Crime & Arrests

Joe Don Rooney -- lead guitarist for the country music trio Rascal Flatts -- allegedly told cops a wild story about what led to his DUI bust. Literally, wild.

According to a police affidavit, obtained by TMZ, cops say Rooney told them he was driving his BMW in Williamson County, TN back in September at around 4 AM when a deer ran out in front of him.

Cops say Rooney blamed the deer for causing him to veer off-road and crash into some trees, which deployed his airbags. Cops say Rooney smelled like booze ... and that he told them he played golf earlier before going to a friend's house for drinks. The officer says he admitted to "one more than I should have."

What's more ... cops say Rooney bombed several field sobriety tests. As we reported ... he was ultimately arrested and taken to county jail where he was booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge. He was later released after posting $2,500 bond.

Daniel Cormier is speaking out on his nemesis Jon Jones' recent arrest ... telling the UFC superstar to look deep within himself and straight-up "get your s*** right."

DC shared his thoughts on Jones' September domestic violence arrest in a YouTube video on Thursday ... saying this is an important moment for him to figure out how to move forward in a positive way.

"It makes me sad that his daughter said, 'Call the police,'" DC said. "That’s the thing that saddens you."

"All those little things you’ve got to think that it doesn’t matter who you are, what type of person you are, those things have to really make you look within yourself and make a decision."

"Because no one’s perfect, but at a point, you’ve got to make a decision for not only you – for your daughters, for your fiancée, for your family, for everything. I think right now is that time."

The message comes on the heels of Jones' longtime coach, Mike Winkeljohn, banning him from the Jackson Wink MMA gym ... a decision DC applauds.

"Coach Winkeljohn’s decision shows what type of man he is, willing to step away from the money in order to stand on the grounds of what he believes," Cormier says.

He added ... "You would think that for a young man like this, that would be a wake-up call. Those are your allies, your greatest allies. Even your greatest allies start to turn their back."

DC notes his heated rivalry with Jones ... but says this isn't about fighting, it's about caring for a human being.

"When a man's down, you don't kick him. You wait until he's back on his feet. Right now, he's the furthest thing from his feet. This is a bad place for Jon Jones, especially as the allies start to drop off."

As for Jones' recent tweets denying fault in the incident, DC says he needs to think twice before he hits the "send" button.

Robert Durst will spend the rest of his life in prison ... the judge just sentenced him to life in prison, without the possibility of parole, in the murder of Susan Berman.

The frail-looking 78-year-old's trial began in March 2020, was adjourned for 14 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic ... but now it's come to a close with Judge Mark E. Windham sentencing him to life behind bars, ruling Durst's guilt was proven beyond a reasonable doubt in multiple ways.

Before the sentencing, Durst's legal team tossed up a Hail Mary for a new trial alleging several errors by the court ... but the judge shot it down.

After that, there was a round of emotional victim impact statements -- including one family member calling for Durst to reveal the location of Kathy Durst's body -- and Susan's son spoke at length about how her death negatively affected his life.

As we reported ... Durst was found guilty in the murder of his best friend, Susan, and he was facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The first-degree murder conviction and sentencing come more than 6 years after Durst arguably confessed to murdering Berman and his wife, Kathy, on a hot mic during the filming of the documentary, "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst."

In the HBO doc, you hear Durst muttering to himself, "You're caught ... What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course." He claims he was high on meth when he made the confession.

You'll recall ... Kathy disappeared way back in 1982 and it's widely suspected Durst killed her, though she was never found and he was never charged. Kathy's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Durst, but he scored a legal 'W' in that suit.

Los Angeles County prosecutors set out to prove Durst killed Berman because she knew something about Kathy's death. Berman's body was found on Christmas Eve in 2000, and just 2 days later, the LAPD received a letter from someone telling cops where Susan's body could be found.

Police said they linked the letter to Durst, but the case went cold ... until it was reopened in wake of the HBO doc.

