohol is served, making white supremacist hand gestures in public, or hanging out with groups like the Proud Boys ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

In the docs, prosecutors claim Rittenhouse was hanging out with Proud Boys members inside a Wisconsin bar last week, with the Proud Boys serenading him and posing for pictures chock full of white power symbols.

However, Rittenhouse claims he's not a member of the Proud Boys, or any other white nationalist groups, and believes prosecutors are just trying to inject race into his case.

Remember ... Rittenhouse is charged with killing 2 protesters and wounding a 3rd during the civil unrest in Kenosha that exploded following Jacob Blake's shooting. He was 17 at the time, and video allegedly shows him shooting 2 of the 3 people before walking right past police. He's currently out of jail on $2 million bail.

If the insurrectionists had a bite to eat, a rental car or a pillow to lay on while in D.C. last week before storming the Capitol, the feds just might find out about it ... because they're digging through a laundry list of receipts to track down the culprits.

Federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the FBI has gone well beyond just resorting to flight manifests to find the people they suspect took part in Wednesday's siege -- they're looking at any and everything the rioters might've put their name to while in town.

That includes sifting through restaurant bills, hotel ledgers and rental car records in the days leading up to and following the attack on the Capitol ... and linking that up with intel of their own.

Here's another thing ... our sources say much of the legwork for this comprehensive approach is being done by the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force ... a group founded in NYC in the '80s.

Of course, there have been several high-profile arrests all over the country since last week's insurrection. Law enforcement says they nabbed the horn guy, the shield guy, the feet-on-desk guy, the two zip tie guys, the Auschwitz sweater guy, the lectern guy ... and others.

Granted ... there are literally hundreds more who didn't stick out so clearly ... so there's a lot more work to be done in the weeks and months to come as law enforcement attempts to bring all these people to justice.

TMZ broke the story ... they're investigating certain Capitol police officers and others who work at the Capitol, because there's evidence this could be an inside job. Our sources say 10 to 15 cops are under the microscope and the investigation is far along.

We've seen law enforcement in D.C. mobilized like never before -- the Capitol swarmed by thousands of National Guard members, FBI, Secret Service, Capitol Police and on and on.