Elderly OKC Woman Sues Cops for Breaking Her Arm ... Body Cam Shows Rough Arrest
Newly released body cam footage shows Oklahoma City cops taking a 74-year-old Black woman into custody, and according to her ... the officers fractured her arm in the process.
Ruby Jones' attorney, Damario Solomon-Simmons, released this disturbing footage Tuesday not long before filing a lawsuit against the City of Oklahoma City and the 3 police officers involved with the August, 2020 encounter at her OKC home.
In docs, obtained by TMZ, Ruby claims she suffered a broken right arm due to the officers' "use of excessive force" when they came to arrest her mentally ill son, Chauncey.
The body cam footage shows the officers arriving with an arrest warrant for Chauncey, who officers alleged had called in a bomb threat at the Red Rock Behavioral Center. Cops said they traced the call back to Ruby's home.
But, in docs, Ruby claims she met the officers at the front door and they asked for consent to enter, but she refused. She also claims cops refused to provide proof of a warrant authorizing entry into her home.
You can see in the body cam footage ... cops threatened her with jail if she didn't get out of their way. When she didn't allow them in, they tried to handcuff her while screaming, "Let me see your f***ing hands."
According to the suit, Ruby pled with cops not to shoot Chauncey because he suffers from bipolar disorder and did not have a gun. In the video she repeatedly tells the cops Chauncey isn't armed ... but they tell her, "You're fixin' to go sit in the car."
When she refused to go outside, Ruby alleges they "grabbed her arm, and forcefully yanked her out of the bedroom." The video backs that up, and she also told the officers she suffers from heart disease. In the docs, she claims they broke her arm after throwing her against a mirror and handcuffing her.
Ruby is suing for assault and battery, excessive force, and more ... and she's seeking unspecified damages.
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Chris Brown Cleaning Lady Sues ... Your Dog Gnarled my Sis to Pieces!!!
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A cleaning woman is taking Chris Brown to court, because she claims one of his dogs got a hold of her sister's limbs ... which sounds like one bloody mess in a lawsuit she's filed.
The woman's name is Patricia Avila, and in docs, obtained by TMZ, she explains she and her sister had been hired by Chris to clean his Tarzana home twice a week for a rate of $600 a day.
She goes on to say they were aware Chris had dogs in the house, but insists they'd always been kept in a separate part of the property whenever they came over to do their work. That is, until one day she claims one of them made its way to the backyard.
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This is where things got violent, according to Avila ... who's alleging a harrowing dog attack from Chris' Caucasian Shepherd Ovcharka. In the suit, she claims the dog -- a very large breed -- has a history of being violent and aggressive toward people.
Anyway, Avila claims that her sister went out to the backyard to empty a vacuum ... and before she knew it, the animal was on top of her sister and tearing her body to shreds, ripping 3 to 4 inches of skin off her arm ... and allegedly bit her face and leg as well.
Eventually, she says they were able to get the dog off her sister ... and Chris was apparently the one who called 9-1-1. Avila says she thought her sister was going to die from the blood loss.
Avila says her sister was transported to a hospital and treated for several days ... undergoing at least a couple surgeries. Since then, she alleges the ordeal caused her a lot of emotional distress -- including PTSD, severe anxiety, and panic attacks.
She's suing Chris for damages, claiming he failed to protect her from the unreasonable risk of harm from the dog. Important to note that Avila is NOT the alleged bite victim ... and it's unclear if her sister is filing a separate suit.
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Daunte Wright Family Gets Emotional Over His Killing ... Calls for Justice
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The family of Daunte Wright -- the 20-year-old Black man killed by police near Minneapolis -- just delivered impassioned, heartbreaking words about his fatal shooting ... and their pain is palpable.
Several of Daunte's loved ones spoke at the news conference outside the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, including his mother, Katie ... who told the devastating story of her final phone call with her son as he was dealing with the police in what would turn out to be a deadly traffic stop.
Chyna Whitaker, the mother of Daunte's young son, spoke on how Daunte didn't live to see their child's second birthday ... saying the police stole her son's dad from him.
Other family members, including Daunte's grandmother, cousin and aunt, also delivered emotional, powerful words about their tragic loss.