Tyga is voluntarily turning himself in to LAPD to face allegation he got physical with his ex-girlfriend -- who's posted images of her alleged injuries ... and we're told it's possible he could be hit with a felony.

TMZ broke story ... the rapper was planning to have a sit down with cops Tuesday morning to explain his side of the story after Camaryn Swanson accused him of roughing her up during an early Monday morning dispute at his house.

We're told Tyga's decided to turn himself in, and a charge of felony domestic violence is on the table.

We got Tyga, who wasn't willing to chat, on his way inside the station ... he refused to answer any questions about what happened.

As we first reported, sources close to Tyga say Camaryn showed up at his house around 3 AM and started acting belligerent at the door. We're told Tyga let her inside and the yelling continued.

As for what happened next? Camaryn claims he hit her and says she has bruises to prove it, while also saying she's prepared to stand up for herself.

The cops also saw what she's showing off -- apparent visible marks on her face -- and they took a report over it. Officers tried to talk to Tyga at his house on Monday, but he refused.

Now, though, he's facing the music ... and might end up having to answer for this in court.

Boosie Badazz was arrested, spent a night in an Atlanta jail and is already a free man after an incident that resulted in a fight at one of his shows … TMZ has learned.

A spokesperson at the Fulton County Jail tells TMZ ... Boosie was taken into custody Monday and charged with criminal damage to property, inciting a riot, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.

We're told the rapper was released Tuesday afternoon after signing his own bond.

TMZ broke the story ... a Boosie performance earlier this month in Atlanta came to a screeching halt when a fight broke out on stage, and cops were called.

As we told you, the Atlanta Police Department responded to a vandalism call ... and cops said Boosie and his entourage had dashed on stage during the show, damaging items belonging to a production company and allegedly destroying property owned by the arena.

Luis Pena's girlfriend claims the UFC fighter, known by many fans as "Violent Bob Ross," choked and punched her in the face before being arrested for domestic violence ... in a 911 call obtained by TMZ Sports.

"I wasn't trying to snitch, but since my boyfriend wants to be an asshole, he put his hands on me, and he's got to go," Pena's GF told an emergency dispatcher.

28-year-old Pena -- 9-3 in professional MMA (5-3 in the UFC) -- was arrested Saturday in Broward County, Florida after allegedly getting physical with his girlfriend.

According to legal docs, Luis is also accused of assaulting another woman who attempted to intervene after Pena allegedly got physical with his GF.

When asked by the 911 operator, Pena's GF said the fighter got physical with her, hitting her.

"He punched me in the face. But, he did this also 2 days ago, I have the mark, I have a band-aid on my back. I have everything to prove it, so I would like the police to come and remove him, so I can get my things and go the f*** home."

The woman tells the operator police previously responded to the residence over a call for the same incident, but she admitted she wasn't initially helpful.

"[Cops] were mad because I wouldn't cooperate because I didn't wanna snitch on him, but unfortunately, I have to now. I would like them to come back."

FYI, it's not the first time Pena has been in trouble with the law. Back in June he was arrested for robbery (this charge was later dropped) and battery after an alleged incident with his GF.

Regarding the alleged incident on Saturday, Pena is also accused of getting physical with a second woman who told police she was trying to help Luis' GF after she witnessed him hit her, according to legal docs.

During the 911 call, the GF referred to a restraining order that bars her and Pena from cohabitating together ... and with despair in her voice, she pleads for help.

"We have a no contact order, so technically we shouldn't even be living together. I really need the cops to come and get him out now., I have scratches and bruises all over me from him, I need him gone."

Chuck Liddell was arrested early Monday morning for domestic violence ... and the UFC legend is currently sitting in a Los Angeles jail cell.

TMZ Sports has learned the L.A. Sherriff's Department received a call about a fight at a Liddell's Hidden Hills home. When cops arrived, they investigated ... and determined the 51-year-old former fighter was involved in a verbal argument that turned physical.

