Arrests

Kevin Holland, UFC star and real-life superhero, tells TMZ Sports he's done saving people near his home in Texas ... after cops in the area jammed him up for minor traffic violations!

You may recall, the 29-year-old fighter risked life and limb on (not one but) two occasions within the last year. In October, Kevin stopped an alleged carjacker, chasing down, and holding the would-be thief until police arrived and arrested the man.

Then, just a few months later, Holland risked his own life when he stopped an alleged gun-wielding man who pulled a weapon at a local sushi spot.

But, Holland -- who's fighting Daniel Rodriguez at UFC 279 on September 10 (more on that later) -- says local law enforcement recently gave him a hard time for a traffic-related incident, so he's done doing their jobs.

"I got pulled over one night on my way to the airport, right, and they were like, 'we gotta book you., I'm like, 'book me for what?' They're like 'for tickets,' I'm like 'tickets? How much are the tickets? I got the money right now, I'll pay you.'"

Unfortunately, they dragged Kevin down to the station ... before finally letting him pay (he's a star athlete -- he's got the cash). It took hours before he was cut loose.

"I'm there for like 3, 4 hours -- this is way back on my birthday. I missed the flight, you know, I was picking someone up from the airport," Holland says, adding, "So, they gotta Uber to the house and I'm like bro, I just literally stopped a shooting a week ago and y'all gonna book me for some tickets?"

Harmless detainment aside, we asked Holland if local authorities ever honored him for his genuinely heroic acts.

"No. They give you one of these (flips middle finger)! Stay out of our way kid!"

But, Kevin continued, saying it was never about recognition.

"The good thing is I don't do it for the medal or anything like that. It's just when you see something bad going on, the right thing to do is the right thing to do, but I ain't gonna lie, it was funny as hell when [the arrest] happened. All my boys were like, 'this why I ain't doing s**t good, I ain't helpin' nobody.'"

The good news is as long as you're not in the Ft. Worth area ... Kevin says he's got your back.

"I ain't doing nothing to Saginaw no more, man. I'll help everybody else anywhere else. If you in Saginaw, I ain't helping you."

As for Holland's fight with 35-year-old Rodriguez (16-2, 8 KOs), Kevin's unfazed by his opponent's trash talk (and there's been a lot of it).

"It seems like he's forcing it, trying to sell some stuff," Holland said ... "Do your thing, bro!"

Kevin also breaks down who the UFC offered him, why he and Daniel are fighting at a catchweight of 180 lbs., and much more.

His prediction for September 10??

NYPD is getting dragged on social media due to a viral video of a cop slugging a woman square in the face, leaving her down for the count.

The brutal incident reportedly went down Aug. 12 in Harlem, but the video's just now circulating online -- and it shows a group of officers in the middle of a crowd. NYPD says they were attempting to arrest a man in connection with an attempted murder.

The scene is total chaos, and you see one officer push the woman away from the crowd, and she seems to shove him back.

That's when the cop simply hauls back and throws one crushing punch to her face. She immediately falls backward on the pavement.

Citizens on the scene were absolutely shocked, and at least one man is heard yelling at the cop, "Why would you do that?!"

It's unclear if she fell unconscious, but moments later the cops had her up on her feet and put her in handcuffs.

NYPD seems to be describing the incident as self-defense -- it says, “While police were effecting the arrest, multiple individuals on scene interfered by physically assaulting numerous officers. One officer sustained a minor injury to the head.”

Two women reportedly ended up charged with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration -- one of them was additionally charged with menacing and harassment, and a third woman was accused of spitting at an officer.

Meghan Markle drawing a parallel between her marriage to Prince Harry and Nelson Mandela's prison release is pissing off a lot of people ... especially Mandela's grandson.

To be fair, The Duchess of Sussex says it was someone else who made the comparison, but going public with it is blowing up in her face.

She recently told The Cut -- she's the cover story -- about an exchange she had at the 2019 London premiere of the live-action "Lion King" film ... claiming a South African cast member told her, "When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison."

Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson, doubts that conversation ever happened, though ... telling Daily Mail his grandfather's celebration was "based on overcoming 350 years of colonialism with 60 years of a brutal apartheid regime in South Africa. So, It cannot be equated to as the same."

As you know, under Apartheid rule, Mandela served 27 years in prison for sabotage and treason before his release ... and Mandla doesn't think South Africa's joy for that event can be fairly compared to Meghan marrying into royalty.

Meghan spilled a lot during her recent interview ... including her eventual return to Instagram after having to give up her personal account due to royal control.

She says, "Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child?”

She doesn't point fingers at any specific person or moment, though.

Kodak Black says the Florida cops who arrested him for allegedly trafficking oxycodone are still holding onto his car and thousands of dollars in cash nearly a month later ... and now he's out of patience and wants it all back.

Kodak is asking the court to make the Florida Highway Patrol officers who busted him return a Dodge Durango and $74,960 in cash they seized during the arrest ... this according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Kodak's lawyer, Bradford Cohen, says his client can prove the car and cash belong to Kodak and were not involved in any illegal activity.

For starters, Cohen claims the Durango is registered to Florida-based record label Sniper Gang, and Kodak is a manager of that entity.

Since Kodak has already turned over the prescriptions for the pills found in the vehicle, Cohen claims there is no legal basis for the police to continue to hold the Durango and should return it pronto.

As for the roughly $75K in cash, Kodak's attorney says he carries so much dough around because he's a rapper and it goes with the territory ... claiming Kodak needs large sums of money on him to pay various expenses on tour. Also, he's often paid in cash for his gigs.

Remember ... cops pulled Kodak's car over last month and say the ride reeked of weed, prompting a search that turned up the cash and 31 oxycodone pills ... this according to cops.

Kodak's attorney claims he ended up providing cops with a prescription for the pills ... and insists there's no basis for cops to continue holding the car and cash as evidence.

The court has yet to rule.

Hours after Brittney Griner was sentenced by a Russian judge to 9 years in prison ... Trevor Noah went IN on the foreign country -- dragging Vladimir Putin, while calling Thursday's ruling complete "bulls***."

Noah held nothing back on "The Daily Show," accusing Russia of using Griner and her drug trial as political pawns to gain leverage on the U.S.

"We all know Russia doesn’t care about what Brittney Griner did," Noah said. "This is the same country that’s breaking every human rights law on the planet, but they’re like, ‘That woman has vape cartridge. She’s real criminal.'"

"Get the f*** out of here, man!"

Noah went on to repeatedly call Thursday's ruling "bulls***."

The comedian, though, did say there is a sliver of positive news to come out of Griner's sentence -- the U.S. and Russia can now seemingly begin prisoner swap talks earnestly.

And, Noah's clearly all in favor of giving the country whatever it wants to get the WNBA star back.

"Yeah, it seems like they win, but don’t forget, that person now has to live in Russia," Noah said. "Yeah, yeah. They’ll get there and be like, 'This whole country is prison. I miss food in Alcatraz, no!'"

Griner's Phoenix Mercury teammates, meanwhile, honored their star center with a 42-second moment of silence before their game against the Connecticut Sun on Thursday night.

Players from both teams linked arms during the pregame ceremony -- and at the tail-end of it all, an arena-wide "Bring Her Home!" chant broke out.

The U.S. government says it's doing everything it can to get Brittney Griner home ... but now there's a Justin from Canada looking to help out, too -- and it ain't Trudeau.

Justin Bieber is reacting to Griner's 9-year sentence for bringing cannabis oil into Russia ... saying it "hurts" to hear the news, but he doesn't want to sit around and do nothing.

"If anyone knows of anyway (sic) I can help please let me know."

Bieber is just one of many notable figures furious over the sentencing -- Kyrie Irving called on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to provide more info about Griner's status.

"What is truly happening with our Queen @brittneygriner @POTUS @VP?" the Brooklyn Nets superstar tweeted. "Please give us an Update."

WNBA star Lexie Brown added ... "Anyone that goes back to Russia to play is insane."

