Crime & Arrests

Things are heating up in Seattle, where police arrested a man who torched a patrol car with a burning piece of lumber ... and the video shows the officer inside facing a wall of flames.

The Seattle Police Department just released body cam footage of the wild incident, which unfolded Thursday on the streets of South Lake Union and included a hail of gunfire from cops.

In the video, you see a man walking down an alley holding a huge piece of burning lumber. The officer yells at him to stop, and the guy screams "f*** you" and keeps walking.

Next, you see the cop speed up to the man and again tell him to stop, and then the guy turns around and attacks with his massive flaming stick ... setting the car on fire with the officer inside.

The video shows the officer opening fire through the windshield as the guy high tails it around the corner.

Police say responding officers chased the suspect, who apparently was not struck by the bullets, into a parking garage and used a Taser to take him into custody. Cops say he was booked into King County Jail and charged with 1st-degree assault and 2nd-degree assault.

The flames from the burning lumber engulfed the entire patrol car, according to cops, and an officer was taken to a nearby medical center with non-life-threatening burns.

Jerry Harris will remain in custody until he stands trial in his child pornography case.

A federal judge just denied bond for the star of Netflix's popular docuseries, "Cheer." As we reported, Harris had a bond hearing Wednesday in Texas, where the judge heard arguments for and against cutting him loose before his trial. The judge finally ruled Friday, agreeing with the prosecution's wishes to keep him behind bars.

Prosecutors said they believe Harris could prey on minors if released on bond. They claimed he has multiple underage victims already, and would likely revert back to the same alleged behavior. Remember ... the feds claim he continued targeting minors despite being tipped off about the federal investigation.

The judge cited that allegation in Friday's ruling ... saying Harris was consistent in his pursuit of the alleged victims and demonstrated uncontrollable behavior.

Harris' defense team told the court he wouldn't pose a threat or hurt people if he was released pending trial, because he wouldn't have access to the Internet, and would have regular check-ins with a psychiatrist. The judge was unswayed and said community support and a lack of criminal history were not enough to prove Harris doesn't pose a threat to the community.

Instead, the judge said a lack of criminal history actually shows how easy it is for this kind of alleged behavior to go undetected.

An Atlanta man has been arrested and charged with murder of Thomas Jefferson Byrd ... the popular actor known for several roles in Spike Lee joints.

The Atlanta PD says they followed evidence and tips that led them to identify the suspect, Antonio Demetrice Rhynes. An arrest warrant was issued for Rhynes Wednesday and he was arrested Friday morning.

He's facing a felony murder charge for the shooting, which occurred near Byrd's Atlanta home. It's still unclear what led to the killing.

As we reported ... 70-year-old Byrd died on October 3 from multiple gunshot wounds to the back, and Spike broke the news himself on social media after learning of his murder.

Byrd had notable roles in several of Spike's films, such as "Clockers," "Get on the Bus," "Bamboozled," "He Got Game," "Red Hook Summer," "Chi-Raq" and more.

Denver Broncos star Melvin Gordon was busted for driving under the influence and speeding ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Records show the case was filed at 1:55 AM on Wednesday morning. The exact time of the bust is still unclear. We're working on it.

According to court records, the running back is facing 3 violations -- speeding at least 25 MPH over the limit, and 2 DUI charges.

Records show Gordon is listed as 6'1", 213 lbs. He is set to be arraigned on November 13.

27-year-old Gordon is fresh off the best game of his Broncos career -- rushing for 107 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown run against the New York Jets.

The Broncos released a statement on the incident ... saying, "We are aware of the situation involving Melvin Gordon."

"Our organization has been in communication with him and is in the process of gathering more details."

Gordon was a 1st round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and played with the Chargers until the end of the 2019 season.

The former Wisconsin star -- a Heisman finalist in 2014 -- made the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2018.

In March 2020, he signed a 2-year, $16 million contract with the Broncos.

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris should remain behind bars until his trial because he's "a clear and present danger to the community and most notably defenseless children" ... so claim the feds.

Harris has a bond hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and federal prosecutors filed legal docs asking the judge to deny his release on bond as he awaits his trial for child pornography.

According to the new docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds claim Harris exploited and violated at least 5 to 10 minors for more than 2 years ... requesting they send him sexually explicit images of themselves.

Prosecutors also allege his criminal conduct includes sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy ... and repeatedly targeting young boys by reaching out to them via his phone and persuading them to engage in sexually explicit activity.

In the docs, the feds claim Harris fessed up to sexually assaulting at least one minor boy in an unlocked public bathroom during a cheer event.

To make their point about him remaining a danger to the public ... prosecutors claim even when Harris was tipped off to a possible investigation into his crimes, he was not able to control his impulses and continued to victimize multiple other minors.

Tory Lanez has just been ordered to stay the hell away from Megan Thee Stallion after a hearing for his felony assault charge.

Tory appeared by phone for Tuesday's hearing in L.A. County court for what was supposed to be his arraignment ... but his attorney, Shawn Holley, requested a continuance. It was granted so he did not enter a plea. The judge, however, issued a protective order against Tory ... and now he's gotta stay at least 100 yards away from MTS, and not contact her.

