Viral

A leaked video showing a triangle-shaped object gliding through the sky has now captured the attention of the U.S. Government, which says the vid's the real deal.

The clip, shot by a U.S. Navy Pilot, was taken in night vision -- and while it only lasts a few seconds -- it certainly looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Now, the Pentagon is not only confirming the video is real, but it's referring to the object as an unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), or as we know it ... a UFO.

It's unclear when and where the vid of the triangle-shaped object was shot.

The Pentagon established a task force to dive into UAP sightings back in August, saying, "The Department of Defense and the military departments take any incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our training ranges or designated airspace very seriously and examine each report."

In January, TMZ obtained photos of another apparent UFO sighting from a driver in L.A. traveling on the 101 freeway. The image was of a bright object with a swirl shape and little lights following behind it.

Homeowners in Army Sgt. Jonathan Pentland's neighborhood are worried they're gonna end up suffering because he decided to confront a Black man walking on his block.

An official for the HOA at The Summit -- the South Carolina community where the incident went down -- tells TMZ ... residents are very concerned over the ongoing demonstrations going on outside Pentland's home.

Protestors have gathered there since Wednesday when the video of Pentland harassing the man went viral.

We're told Pentland's neighbors are on edge about crowds spilling over into their yards and ruining the grass -- and they've been running to the HOA and cops to complain about crowded streets and sidewalks.

The vibe is folks are angry they have to deal with the mess Pentland created. In fact, we're told the sergeant, who was arrested for the altercation and subsequently suspended by the Army, hasn't even been back to his home since he got busted.

We're also told the guy Pentland went after does indeed live in The Summit, as he said in the video.

Interestingly, the HOA says the majority of residents at The Summit are minorities -- and while they, and the HOA, don't condone Pentland's actions, they're still concerned about potential property damage.

We're told the HOA's been flooded with hate mail from non-residents since the video became a national story.

A white man who is a U.S. Army sergeant saw a Black man he didn't recognize strolling through his neighborhood, and decided to get in his face about it ... but we've learned the sergeant's been arrested over the incident.

42-year-old Jonathan Pentland -- reportedly based at Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC -- was recorded aggressively confronting the young Black man, and even shoving him around in the suburb of Summit Monday evening.

The Black guy kept his cool, and said he was just passing through ... doing nothing else but walking. Pentland and others recording the altercation continued to press him -- accusing him of lingering around their home and surrounding streets for 15 minutes.

As for what triggered this altercation ... the Richland County Sheriff's Office says calls initially came in describing an altercation going down. Once officers arrived and did a preliminary investigation, RCSO says they learned the alleged victim here was supposedly going around and approaching different neighbors in what they described as a threatening manner. Eventually, they say someone asked Pentland to step in ... and things picked up there.

RCSO notes that when officers first responded, they were not aware of nor did they see this video. However, after the clip eventually went viral ... the agency says they passed their findings to a judge, who found sufficient evidence to bring Pentland in on an arrest warrant.

The Sheriff's Office also says this of the alleged victim ... he apparently has an underlying medical condition that might've affected his behavior that day, and the authorities are working to get him the help he needs, while trying to keep him out of the criminal justice system.

The young man claimed to live near this area ... but no word yet if that's, in fact, the case.

In any event, Pentland ended up getting arrested early Wednesday morning over the altercation. We've confirmed he was booked on assault and battery charges. It's unclear if he's still in custody.

Fort Jackson officials also commented on the widely-circulated video, saying ... "This type of behavior is not consistent with our Army values and will not be condoned. We have begun our own investigation and are working with the local authorities."

The cop who shot Jacob Blake seven times is back on the job -- something JB's family can't comprehend ... but also something that won't get fixed with protesting alone ... so says Jacob's lawyer.

B'Ivory LaMarr, who's repping Jacob and his family, tells us the Blakes are incredibly disappointed that Officer Rusten Sheskey rejoined the Kenosha PD without punishment.

ICYMI ... KPD announced Tuesday Sheskey had been cleared of wrongdoing after an internal affairs investigation and several outside investigations as well. The conclusions were that the officer broke no laws and violated no police policy regarding use of force.

As such, they say he's gonna get back to work and not face any further discipline -- with the Chief going on to say this ... "I know that some will not be pleased with the outcome; however, given the facts, the only lawful and appropriate decision was made."

That's certainly not how the Blake family sees it ... especially Jacob's uncle, Justin, who ominously told us Kenosha's crazy if they think Officer Sheskey's going to be allowed back onto the streets, or to patrol in Black neighborhoods -- saying "we" aren't going to stand by and let it happen.