"Praying for BG man…this is breaking my heart seeing her right now 😔😔😔."

Ex-NFL star Robert Griffin III's reaction was simple -- "BRING BRITTNEY GRINER HOME!!!"

The NBA and WNBA released a joint statement ... saying Griner's verdict and sentencing was "unjustified and unfortunate," but reaffirmed the organizations will stop at nothing to make sure she comes home.

As we previously reported, the U.S. has made Russia a "very good offer" to bring her back to the States.

Brittney Griner was emotional in Russian court on Thursday ... apologizing for "my mistake that I made," while pleading with the judge to hand down a light sentence.

Griner issued the mea culpa at another hearing in her drug case ... telling the Moscow courtroom she was deeply sorry for inadvertently packing hashish oil in her luggage back in mid-February.

"I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city of [Yekaterinburg] for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them," the WNBA superstar said.

"I want to also apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back at home, the amazing women of the WNBA, and my amazing spouse back at home."

According to Associated Press reporters on the scene, Griner -- wearing a gray T-shirt and dark pants -- appeared to be very emotional while saying she was sorry.

Griner later urged the judge to take it easy on her when her sentence is eventually handed down ... saying she hopes the ruling "does not end my life.”

Prosecutors, though, reportedly argued in the courtroom Thursday that Griner did intentionally bring the cannabis oil ... and urged the judge to sentence the 31-year-old to 9.5 years behind bars. They also reportedly argued Griner should be hit with a big fine.

The judge is expected to make a ruling in the case as early as Thursday afternoon.

As we reported, Griner pleaded guilty to the drug charges against her last month. She's facing a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars.

U.S. officials, meanwhile, have classified her as wrongfully detained ... and have confirmed they've made Russia a substantial trade offer to ultimately bring her home.

More legal trouble for former Dallas Cowboys player Rolando McClain -- the ex-linebacker has been arrested again in Alabama, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 33-year-old, who last suited up in the NFL for the Cowboys in the 2015 season, was pulled over in a white 2022 Mercedes around 9:30 PM on Saturday, according to the Moulton Police Dept.

Cops say McClain was going 70 MPH in a 55 MPH zone ... and during the ensuing stop, police say they smelled an odor of marijuana emanating from his car.

According to cops, when they got McClain out of the ride, he told them there was a pistol inside of the vehicle that did not belong to him. Cops say they later determined McClain did not have a license to carry a concealed weapon.

Officers also say that during the search of McClain's car, they found a pouch of chewing tobacco that they say also had a separate bag of marijuana in it.

McClain and the passenger in his car, Detrick Mostello, were then arrested, cops say.

McClain was booked on charges of speeding, possession of a concealed weapon without a permit, and misdemeanor unlawful possession of marijuana. Mostello, meanwhile, was booked on the same charge of misdemeanor unlawful possession of marijuana.

Both men bonded out shortly after they were booked.

Of course, this is not McClain's first run-in with the law in Alabama -- you'll recall, he was also arrested in 2017 and booked then for possession of marijuana and carrying a concealed weapon.

Mozzy's having a big week -- on the heels of releasing a new album, he's now officially on the inside ... turning himself in to begin a one-year prison sentence for a federal gun charge.

Court documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop include Mozzy’s self-written letter to the judge where he calls the case a “wake-up call,” and says he's cleaned up his drug use. More relevant to the case, though, he highlights the fact a lot of Black rappers make headlines for being murdered.

Mozzy, who just inked a deal with Yo Gotti, says ... "My lawyers also told me there is a recent study that proves the number one cause of death among black rappers is murder (specifically by gunfire).” He says he's afraid his kids will end up fatherless, and that's his primary reason for carrying a gun without a permit.

He adds, “It is a fear that all black rappers carry with them, all the time. I know that does not legally justify me possessing a firearm. But I took some comfort in the fact that I knew with certainty I was not going to use that gun for illegal purposes. I wanted it solely for self-defense in case of an attack against me or my family.”

That concern echoes many of the fears French Montana warned everyone about when we talked to him shortly after Lil Tjay was shot in NJ.