We're told the alleged victim is Liddell's wife. She did not require medical attention.

Chuck was taken to jail ... where bail was set at $20,000. He's listed at 6'2" and 240 pounds on his booking sheet.

Of course, Liddell -- AKA The Iceman -- was once one of the UFC's biggest stars and best fighters in his heyday ... with wins over Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Randy Couture and Alistair Overeem.

Liddell last fought Ortiz in 2018 ... and last year, said he was retiring for the time being.

Liddell has stayed in the fighting scene in retirement ... recently serving as referee for the Aaron Carter vs. Lamar Odom Celebrity Boxing match.

Story developing ...

Dog the Bounty Hunter's leaving Florida empty-handed and hurt-footed after spending more than 2 weeks hunting for Brian Laundrie ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for Dog tells TMZ ... he injured his ankle in rugged terrain during his search for Gabby Petito's fiance -- still the main person of interest in her death.

We're told the notorious bounty hunter wants to see his regular doctor in Colorado for his injury ... so he's heading back there now.

Dog's rep says he's not giving up on his mission just yet though -- he's still raising funds to help the team he's put together to continue searching for Laundrie.

We're told the team consists of a talented group of Florida locals who will continue the manhunt ... and Dog will stay connected and keep going after leads as much as he can in CO.

As we reported ... Dog joined the extensive search for Laundrie in late Sept. and claimed he was hot on his tail, only to leave everyone waiting for an actual capture.

He certainly seemed dead set on finding him though ... wading through a swamp to track a lead and even cancelling a public appearance to focus more on the search.

A guilty conviction and a prison sentence won't be enough to rehabilitate R. Kelly, but it's not too late for his supporters to see the light ... so says one of Kelly's victims.

We got Faith Rodgers and Gloria Allred outside The Ivy in Los Angeles, after Faith spoke out for the first time since Kelly's conviction in his federal sex crimes case, and our photog asked if Kelly can turn his life around.

Faith doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in rehabilitating R. Kelly ... because she thinks he won't take accountability for his actions.

Faith's outlook is more pessimistic than Akon's ... remember, Akon believes there's still a road to redemption for Kelly, as long as he reevaluates his life choices and talks to God.

Either way, the system's going to try ... Kelly's scheduled to be sentenced in May, and he's looking at 10 years to life after being found guilty on all 9 counts.

Adrien Broner was sitting in a jail cell early Sunday morning -- 'cause the guy got picked up by cops in one state ... for being wanted in another.

The boxer was arrested and booked around 1 AM, getting hauled into the Kenton County Jail in Kentucky ... where he posed for this mug shot. The charges he got rung up on upon entry ... fugitive from another state, from which a warrant was required.

No word on the circumstances of how cops stumbled upon Broner to begin with, but they did.

It's unclear exactly what case this warrant stems from -- but it does originate in Cuyahoga County (where Cleveland is) ... and could well be in relation to a lawsuit he lost in that jurisdiction about a year ago, when a woman claimed he'd assaulted her in a nightclub.

That case has been ongoing for quite some time -- and Broner was even tossed into jail late last year after the judge found him to be in contempt for failing to pay an $800k judgment and comply with the rest of his requirements. At the time, he claimed he was broke.

He's had other run-ins with the law since then -- in Ohio as well, no less -- but the assault suit appears to be his only one in Cleveland. Per online court records, Broner has failed to enter a treatment program ... spurring the warrant.

The 'Captain America' actress who told cops she killed her mother in self-defense just days before Christmas has been found incompetent to stand trial ... TMZ has learned.

According to court records ... Mollie Fitzgerald was found to lack competency to stand trial in late September. Her attorney, Jason Billam, tells TMZ ... she'll be returned to a state mental hospital for treatment.

We're told things are on hold for now, and her mental state will be reviewed every 90 days to see if she can regain competency to stand trial.