Unclear exactly what he meant, but he also believes all the local agencies involved in investigating Sheskey are complicit ... insisting the cop would have been charged if the DOJ had gotten involved on a civil rights level. Remember, Sheskey's shots left Jacob paralyzed from the waist down.

There's also this note from Jacob's attorney, B'Ivory, who says as disheartening as it is to see this result come to pass -- and in light of yet another officer-involved shooting in Minnesota -- more protesting alone will NOT solve the issue of police brutality and social justice.

B'Ivory tells us that instead of just taking to the streets, folks need to start pushing for reform ... both locally and on a national level, as he says that's the only way to truly affect the change he and everyone else wants right now.

Of course, there have been numerous demonstrations in Brooklyn Center after Daunte Wright was shot and killed by ex-cop Kim Potter ... with protesters clashing with police for 3 straight nights now. Speaking of Wright, we're told the Blake family sends his family their condolences.

Civil unrest continued for a third straight night in Minnesota after the shooting death of Daunte Wright -- which saw protestors start to get creative with how they protected themselves.

Demonstrators took to the streets again Tuesday evening, gathering outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department and elsewhere in the area to decry police officer Kim Potter killing Daunte over the weekend ... after she claimed she mistakenly grabbed her gun instead of her Taser.

The march took an interesting turn Tuesday night -- different from the previous 2 nights -- as some protesters came prepared ... with umbrellas to shield themselves from projectiles hurled by police.

Check it out ... you can see a bunch of civilians bunched up together with open umbrellas out, acting as a bit of a barrier for several of them all at once.

Not to make light of the situation, but it was reminiscent of the movie "300" ... where the Spartans used their shields to ward off incoming arrows

BTW, protesters used other homemade weapons of choice, if you will ... including a guy who used a leaf blower to clear out smoke and gas from flashbangs the police threw to disperse the crowds.

All in all, reports say upwards of 60 people were arrested -- this as curfews were in effect in Brooklyn Center and surrounding areas.

The chaos, of course, follows yet another police-involved incident that left an unarmed Black man dead. Potter shot and killed Wright Sunday as he attempted to escape custody ... this after police found there was a warrant out in his name during a traffic stop.

His family has already retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, and gave an emotional press conference Tuesday ... where multiple members openly wept and called for justice.

An investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is currently underway -- but amid mounting pressure, Officer Potter resigned from the force after serving more than 20 years as a cop. Not just that, but the Chief of Police at BCPD also stepped down -- seemingly as a sign of solidarity. The public had called for her firing, at the very least, but the Chief wouldn't oblige, instead, explaining away the situation as an "accidental discharge" and a mistake.

Hank Azaria feels awful about his years-long portrayal of Apu -- but there's still a way he can get right with the Indian community which he, and others, feel has been harmed by the character.

Shereen Bhalla -- a rep for the Hindu American Foundation -- tells TMZ ... Hank doesn't have to torment himself for his work on "The Simpsons," or at least he doesn't have to do it alone. Bhalla says she and the staff at HAF would love to have a sit-down with him.

She tells us coming to the table with them would help Hank do a lot of the learning he seems very open to at this point. Shereen says they can expose him to Indian people's lived experiences, and have a dialogue about his lingering guilt.

It's clear from Hank's comments on Dax Shephard's podcast that he does, indeed, have a lot of remorse about Apu ... even going so far as to say he feels the need apologize to every Indian person.

If Hank's concerned about "cancel culture" ... HAF does not want to see that happen to the veteran actor. We're told the group doesn't feel Hank needs to be excommunicated, and believes he's genuinely sorry and willing to educate himself ... which HAF would love to help him do.

As for how to proceed, there are a few options. For one, HAF is offering Hank a third-party facilitated dialogue with Indians across the nation, on or off the record ... his choice. Also, HAF has a podcast called "That's So Hindu" and would be more than happy to have him as a guest.

Morgan Wallen says he's taking time to work on himself after he was seen casually dropping the n-word while out with friends ... and that means he won't be performing live any time soon.

Wallen posted a handwritten statement Tuesday, saying he's taken a couple months away to sit back, reflect and work on being a better person. Morgan says it's been nice to take some time away from music and performances. He's not doing that work, because he says he needs even more time ... so he's not planning any summer tour dates.

Morgan says the time off is helping him find out what he needs to do to improve as a person, and he says he can't wait to see the growth he makes in the next 5 years.

TMZ broke the story ... Morgan was recorded by a neighbor after a rowdy night out in Nashville back in January casually calling a friend the n-word.

After the video was published, radio stations, merchandise websites and award shows banned Wallen -- but his album sales still skyrocketed and now he's thanking his fans for being in his corner, even though he admits "it hasn't been the most popular one to stand in recently."