George Floyd's family was also on hand to lend love and support to the Wright family, and along with everyone else ... called for justice in the case. Daunte's aunt also pointed out the 2 families have another connection -- she says Floyd's girlfriend used to be one of Wright's teachers.
Even a relative of Emmett Till spoke, saying ... "The past is not past until justice is served."
The news conference took place outside the courthouse where former Minneapolis PD officer Derek Chauvin is currently on trial after being charged with murdering Floyd during his arrest on May 25, 2020.
Wright was fatally shot on Sunday by a cop in Brooklyn Center -- a Minneapolis suburb about 10 miles from the courthouse where Chauvin's standing trial.
Ben Crump joined "TMZ Live" to discuss the tragedy, which he calls the latest example of implicit bias against people of color by police. Crump points to the alleged discrepancies in why Wright was pulled over in the first place, and says the incident never should have escalated to a violent confrontation.
Crump adds that President Biden's comments about rioting in wake of Wright's killing are fair, but says the Prez needs to also rebuke the unarmed killings of Black men by police in America.
As we reported ... body cam footage of the incident shows the officer, Kim Potter -- a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center PD -- shot Wright during his struggle with the police. After the shot, you can hear her exclaim, "Holy s**t, I just shot him."
Police Chief Tim Gannon claims Potter meant to use her Taser, but accidentally discharged her gun instead. Wright died from the gunshot wound.
Wright's killing has sparked 2 straight nights of protests and riots in the Minneapolis suburb and the Twin Cities area.
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YFN Lucci Murder Case Prosecutors Want Him Back In Jail ... Strip Club Was Off Limits
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12:13 PM PT -- YFN's attorney, Drew Findling, tells TMZ ... "This attempt to revoke his bond is without merit and is replete with factual and legal inaccuracies. We will zealously fight this motion as we will with every aspect of this legally flawed prosecution."
YFN Lucci violated his strict bond conditions when he hit up a recording studio and a strip club as his murder case looms ... at least according to prosecutors, who want him back in jail.
According to new legal docs, prosecutors in Georgia claim the rapper violated the conditions of his $500,000 bond the first day after getting sprung from jail as he awaits trial for murder.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors claim YFN Lucci spent his first day on the outside hitting up an Atlanta recording studio, which they say is a violation of his monitored release.
Prosecutors also claim YFN Lucci went to an Atlanta strip club the same day, and they say it's the same club at the center of an investigation into a gang-related shooting.
TMZ broke the story ... Lucci was released from jail back in February, but his bond came with a long list of conditions he must obey until his next hearing.
Prosecutors claim YFN Lucci's ankle monitor was tampered with, because they say there's lots of missing and irregular data regarding his whereabouts for extended periods of time.
Prosecutors also claim YFN Lucci tested positive for marijuana and opiates in a drug test, which they say is yet another bond violation. They want a judge to revoke his bond so they can keep him in custody until the end of his murder case.
Originally published -- 10:47 AM PT
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Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis GET PROTECTION FROM ALLEGED STALKER ... Says He's 'Struggling to Stay Sane'
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Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis are getting protection from a man she claims keeps showing up at her home, imagining he's her boyfriend, and venting his frustration over Harry Styles.
Olivia's lawyer, Shawn Holley, beelined it to court Monday and got a temporary restraining order ... to protect her and her family, including Sudeikis, from a 30-year-old man named Eric Nathanial Fuhs, whom she claims has been harassing her for months.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Olivia claims she has security footage showing the man showing up to her home on multiple occasions to leave notes falsely claiming they're in a relationship. One note is addressed to Sudeikis, saying "how she [Olivia] was unhappy in her relationship, and how she wanted to start a new relationship with me." He goes on ... "This continued almost every day ... until January, when Harry Styles got credit for what I was doing."
In the docs, Olivia says the guy initially barged in on a private zoom call she was on back in October and harassed her, and ever since he's gotten bolder by showing up at her home.
Olivia also says she's scared the man was able to find her home, because she's never shared her address, and she says one of his notes is ominous ... "I, as of March 19, 2021 am now struggling to stay sane whilst being hidden."