Billam tells us 3 mental health doctors stated their case and the court was satisfied with their findings. He said 2 of the 3 doctors concluded Mollie didn't have the ability to assist her attorney in providing a defense and she didn't understand what's happening to her.

That said ... Billam did say Mollie understands she's been charged with the murder of her mother ... and she also understands the roles her attorney, prosecutors and the judge play but gets confused about how the overall judicial process works.

Mark Few, Gonzaga head basketball coach, has been suspended by the university following a DUI last month ... and will miss his team's regular-season opener in November.

As we previously reported, Few was cited -- but not arrested -- the night of September 6 ... after the hoops coach was stopped by cops in Idaho, about 30 miles from the Zags campus.

Few -- who took his team to 2 Final Fours -- was well over the legal limit of .08 BAC ... blowing a .119 and .120. He refused to complete field sobriety tests.

Now, university officials have acted ... suspending MF for a little over 1 month.

The coach will miss their "Midnight Madness" festivities (the first time teams can officially practice), as well as 2 exhibition games. Most importantly, Few will miss the regular-season opener on November 9 against Dixie State.

It's expected that Few will likely be on the bench for his squad's 2nd game against Texas ... a far superior team to Dixie State.

FYI, Gonzaga lost in the NCAA Championship game to Baylor last year. The Zags will likely be the #1 team in the country when the preseason polls are in.

Few -- who previously apologized for the "lapse in judgment" -- addressed the suspension on Saturday.

"I have had a month to reflect on the regretful decisions I made on Sept. 6. I again offer my sincere apology and I remain committed to learning from this mistake. As a consequence of my error in judgment, I will not be present at Kraziness in the Kennel and the first three games of our season."

"I know this impacts our student-athletes and the coaching staff as we begin the season. I understand the severity of my actions and am sorry for the impact this consequence has on our team. Thank you again to those who have supported me, my family, and our program throughout this process."

Following the stop last month, Gonzaga officials condemned Few's actions, while standing by their coach.

"As Athletic Director I believe it is possible to both address the seriousness of an incident and the need for accountability, while extending support and compassion to one who both accepts responsibility and commits to resolve their failing," Gonzaga AD, Chris Standiford, said.

He continued ... "Coach Few's statements regarding full accountability are a reflection of his character and consistent with his demonstrated leadership approach over two decades."

More drama involving Terrelle Pryor and his ex-GF, Shalaya Briston ... TMZ Sports has learned the former NFL star was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly slapped her and threw pumpkins at her car.

According to police documents, Pryor got into an argument with Briston -- the woman accused of stabbing the wide receiver back in 2019 -- in Pennsylvania at around 1 AM following a night out drinking.

In the docs, cops say Pryor had been out with Briston, but returned home while Briston continued on to another bar.

While home, according to cops, Pryor got upset with Briston and blew up her phone ... calling her over 50 times and sending her more than 30 unanswered text messages.

Cops say Briston eventually returned to Pryor's residence, but stayed outside "out of fear of Pryor."

In the docs, police say Pryor came outside and confronted Briston, shoving her and then slapping her in the face with an open hand.

Cops say as Briston tried to flee ... Pryor threw a deck chair at her. Officers add that when she got into her Mercedes, Pryor then threw pumpkins at her car, causing damage to the windshield.

Police say Briston had "inflammation, redness and bruising under her left eye" ... and Pryor was ultimately arrested.

Officers noted in the docs that Pryor denied hitting the woman ... but did admit to throwing the pumpkins.

Court records show the 32-year-old has been charged with simple assault, harassment and criminal mischief. The records show his bail has been set at $100K.

Of course, this is far from the first wild incident involving Pryor and Briston ... you'll recall, in Nov. 2019, Briston was arrested after she was accused of nearly stabbing Pryor to death following a night out partying.

Both Pryor and Briston were hit with charges over the incident ... but both cut plea deals in 2020 and were sentenced to probation.

Pryor has since recovered from the stab wounds and had been trying to make a comeback in the NFL.