Visual proof of that support is plastered all over Nashville right now -- 6 billboards are pushing for him to win Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards this coming weekend ... even though the Academy barred him from the competition.

Morgan says he's still figuring out his mistakes, is sorry and is making his amends ... but he says "I am still very proud of who I am and the man I am becoming."

The second night of unrest in Minnesota had echoes of 2020 protests past -- as citizens remain furious over Daunte Wright's death at the hands of police.

Even more people took to the streets Monday evening in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center ... where folks gathered outside a police station to demand justice for Wright and his family.

As the hours went on and the 7 PM curfew came and went, police eventually began to disperse the crowd with flash bombs and chemical agents ... this as protesters hurled projectiles at cops in return. Meanwhile, all throughout the area, looting was underway.

Gas stations and businesses were ransacked ... including a notable hit at a Dollar Tree, the aftermath of which was captured on video and shared online like wildfire.

There was even more tension on the streets ... where CNN correspondent Sara Sidner came face-to-face with an irate demonstrator who got in her face during a live shot, and basically told her and her network to kick rocks -- accusing the media of making matters worse.

It made for a heated on-camera moment -- the guy unloaded expletives at Sidner, who kept calm and deescalated the situation.

Of course, the protests were not just limited to Minnesota, there were also clashes with police in Portland as well ... where tensions have remained high for almost a year now.

The renewed wave of fury and outrage came on the heels of Brooklyn Center PD releasing the shocking body cam footage from officer Kim Potter -- reportedly a 26-year vet -- which showed the moment she fired on Daunte.

The disturbing video shows what Potter and her superiors are calling an accidental discharge ... as she apparently reached for her handgun instead of her Taser and fired off one round as Daunte tried to escape custody.

Potter is on administrative leave, but hasn't been fired yet -- the BCPD says it's letting the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conduct its investigation and will proceed accordingly when those findings are complete.

The internet is ablaze with fury that Usher allegedly made it rain on strippers with fake ass money -- with his face on it, no less -- but take a breather, because that's not how it went down.

You might have caught wind of this today -- a dancer going by the handle @beel0ove on IG posted photos of three "Usher bucks" that came in $100, $20 and $1 denominations ... all with Mr. Raymond's face in place of the usual dead Presidents.

She posed the question ... "Ladies what would you do if you danced all night for usher and he threw this??" The insinuation was she actually got the bogus cash for services rendered, and called for Usher to be "blasted" for passing the funny money.

She kinda got her wish, based on all the Usher memes out there now -- BUT, turns out there's way more to the story ... according to people directly involved.

For starters, this all happened at Sapphire in Vegas -- and a rep for the club tells TMZ Usher did NOT tip the strippers with this fake money, and actually dished out authentic greenbacks, while also going on to tip the staff at large quite generously.

We're told Usher and co. ended up spending thousands on the dancers (REAL thousands, mind you) and also enjoyed bottle service ... which he definitely didn't cover with these Usher bucks. It goes without saying ... Sapphire tells us they'd love to host him again, anytime.

Now for some more intel on what the hell actually happened here -- sources close to Usher tell us that somebody in his crew (not him) left some stray Usher dollars behind on the stage as a bit of a gag ... both to be joke-y, but to also promote his new Vegas residency.

We've been assured by folks in the singer's camp that he did, in fact, tip the girls who danced for him ... and that the Usher bucks in question weren't used for payment AT ALL.

The Minnesota Twins will NOT be taking the field Monday afternoon -- the team has postponed its matchup with the Boston Red Sox following the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright at the hands of a police officer.

"Out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center, and following the additional details in this evolving situation, the Minnesota Twins have decided it is in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community to not play today's game," the team said in a statement.

20-year-old Wright was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop Sunday afternoon in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.

Cops say they were trying to take him into custody after learning he had outstanding warrants ... and Wright attempted to flee.

BC Police Chief Tim Gannon claims the officer meant to use her taser during the incident, but accidentally shot Wright instead. He died at the scene.

Protests and riots broke out in the area following the tragedy ... and the National Guard was deployed on the scene.

The Twins -- who were set to open a 4-game series with the Sox -- say they worked with MLB, local and state officials to reach its decision ... and will announce a makeup date at a later time.

The police officer who pepper-sprayed a Black Army lieutenant in December has since lost his job over the altercation -- this as a lawsuit against the cop makes its way through court.

The town of Windsor, VA broke the news Sunday, saying Officer Gutierrez had since been terminated after an investigation following the incident late last year ... which determined he did not follow department policy during the hectic traffic stop.

Sounds like Gutierrez -- who later suggested Lt. Caron Nazario "let this go" to avoid punishment from the Army, and awkwardly brought up race relations -- was actually cut loose a good while ago. Windsor officials say new training was implemented back in January after their preliminary probe into this wrapped.

