Ahmaud Arbery Murder Case Three Suspects Officially Indicted ... Each Facing 9 Counts

UPDATE

3:14 PM PT -- Crump says Wednesday's indictments confirm what Ahmaud's father has been saying for months -- "that this was a lynching."

UPDATE

He adds ... "This is a significant step on the road to justice and while nothing will bring back Ahmaud's life, it is important that a Grand jury recognized his life had value and was wrongly and ruthlessly ended. We expect a trial will lead to the successful prosecution and sentences that reflect the heinous nature of this crime."

UPDATE

2:06 PM PT -- Lee Merritt, the attorney for Ahmaud's mom, Wanda, tells TMZ, "The family of Ahmaud Arbery is determined to see these men prosecuted, convicted and appropriately sentenced for the brutal hate crime that took Ahmaud’s life over four months ago.‬“

UPDATE

Ben Crump, the family's other attorney, calls the indictment "Monumental" in getting justice for Ahmaud.

Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan have each been indicted by a grand jury for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.

The Cobb County D.A., Joyette Holmes, announced the indictment to reporters Wednesday in front of the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, GA. Although the defendants had been arrested for murder, the grand jury handed up the indictment ... formally charging them with the crimes.

Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William
ANNOUNCING THE CHARGES
Fox 30

Each defendant is facing 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts felony murder, 2 counts aggravated assault, 1 count false imprisonment and 1 count criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

In Georgia, murder charges typically go before a grand jury for indictment.

The 3 defendants have remained in custody since their arrests last month, and last appeared in court in early June for probable cause hearing ... where a judge concluded there is enough evidence to move forward with the case.

As we reported ... during that hearing, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation detective took the stand and testified he found NO evidence Ahmaud ever took anything from the construction site he walked through before he was shot and killed.

Remember, the elder McMichael, Gregory, had claimed he thought Arbery matched the description of a burglary suspect. Travis fired the fatal shots on February 23, during a struggle with Ahmaud ... that came after all 3 men chased him down.

050520_georgia_murdeR_KAL FEBRUARY 2020
IN COLD BLOOD

Travis and Gregory were arrested and charged with murder May 8, and a judge ordered them held without bail. Bryan, who recorded the incident, was arrested 14 days later and slapped with charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

Authorities allege Bryan had no right to stop or confine Arbery and Bryan was working with the McMichaels by repeatedly using his vehicle to trap Arbery.

The GBI detective who testified in the preliminary hearing also said Bryan told cops he heard Travis refer to Arbery as a "f***ing n****r" right after he shot him.

Originally Published -- 12:39 PM PT

Alex Trebek $500k to Combat Homeless Crisis ... New Shelter Donation

Alex Trebek dug deep into his pockets again to help a homeless shelter get a new facility off the ground -- more than doubling his previous donation for a very similar cause.

Ken Craft -- founder of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission -- tells TMZ ... Alex handed over $500k of his own money to help Hope of the Valley with a brand new homeless shelter they're aiming to get built over the next year or so in the San Fernando Valley.

This new initiative is mega -- they're calling it Hope Central -- and we're told it'll be a 50,000-square-foot facility that'll house homeless seniors in the area. The team is currently scouting properties and will break ground in 2021 -- now, with much more ease thanks to Alex.

Now, bear in mind ... AT's latest donation comes on the heels of another generous move -- giving Hope of the Valley a $100k donation for another facility it's working on in North Hollywood.

We got pics of Alex and his wife, Jean, taking a stroll around the construction site Tuesday and touring the facility, which has a whole wing named after them. Specifically, the largest room in that building, the Alex and Jean Trebek Multi-Purpose Room, where people will eat and chill.

At some point in the day, Trebek and co. also toured another facility HOTV is building in Van Nuys -- and somewhere along the way, they were also seen hitting up a Home Depot nearby.

As for this latest donation, Ken tells us it brought him to tears. He also says the Trebeks told him they hoped it would spur others to donate/help out the homeless crisis.