The judge granted Olivia's temporary restraining order and Fuhs must stay 100 yards away from her, Jason, and their kids at all times. It's interesting ... although Olivia is now with Harry Styles, she says in the docs, "I live with Mr Sudeikis and our two children."
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Kanye West Asks for Joint Custody in Divorce ... Answers Kim's Petition
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Kanye West filed his answer to Kim Kardashian's divorce petition, and it's basically a mirror image of his estranged wife's legal docs.
Kanye is also asking for joint legal and physical custody of the couple's 4 kids, just like Kim. FYI ... joint custody doesn't automatically mean a 50/50 split, and it's likely Kim will have the kids the lion's share of the time. They will almost certainly work out an arrangement between themselves and have it approved by the court. They have both committed to co-parenting.
Kanye -- as well as Kim -- wants to shut the door on spousal support. Well, they can afford to fend on their own.
He also says they should also pay their own legal fees.
As we already reported, Kim and Kanye have a prenup, so there shouldn't be a big issue with dividing assets. It's interesting ... Ye's answer comes on the heels of Forbes reporting Kim has now reached billionaire status.
Kim filed for divorce on February 19 ... so Kanye's a little late in filing his answer, although it doesn't really matter because it won't trigger any sort of problem.
Kim did not list a date of separation on her divorce docs. As for Kanye ... he also did not list a date of separation.
Our sources say Kim and Kanye hardly spoke in the months preceding the divorce petition, but it seems things are calmer now.
The likelihood is ... they will work everything out privately with the lawyers and business managers and file the settlement agreement when the ink is dry.
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Harvey Weinstein Nearly Blind, Losing Teeth ... Lawyer Claims at Extradition Hearing
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Harvey Weinstein's been indicted on sexual assault charges in L.A. and now faces extradition from New York, but he's hoping to stay put because his health is failing... so claims his legal team.
The disgraced movie producer appeared Monday for his extradition hearing via video conference along with his attorneys, Mark Werksman and Norman Effman, who argued against him being sent to L.A. for "humanitarian" reasons.
Effman claims Weinstein is technically blind and has major dental issues -- he's allegedly lost 4 teeth and is in danger of losing more. According to his lawyer, prison officials in NY have scheduled 2 medical procedures for Weinstein ... one for his sight and one for his teeth.
On top of all this ... Effman says his client's still suffering from cardiac issues, diabetes and back pain, along with sleep apnea.
For all of these reasons, Weinstein's team's asking the judge to allow him to remain at the medical unit he's been confined to at the maximum-security prison in New York, where he's serving his sentence for rape.
The judge set the next hearing for later this month, so for now Weinstein will stay put in his prison cell.
As we've reported, despite his 2020 conviction in New York, Weinstein was still facing criminal charges in Los Angeles ... where a grand jury recently indicted him on 11 counts of sexual assault connected to alleged assaults of 5 women.
It should be noted -- during Monday's hearing, Weinstein's lawyers insisted their client believes he can beat the charges.
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Army LT. Traffic Stop Criminal Investigation Launched
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11:11 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the Virginia State Police tells us the agency has launched a criminal investigation into the incident. Once completed, the cops will submit the findings to the Isle of Wight Commonwealth Attorney for possible charges, or it could go to a special prosecutor.
At this point, it does not appear to be a federal investigation.
The traffic stop of an Army Lieutenant has now become a criminal investigation ... this according to the Lt.'s attorney.
Attorney Jonathan Arthur said on "TMZ Live" Monday ... he had been contacted by either the feds, state prosecutors or both regarding the December incident. He would not say which agency or agencies contacted him, but he did say a criminal investigation is afoot.
The feds could file criminal civil rights violations ... similar to what happened in the Rodney King case years ago. There could also be a state investigation over excessive force. As we reported, Lt. Caron Nazario was pepper-sprayed 4 times as officers barked orders at him.
Arthur filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month, and the video of the incident surfaced this weekend.
Attorney Arthur says the officers' conduct was egregious ... allegedly lying on the police report and also apparently telling Nazario if he doesn't complain they won't destroy his military career.
Arthur says his client has received solid support from higher-ups in the Army.
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U.S. Army Lieutenant Dog's OK After Choking on Pepper Spray
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The four-legged friend of the U.S. Army Lieutenant who was repeatedly pepper-sprayed by a cop is feeling better after choking on pepper spray and struggling to breathe.
