Crime & Arrests

A Sheriff's deputy in Southern California is under investigation due to a video of him winding up and kicking a suspect in the head AFTER the guy appeared to surrender.

Surveillance footage from a Toyota dealership in Victorville, CA captured Wednesday's violent interaction on camera ... you see the suspect roll out from under a parked car before he's confronted by a deputy with a flashlight, who appears to order the suspect on the ground.

The man complies, but then the cop takes a big step and unloads a couple kicks to the suspect's face.

Video shows the cop stand over the man for a few seconds before beginning to slap some handcuffs on him as another deputy arrives to assist.

The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department tells TMZ the incident started with an attempted traffic stop of a motorcycle. Police say the driver led cops on a high-speed chase, and ditched his bike near the dealership before fleeing on foot. Cops say they found the suspect hiding in the dealership lot, and admit there was a "use of force" during the arrest.

Vontaze Burfict bawled his eyes out outside of a Las Vegas casino after he was restrained by SEVEN people ... and the whole thing was captured on police video obtained by TMZ Sports.

The former Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders star was arrested at the Cosmopolitan back on Dec. 4, 2020 after he allegedly got into a physical altercation with security guards.

The story was wild ... cops say Burfict and a friend snapped on guards because they were allegedly "irate" while on the hunt for the "Secret Pizza" restaurant inside the famed Vegas hotel.

In the police video, you can see what happened next ... Burfict was pinned down to the ground by more than half a dozen people and eventually placed in handcuffs.

But, Burfict sounded so upset over the tightness of the cuffs ... he moaned in apparent pain and yelled, "I can't breathe!"

Eventually, the 30-year-old football player was taken outside to a squad car ... and the police footage shows he was still VERY emotional there, too.

Burfict could be seen sobbing, all while begging cops to loosen his cuffs.

Eventually, Burfict was taken to a nearby station where he posed for a mug shot ... and he was ultimately charged with one count of misdemeanor battery.

Burfict, though, cut a deal with prosecutors last week to close out the case ... court records show he agreed to keep his nose clean in exchange for the charge being dropped.

Court records also show a judge formally dismissed the case Wednesday morning.

Vince Wilfork's son has been arrested and charged with stealing more than $300k-worth of jewelry from the ex-NFL star ... including his 2 Super Bowl rings.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... 39-year-old Wilfork reported his valuables stolen in May 2021, claiming his SB rings, AFC championship rings, 2001 Miami Hurricanes national championship ring and other jewelry were missing from his family home in Texas.

The 13-year NFL vet told cops he first noticed the items were missing in May 2020 ... but was unsure if they were in storage or at his home in Florida.

According to records obtained by TMZ Sports, a Patriots fan contacted Wilfork after coming across a listing for his SB rings on a Facebook page ... asking if the items were really legit.

Wilfork then had had his ex-wife reach out to the seller, who claims his business partner bought the four Patriots rings from D'Aundre Holmes-Wilfork, Vince's son, in 2020 for $62,000.

During their investigation, cops claim Holmes-Wilfork also sold 8 items -- 2 necklaces, a bracelet and 5 earrings -- to a jewelry store for $4,600 in March 2020.

FYI, D'Aundre has had legal trouble in the past -- he was kicked off the University of Houston football team in 2016 after being arrested for having 381 grams of codeine in his car.

The man who allegedly purchased the Patriots rings from D'Aundre returned them to police. It's unclear if they have been returned to Wilfork or if they're being held as evidence.

Wilfork told police he believes the alleged stolen items are worth around $400k.

The 23-year-old was arrested on May 22 and charged with theft of property worth over $300,000, a felony. His bond was set at $300,000.

Tom Burke -- one of the best Univ. of Wisconsin football players ever -- has been charged with a felony after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the girl came forward to authorities in February 2021 alleging the 44-year-old was inappropriate with her on as many as 5 different occasions at her home in Minnesota.

For his part, the docs show Burke told investigators he flat-out denied the allegations ... saying he believed he was being "railroaded."

Burke, however, did confirm he was a caretaker for the girl ... according to the docs.

Officials ultimately hit Burke with a felony charge of criminal sexual conduct in wake of the girl's allegations, and issued a warrant for the former football player's arrest earlier this month.

