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A high school basketball game turned into a violent brawl over the weekend ... when a referee straight-up punched a coach following a verbal altercation -- resulting in his arrest.

TMZ Sports is told ... the incident went down during a fall league contest between Arlington and Oak Hills at Santiago High School in Corona, California on Saturday, Oct. 21.

At some point in the second half, witnesses claim Oak Hills head coach Rob Alexander got upset with referee Brandon Knapper over his officiating ... and an argument ensued.

In a clip we obtained of the game, 26-year-old Knapper -- a former college basketball player at West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Cal State San Bernardino -- can be seen approaching Alexander near Oak Hills' bench and briefly talking to him ... before unleashing his fist on the coach's face.

Knapper appeared to land more punches on Alexander as he fell to the court ... before players and others in attendance got involved.

We're told cops responded to the scene ... and Alexander was taken to the hospital. The game did not continue.

Law enforcement tells us Alexander requested prosecution against Knapper, who turned himself in and was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury -- both felonies.

Knapper was booked in the Riverside County Sheriff's Department jail on Sunday ... and his bail was set at $25,000. He was released on Wednesday.

Oak Hills' Hesperia Unified School District released a statement to TMZ Sports ... condemning Knapper's "senseless and shameful" actions.

"The District is thankful for the swift and decisive action taken by the event promoters and local law enforcement. We are also happy to report that Coach Alexander is in good spirits and looking forward to returning to coaching and teaching as soon as possible."

"We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement, CIF, and Oak Hills High School, with the support of the District, will investigate the incident thoroughly and handle it appropriately."

Before this cute trick-or-treater was up on the big screen, she was just getting all dolled up as the '80s show icon Punky Brewster, modeling as a youngin' and growing up with her three siblings in New Canaan, Connecticut.

If you don't recall her playing Izzie Stevens on "Grey's Anatomy" ... she also switched in and out of 27 dresses in a popular movie back in 2008. She may have brown hair in this adorable pic, but she's most known for her blonde 'do now!

Need one more clue? She's an avid dog lover!

6:43 PM PT -- Reports say several of the agents and officers outside the home have left as it now appears Card is not inside the home. ABC News reports the strategy taken by law enforcement is standard procedure in executing a search warrant.

Cops believe they're zeroing in on the man suspected of going on the shooting rampage in Maine ... because his home is surrounded by law enforcement vehicles, drones and helicopters.

The wild and tense scene is playing out at the Bowdoin, ME residence of alleged gunman Robert Card, and cops believe they've seen some movement in a window of the home. Police are shouting commands out over a loudspeaker, telling Card -- or whoever's inside -- to come out and surrender.

At this point, cops aren't confirming there's definitely someone in there, but they're taking every precaution.

The huge police presence includes armored vehicles and drones in the air. It seems pretty clear, they have no intent of sending officers into Card's last known residence, and will instead try to encourage any individuals inside to come out with their hands up.

As we reported ... Card was captured on surveillance cameras during Wednesday night's massacre -- when he opened fire inside a bowling alley and then a bar, killing 18 people.

Card got away, and a huge manhunt ensued all day ... forcing authorities to instruct residents in several towns to shelter in place.

Meanwhile, folks have been buying up guns left and right ... and Pete Davidson and John Mulaney have postponed their upcoming weekend comedy gigs in Maine.

Card has a military background -- he enlisted over 20 years ago in the Army Reserve -- so, law enforcement's taking a slow and careful approach outside his house.

Story developing ...

Bella Hadid is speaking out for the first time on the ongoing attacks in the Middle East ... saying the last 2 weeks have been nothing short of a horror show, condemning terrorism across the board.

The model, who is part Palestinian, spoke her mind Thursday, first by writing, "Forgive me for my silence" ... before admitting it's been tough to find the words for the "deeply intricate and horrific past 2 weeks."

She says the death and destruction happening in Israel and Palestine shifted the world's focus "back towards a situation that has been taking innocent lives and affecting families for decades" -- adding, "The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence."

Bella says her "heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma" she's already seen online ... adding she's mourning alongside the families that are forever broken after seeing the aftermath of the Gaza airstrikes.