Lt. Caron Nazario's attorney, Jonathan Arthur, tells TMZ ... Nazario's pooch, Smoke, is OK after the scary incident, despite feeling the effects of the toxic chemical.
As you know, Nazario was pulled over in Virginia, pepper-sprayed and attacked ... all over the fact he didn't have a rear license plate. Smoke was in the backseat of the SUV during the incident, and one of the cops fired pepper spray at the Lt. four separate times.
The Lt. told the cops the dog was in distress, but they did not come to his aid.
The dog, who was in a kennel in the back of the SUV, eventually shook off the toxins. He did not need to see a vet.
As we reported, the officer who took charge has been fired and a lawsuit has been filed.
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L.A. Driver Who Fired Gun Charged with 3 Felonies ... Still in Custody
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The woman caught on video pointing a gun out of her car window, then firing it out of her sunroof at a busy L.A. intersection has been charged with 3 felonies ... and she's still sitting in jail.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... Ashley Tamika Greenwade's been hit with one count of assault with a firearm for the April 6 incident, along with one count of discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, and one count of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle that's not registered to her.
We're told the first charge is due to Greenwade allegedly aiming her weapon at a person from her vehicle before she fired it up in the air.
Greenwade is still in police custody. She's being held on $35,000 bail ... and is facing up to 4 years behind bars.
As we reported ... the surreal road rage scene went down last week. The suspect was recorded screaming at someone off-camera before whipping out a handgun and loading it.
As she pointed it, she asked .... "Anybody wanna die now? Anybody???" Then, she unloaded several shots straight up through her sunroof.
SEPTEMBER 2020
Luckily she didn't hit anyone -- and cops eventually caught her without further incident -- but it made for one of the most bizarre road rage incidents ... at least since that Florida man shot through his own windshield.
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Windsor PD Cop Who Maced Army Lt. Fired Since That Incident
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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.
BREAKING: Joe Guitierrez, one of the two officers involved in the pepper spraying incident of Lt. Nazaro, has been fired from the Windsor, VA police department. pic.twitter.com/pWeLYBIe4Q
— chris evans (@chris_notcapn) April 12, 2021 @chris_notcapn
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."
Virginia's governor, Ralph Northam, has called for an even deeper dive into the traffic stop at the state level, and Windsor officials say they'll play ball with whatever's found necessary.
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Jesse Williams and Ex Wife Judge Orders 'High Conflict' Parenting Classes
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Jesse Williams and his ex-wife are still battling it out in court over custody issues in their nasty divorce ... and now a judge has ordered both to take a "high conflict" parenting course to right the ship.
According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the "Grey's Anatomy" star and his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, have been ordered to participate in an online program for "high conflict parents."
The order came down after Jessie tried and failed to modify previous court orders regarding custody and visitation of their 2 young children, Maceo and Sadie. They've been sharing joint legal and physical custody ... but it's been rocky.
The parenting course is a 6-session online program, providing strategies for reducing conflicts in co-parenting relationships.
TMZ broke the story ... Jesse and Aryn finalized their bitter divorce back in October, at least on paper.
As we've told you, Jesse's 3-year divorce saga has been extremely contentious ... he beefed with Aryn over child custody, lashed out over stories about him dating Minka Kelly and waged legal war over child support money.
Maybe the parenting courses will help smooth things over. Stay tuned.
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Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello Break-In Suspect Arrested ... Charged for G-Wagon Theft
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Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello can rest easy tonight ... because cops believe they've nabbed the crook who broke into their home and made off with Shawn's ride.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD officers arrested the suspect Thursday for allegedly entering the couple's home last month while they were home. Cops believe the suspect then stole the keys to Shawn's Mercedes G-Wagon and fled in it.
Turns out the key to cracking this case was ... a key! We're told police caught the suspect while following up on a trespassing call they got last week at a home in another area. Cops say that guy had a key on him, which they later discovered was a match to Shawn's G-Wagon.
Our sources say the perp's been booked on 2 felonies — burglary and grand theft auto.