It's unclear if the other officer who was on the scene is still on the force or not.

The Town of Windsor's leaders promises to continue being transparent about the case -- adding that they have complied with Lt. Nazario's requests as litigation has already gotten underway, and the videos have leaked.

Referring to the case, the town leaders also say, "[W]e are saddened for events like this to cast our community in a negative light. Rather than deflect criticism, we have addressed these matters with our personnel administratively, we are reaching out to community stakeholders to encourage dialogue, and commit ourselves to additional discussions in the future."

****WARNING: PUT DOWN YOUR MONDAY MORNING EGGS BEFORE CLICKING THIS!!****

NHL superstar P.K. Subban was slashed with a skate so badly during a game Sunday ... the dude suffered a massive thigh wound -- and the pics of his gross injury are GNARLY!!!

The 31-year-old New Jersey defenseman shared the images of his leg after he was cut during the Devils' game against the Penguins ... and you can see, the wound is deeeeep.

In fact, it was so bad ... P.K. had to get stitched up mid-game!!!

Don't worry ... Subban's fine, he even wrote of it all that he didn't lose any time on the ice despite the cut, explaining, "Never missed a shift..."

As for how it went down, video of the accidental slash in the Devils' 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh hasn't been unearthed yet, but Subban explained it this way on his social media ... "Skate blizzy caught me slippin."

Guess that's one way to put it.

Grimes might not be of this planet ... that's one possible theory after dissecting her massive new back tattoo, which she describes as "beautiful alien scars."

The Canadian musician unveiled her body art Sunday, a painful-looking assortment of tangled lines that at first glance ... make you think her tattoo artist was just a little high.

Instead, Grimes says it was planned this way from the get-go... with white ink and some help from the "alien computer brain" of another designer.

She says this is the best photo she has so far because "it hurts too much and I need to sleep," adding ... "it’ll be red for a few wks , but gna be beautiful alien scars."

It's all right on brand for Elon Musk's partner and mother to their child, whom they initially named X Æ A-12 Musk ... Grimes explaining the X stood for "the unknown variable."

They later had to change the A-12 to A-Xii due to California law not allowing numbers, but were still able to keep the theme of their son's name ... which also includes aspects of artificial intelligence and their favorite aircraft.

Troy Aikman is absolutely jacked.

The 54-year-old "NFL on FOX" star hit the water for the weekend with a little boat trip in Florida with his former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson -- and showed everyone he's still carrying around a 6-pack under that shirt!

"What a weekend," Aikman posted on IG ... "Lots of laughs with great friends reminiscing our time together in Dallas and celebrating Jimmy Johnson."

Johnson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in early 2020 -- but the COVID pandemic delayed the induction ceremony.

Now, Jimmy is on track to get his bust in Canton in the Summer of 2021 -- and Troy is fired up for his longtime pal!

"We are all indebted to Coach for changing our lives. Next stop, Canton, Ohio! #hof #dallascowboys."

As for Aikman, the former QB was inducted into the HOF back in 2006.

Troy is a known health enthusiast -- he's always either working out in the gym, spinning or jogging around his neighborhood.

... and the hard work shows!!!

What Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" giveth, it also taketh away -- at least from her bank account -- because the singer just got nailed with a parking ticket!!!

Rodrigo catapulted to the top of the charts with the single earlier this year ... but just learned one of the harsh realities of driving in Los Angeles and just about every other big city -- no matter how hard you try -- eventually, you're gonna get hit with a parking violation.

While it's not clear just what Olivia was ticketed for -- in L.A. there's street sweeping, restricted zones, parking meters, parking passes, we could go on all day -- it appears Olivia is at least having some fun with it.

The singer posted a photo of her ticket with the caption, "Damn, this driving s**t ain't all fun and games." You're tellin' us!!!

Kid Cudi paid homage to the later rocker Kurt Cobain -- who died almost 27 years ago to the day -- by wearing a dress almost identical to one worn by the Nirvana frontman.

Cudi was the musical guest Saturday on "Saturday Night Live," and he first paid respects to fallen 'SNL' star Chris Farley by wearing a t-shirt with Farley's image emblazoned on it as he sang "Tequila Shots."

Cudi also performed "Sad People," and for that, he wore a white, spaghetti-strapped floral dress ... check it out -- it's a spitting image pattern of Cobain's. Folks on social media almost immediately picked up on the significance of the dress. It was an awesome moment and tribute and the messaging is multi-layered. Pretty awesome.

As you probably know ... Cobain died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound April 5, 1994. There were all sorts of theories about his death, but it was ultimately ruled a suicide. He was 27.