While she's mostly speaking in favor of Palestine, she adds, "I mourn for the Israeli families that have been dealing with the pain and aftermath of October 7," when Hamas terrorists first attacked Israel .... writing, "I condemn the terrorist attacks on any civilians, anywhere."

She also confirmed what sources told us last week -- she's gotten hundreds of death threats, and even had her own phone number leaked. Remember ... her sister, Gigi, also spoke out, and was met with disdain over her pro-Palestinian stance.

Gigi came under fire directly by the State of Israel's social media account for her comments, too.

Michael Blackson can't wait to get into the ring after inking a deal with Celebrity Boxing ... and, naturally, he's got his eyes on a bout with fellow comedian Kevin Hart.

The actor and comedian just signed his contract with CB founder Damon Feldman, and they're both pumped, and Michael's trash talking is already on point ... as he's calling out other celebs.

Clearly, he wants a piece of Kevin, first and foremost -- they've had beef in the past, which they ultimately squashed a couple years ago, but it sounds like MB may be reversing course.

Other celebs on Michael's radar include DC Young Fly, DeRay Davis and Katt Williams ... and he's got some choice words for all three.

You know Michael's going to promote the hell out of his eventual fight ... and he's already getting his Don King on.

Mauricio Umansky and his "Dancing with the Stars" dance partner Emma Slater are lookin' to clear the air about the pic of them holding hands ... claiming folks are blowing it out way of proportion.

The 2 talked about the viral photo on social media Thursday, taking a break from dance rehearsals to comment ... saying they grabbed some sushi after rehearsal -- following an "emotional week" -- and they were chatting outside after when he grabbed Emma's hand.

He says from there, they headed to the car -- as we reported, their hands were still locked -- but that's about it.

Emma even joked about how some think the brief interaction means they're full-on dating.

Remember, sources with direct knowledge told us much of what MU and ES are tellin' their followers ... but it was a story Kyle Richards certainly wasn't buying.

We were told the pictures of Mauricio and Emma were really disrespectful to the 'Real Housewives' star ... and she gave her reasons for not believing their backstory on Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live."

We covered the drama on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

A fitness instructor is being accused of tearing down a poster of kidnapped Israeli kids outside a popular Los Angeles gym  ... and he says he's "proud" to be doing it.

The incident went down Wednesday outside the iconic Gold's Gym in Venice -- the man crumpled up the poster and chucked it in the trash. He's asked about why he ripped it down, telling the man filming he's proud of himself, before adding "Get the f*** away."

The man in question has been identified as model and fitness trainer Zaid Shaat -- his social media profiles say he's a "Lifetime Natural Athlete," and that he loves to "motivate people to live a healthy lifestyle. I am passionate about helping people achieve their goals and dreams."

Worth mentioning that Joe Gold, the founder of Gold's Gym, was Jewish ... and folks online have been letting Shaat have it over what he did outside the L.A. hot spot.

As you know, Hamas first attacked Israel on Oct. 7 killing thousands and taking more than 200 civilians hostage -- all of which sparked war as Israel retaliates.

Drake can now claim he's a King too -- à la Michael Jackson or Elvis -- because he's hit a milestone ... the Recording Industry Association of America says he's sold more single units than anyone. Ever. In history.

Mr. Morgan, Drake's OVO Sound President, made the surprise reveal amid Drizzy's 37th birthday celebrations ... the Canadian rapper is the first artist in RIAA history to surpass 200 million units, and he did it convincingly -- his tally now stands at 220 mil!!!

Some of the biggest wins on his leger include the 2011 album "Take Care," and 2013 smash hit "Started From the Bottom" ... as both inch toward diamond plaques at 8x platinum.

BTW ... RIAA single units include purchases of records, permanent downloads and streams -- all categories Drake regularly crushes with every new release. OIder acts like Elvis, The Beatles and even MJ sold millions upon millions of records ... but Drake tends to beat them by a country mile on digital downloads and streams.

Translation: It's good to be the King.

Another cool stat ... his alt-left dance album, "Honestly, Nevermind" officially cements that all his studio releases have sold at least one million units.

