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A Bay Area police officer's been charged with voluntary manslaughter for shooting and killing a black man who was wielding a bat in Walmart.

The San Leandro cop, Jason Fletcher, made no attempt to de-escalate the situation before fatally shooting 33-year-old Steven Demarco Taylor ... according to Alameda County District Attorney, Nancy E. O’Malley.

The D.A. claims Taylor didn't pose an imminent threat of death or great bodily injury to Fletcher or others in the store, and says she made the decision Wednesday to charge the officer with manslaughter.

As we reported ... cops responded to the Walmart outside Oakland on the afternoon of April 18, and encountered Taylor with an aluminum bat in his hands.

Police say they used Tasers on him first near the shopping carts area, but video showed he was shot multiple times by either a Taser or a gun ... even after he had dropped the bat and fallen limp to the ground.

Prosecutors claim Fletcher did use a stun gun on Taylor first, but then shot him in the chest. The entire encounter lasted roughly 40 seconds.

Black Americans are in the midst of 2 pandemics -- COVID-19 and the systemic racism that took root 401 years ago ... so says civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Ben joined "TMZ Live" on Thursday and didn't mince words ... saying there's a hypocritical justice system when it comes to how Black Americans are treated, and the fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee in L.A. is just the latest evidence.

Kizzee's family has hired Crump, who says he's assembling a "dream team" of attorneys to push the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. for more evidence. As you know, home security footage shows deputies firing on Kizzee at least 15 times as he was running away from them.

Crump finds Kizzee's death especially outraging because Kyle Rittenhouse killed 2 protesters in Kenosha, and was still able to walk right by police while brandishing his firearm.

He says it's a clear sign of the systemic racism Black Americans have faced since 1619 ... the first year African slaves were brought to American soil. You've gotta see his take on what he's now calling "COVID-1619."

Crump, who also reps Breonna Taylor's family, is baffled by the fact the L.A. County Sheriff's deputies were not wearing body cams ... but he's thankful that, especially in L.A., cameras are always rolling.

Britney Spears is making it clear -- she doesn't trust her dad and wants the public to hear what he and other professionals are doing to keep her in the conservatorship, and she also says the #FreeBritney movement's not only real ... she supports it.

Britney's lawyers just filed docs opposing her dad Jamie's motions to seal parts of her ongoing conservatorship case ... because she wants everyone to know what's up.

Britney is fighting her dad's move to appoint a co-conservator of her estate [handling business matters] to a lawyer who was deeply involved in her conservatorship for years. She wants someone independent to take the reins.

Britney argues there are no medical issues or sensitive issues with her children to protect, so there's no reason to keep the hearing secret.

The lawyer says, "... Britney herself is vehemently opposed to this effort by her father to keep her legal struggle hidden away in the closet as a family secret."

The lawyer adds, "Far from being a conspiracy theory or a 'joke' as James [Jamie] reportedly told the media, in large part this scrutiny is a reasonable and even predictable result of James' aggressive use of the sealing procedure over the years to minimize the amount of meaningful information made available to the public."

L.A. County Sheriff's deputies gunned down a Black man in South L.A. this week -- which can now be seen in full view through new surveillance video that was just released.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump posted footage obtained by a security camera at a nearby home, not far from where 29-year-old Dijon Kizzee was shot multiple times and killed on the spot Monday afternoon. His death has come under scrutiny and sparked protests.

LASD says officers were attempting to stop Kizzee after they found he was "in violation of vehicle codes" while riding his bike. They say they pursued him when he fled ... and things escalated into a physical confrontation between Kizzee and at least one deputy, which you can see here.

The Sheriff's Dept. goes on to say that during the struggle, some items Kizzee was carrying fell on the ground ... one of which they claim was a handgun. LASD claims at that point, Kizzee broke free and tried fleeing once again, but officers fired multiple rounds and took him down.

Crump and others contend that even if a gun was in Kizzee's possession during the altercation, he didn't point it at them and was not a threat by the time he ran a second time. They're demanding Sheriff Alex Villanueva release the names of the deputies who fired the shots ... while also asking for their arrest and eventual prosecution. The case is under investigation.