Burke was eventually taken into custody and posed for a mug shot. He had a court hearing Monday in the case, and is due back for another hearing in early July.

If convicted, Burke is facing up to 30 years behind bars, court documents show.

Burke was a megastar for the Badgers from 1995 through 1998 -- famously logging a staggering 22 sacks in his senior season.

He was picked by the Arizona Cardinals in the 3rd round of the 1999 NFL Draft, though he only went on to play in 36 games before bouncing out of the league following the 2002 season.

The Shake Shack manager accused of poisoning police officers' drinks last summer claims he was treated like a first-rate criminal ... and now he wants someone to pay.

Marcus Gilliam -- the man who was running the Manhattan restaurant when this went down about a year ago -- just sued a number of NYPD cops, a few police unions and the City of New York for what he says was a rush to judgment and a gross overreaction, all based on nothing.

In his suit, obtained by TMZ, Gilliam alleges he was arrested and taken in for questioning that night, and was kept in custody until the wee hours of the morning ... supposedly getting grilled and accused of spiking 3 cops' shakes with bleach, even though he says he actually hadn't.

ICYMI -- 3 NYPD cops rolled up to Shake Shack, said their milkshakes tasted funny ... and before you knew it, had a whole bunch of unions tweeting out accusations that their officers had been intentionally poisoned.

Gilliam points out what we had reported ... that a "thorough investigation" proved that was a bogus allegation. In the interim, Gilliam says he was getting treated like crap by cops, being falsely held against his will for something he clearly hadn't done.

As it turned out ... the "funny taste" in the shakes might've been the machine not being cleaned properly. In any case, Gilliam claims his detainment was BS, because there was a mountain of evidence -- like surveillance video -- that the NYPD should have checked to clear his name before they hauled him into custody.

He alleges he was not only falsely arrested, but defamed as well when the suspicion turned into "fact" and spread like wildfire ... and he's asking for damages.

Joe Exotic has a new venture that could put him in high spirits -- he's launching his own cannabis line all while doing hard time in federal prison.

The 'Tiger King' star cooked up the idea last July and the wheels have been in motion ever since. His attorney, Brad Small, tells TMZ ... they have a deal locked for Joe to partner with Tango Hotel Charlie Group, LLC and Cannaxxs LTD to launch Joe Exotic Cannabis.

We're told Joe's been directly involved in the biz through calls and emails with his attorney. The deal includes the various companies ponying up the dough with Joe's name attached to the products.

Small tells us the products include CBD edibles and will be sold in dispensaries throughout California, Colorado and Oklahoma. While recreational THC is legal in Cali and Colorado, only medicinal is kosher in Joe's old OK stomping grounds.

We're told part of the reason Joe's doing this is to help people who need cannabis to ease their pain from various ailments.

Small says the launch will happen within weeks, and a share of Joe's profits will go towards captive tiger care. As we reported ... Joe said in the year since the Netflix docuseries 'Tiger King' dropped his life had been a living hell.

This is getting beyond ridiculous -- cops say Kendall Jenner got yet another unwanted visitor this weekend ... and we're told the guy hurt himself while making a break for her home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a 23-year-old man showed up at Kendall's gated community Saturday afternoon, and attempted to get through the security entrance because he wanted to see her.

We're told -- as with previous obsessed Kardashian/Jenner fans -- the security guards recognized the guy because they say he's made multiple attempts to get in before.

Our sources say he was once again turned away, but this time he got bold and jumped the wall to enter the community ... and cut his hand while doing so.

Cops were called, and we're told the suspect was nabbed before he reached Kendall's home. He was taken into custody and then to a hospital for his injury, before getting booked into jail for misdemeanor trespassing.

We're told he spent about 10 hours locked up before being released on his own recognizance.

As we've told you ... this is nothing new for Kendall and her siblings. She recently beefed up her security after a string of incidents, including a guy allegedly trying to go for a nude swim in her pool. A source close to Kendall told us she moved out of the home shortly after the incident and would not live there again. She has not yet listed it for sale.

That guy was sentenced to 180 days in jail, and both she and Kylie were granted long restraining orders.

Ex-WNBA superstar Shoni Schimmel -- the 2014 All-Star Game MVP -- was arrested following an allegedly violent incident in Oregon on Monday ... and is currently behind bars.

