Crime & Arrests

Stephen Colbert totally gets why his staffers, including Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, now have rap sheets with Capitol Police ... but he's really amused they're being compared to the Jan. 6th insurrectionists.

Colbert dove into the big story around his office during Monday night's episode of 'The Late Show' ... explaining everything that led up to the big bust in Washington. As we reported, cops busted 9 of his staffers -- including Robert Smigel, who typically has his hand up Triumph's ass -- while they were recording bits Thursday evening in the hallways of Congressional offices.

Doesn't sound like SC holds any grudges ... as he put it, the CPD officers were just doing their jobs, and so were my staff -- and he even acknowledged the fact Capitol Police have to be a bit more on edge since Jan. 6, 2021.

But, he says the whole story went haywire for him when he started seeing headlines about Triumph pulling off a Capitol insurrection 2.0!

While laughing, but also genuinely shocked, he points out ... "An insurrection involves interrupting the lawful action of Congress and howling for the blood of elected leaders, all to prevent the peaceful transfer of power."

He added all Triumph and co. were doing was "First-degree puppetry!!! This was hijinks with intent to goof." Hilariously, he admits cops should ring them up on charges for "Misappropriation of an old Conan [O'Brien] bit."

The 'Late Show' staff had been shooting outside the offices of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Lauren Boebert -- and cops say they didn't have proper ID to be there on their own.

Rapper Obie Trice was busted in Michigan for allegedly threatening an ex-girlfriend ... and cops say he told her family he was going to harm them too.

The "Got Some Teeth" rapper was booked Thursday afternoon in West Bloomfield for using a telephone to harass or threaten someone ... according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

Curt Lawson, the deputy chief at the West Bloomfield Police Department, tells TMZ ... Obie was dating a woman, and after they split he allegedly sent threatening messages to her and also started texting threats to some of her relatives.

Police say they were told Obie showed up uninvited to his ex's family home on multiple occasions ... and cops got involved and told him to stop.

But, we're told Obie didn't listen and allegedly continued with the threats, so police got a misdemeanor warrant ... leading to his Thursday arrest.

Paul Haggis -- famous for writing/directing 2006's Best Picture, "Crash" -- has been arrested in Italy for sexual assault ... this according to multiple reports.

Local media say the Oscar-winning filmmaker -- who also wrote "Million Dollar Baby," among other hit films over the years -- was busted Sunday in the city of Ostuni, where he's been accused of forcing an unidentified young woman to have sex with him over the course of 2 days. He's in town for a new film festival happening this week, called Allora Fest.

The woman, who's not of Italian descent, was taken to an airport by Haggis after the alleged assault and left in a state of confusion ... per law enforcement quoted by Italian reports.

The alleged victim is said to have been attended to by airport staff, who took her to a hospital ... where she eventually pressed charges against Haggis, naming him as the alleged culprit. He remains in custody, and his events have been nixed from the AF lineup.

Allora Fest honchos say, "The themes chosen for the festival are, among others, those of equality, gender equality, and solidarity. As professionals and women, they are dismayed and hope that the festival will help foster more information and awareness on such a topical and increasingly pressing issue." The authorities are investigating the incident further.

We've reached out to Haggis' reps, no word back yet. He's been accused of sexual misconduct by several other women over the past few years ... all of which he's denied.

The son of ex-"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Lauri Peterson is allegedly dealing drugs ... at least according to prosecutors who claim he was angling to sell fentanyl.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Josh Waring is facing criminal charges from an arrest back in January, including felony possession and the sale of fentanyl, plus a misdemeanor charge of methamphetamine possession.

Orange County Sheriff's Dept. sources tell TMZ ... a deputy saw Josh in the passenger seat of a car, recognizing him from a prior drug arrest. The deputy was aware Josh was on parole for an assault, which meant the cop could conduct a random search, which he did, and allegedly found drugs right on Josh's lap.

Our sources say the deputy saw Josh brush the drugs onto the car's floorboard ... drugs later identified as fentanyl and meth. We're told Josh was arrested on the spot and taken to jail.  As for why he was charged with the sale of fentanyl ... it's because of the amount found.