Silento allegedly got loud and threatened people with a hatchet while trying to find his girlfriend ... and now he's facing felony charges.

The "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" rapper was arrested last weekend after a bizarre incident in which law enforcement sources tell us ... he walked into a house with a hatchet in hand as he looked for his GF.

We're told someone in the house screamed for help and others took him down and disarmed him. Our sources say shortly afterward, Silento's friend arrived and told him it was the wrong house ... and they fled as cops were called.

Police caught up with the rapper, though, and took him to jail. He's now officially been hit with 2 felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Charli XCX isn't taking any chances with an allegedly obsessed fan ... she just got court-ordered protection from the guy she says broke into her home and then got naked ... all over the place.

The "Boom Clap" singer claims the man tried to visit her at her L.A. area home twice last week -- and the second visit ended with him stripping down, jumping in her hot tub, and also strolling in and out of her bedroom.

Charli beelined it to court, filing for and getting a temporary restraining order against the suspect, who's from Wisconsin. She claims he's sent her hundreds of manic, obsessive and disturbing messages on social media -- but took it to the next level when he showed up at her pad on Aug. 24 and 25. The latter is when he bared all ... and Charli has that all on security footage.

Ben and his associates just fleshed out their thoughts even further in a scathing rebuke of local Louisville law enforcement officials who appear to have tried getting her ex-BF, Jamarcus Glover, to falsely pin her as part of a crime syndicate ... this AFTER she'd died.

Ben and co. write, "This is why the Black community has no trust in America’s justice system. It’s enormously ironic that the accused drug dealer here acted with honor, refusing to falsely discredit Bre after her death -- even when offered the temptation of no prison time for lying, while prosecutors and police acted in the most egregiously dishonest and dishonorable way possible."

Ben goes on to say the police have already killed Breonna once, and now they're trying to do it again by killing her reputation and her good name. He adds, "Disgusting behavior by those who are supposed to be the protectors of justice."

The family of Breonna Taylor is rattled by the news of the shocking plea deal offered to her ex-boyfriend, according to their attorney, who adds ... they're losing even more confidence in Kentucky authorities.

Ben Crump came on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to discuss the bombshell news about local prosecutors in Louisville seemingly trying to smear Breonna with a false claim she was a criminal. That came out in a plea deal offered to her ex-BF, who was arrested on drug charges.

Crump says he's not buying prosecutors' claim the plea deal was merely a draft whipped up early on in negotiations. He tells us it's yet just another piece of evidence that local authorities were trying to sweep Breonna's killing under the rug from the very beginning.

Crump says the plea deal proves they were out to dirty up Breonna's character and says that's shaken her family's trust Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron will get them justice in the case.

He tells us bluntly -- Breonna's family is losing faith in the process, and not only because Cameron still has not announced charges against the officer involved in Breonna's killing.

Crump tells us there's no reason a clear answer shouldn't be reached in the next couple weeks, and insists the family only wants one thing -- equal treatment under the law. Plain and simple.

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend is going after Louisville police for the allegedly botched raid at her home that left Breonna dead, claiming he's the victim of police misconduct ... and he didn't actually shoot one of the officers.

Kenneth Walker filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday, asking the judge for a declaration of immunity from prosecution in the criminal case for firing a single "warning shot" after cops rammed the door to enter Taylor's apartment in the middle of the night back in March while executing a search warrant.

As you know ... police claim Walker's shot struck Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly in the femoral artery in his thigh, but his legal team refutes that.

Walker's lawyers say evidence indicates that police may have shot Mattingly as they were "firing wildly from various angles."

According to the lawsuit ... Walker was interrogated by police after the shootings and was then wrongfully and illegally arrested, detained, charged and prosecuted.

Walker now wants to avail himself of Kentucky’s stand your ground law, which he claims operates to prevent law enforcement from prosecuting him after he fired the shot in self-defense. In other words, it seems the lawyer is saying Walker had a right to fire a shot under the stand your ground law, so he would therefore be immune from criminal prosecution.