Apparently, Alex and Jean feel society tends to write off people suffering from homelessness as nothing but drunks and addicts. They clearly don't feel that's the case though.

Charitable AND inspirational ... two more reasons Alex is so beloved.

Valdosta PD Sued You Roughed Up the Wrong Guy!!! Claims Wrist Broken, Rights Violated

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MISTAKEN AND ATTACKED
Valdosta Police Department

Cops in Georgia slammed a man to the ground while arresting him, and he says they broke his wrist -- problem is, they had the wrong guy and now he's suing for excessive force.

Antonio Smith claims he was unjustly roughed up and had his rights violated back in February by the Valdosta Police Department as officers attempted to arrest him.

Video of the incident shows cops approach Smith for reported suspicious activity at a Walgreens nearby, but he insists he was waiting at the Western Union for money from his sister.

As Smith begged cops to look into it further, another officer arrived and abruptly bear-hugged Smith from behind and told him to put his hands behind his back. He then violently body-slammed him and told Smith he was under arrest for a felony warrant.

Smith was screaming in pain and in his lawsuit claims his wrist was broken as officers held him down. The video shows the cops were clearly confused about who they were supposed to arrest ... and they realized Smith did NOT have a warrant out for his arrest.

According to the lawsuit ... the officer "treated him less than a human being." Smith claims once he was released, he still feared "additional ill-treatment" from the law enforcement around him, so he refused medical care.

Valdosta PD has released a statement admitting they made an error with the felony warrant, but insists Smith was the suspect reported for suspicious activity.

Police Chief Leslie Manahan says ... "We did have the right guy stopped that was causing the problem at Walgreens, it’s just unfortunate he was not the one with the felony warrants."

However, in the video and in the legal docs ... Smith claims he was not doing anything illegal -- just waiting for a wire transfer at Western Union.

Smith is suing the City of Valdosta, the officers involved in the incident and the police chief for damages for the excessive and unnecessary police force in violation of his rights. He also wants his medical expenses covered for his broken wrist ... which he claims healed abnormally and may require surgery to fix.

Rep. Karen Bass Keep Protesting Police Brutality ... Don't Take Foot Off the Gas!!!

Karen Bass
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE
TMZ.com

Rep. Karen Bass is worried Americans will forget about police reform if another major event captures headlines, and she's encouraging the public to keep the pressure on politicians.

The U.S. Congresswoman for California's 37th District joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," to talk about the police reform bill and the uphill battle to get it through the Republican-controlled Senate.

Bass said she fully expects the bill to get held up in Senate, and fears those delay tactics will kill the momentum created in recent weeks by Americans protesting for and demanding an overhaul of police departments.

The way the Congresswoman sees it ... the public has a very short attention span and if a hurricane or other major event goes down, she's afraid police reform will be knocked off the news cycle.

That's why she's imploring peaceful protests to continue nationwide -- she believes that's the only way lawmakers will act. And, if you're wondering what happens if the protests let up ... Bass says just look at what happened after the L.A. riots in response to the Rodney King verdicts.

Rep Bass says there is some reaching across the aisle going on ... but explains why folks need to hold their Senators' feet to the fire on police reform.

Bella Hadid Back in Black ... Bikini Time in Corsica!!!

Bella Hadid's time in quarantine did her body just fine ... and she's back in front of the camera to flaunt it.

The model hit the sand and took a dip in the water Wednesday in Corsica, posing in a tiny, black bikini as part of a sexy photo shoot on the Mediterranean island.

It's been a while since we've seen Bella working her craft ... but it doesn't look like she's missed a beat. Despite her wardrobe, we don't think Bella's hawking swimwear on this shoot -- check out the gallery 'cause it looks like the product is perfume.

After months of self-isolating -- and NOT gaining the COVID 19 lbs. like most of us -- she's apparently got the travel bug. Bella was also recently seen with her bestie, Hailey Bieber, aboard a yacht in Italy.