Two tracks from his new album, the J. Cole-featured, "First Person Shooter" and Yeat-featured, "IDGAF" currently sit in the Billboard Hot 100's Top 10 also.

With a catalog this prosperous, it's no wonder Drake is comfortable entering a hiatus from music soon ... to deal with the stomach issues he says are causing him grief.

Pete Davidson and John Mulaney are pushing back the dates for their upcoming shows in Maine as residents deal with the fallout from a mass shooting.

The comedians just announced they are postponing their scheduled weekend shows in Bangor and Portland, roughly 30 miles from where Wednesday's deadly shooting took place.

In a statement on social media, John and Pete say they are "devastated" by the incident and "We are thinking of you all."

As you know ... a gunman went on a shooting rampage Wednesday night at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston, Maine ... 18 people are dead and 13 more are injured.

The suspected shooter, Robert Card, is still on the loose ... and there's an ever-expanding manhunt.

Meanwhile, residents are being asked to shelter in place as law enforcement tries to find Card.

Logan Paul just proved that he was 100% clean for his fight against Dillon Danis ... but his nemesis still isn't convinced -- calling the WWE Superstar a "juicehead."

Remember, the former Bellator fighter constantly accused Paul of using performance-enhancing drugs ahead of their Oct. 14 bout ... but he's adamantly denied the allegations, insisting it was the result of hard work.

Paul backed his talk with his test results from VADA on Thursday ... which clearly state his sample came back "NEGATIVE."

Paul then went on X to troll Danis ... promoting his Prime drink chain in the process.

"I wanna address the steroid allegations before you see any news," Paul said. "I wanna confess ... I have been taking a lot of PRIME energy and putting it in my mouth and swallowing it."

"Haters, you're gonna have to keep trying."

Danis -- who lost his boxing debut to Paul via disqualification -- said the results are bogus ... and still stands by his accusations.

"The testing was a joke, literally," he said. "Piss test after fight, famously easy to beat. Old man in the room wasn’t even paying attention."

"You're a juicehead, and you proved that with the way the testing was done."

If ya thought these two settled their beef in the ring, think again ... but a rematch to solve this issue won't happen -- Logan said he will not fight Danis in MMA, even though he claims he can beat him again.

Chrisean Rock thought she had a real friend in Summer Walker after her baby debacle in Walmart ... but is now second-guessing the "Girls Need Love" singer after being spoofed in a video.

On Thursday, Chrisean went live on IG and called out Summer for DMing her with sweet nothings of support last month ... but says her feelings are now hurt as of result of the video.

A video that made fun of the very same incident Summer reached out for!!! Ouch.

Despite the hurt, the new mother said she wasn't surprised as she's grown used to dealing with cutthroat folks in a cold music industry.

Rock may have a point ... Summer seemed like she was auditioning for Hollywood the way she went all out with her impersonation of Chrisean ... down to the missing tooth and the baby doll with its head dangling!!!

Many fans agreed with Chrisean, they found the skit to be in poor taste, forcing Summer to cite her comedic inspirations -- Dave Chappelle, Bernie Mac, Richard Pryor -- guys who pushed the envelope with their art as her inspiration.

But after seeing Chrisean's response, Summer got defensive and told her to lighten up!!! ... "Sensitive about a tik tok that was viral way before I did it but you aint have no sympathy when you be dragging bitches across the ground."

2:20 PM PT -- Cops have released the name of the man as Jonathan Macht ... and say he was served with an emergency protective order after he was cited for the first trespass arrest. He then violated that order when he returned ... getting arrested for the violation as well as trespassing again.

12:50 PM PT -- Kennedy's campaign just put out a statement about the incident, saying the man gained access to his property after climbing a fence and asked to speak with Kennedy. The statement also reveals Kennedy was home during the first and second incidents.

What's more, Kennedy's team says they've alerted Secret Service about the "obsessed" individual several times in recent months ... but Kennedy still hasn't gotten SS protection.

10:07 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the same guy returned to the home early Thursday morning around 1:30 AM and was arrested again ... this time for violating a court order.

A scary situation for Robert Kennedy Jr. and Cheryl Hines ... as a man attempted to get inside their home, prompting a security and police response to get him into custody.