According to the docs, he's specifically concerned about being hit with an attempted murder charge that was previously dropped without prejudice.

Taylor's boyfriend is also seeking damages for assault, battery, false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, abuse of process and negligence stemming from the incident.

As we've reported ... none of the officers involved in the raid and shooting of Taylor have been arrested, though one cop -- Brett Hankison -- has been fired.

LAPD is investigating what you will see is painfully obvious in this bizarre video ... a dangerously intoxicated man -- who couldn't even stand -- smashed into parked cars, and yet somehow cops did NOT arrest him.

It's all on video ... the guy is stumbling and mumbling on the scene when cops arrived to see his Dodge Charger had swiped several parked cars in L.A.'s Los Feliz neighborhood on Aug. 22. Whatever he was on ... he was struggling to stay upright as he spoke to the owners of the other cars and exchanged info with them. He nearly fell on his face right in front of a cop who, for some reason, seemed to ignore the behavior!!!

The witness who shot this video is stunned in disbelief as the cops tell the victims to contact their insurance ... as they simply let the wasted guy walk -- sorta -- away. People on the scene were pissed, and with good reason.

LAPD says it's looking into what happened here, but it seems pretty obvious. Cops asleep at the wheel ... much like the Charger driver, whose car was simply towed from the scene.

There is a new, despicable revelation in the Breonna Taylor investigation ... prosecutors tried to smear her by offering her ex-boyfriend a plea deal that could have turned a 10-year sentence into probation if he agreed to say Breonna was dealing drugs, and it's flat-out false.

Documents have surfaced showing that Jamarcus Glover, Breonna's ex who is charged with drug trafficking and gun charges, was offered the deal if he'd say Taylor was part of an organized crime syndicate trafficking drugs into Louisville. There is absolutely no evidence to support this, but attorney Sam Aguiar, who reps Breonna's family, says, "The fact that they would try to even represent that she was a co-defendant in a criminal case more than a month after she died is absolutely disgusting."

Prosecutors for the Commonwealth said the offer was part of a "draft" during the negotiations ... and it was squarely REJECTED by Glover. Cops got a search warrant for Breonna's home as part of a wide investigation into Glover and another man. Police claimed Glover went to Breonna's apartment in January, picked up a package and went to a "known drug house."  Here's the reality ... NO drugs or money were found at Breonna's home, and she was never implicated in Glover's alleged drug dealing.

The short story ... it seems the effort was to smear Breonna to take the heat off authorities. Remember, the cops who shot her 8 times lied and said she suffered no injuries when in fact she died from her injuries.

It's shocking prosecutors used this tactic ... but apparently they did.

Kentucky's Attorney General says his office has finally received the ballistics report he's been waiting for in the Breonna Taylor case ... but he says it's not conclusive and it seems there's still no end in sight.

Daniel Cameron revealed Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" that he's now gotten hold of a crucial FBI ballistics report he's been saying for weeks was one of the last things he needed before deciding if he'll bring charges against the cops that shot and killed her. He said the report was not "the end-all, be-all," though he would not elaborate.

Cameron made it seem like he was still a ways away from coming to any sort of conclusion. He says he still needs to meet with the FBI to review the report, on top of going through further witness testimony and other analysis ... with no clear end in sight.

Cameron did say he and his team will be meeting with the FBI this upcoming week but didn't indicate how long it would take to review the ballistics, or anything else that might follow. It's been 5 months now since Breonna was killed, and yet ... the waiting continues.

Her family's attorney, Ben Crump, said Sunday ... word of Cameron receiving the ballistics report was welcome news, but he also made it clear, he's expecting this to come to an end with a final decision sooner than later, adding Cameron's hyped up this report as damn near the last piece of the puzzle.

Cameron says he wants to do a thorough investigation before any announcement on possible charges. Just recently, Breonna's family told us they were reassured to Cameron's commitment to resolving her case and getting justice after finally meeting with him.