No surprises here ... supermodel's gotta look super. That's the gig.

Keanu Reeves Back to (Virtual) Reality Returns to 'Matrix 4' Set w/ Costars

Neo, Trinity and whoever the hell Neil Patrick Harris is playing are plugging back into the "real world" for the 'Matrix 4' -- 'cause they're back on set, and cameras are rolling again.

Leading man Keanu Reeves along with his costar and on-screen lover, Carrie-Anne Moss, were both spotted in Berlin this week and presumably heading to their trailers, as they looked ready to get back into character and start filming, after several months off due to 'rona.

NPH was there too. He's one of the big names who was cast in the 3rd sequel ... still unclear what his role will be. Either way, dude seems geared up to kick ass and dodge bullets.

Now, the last time we saw Keanu and co. was earlier this year in San Francisco -- where the freedom fighters were revisiting another federal-looking, bank-ish type building ... reminiscent of the first flick when Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) was being held captive by the agents.

Speaking of him ... we haven't seen him on set yet. One person we HAVE seen time and again nearby -- KR's girlfriend, Alexandra Grant.

Sure enough, she was there in Berlin as well ... laughing it up with Keanu and some of the crew members. It would appear they're still going strong after making their red carpet debut late last year.

Don't let Carrie-Anne see too much canoodling off set, you two ... it might screw up the chemistry when the director says "action!" #NeoAndTrinityForever

Panic! At The Disco's Brendon Urie Tells President Trump ... 'F*** You' and Stop Playing My Music!!!

Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie is not having it after one of his songs was played at President Trump's rallies ... and he's telling the campaign to kick rocks.

Brendon went off on the Prez and his campaign after one of his most famous tracks -- the 2018 hit "High Hopes" -- was used at Trump's campaign rally Tuesday in Phoenix. Brendon quickly took to Twitter to unleash on the campaign before lashing out at Trump personally ... labeling him a "monster" who "represents nothing we stand for."

In a follow-up tweet ... Brendon added a link to the nonpartisan org HeadCount, which uses "the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy." The org's mission is to reach young people and music fans and inform them and empower them.

The song was also famously used by Mayor Pete Buttigieg during his run for president. BTW, this isn't the first time Brendon's spoken out against Trump. Back in 2018, Brendon didn't mince words when he told a British magazine Trump is "a f***ing asshole" who is "encroaching on people's rights."

Brendon's just the latest artist to tell Trump's campaign to stop playing their music. Most recently, Tom Petty's family members asked the campaign to stop playing "I Won't Back Down" after it was played at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The family released a statement, saying, "Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind." The statement went on to say, "Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together."

Walmart All Lives Matter T-Shirt Sparks Outrage ... Calls to Yank All Anti-BLM Items

UPDATE

2:05 PM PT -- It appears Walmart has removed the link for the shirt.

Walmart's under fire for selling All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter gear on its websites ... but the company says a third party seller's to blame, and it's looking into it.

The outrage began to spread Tuesday on social media, when people noticed the Walmart Canada site was featuring a black, All Lives Matter t-shirt and some other Lives Matter slogan gear along with its Black Lives Matter items.

Walmart Canada responded to the criticism by saying, "This item is sold and shipped by a third party seller. We've forwarded your comments to the appropriate department to look into further. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

Of course, this didn't stop customers from firing their own complaints, saying the availability of these items goes against the Black Lives Matter movement and the items are dogwhistles to those who really don't want to end racism and police brutality.

The company later added in a statement, "We stand against any form of racism or discrimination. We promote listening, seeking to understand and embracing individual differences." It says it's reviewing its third-party marketplace items to make sure they comply with its terms and conditions.

Several All Lives Matter t-shirts are also available on Walmart's U.S. site, being sold by a company called Old Glory.

Another third-party company called Trendy USA sells counterpoint "All Lives Matter?" tees, with the tagline ... "If All Lives Really Mattered To You, We Wouldn't Be Protesting. BlackLivesMatter."