A Brazilian soccer player has been charged with attempted murder after he disgustingly kicked a referee in the head during a game, appearing to knock the man out cold.

The insane incident all went down on Monday in São Paulo de Rio Grande's match vs. Guarani de Venancio Aires ... when William Ribeiro lost his mind after not getting a call.

Video from the game shows Ribeiro was so livid over the ref's decision ... he shoved the man to the ground and then violently kicked him in the temple.

The ref laid motionless on the turf for several moments ... and was eventually transported to a local hospital.

Ribeiro, meanwhile, was arrested just minutes later at the stadium ... and ultimately charged by prosecutors.

"His attack was very strong and violent," local authorities told reporters following the incident, "kicking the referee in the head and making him pass out."

"The referee had no chance of defending himself."

The play was called "revolting" by Ribeiro's team president, Delvid Goulart Pereira, who announced shortly after the game that Ribeiro had been cut over the kick.

"Rest assured, we are sorry and deeply ashamed," the club exec said. "We send all the apologies in the world to the injured referee and his family as well as apologizing to the public in general for the lamentable scene seen today."

"The contract of the offending player is terminated. Furthermore, all possible legal measures in relation to the incident will be taken."

It's unclear whether Ribeiro will be allowed to be released from jail or if he'll remain under custody while an investigation unfolds.

Cassie Laundrie is sticking to her story -- namely, that the last time she saw Brian was during a family camping trip after he'd returned to Florida (sans Gabby Petito) ... which she says was totally normal.

The guy's sibling spilled what she maintains she's known and currently knows to 'GMA' Tuesday -- saying she last spoke to Brian in person on Sept. 6 ... while he and their parents went camping at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County, FL. Cassie says she and her own family dropped in very briefly and then left ... not thinking anything was amiss.

She even shared a couple photos she says she took of Brian that day ... with him hanging out with her kids (his nephews), and sure enough -- he looks cheerful and nonchalant.

Cassie says she was not aware that Gabby had not returned with him at that point, and in hindsight ... wishes her bro would've come to her first, instead of going to his parents. Speaking of them ... Cassie flatly denies knowledge of any involvement on their behalf.

With that said, she does openly wish that IF they do know something or helped him in any way ... that they come forward and tell the truth, as she says that would be true justice for Gabby.

Cassie repeats much of what she said during an interview earlier this week, when somebody grilled her with much of the same questions ... if not more intensely.

There too, she denies knowing his current whereabouts ... and maintained the same camping story, while clarifying she's been cooperative with law enforcement. The one thing everyone has failed to ask (or broadcast) is ... what did Brian say about Gabby during that trip, and where did he say she was while hanging with his fam?

Dog the Bounty Hunter's return to TV is imminent ... or so it seems based on the interest he's garnering since joining the manhunt for Brian Laundrie.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Dog's been contacted by multiple networks over the past several days that have expressed a desire in resurrecting a television show with him as the star.

We're told Dog caught these TV folks' attention when he joined the search for Gabby Petito's fiance and instantly began trending ... so now they're shooting their shot to get him back on the small screen doing what he's known for.

Our sources say since Dog has been on the manhunt for Laundrie, there's been no filming involved other than his wife, Francie, documenting some of it on her cell phone.

We're told if a new Dog show gets launched, Francie's footage may be used ... and she'll be involved in the series with him.

Dog tells TMZ ... when he joined the Laundrie manhunt, he didn't have an ulterior motive trying to land a TV show. He says he was in the middle of his honeymoon when news broke Brian was missing, and he only got involved "because of my unique skill set and the fact I was only an hour away from where he was last seen."

He adds that he's gotten close to the Petito family and truly wants to help them get closure. That said, if his recent actions spark interest in a new TV gig ... he tells us he'll consider it, because he still enjoys that.

BTW ... we just spoke to Dog on "TMZ Live," and he's adamant Laundrie is alive -- but probably not well -- and using his survival skills to evade capture in the Florida Everglades.