We broke the story ... the suspect allegedly broke a window to get into Shawn and Camila's L.A. pad last month, before bolting in Shawn's luxury SUV.
Fortunately for the singer, he got his ride back in surprisingly good condition about a week later when cops found it parked on a residential street.
Gotta love a happy ending.
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Tim Stark From 'Tiger King' In Custody After Suicide Threat
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6:13 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Tim was taken into custody at his residence Thursday night for a non-criminal incident.
Tim Stark -- famous for being one of the animal park staffers on 'Tiger King' -- threatened to take his own life after taking a loss in court ... and now police are involved.
Here's the deal ... Tim went on Facebook Live Wednesday night after an Indiana judge banned him from owning animals, and made several threats against himself and anyone coming to his property.
As you can see in the video, Tim shows what appears to be a syringe attached to his arm, which he claims is filled with drugs used for euthanasia.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police are aware of the video and they contacted Tim Thursday to investigate the incident. At this point, they say he is fine, but add ... they'll continue monitoring his Facebook for any possible criminal activity.
The suicide threats are alarming and so is this -- law enforcement tells us Tim threatened to potentially shoot anyone who comes to his home. Cops have not yet made physical contact with him.
Originally Published -- 1:21 PM PT
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Derek Chauvin Murder Trial Knee to Neck Would Kill Healthy Person ... Prosecution's Star Witness Rips Defense
12:52 PM PT -- Dr. Tobin seemingly just delivered another blow to the defense, after Chauvin's lawyer asked him if fentanyl can cause death as a result of low oxygen.
Tobin replies yes, but adds "only in part," and goes on to explain to the prosecution that he's seen many deaths caused by fentanyl, and in cases of fentanyl overdoses he claims the patients go into a coma.
The doctor says George Floyd was never in a coma.
The prosecution in the Derek Chauvin murder trial is trying to poke major holes in his defense ... with a doctor's powerful testimony that any healthy person would have died if treated like George Floyd.
Dr. Martin Tobin, a physician specializing in pulmonology and critical care, took the stand Thursday and ripped into the heart of Chauvin's defense -- that Floyd allegedly died from a drug overdose and not by Chauvin's knee on his neck.
The doc goes into pretty deep detail on why, in his expert opinion, a healthy person would not have been able to survive a knee to the neck for 9 1/2 minutes.
Dr. Tobin testified that, by his calculations, Floyd lost all of the oxygen in his body about 3 minutes BEFORE Chauvin lifted his knee off George's neck. Tobin's being called the prosecution's star witness, as his testimony's been one of the most powerful moments in the courtroom, so far.
5/25/20
The doc went on to say George died from a low level of oxygen causing his heart to stop, essentially attributing his death to him being handcuffed face down on the pavement with Chauvin's knee pinned to his neck.
Remember ... Chauvin's defense attorney Eric Nelson told the jury last week Floyd "put drugs in his mouth" when confronted by cops and said the autopsy found meth and fentanyl in his system.
But, Dr. Tobin's testimony is clearly the prosecution's attempt to blunt that OD theory.
Originally Published -- 11:23 AM PT
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O.J. Simpson Settles Defamation Suit W/ Vegas Hotel
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O.J. Simpson can put his beef with The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the rearview ... because we've learned he's settled his defamation lawsuit with the hotel.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, The Juice and the Cosmo agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, and the judge signed off. Usually, that points to some type of settlement, though neither side is talking details.
O.J.'s lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, tells TMZ ... "The Simpson/Cosmopolitan matter has been resolved."
11/11/17
As we reported ... Simpson sued the Cosmopolitan over a Nov. 8, 2017 incident in which he was kicked off the property following an alleged drunken episode at a hotel bar.
Following the incident, hotel staff told TMZ ... O.J. was wasted and became disruptive, getting angry with hotel employees ... resulting in broken glasses at the bar.
O.J. denied the allegations, saying the story humiliated and embarrassed him ... and in 2019 he filed his defamation suit against the Cosmo.
Most recently, the Cosmo said O.J.'s reputation as a violent convicted criminal is already so tarnished, there's no way his rep could take a hit from allegations of drunken shenanigans.
But, now it appears the two sides worked something out to make the case go away.
We reached out to the Cosmo ... so far, no word back.