MN Freedom Riders Working w/ Cops to Protect & Serve ... Build Community Trust

When the Minneapolis City Council vowed to disband its police department, everyone wondered how they'd fill the void -- well, a group called the Minnesota Freedom Riders might play a huge part.

During the immediate unrest after George Floyd was killed, citizen patrols organized across the city as trust in the police force plummeted. This included the Freedom Riders, who describe themselves as a group of individuals who banded together for a common cause -- protecting their community.

A spokesperson for the group of 45 volunteers tells TMZ ... they rotate patrolling northern Minneapolis. The men, mostly African-American, are licensed to openly carry handguns and/or assault rifles, and have regular weekly meetings to discuss their operation. We're told each patrolman's hours vary on the needs of their community.

And, so far ... there's a lot of positive info to report about the Freedom Riders' initiative.

For starters ... the Minneapolis PD has been receptive to it. We're told the Riders communicate with cops on a daily basis to share intel on community dealings and advise on what the police should handle.

On the flip side ... we're told the PD asks the group to assist on more neighborly matters requiring more trust -- like speaking with community members concerned about white supremacy groups -- along with handling "lesser crimes."

As the group puts it ... the Freedom Riders are NOT looking to replace the police -- they want to continue working as partners.

The group has also proven successful in thwarting violence in the recent weeks of unrest. During the riots, the Riders were able to prevent looting and structure fires in all of northern Minneapolis. They say their presence has also resulted in a reduction in street and gun violence.

Along with having police support, the Riders also have the support of the Minneapolis NAACP ... whose President Leslie Redmond tells us, "I'm working in an individual capacity to help start this separate entity."

She's launched a GoFundMe -- which has raised $20k so far -- to support the group's efforts in the community. We're told the money goes toward equipment, training, insurance, furthering education for the patrolmen and events for kids in the community.

As you may know, Minneapolis public schools and the University of Minnesota have cut ties with the Minneapolis PD, so there's a major void that needs to be filled with the "community-based safety" suggested by the City Council.

The Freedom Riders seem willing to answer the call.

Kodak Black To Walmart Stop Selling Knockoff Chains ... Or I'll Sue!!!

Kodak Black is pissed at Walmart -- claiming the megastore is letting someone sell a knockoff version of one of his famous chains, and he's threatening a lawsuit if it doesn't stop -- but the retail giant is putting the blame on third-party sellers.

Here's the deal ... Walmart is getting dragged online because its website features a cheap chain that looks nearly identical to the Sniper Gang bling Kodak usually rocks.

Kodak’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... "We have been aware of the situation and have prepared a cease and desist letter to Walmart and the seller on the Walmart website."

The rapper's legal team adds ... "If Walmart refuses to recognize that the seller is not a licensed authorized dealer of Sniper Gang products, we will be proceeding with a lawsuit against both Walmart and the unauthorized seller."

Kodak is currently serving a 46-month prison sentence for gun possession.

Kodak's protege, Jackboy, has also called out Walmart for selling the Sniper Gang chains ... and he too is threatening legal action.

It appears the company has gotten wind of Kodak's anger, they tell us they're taking steps to remove the knockoffs and the chains are strictly from a third-party seller.

Sniper Gang isn't the only rap label pissed off at Walmart... Lil Baby has also claimed the retail giant is selling a knockoff version of his 4 Pockets Full chain for the always low price of $24.99.

Brody Jenner Dating Louis Tomlinson's Ex ... Brody's Ex Approves!!!

Brody Jenner has a new girlfriend ... she's Louis Tomlinson's baby mama, and he's already introduced her to his ex, and gotten 2 thumbs up.

Briana Jungwirth is Brody's new girl, and they had a date night Saturday at Nobu in Malibu, but it was kind of a group thing ... Brody's ex, Kaitlynn Carter, tagged along with a few other friends in tow as well.