As you know, Josh has a history of legal troubles ... he was arrested back in 2016 when he was accused of shooting a man outside a sober living home. Josh spent 4 years in jail, where he was once ambushed and assaulted by another inmate who was wielding razors wrapped in towels -- the attack was caught on video. He was later released on parole.

A naked man showed off his moves in Hollywood Friday night, much to the dismay of LAPD cops who watched as he showed his moves on top of a patrol car ... naked.

It actually became a big thing ... LAPD cops requested backup when they spotted the man on top of the squad car next to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The man was jumping up and down, presumably doing some damage to the roof of the car. It looks like the cops weren't exactly sure how to put an end to it.

Officers tried to talk him down, to no avail. He eventually smashed the rear window of the car. He was eventually taken into custody without force.

Several staffers from Stephen Colbert's late night CBS talk show got busted at the U.S. Capitol ... after they allegedly made an unlawful entry into the building.

Robert Smigel, the voice of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, was among the 9 people arrested by U.S. Capitol Police and charged with illegal entry ... according to Fox News.

The "Late Show With Stephen Colbert" staffers were arrested after taking pictures and videos near the offices of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Lauren Boebert.

Capitol police say the building was closed to visitors Thursday night, and the staffers were there without the proper ID and were on their own.

What's more, USCP says the same group was booted from Capitol earlier in the day during the Jan. 6 committee hearings.

The incident remains under investigations and USCP says the 'Colbert' staffers could face additional criminal charges.

Nipsey Hussle's murder trial continued with testimony from another man who was allegedly shot by Eric Holder the day Nipsey was killed -- though he remained pretty tight-lipped on the stand.

Kerry Lathan was shot in the back during the same incident where Nipsey died. While prosecutors asked Lathan a variety of questions, he didn't seem to want to get into specifics -- especially when it came to identifying who was present and naming names.

At one point, prosecutors played a video purportedly showing Lathan arriving at Marathon Clothing that day, but Lathan wouldn't confirm it was him in the clip, saying, "I don't know nothing, don't see nothing."

He testified when the shooting started, he heard "a lot" of shots, but wouldn't identify who he thought pulled the trigger.

Prosecutors asked Lathan, "You don't want to testify about what happened?" to which Lathan responded, "That's right."

As we reported, Holder allegedly told Nipsey, "You're through" before killing the rapper. Lathan was asked if he heard anything said during the shooting, but replied with, "He wasn't talking to me."

During opening statements Wednesday, prosecutors warned Lathan may not be very cooperative because of the involvement of Rolling 60's gang members in the case ... so his hesitation to be totally open about the events isn't totally surprising.

Two white men in Florida are facing criminal charges for allegedly attacking a Black teen who claims he was racially profiled in the same town where Trayvon Martin was killed.

The men, Howard Hughes and Donald Corsi, are accused of throwing a large rock through a rear window in the car the teen was driving in and striking the teen with a large cone.

Footage from the incident's aftermath, posted on social media by the boy's father, appears to show the men angrily shouting at the teen ... using profanities and telling him he doesn't belong in their Sanford, FL neighborhood.

The video also appears to show the damage to the teen's car, which he told cops was from a large rock hurled into the back seat. You can see the busted out window and broken glass all over the seat. There are also accusations about someone having a gun overheard in the video and on the 911 audio from the incident.

Police were called to the scene and the two men were arrested and booked on criminal charges.

The police report, obtained by TMZ, says the teen told cops the men were making verbal threats as they approached the car with a large road cone, using the cone to smash a rear door, causing damage and leaving a large dent under the window.

Cops say the teen also told them one of the men threw a large stone with sharp edges through a car window while the teen was behind the wheel.

Hughes is charged with damaging property and battery. Corsi is charged with damaging property and for allegedly throwing the stone at the car.

While the folks from the video who live in the area told the teen they didn't like how he was driving on their street ... the kid says he was just there to visit a friend.

Country singer Kata Hay, a former contestant on "The Voice," has been arrested for allegedly having sexual contact with her friend's son ... TMZ has learned.

Hay was taken into custody Tuesday in Sumner County, TN ... and according to legal docs obtained by TMZ, the alleged incident started with the 35-year-old singer making sexual comments about a 16-year-old boy in front of his parents. Cops say Hay had been staying at the family's home for a short period.