TMZ Sports has learned, 29-year-old Schimmel is being held on felony charges of assault and criminal mischief ... as well as misdemeanor charges of menacing, recklessly endangering another, harassment, and domestic abuse.

Jail records show Schimmel was booked at 1 AM. Her bail has been set at $48,750.

We’re working on the rest of the details -- stay tuned on that.

Schimmel -- a native of Mission, Oregon -- was an All-American guard for Louisville before going #8 overall to the Atlanta Dream in 2014, where she became a 2-time All-Star.

Schimmel was named ASG MVP in 2014 after scoring 29 points and adding 8 assists ... winning the honors over Skylar Diggins and Maya Moore.

She was traded to New York prior to the 2016 campaign ... playing for the Liberty for one season.

After sitting out the 2017 season, due to personal reasons, Schimmel signed with the Las Vegas Aces in May 2018 ... but was waived 8 days later.

Kylie Jenner is the latest member of her family to get a creepy, unwanted visit to her home ... according to cops, who say a man refused to leave until he got a chance to declare his love to her.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the 35-year-old man was arrested at Kylie's L.A.-area property this week. We're told he was familiar to her security ... they'd seen him before, but he'd always complied when they'd asked him to leave.

Our sources say this time was different -- the guy allegedly dug in his heels, and told security he wasn't leaving until he got a face-to-face with Kylie. Of course, they weren't letting that happen, and simply detained him until police arrived to arrest him.

We're told he was booked for misdemeanor trespassing, and then released.

While Kylie wasn't home during this incident, this is the latest in a series of concerning encounters with obsessed fans for the Kardashian-Jenners.

We broke the story ... a man who's allegedly been harassing Kim online and showing up at her home apparently mailed her a creepy package containing a diamond ring and Plan B.

She also got a temporary restraining order against another man who she believes tried to get inside her home.

New trouble keeps finding Famous Dex ... even when he's in court dealing with previous legal issues.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper was at a hearing Thursday related to the 19 charges he was hit with in March -- including domestic violence and gun possession, to name just a couple -- and he pled not guilty to those charges.

However, we're told during the hearing it was revealed that Dex had allegedly violated a protective order put in place after one of the alleged domestic violence incidents from last October.

Our sources say the rapper was immediately taken into custody, and is currently being held on $200k bond.

As we've told you ... Dex's string of big-time legal problems began in November when a SWAT team showed up at his home, and he was named a suspect in a domestic violence case.

Coby Daniel, the 6-year-old boy in Michigan who was shot outside a neighbor's home while picking up his bike is struggling mentally to recover, and will absolutely need professional help ... according to his father.

Arnold Daniel tells TMZ ... his son is showing obvious signs of mental scars, and has not been able to sleep alone in his own bed -- something he'd been doing since he was 2.

Coby tries to sleep in his bed, but Arnold says he always ends up next to him ... and sometimes asks troubling questions like, "Why would [the alleged shooter] do that?"

As we reported, the neighbor, Ryan Le-Nguyen allegedly shot Coby in the arm after chasing him with a sledgehammer. Coby put on a brave face describing the incident to a reporter for FOX 2 Detroit -- but Arnold says his boy is utterly confused about why anyone would want to hurt him.

He says he's set up an appointment for Coby to see a therapist next week to help him make sense of everything.

Physical therapy is also on the horizon, but only after Coby's gunshot wound fully heals.

Arnold says he's taking time off from work to care for Coby, and cope with his own anxiety. He says it subsided a bit once Le-Nguyen's bond was revoked, and police took him back into custody.

As we reported, there was a massive outcry over Le-Nguyen's initial release on a $10k cash bond. His bail has since been increased to $100k.

If you've ever wondered who hunts down poachers and pirates in international water, and brings them to justice ... you're looking at him, and he has a crazy story to tell.

Captain Peter Hammarstedt joined "TMZ Live" Friday to give us the inside scoop on his crew's chilling, high-stakes mission to track down an illegal fishing boat called Thunder. He says they spent more than 100 days in dangerous, iceberg-filled water, and their efforts are the subject of the new documentary, 'Chasing the Thunder.'

The Captain explained why his organization, the Sea Shepherd Society, was after "the most notorious poaching vessel in the world" and details the extreme conditions his ship, Bob Barker, battled to keep up and try to capture it.