Our sources tell us the dinner was anything but awkward. We're told Brody and Kaitlynn are still very close, they are co-parenting dogs after all, and BJ really wanted Kaitlynn's approval on his new GF, which he got.

We're told Briana seemed cool with meeting a slice of Brody's past, and she totally understood the dog situation and the fact Brody and Kaitlynn will remain in the same circles. In August, the exes are scheduled to resume filming "The Hills" together.

From Brody's point of view, we're told he wanted to introduce Briana to Kaitlynn so she'd be comfortable with a situation that is anything but standard for exes.

Fortunately for all parties, the women got along and Briana even talked about her son with the former One Direction heartthrob.

In fact, we're told when Briana brought up her son, Freddie, at the dinner table, she mentioned he'd already met Brody. So, the budding relationship already sounds serious.

In the end, our sources say Kaitlynn felt Briana was very kind and with Brody for all the right reasons. Translation, they're a good match.

Adrian Peterson Gunning For Four More Years In NFL ... 'Why Not?!'

Adrian Peterson Future
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
TMZSports.com

In 2024 ... 39-year-old Adrian Peterson will STILL be running over defenders?!?!

The future Hall of Famer says he believes that's entirely possible ... telling TMZ Sports he's gunning to play FOUR more years in the NFL!!

"Man, why not four more years?" AD says. "Why not?!"

Of course, Peterson has never made it a secret he wants to play a whole lot longer than most running backs ever do ... but four more years is a big goal even for him.

Remember, back after the 2018 season, Peterson told us he only wanted to go "maybe two or three more years."

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A LOT LEFT IN THE TANK
TMZSports.com

But, when we spoke with the Redskins star tailback over the weekend, he made it clear he wants to carry the rock until he physically can't anymore.

"I don't want to ever be in a position where I look back and say, 'Man, I should have played two more years,'" Peterson says. "'I should of played another year.' I want to enjoy it."

As for why, Adrian says he wants a Super Bowl ring badly ... but Peterson is only about 4,000 yards away from breaking Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing mark.

Seems with four more years of carries ... Emmitt might need to start sweating now??

By the way, we also spoke with Peterson about the Redskins prospects for the 2020 season ... and ya gotta hear how fired up he is for Washington's roster this year.

Guess Who This Suited Up Star Turned Into!

Before this spiffy kid in a shirt and tie was wearing many different looks as an actor, musician, Hollywood activist and all-around awesome guy he was just another cool kid growing up in Baldwin Hills, California.

While this young man (real name O'Shea Jackson) made his way to fame by expressing himself with his powerful lyrics and a ground-breaking attitude he ultimately traded in his birth name for something a little cooler.

With over 100 movie, television and production credits under his belt it's no surprise that this awesome young man was destined for stardom at a very young age.

Can you guess who he is?

Ohio Cops Called on Black Kids for Playing Street Football ... Cops Join Game!!!

Football Cops
JOININ' IN ON THE FUN
Newsflare

Shout out to 3 Ohio cops who ended up playing football with a group of kids after someone called police to complain 5 black children had the nerve to be ... playing outside.

The incident unfolded, of all days, on Juneteenth in Shaker Heights, Ohio ... where you can see on video the trio of officers stuck around to take a few snaps and play with the kids ... instead of arresting or sending them home.

One of the kids' mothers, Wendy Brown, reportedly said cops told her, "I don't know who would do it, but someone called police on the kids, they said they were playing in the street so we came by." Wendy said the cop also told her, "We used to play in the street as kids."

They obviously channeled their inner children to join the fun. It was a pretty awesome scene as one of the kids played QB and tossed a spiral downfield as 2 cops battled for the ball.

As Wendy told FOX8, "We encourage them to go outside and just be kids, so they were just playing football out in the street like they do any other time." She recorded the pickup game with the officers and the video is spreading like wildfire.

Easy to see why -- this is a great example of cops connecting, in a meaningful way, with the community they police. More of this, please.