Those comments allegedly led to physical contact ... with the teen claiming Kata made out with him and forced him to touch her inappropriately multiple times against his wishes.

The 16-year-old's mother told authorities she confronted Kata, and recorded their convo before ordering her to leave the home. According to the docs, the mother's recording includes Hay acknowledging the incident had occurred.

It's noted Hay seemed to be under the influence during the confrontation, at least according to the mother.

The singer -- who made the 'Voice' top 20 back in 2016 -- was arrested, and also processed for a probation violation related to a separate DUI case.

Hip hop mogul J Prince is sounding the alarm on an alleged Houston gang member who cops say executed his ex's daughter as revenge for a breakup ... Prince says the guy needs to be held accountable

Prince -- the Rap-A-Lot Records honcho who has a reputation for getting things done in Houston -- put the alleged killer on blast Wednesday, telling his 756k Instagram followers ... "We can't have clowns like this running around purposely killing our babies and be ok with it."

Houston police say 22-year-old Jeremiah Jones is the triggerman in a child's fatal shooting, and he's been arrested following a manhunt and booked on counts of capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Cops say Jones "executed" 9-year-old Khylie Sorrells as possible "revenge" over the girl's mother breaking up with him several months ago and allegedly seeing other men.

Police say Jones went to his ex-girlfriend's home Monday night and got into an argument with her before shooting the woman's child in the head.

J Prince appears to be making a call to action, saying ... "Stand with me on preventing this sick individual from harming another baby. I'm not advocating violence, but we have to protect our kids."

Prince also has this to say about Jones ... "I don't care what gang he's with they are no match for us."

Less than one day before Jeff Hardy was accused of drunkenly driving his car through Florida highways ... the AEW star took a swig from a cup and made a joke that whiskey was "my best friend and my worst enemy."

The 44-year-old wrestler was filmed on Sunday evening making the comment -- some 12 hours or so before cops say he was driving a white Dodge Charger while severely intoxicated in Volusia County.

The video shows Hardy in Orlando for a wrestling convention (one in which his brother, Matt Hardy, also attended) ... singing for several people inside what appeared to be a conference room.

Jeff, discussing lyrics to a song, took a big sip of a drink, turned to the crowd and said, "Whiskey is my best friend and my worst enemy!"

The footage shows he then smiled, while people in the audience chuckled and shouted.

As we reported, Jeff was later arrested at around 9 AM on Monday morning by the Florida Highway Patrol for DUI.

During the stop, officers say he reeked of booze, could hardly stand during questioning, and admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel. They added that two breathalyzer tests revealed he had a BAC of .291 and .294.

Hardy was charged with felony DUI and two other misdemeanors. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter in July.

Nipsey Hussle's alleged murderer, Eric Holder Jr., is standing trial in Los Angeles and prosecutors just laid out the details of Nip's shooting death in court ... and it's horrifying.

Deputy District Attorney John McKinney told the jury Wednesday ... after Holder gunned down Nipsey in a Crenshaw parking lot, Holder walked over to Nispey's bullet-riddled body and kicked him in the head.

The prosecutor also told the courtroom, Holder said to Nipsey, "You're through" ... with Hussle replying, "You got me," before Holder took off from the scene.

McKinney told the jury, Holder's kick to Nipsey's head shows it was a personal attack ... while Holder's public defender is trying to frame the case as something that happened in the heat of the moment.

You'll recall ... Holder was arrested a few days after Nipsey's shooting death, and he's charged with 1 count of murder, 2 counts of attempted murder (two other people were injured by gunshots during the incident) and 1 count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Megan Thee Stallion is hopeful that Tory Lanez is not only found guilty for allegedly shooting her, but that he's thrown behind bars as well.

Meg -- who's in the middle of a criminal case involving Lanez in which he's alleged to have shot her in the foot in 2020 -- did an interview with Rolling Stone, in which she touched on the legal matter ... and says she wants him to serve time.

She says, "I want him to go to jail," adding ... "I want him to go under the jail." MTS said this after reflecting/questioning why the case is dragging out so long.

As you know, Tory has denied Megan's accusations and pled not guilty to the charges against him. While there've been bumps throughout -- including him being temporarily remanded to custody for violating a protective order -- it seems the case is going to trial in September.