The pursuit crossed 3 oceans and covered more than 10,000 nautical miles ... and you gotta see Captain Pete's reveal of how it ended. It's absolutely wild, and shows you the kind of people he was up against out there.

Darnella Frazier -- the teenager who recorded George Floyd's death under Derek Chauvin's knee -- has just earned a special citation in this year's Pulitzer Prize.

Pulitzer Prize co-chair Mindy Marqués said during Friday's announcement that the Floyd story, in particular, highlighted not only the essential role of journalists, but the increasing importance of ordinary citizens.

She added, "We want to note that the board has awarded a special citation to Darnella Frazier, the teenage witness who filmed and posted the transformative video that jolted viewers and spurred protests against police brutality around the world."

The honor was presented after the board awarded the Minneapolis Star-Tribune with the Pulitzer -- arguably journalism's most prestigious award -- for its reporting of Floyd's death and the aftermath.

Darnella was 17 when she whipped out her phone to record the fatal arrest. After posting the video on social media, it spread like wildfire across the globe, sparking a worldwide movement against police brutality.

But, after the video went viral, Darnella said she had to move away from her home for safety. She also suffered anxiety attacks and couldn't sleep ... often times waking up shaking until her mom rocked her back to sleep.

On the 1-year anniversary of Floyd's death ... Darnella said even though it was a traumatic life-changing experience, she was still proud of herself. She added, “If it weren’t for my video, the world wouldn’t have known the truth.”

El Chapo's wife is following his footsteps to a federal prison ... she's pled guilty to drug trafficking charges.

Emma Coronel Aispuro appeared in federal district court Thursday in Washington D.C. and pled guilty to 3 charges, including money laundering and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana.

According to the judge, Emma could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison -- just like Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman -- and the drug trafficking charge alone carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years behind bars. So she's looking at hard time.

As we reported ... El Chapo's wife was busted at Dulles International Airport back in February and the feds charged her with conspiracy to distribute 5 kilos or more of cocaine, 1 kilo of heroin, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 1,000 kilos or more of marijuana for importation into the U.S.

El Chapo, meanwhile, is rotting in prison as part of his life sentence ... so he may never see his esposa again.

Suspended Virginia Tech linebacker Isi Etute told cops he beat the hell out of a 40-year-old after the man had catfished him ... this according to prosecutors.

Officials made the stunning revelation in a Virginia courtroom Wednesday ... explaining Etute broke it all down for cops during their murder investigation days ago.

Prosecutors say Etute told the cops he had matched with a person named "Angie" on Tinder believing she was a woman -- and had met up with her for oral sex on April 10.

Officials say Etute then told cops he and "Angie" set up another date on May 31, but when he discovered there that she was actually a man -- the football player attacked.

Prosecutors say Etute told cops he punched the victim several times in the face and also stomped on him.

Prosecutors say Etute added that he did not call cops after the attack, despite hearing "bubbling and gurgling" as he left the apartment.

The man was found dead two days later ... with officials saying he had missing teeth and broken bones in his face and skull.

But, Etute's attorney, Jimmy Turk, appeared to defend the football player's alleged actions ... saying in court, "Nobody deserves to die, but I don’t mind saying, don’t pretend you are something that you are not."

"Don’t target or lure anyone under that perception. That’s just wrong."

Etute -- who's been charged with 2nd-degree murder -- was granted bail at the hearing and is due back in court in September.

Silento's not getting out of jail, at least not for now ... a judge just denied his request to be let out on bond in his murder case.

The "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" rapper had a bond hearing Wednesday in DeKalb County, GA where the judge ruled Silento's history of mental health issues -- coupled with a history of not taking his meds -- made him too risky to be let out on bond while his case is pending.

The judge also cited concerns raised by the prosecutor about Silento's history of being in denial of his mental health issues, specifically noting that the rapper once left a mental health facility in California. The judge also mentioned there was no telling what could happen if Silento decides NOT to take his meds ... noting this would put the community at serious risk.

Prosecutors said even his grandparents argued in strong opposition to the bond.

Silento's legal team tried painting a more favorable picture ... calling him a local treasure who was once on the Governor's Blue Ribbon panel urging kids to stay away from drugs and alcohol. His team says Silento's problem stems from his bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues he's battled for years.

But, the judge didn't go for it ... and ordered Silento to remain behind bars.