Mozzy was pulled over in January 2021 in L.A., and cops found a Glock 26 plus 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

A mural of Brittney Griner -- and 17 other Americans detained in countries like Russia -- was erected Wednesday in Washington D.C. ... all to bring awareness to Americans locked up abroad.

Of course, Griner's case has received a tremendous amount of attention, but that's not necessarily the case with all the captive U.S. citizens ... and the hope is the artwork will get the word out.

Isaac Campbell, an artist from Iowa who's in charge of the project, spent about 8 hours putting the 15 ft. tall mural together in Georgetown before opening it to the public, according to the Washingtonian.

The photos were provided by the Bring Our Families Home Campaign.

Campbell cut and pasted photos onto the wall ... using flour, water, and sugar to form a non-toxic, biodegradable glue, with help from detainees' family members and citizens passing by. It's expected to eventually fade ... but it could take weeks, months, or longer, depending on the weather.

Aside from the artwork, Campbell hopes the message behind the mural resonates with people more than the artistry, so detainees like Griner can return to the United States.

“We really need to put pressure on all people with any tools, whether that’s wheat-pasting, or whether that’s using your own personal platforms on social media to help apply pressure," Campbell said.

"Or if you’re in any stage of government, and you can provide support and begin to help bring these people home."

Other than Griner -- a star hooper for the Phoenix Mercury -- other Americans like Paul Whelan, U.S. citizen and former Marine who's been detained in Russia since 2018 on drug and espionage charges, are featured.

Griner recently pled guilty to a drug charge ... but her trial near Moscow is still ongoing (the Russian justice system is different than in America). She faces up to 10 years in prison.

Griner's next hearing is scheduled for July 26.

NBA star Miles Bridges has been charged with felony domestic violence and child abuse in Los Angeles after allegedly beating the mother of his kids ... in front of the children.

TMZ Sports broke the story late last month ... the 24-year-old former Charlotte Hornet turned himself in to authorities in L.A. the day after the alleged incident. He was ultimately released after posting $130K bond.

Now, Bridges has been slapped with "one felony count of injuring a child’s parent and two felony counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death."

Controversial L.A. District Attorney George Gascon addressed the charging of Miles, saying “Domestic violence creates physical, mental and emotional trauma that has a lasting impact on survivors,”

Gascon continued ... “Children who witness family violence are especially vulnerable and the impact on them is immeasurable. Mr. Bridges will be held accountable for his actions and our Bureau of Victim Services will support the survivors through this difficult process.”

The details surrounding the alleged incident aren't entirely clear, but sources previously told us Miles and his GF were involved in an argument that turned physical.

Mychelle Johnson, the alleged victim (Mychelle identified herself), claims she was injured from the alleged attack ... saying she was diagnosed with multiple injuries including a "brain concussion, closed fracture of nasal bone, contusion of rib, multiple bruises, strain of neck muscle."

Mychelle also posted photos of the alleged incident.

At the time, Johnson said ... "I don't need sympathy," Johnson added. "I just don't want this happening to anyone else, I just want this person to get help, my kids deserve better."

The 6'7" forward is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

If convicted, Bridges faces years in prison.

Lil Baby is in especially high spirits heading into his Washington, D.C. tour stop with Chris Brown, and briefly clued us in on Gunna and Young Thug's moods ... even though we interrupted his Future flow.

The 4PF Records CEO kindly stopped his rapping rendition of Future’s "Back to the Basics" Tuesday afternoon outside Reagan National Airport. We caught him right at the "DC sniped it" line, so yeah ... he was getting hyped for the Capital One Arena show.

We asked if he had any update on how Thug and Gunna are holding up on the inside, and LB pumped the brakes on the lyrics. He assured us both YSL superstars are in good spirits and added a thumbs up, which is rarely faked in this day and age!

Earlier in the week, Gunna was able to video call with some relatives, and a short clip posted online was filled with laughs ... a good sign, for sure.

And just last week, Young Thug’s sister says she paid him an in-person visit that yielded similar vibes.