His bail was set at $190k ... which he'll be posting via a bondsman present at the hearing. The hearing comes on the same day MTS wrote an op-ed for The New York Times on why she speaks up for Black women, saying she's not afraid of criticism and being adamant that saying "protect Black women" should NOT be a controversial topic.

She also addressed the Tory Lanez case, saying, "I was recently the victim of an act of violence by a man. After a party, I was shot twice as I walked away from him. We were not in a relationship. Truthfully, I was shocked that I ended up in that place."

Meg added, "My initial silence about what happened was out of fear for myself and my friends. Even as a victim, I have been met with skepticism and judgment. The way people have publicly questioned and debated whether I played a role in my own violent assault proves that my fears about discussing what happened were, unfortunately, warranted."

As we reported ... The L.A. County D.A.'s Office slapped him with 1 count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and 1 count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. The D.A. also alleges Tory inflicted great bodily injury on Megan.

If convicted, the rapper/singer faces up to 22 years and 8 months in prison.

Tory defended himself publicly last week and said he deserves his day in court. As we told you ... the rapper broke his silence Friday morning and reminded fans the "charge is not a conviction."

Logan Paul's not fond of anyone he doesn't know hopping his fence ... just ask the guy who got arrested for allegedly doing just that.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the incident went down Sunday around 2:45 PM at the YouTube star's L.A. crib. We're told the guy hopped the wall ... and when people inside noticed, they called cops and told officers they are armed and will protect themselves if the trespasser tries getting inside the house.

Check out the video ... before any shootout could erupt, an LAPD helicopter was hovering directly above the house. You can also see the alleged trespasser ... who by then, had already made his way outside with, for some reason, luggage in tow.

He also had his hands raised ... and moments later an LAPD cruiser rolled up and took the guy into custody.

Cops arrested 67 people outside Staples Center in L.A. Sunday night -- in a crazy celebration that had everything from fireworks to a guy in an actual plastic bubble!

Hundreds of fans gathered outside the arena -- despite the fact, the team was still in Orlando, Florida -- and things got crazy quickly!

So many people showed up (remember, we're still in a pandemic) -- that law enforcement declared an unlawful assembly in an effort to get people to go home!

The California Highway Patrol also shut down freeway off-ramps into the area to stop the crowd from growing in size.

Ultimately, we're told cops arrested 61 people for failing to disperse, 5 for looting and 1 for vandalism -- totaling 67.

We're told one police officer was injured in the chaos -- suffering a hand injury from a bottle somebody had thrown at cops.

Some fans were also injured. There are pics of paramedics treating someone outside Staples but unclear exactly what happened.

Not all of the fans were combative -- there were groups of people chanting Kobe Bryant's name, others waving Lakers flags.

But, there were times where fans got aggressive with police -- some even tried to kick in the windshield of a cop car -- which led to officers to brandish weapons in order to try and keep the peace.

We've seen footage from the celebration of fans fighting in the streets, looting a Starbucks and setting off fireworks.

As for the game, the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, winning the 17th title in franchise history.

Blac Youngsta allegedly can't keep his hands off some serious firepower ... 'cause he just got busted AGAIN on a weapons charge.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Memphis MC was busted early Sunday around 2:40 AM when cops pulled over the car he was riding in after it made an illegal turn. We're told Blac Youngsta was riding shotgun and during the traffic stop, cops say they found a handgun between his legs.

Youngsta was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He was taken to jail and hours later posted cash bond. The arrest comes a little over a year after the 30-year-old rapper was arrested in Houston ... after cops said the rapper was carrying prohibited ammo when they pulled over a car in which he was -- AGAIN -- a passenger.

Ronni Hawk -- one of the stars of the Disney sitcom, "Stuck in the Middle" -- just got charged for bringing a knife to a nasty fight with her boyfriend.

TMZ has learned the L.A. City Attorney slapped Hawk with 3 misdemeanor counts for the July incident. She's now facing charges of domestic battery, assault with a deadly weapon and brandishing a knife.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Ronni and her BF, Miles Fallon, got into an argument, and things escalated when he bolted from the house. We're told Ronni grabbed a knife and chased after Miles while he was in the parking lot.

Cops were called to the scene and arrested Ronni.

TMZ broke the story when the 20-year-old was taken to jail. Our sources said officers who responded noticed Miles had visible injuries, including scratches.

A protester was killed by a security guard Saturday and now the guard has been arrested.

It went down in Denver, where there were 2 rallies going on at the same time ... a patriots rally and a Black Lives Matter rally. A guy wearing a "Black Guns Matter" t-shirt began arguing with several men, including the man in the camo bucket hat who ended up getting shot.

You see the argument get heated as the man in the camo hat walks out of frame. He encounters a security guard and according to reports, the guy may have maced the guard. That's when you hear a shot and see the man in the hat go down. He later died at a hospital.

It appears the victim was part of the Patriot's group. His t-shirt read, "BLM You're f***ing Right Bikers Lives Matter."