Megan claims her foot was injured during the shooting -- saying she had to undergo surgery, and couldn't walk for days. She says, "Both of my legs wrapped up. I could not walk. I still have bullet fragments in my feet right now. I was very scared that I was not able to be Megan Thee Stallion no more. And, I was f***ed up."

Megan also addressed the other witness in the matter -- her ex-best friend, Kelsey Harris -- saying she feels like she's sided with Tory in the aftermath. An even more triggering result, she says, is the social media backlash she's received from people who don't believe her.

Jeff Hardy has been suspended by the AEW without pay following his DUI arrest on Monday, the org. announced Tuesday.

"We were able to resume contact with Jeff Hardy this afternoon," AEW President & CEO Tony Khan said in a statement. "AEW does not condone Jeff’s alleged behavior."

Khan said Hardy's ban will last until he successfully completes a treatment program and maintains his sobriety.

Khan added the AEW will "assist him in getting treatment for substance abuse issues, which he has indicated that he's open to receiving."

The 44-year-old wrestler signed with the org. this year after a lengthy run in the WWE -- and is considered one of the company's biggest stars. He was slated to wrestle in an AEW match on Wednesday.

As we reported, Hardy was arrested at around 10 AM on Monday morning in Florida, after cops say he drunkenly drove his car through Volusia County highways. He's since been hit with three charges, including felony DUI.

It's the third time since 2018 that Hardy has been accused of driving while impaired -- he was arrested for the alleged offense in North Carolina in '18 and then again in 2019.

"It was disheartening to hear the news about my brother yesterday," his brother, Matt Hardy -- who also wrestles in the AEW -- said in a statement Tuesday morning.

Three officers were apparently so concerned about the state of Jeff Hardy after they pulled him over on Monday morning, they each drew their guns and pointed them at the AEW star.

The frightening scene was all captured on police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, just before the 44-year-old wrestler was arrested in Volusia County for DUI by the Florida Highway Patrol.

In the footage, you can see after cops stopped Hardy's white Dodge Charger on a freeway after they said it had been swerving all over the road and driving erratically ... they walked to his car and appeared to shout orders at him through his closed windows.

Hardy, though, seemingly didn't comply -- which caused each officer on the scene to pull out their firearm.

Fortunately, Hardy eventually opened his car door without issue ... and the officers were able to get him out of his vehicle without incident.

In the footage, you can see Hardy -- wearing a Jacksonville Jaguars T-shirt -- was not steady on his feet ... and mumbled and whispered responses to the officers.

During questioning, Hardy appeared to admit to drinking shots of Fireball before getting behind the wheel.

Eventually, officers took Hardy away from the busy highway into a nearby parking lot to perform field sobriety tests.

Hardy, though, stumbled throughout each test ... and after several minutes, an officer slapped cuffs on the wrestling star and told him he was "under the arrest for the offense of DUI."

In police documents, officers say they tested Hardy's BAC through a breathalyzer back at the station ... and claim he blew a .291 and a .294.

Hardy bonded out of jail late Monday evening ... but was ultimately, according to court records, hit with three charges, including felony DUI as well as two misdemeanors.

Gold-selling Brooklyn drill rapper 22Gz was arrested on attempted murder charges early Sunday morning the moment he landed at JFK airport.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... 22Gz was in Atlanta since the shooting and may have thought the coast was clear for his Sunday Summer Jam performance ... but police caught up with him at the airport.

The snafu caused him to forfeit his appearance, as he was supposed to be a part of Hot 97's DJ Drewski's set.

The arrest stems from a March 6 shooting inside a Brooklyn party hall where 3 people were shot ... and police say one of the victims ID'd 22Gz as the shooter and provided officers with a detailed description of the "Twirlanta" rapper.

Despite the triple shooting ... we're told the injuries are not considered to be serious.

Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez ripped into 22Gz telling TMZ: "This shooting not only wounded the victim, but endangered the lives of everyone in a crowded club. Senseless gang rivalries fuel much of the gun violence in our communities and I remain committed to vigorously prosecuting anyone who engages in this criminal conduct."

In addition to the attempted murder charge, 22Gz is facing 2nd-degree assault and weapons charges for a pistol, along with a 1st-degree reckless endangerment charge.