Both Atlanta-based rap stars have to wait until at least 2023 before they see trial but a friend like Baby is sure to keep them plugged in the rap world.

LOX rapper Styles P thinks he should've handled things differently when cops took down a woman outside his Yonkers, NY business -- but he adds, some cops in the neighborhood are more about control than protection.

The artist and community leader joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and said the violent arrest this week makes it clear the vibe isn't great between citizens and officers -- and he's especially upset the 2 male cops got so rough with a woman.

Styles offered up a self-reflective question about the woman's race too, and how that might have played a factor in how she was arrested.

As for his approach in intervening, getting right in one cop's face -- he thinks there were better ways he could've handled himself, and really wants young people to get that message.

Still, he isn't discounting the impact PTSD -- from being a Black man in America -- influenced his response.

As we reported, Styles jumped in the middle of the heated arrest Tuesday outside Juice For Life ... the juice bar he owns with Jadakiss.

The officer who knelt on Jaxson Hayes' neck during his July 2021 arrest broke department protocols ... the Los Angeles Police Commission announced this week.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- body cam footage of the arrest shows the 6'11, 220-pound NBAer getting into a violent altercation with officers who responded to a call of an alleged domestic dispute at his then-girlfriend's house.

Hayes was wrestled to the ground during the incident ... and one officer appeared to put his knee on Hayes' neck. The 22-year-old is heard on video saying "I can't breathe."

A use-of-force board review into the incident determined the officer put his knee on Hayes' neck twice -- once for four seconds, and another for 11 seconds.

The review states the officer unintentionally applied pressure to Hayes' trachea or windpipe ... although it was not enough to make him go unconscious, according to the LA Times.

The investigation concluded anyone with the same experience and training would know the officer's actions were not "proportional, objectively reasonable, or necessary."

It is unclear if the ruling will result in punishment for the officer.

Hayes was also tased twice during the incident ... but it was determined to be justified due to the hooper's level of resistance.

Miami Police have released body cam footage of Polo G's 2021 arrest, and it all unfolds like a night the "RAPSTAR" would probably love to forget.

The footage is related to the story TMZ broke back in June 2021 ... Polo was arrested right after his "Hall Of Fame" album release party with both cops and the Chicago-bred rapper claiming they were roughed up in the process.

Charges of Resisting an Officer Without Violence were later dropped after Polo completed anger management classes and the newly released footage shows why those were probably necessary.

One portion of the video shows an officer inside a police cruiser using his computer ... as Polo is yelling at him off-camera about his career choices in becoming a cop.

Polo's insults seem to roll off the officer, but then their convo touches on an all-too-real scenario of a cop being killed in the line of duty, leaving his kids fatherless.

Later in the video, Polo is seen getting medical aid as he pleads his case, claiming cops caused him to "blackout" when they first apprehended him. Meanwhile, cops alleged Polo was kicking their car like a madman during the arrest.

His mother/manager Stacia Mac gave a play-by-play commentary of the chaotic incident at the time, claiming her son was racially profiled following the party.

NFL wide receiver David Moore -- who just signed a contract with the Chicago Bears this offseason -- was arrested this month after he allegedly fell asleep in a Taco Bell drive-thru, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to the Gainesville Police Dept., officers found Moore asleep in the driver's seat of a 2018 Ford F250 at the local fast-food joint at around 11:18 PM on July 3.

Cops say they were able to make contact with Moore -- and claim he smelled of weed during questioning.

An ensuing search, police say, revealed he had "a package of THC edible candies along with three pistols" in his car. Moore was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of weapons.

Records show Moore was booked into Cooke County, Texas jail on July 4 ... on the weapon and drug charges. The records show he bonded out a short time later.

Moore -- who's from Gainesville, Texas -- was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 7th round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and quickly became a reliable target for Russell Wilson.

In four seasons with the 'Hawks, he recorded 78 catches for 1,163 yards and 13 TDs.

He later went on to play for the Panthers, Raiders, Broncos and Packers -- before signing with Chicago in April.