Turns out the guard works for a company that was hired by a local TV station that had been using security to protect its reporters who were covering the various protests.

The Archbishop of New Orleans is outraged that a priest allegedly had sex inside a church, so he's doing an exorcism of sorts by having the altar removed and burned!!!

Archbishop Gregory Aymond called the act "demonic." As for how it went down ... someone called the cops after allegedly seeing the priest at the Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, saying they saw the man of the cloth with 2 high-heeled women wearing corsets. He was dressed in his priestly issue ... well, only partially. The witness shot video of the encounter and went to cops.

The priest and the 2 women were arrested for allegedly violating an obscenity law that prohibits people from having sex in public view. What's bizarre here ... the only way the witness could have seen it was to peer through the windows.

Earl Thomas and his wife have clearly moved on from their wild April incident ... the NFL superstar just wished her a happy birthday by penning a mushy love note.

Earl and his wife, Nina, were involved in a crazy incident back on April 13 ... one in which Nina was accused of holding the ex-Ravens safety at gunpoint.

The story was insane ... cops say Nina admitted to aiming a loaded gun at the football player's head after she allegedly caught him cheating.

Nina was eventually arrested ... and her case is still playing out in the court system.

But, seems all has been forgiven in the Thomas household ... 'cause the 3-time All-Pro gushed about Nina in a social media post Friday for her 31st birthday.

"Just want to take the time to wish the woman who I can talk to in the middle of the night ... who has accepted who i am through it all and has helped me grow in so many ways," Earl wrote.

"I hope you enjoy what I’ve planned for you bae.... 31 is going to be your best year yet ... I love you wife.. HAPPY 31st Mrs Thomas."

Of course, 31-year-old Earl gave plenty of indications he had been working toward this since the arrest.

Shortly before we broke the story in May, Thomas said he and Nina were "back talking." And, just a few days later, Earl shared a diamond pendant he had received from Nina for his birthday.

For her part, Nina shared her own birthday message Friday about personal growth ... writing on social media, "Happy birthday to me."

"A new year of life to grow, be challenged, succeed & fail but get right back up again, to love & be loved, to healing & breaking generational curses, to be vulnerable & also strong, to be wise yet still give myself grace when I make mistakes, to living in my truth and being unapologetically me."

A Sheriff in Michigan not only shared a stage with one of the men arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap and possibly kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ... he says the 13 alleged extremists wanted what lots of people wanted ... Whitmer arrested.

Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf has a connection with William Null -- they were on the same stage at a Grand Rapids rally in May protesting Governor Whitmer's stay-at-home order -- and he says he has no regrets about being on the same platform as the man charged in a kidnapping plot.

Sheriff Leaf says he was "shocked" by the arrest and says he "did not see this coming" with Null ... according to an interview he did with FOX 17 in West Michigan.

Leaf is downplaying the arrest, saying "it's just a charge." The Sheriff claims the men might not have been trying to kidnap Governor Whitmer, and instead might have been trying to arrest her for a felony ... presumably her hardline on COVID regs.

Governor Whitmer called the 13 people arrested in the plot "sick and depraved," but Sheriff Leaf insists the Null brothers are nice and respectful ... and he says lots of people in his state are angry with the Governor and want her handcuffed and taken away.

Meanwhile, the Null brothers are being held on $250,000 bail and could face up to 22 years in prison if convicted.

Ex-NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf has been charged with 2 misdemeanors stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident back in May, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... the QB was arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery in Palm Springs, CA on May 22.

Details about the specific allegations are still unclear -- but what is clear, prosecutors believe Leaf committed a crime that day.

According to court records, prosecutors are moving forward with 2 charges against Leaf -- 1 count of misdemeanor battery and 1 count of violating the personal liberty of the accuser ... aka false imprisonment (also a misdemeanor).

Both charges carry a maximum 1-year jail sentence.

44-year-old Leaf was listed on his booking sheet as 6'6", 250 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Of course, Leaf was the #2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft -- but his career flamed out fast and his life fell apart soon after.

Leaf has been arrested multiple times for things like drug possession and burglary ... but he had sobered up and became a program ambassador for an organization that runs sober houses in multiple cities including L.A. and N.Y.

Before the arrest, Leaf had been covering college football for ESPN.

Derek Chauvin -- the ex-cop accused of murdering George Floyd -- is now allowed to leave the state of Minnesota as he awaits trial ... after a judge ruled there are concerns over his safety.

The Hennepin County judge changed the conditions of Chauvin's bond Thursday, a day after he was released after posting $1 million. The former Minneapolis police officer can now reside in Minnesota OR a bordering state pending trial.

The decision came after the Department of Corrections provided evidence supporting safety concerns for Chauvin ... according to the judge's order.

Chauvin must report his new address to law enforcement and will remain under normal supervision as he awaits his murder trial ... which is scheduled for March.

Chauvin is required to obtain a cell phone and keep it on him at all times and answer all calls from the Minnesota Dept. of Corrections.

As for which states are contiguous to Minnesota -- North and South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

As we've reported ... Chauvin is facing charges of 2nd-degree after leaving his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds back on May 25.