Josh Groban can breathe a sigh of relief for the next 5 years ... 'cause that's how long his restraining order against an obsessed fan will last.

The actor/singer had previously gotten a temporary restraining order, but according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge has now granted him a permanent order against an obsessive female fan named Shawna Marie Laing. The restraining order will last until August 27, 2025.

TMZ broke the story ... Groban beelined it to court back in June to get a restraining order against Laing, who had allegedly been sexually harassing and threatening the singer since he canceled a date with her nearly a decade ago.

As we reported ... Laing was allegedly drowning him with texts, emails and direct messages since 2011. He also claimed she contacted his family members and his current girlfriend in recent years.

Groban says some of the messages -- as recent as May -- were very sexual and graphic in nature, including one that read ... "I came at approximately 7:09 PM this evening with the thought of your d*** between my t*** and your warmness against my ribcage." That was just the tip of the iceberg.

Scott Peterson's death penalty sentence may have been reversed, but the convicted murderer's family believes he could die in prison soon anyway due to COVID-19 ... and they're pushing for a transfer.

Peterson's attorney, Cliff Gardner, tells TMZ ... Scott's family is majorly concerned for his health following the widespread and deadly coronavirus outbreak at San Quentin State Prison.

Peterson's currently locked up at San Quentin, and in the last month, the prison reportedly saw cases surge with up to two-thirds of the prison getting infected. It currently leads California's prison system in infections and deaths.

With those grim numbers in mind, Gardner says his goal is to place Peterson in the safest possible prison permitted under California law to ensure his safety.

However, according to California prison officials ... there's no plans to move him, and he'll be staying put at San Quentin for now.

As we reported ... the California Supreme Court reversed Peterson's death penalty sentence for murdering his wife and unborn child in 2002 on Christmas Eve. The Court ruled the trial judge in the case made an error in dismissing prospective jurors.

Leonard Cohen's legendary song "Hallelujah" was not approved to be used at the Republican National Convention -- though it was, twice -- and now the late singer-songwriter's team is speaking out ... and threatening legal action.

Reps for both Cohen's estate and the publishing company say they rejected requests by the GOP to play or perform his song at the RNC, but President Trump's party ignored this and did it anyway.

Cohen estate’s lawyer, Michelle L. Rice, says they were surprised and dismayed the song was used at the RNC despite their declination, and described the move as a "brazen attempt to politicize and exploit" one of his most famous songs.

Rice also got a dig in at Trump, adding ... "Had the RNC requested another song, 'You Want it Darker,' for which Leonard won a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have considered approval of that song." She says the estate is now exploring legal options.

Likewise, Cohen's publishing company, Sony/ATV Music, also claims it was contacted about using "Hallelujah" on the eve of the RNC's final night, and said no, but they were ignored.

ICYMI ... a version of "Hallelujah" by Tori Kelly was played during the fireworks following Trump's Thursday night speech, and was then performed live in an operatic rendition by Christopher Macchio.

Remember, it was earlier this month when Neil Young sued the Trump campaign for using his songs "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk" before rallies, after previously warning him not to.

Derek Chauvin -- the ex-Minneapolis cop charged with murdering George Floyd -- deserves an especially harsh sentence because, among other things, he killed Floyd in front of kids ... according to prosecutors.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison just informed the judge in the Floyd murder case he'll be seeking a harsher sentence for Chauvin, for several reasons.

The AG says the alleged murder was especially heinous because there were a number of children around who had to watch a man die.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ellison says Floyd was in a "particularly vulnerable" state because he was handcuffed and chest down on the pavement, repeatedly telling Chauvin and the other officers he could not breathe.

Ellison also claims Chauvin treated Floyd with "particular cruelty," by ignoring Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe and was going to die. Prosecutors also say Chauvin was heartless because he ignored horrified onlookers, and kept his knee pinned on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes, including 4 minutes where Floyd was motionless.

The AG says the knee to the neck inflicted great pain on Floyd and claims Chauvin did not offer Floyd any medical assistance and discouraged others from doing so while witnesses watched him die.