Law enforcement sources say they got a burglary call to the Brentwood property Wednesday morning around 9:30 AM. It's unclear what the man was trying to do or what he said, but we're told Kennedy's security was home and able to subdue the guy until cops arrived.

Our sources say Cheryl was home at the time of the incident, and saw the guy in her yard ... but it's unclear if Robert was also home. We're told the whole thing was handled quickly.

It was about two weeks ago when Kennedy Jr. declared his Independent candidacy for the 2024 Presidential Election -- ending his Democratic primary campaign.

Robert and Cheryl have been married since 2014 when they got hitched at the Kennedy Compound on Cape Cod.

We reached out to a rep for Kennedy ... so far, no word back.

Gunplay's sitting behind bars after allegedly violating a restraining order his estranged wife, Vonshae Taylor-Morales, got against him ... because he, clearly, doesn't know how GPS ankle monitors work.

Miami-Dade County Jail officials tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Gunplay was booked Wednesday at 7:10 PM for violating a restraining order put in place to protect his ex.

We're told he'll remain locked up until his next court date on November 7.

Sources close to the situation say Gunplay was arrested right outside Vonshae's home after the Florida Department of Corrections Community Control, which oversees and monitors house arrestees, got a ping the rapper was in the area.

We're told Miami-Dade County Sheriff's deputies effectively beat Gunplay to the home as he was driving there, and he was never able to actually interact with Vonshae and her child.

The latest arrest marks the EIGHTH time Gunplay allegedly violated the restraining order, which prohibits him from coming within 500 feet of Vonshae.

He was previously accused of trying to stop Vonshae from testifying in September -- and it seems like their 'Love & Hip Hop' drama has spilled heavily into the streets this year.

Robert Card, the guy cops say is the Maine mass shooter, has a military background ... earning medals in the Army Reserve despite never seeing combat.

Card enlisted in the Army Reserve way back in 2002, working as a petroleum supply specialist.

During his service, Card was awarded several medals ... including the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, 2 Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals and the Army Service Ribbon.

Card's duties as a petroleum supply specialist made him responsible for receiving, storing and shipping petroleum-based products ... making sure the fuel was transported and handled safely and properly dispensed in various Armed Forces vehicles and aircraft.

The Army Reserve's online job listing for Card's position promotes the job like this ... "As a Petroleum Supply Specialist, you’ll supply the Army with the fuel it needs to maintain a state of readiness at all times."

As we reported ... cops are on the hunt for Card, with police saying he went on a shooting rampage at a bowling alley and a bar in Maine, killing at least 18 people and injuring 13.

Talk about a ballsy move ... a college football fan rocked a giant penis costume to the Sam Houston State football game this week, and it was hysterical!

The fan -- clearly in the Halloween spirit -- wore the get-up at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium for the Bearkats vs. UTEP Miners game in Huntsville Texas on Wednesday.

A spectator in the stands captured the person on video, huge pecker and all ... and of course, the package wouldn't be complete without two big balls dragging by the fan's feet.

School officials apparently didn't find the stunt funny ... they dispatched a security guard to lead the penis out of his seat. He probably doesn't get paid enough for this.

Thankfully, the penis didn't totally get the shaft ... we're told by an SHS spokesperson that the fan was given the choice to remove the costume and remain at the game or leave.

"It is our understanding that stadium staff worked with CSC, the contracted security service, to give the individual the option to take the costume off or leave the stadium," the spokesperson said.

Sam Asghari continues to show support for his ex, Britney Spears ... saying her kind words about him in her new book put a big smile on his mug.

Sam chatted about Britney's memoir, "The Woman in Me," Wednesday in Los Angeles ... as you know, she left him a glowing review, despite having the ability to change her opinion about him in the book after they broke things off.

She called him a "gift from God," amongst other big compliments -- and Sam clearly appreciated the kind words ... firing some right back at her.

He says he's "freaking proud" of Britney for putting herself out there in her chart-topping book ... adding, "I hope she takes over the world."

As we reported, Sam seemed to be the only one of Brit's exes that wasn't under fire in the memoir, leaving out the details of their intense split -- a sign they may have struck a settlement deal in their divorce.