Minneapolis City Council Will Disband Police Department ... Have Veto-Proof Majority

Members of the Minneapolis City Council say they're overruling Mayor Jacob Frey and WILL commit to dismantling their police department -- meaning, get rid of it completely.

The stunning announcement was made Sunday, with nine out of thirteen members coming out in support of the idea, which gives them a majority that can't be vetoed by Mayor Frey.

So, what does it mean exactly? Welp, the council members admit it won't be an immediate change -- but make no mistake, they say when the dust settles, Minneapolis will not have a traditional police department.

The alternative, according to them, is community-based safety ... a term they've yet to fully explain.

The announcement comes the day after Mayor Frey was publicly shamed for refusing to, as he put it, "fully abolish" the police department.

That's what he said when put on the spot by a rally organizer ... and that response got him booed off the street, as he walked through a sea of middle fingers in his face.

Minneapolis Police 5/25/20
EXCESSIVE FORCE
Facebook/ Darnella Frazier

This new development -- less than 2 weeks after George Floyd was killed -- is potentially monumental if Minneapolis actually does it and makes it work.

It could spark similar movements in cities around the country. Fact is, some protesters have been calling for, at the very least, a reduction in funding to police departments in many cities ... including L.A. and NYC.

White NC Cops & Civilians Wash Black Protesters', Faith Leaders' Feet ... Ask for Forgiveness

Here's an example of true healing playing out in a very biblical sense -- a group of white police officers and other community members came together to wash their black brother's and sister's feet ... and asked for forgiveness.

Check out this moving scene that was captured Saturday in Cary, North Carolina ... where, during BLM demonstrations, a handful of white folks came together to clean the feet of black religious leaders, while offering a prayer repenting for the sins inflicted on black people at large.

There's one man with a megaphone leading the prayer, and he acknowledges there's one race of people ... going on to ask for forgiveness for their white ancestors enslaving, mistreating and oppressing African-Americans.

It was a surprising, yet moving sight to see -- and also very Christ-like. In a week filled with all kinds of images of police run-ins with protesters -- both good and bad -- this one might say the most about the nation's desire for change.

Jeff Bezos Schools All Lives Matter Customer ... Here's What #BLM Means

Jeff Bezos just schooled an All Lives Matter supporter with a crash course on Black Lives Matter ... because lots of people apparently still don't get the point.

The Amazon honcho says he got an email from a customer complaining about his company's support for #BLM ... and his response breaks down the movement pretty well for the misinformed yet to come around.

As you can see ... the upset customer, Macy, was triggered when she went to Amazon's website and found a banner message explaining the company's commitment to #BLM and what it's doing to stand in solidarity with the black community.

Macy hit Jeff with the usual All Lives Matter talking points ... saying she's all for people voicing their opinions and standing for what they believe in, but then added she feels disrespected by Amazon's BLM support.

Jeff eloquently explained to Macy why he disagreed ... saying BLM doesn't mean other lives don't matter, and it's really about the "racism and disproportionate risk that Black people face in our law enforcement and justice system."

Bezos goes on to say he doesn't worry about his own son being choked to death in police custody ... something he points out black parents can't say.

Jeff also tells Macy BLM is not "intended to dismiss or minimize the very real worries you or anyone else might have in their own life" ... and says her email won't change his views.

Fun fact ... Amazon sells lots of merch that says "No Lives Matter." Just sayin'.

Riverside Protest Car Gets Torched!!! Molotov Cocktail Backfire

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BACK AT YA
@HomiesForTrump/Twitter

An apparent agitator in the middle of a peaceful protest's car is burned out ... after the firework he tried to leave got thrown back into his car by a protester.

The crazy incident went down Tuesday in Riverside, CA after a man pulled into the middle of the street, stepped out and laid down what looks like a Molotov cocktail. You can see from the video the stunt immediately backfired on him because a protester -- trying to keep the march peaceful -- grabbed the smoking bottle and tried tossing it right back into dude's car!!!

The agitator made a failed attempt to get it out of the vehicle but ended up ducking for cover. The bottle never actually made it inside the car but it fired directly into the car's interior and you can see the fireworks go off. You can also see the unattended car roll in reverse before some good folks jumped in and put the car in park.

It's a stark illustration of what's been happening in a lot of the protests over George Floyd's death at the hands of ex-cop Derek Chauvin.

Peaceful demonstrations interrupted by agitators trying to amp up violence. This time peaceniks fought back.

George Floyd Death Celebs Join Protests In L.A. ... Support #BLM

Hollywood is showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement ... with tons of huge celebs taking to the streets of Los Angeles to protest in the wake of George Floyd's death.

Machine Gun Kelly carried a sign that read, "Stop Arresting Protesters! Arrest Killer Cops!!" as he marched alongside Travis Barker, who had his own sign saying, "NO JUSTICE NO PEACE."

Logan Paul reunited with his ex, Josie Canseco, for the protest through Hollywood ... and Halsey walked alongside her ex, Yungblud, for their second L.A. protest together. As you can see, Logan busted out a "BLACK LIVES MATTER" sign.

Other celebs joining the massive protest included ... Emily Ratajkowski and her husband, Sebastian McClard, plus Mod Sun, Cara Santana, DeRay Davis and Tinashe.

Ben Affleck and girlfriend Ana De Armas also joined the protest ranks ... with Ben carrying signs in support of #BLM and a Baptist church in Venice.

Check out the gallery ... and see the outpouring of support for Floyd and BLM.

George Floyd Protests Army Helicopters Used to Disperse Crowds at White House

DC Helicopter
BRINGIN' IN THE ARMY
@anabananaaaah/Twitter

President Donald Trump has declared war on peaceful protests, doubling down Monday night with military helicopters buzzing a crowd of protesters after soldiers pepper sprayed them and shot them with rubber bullets.

White House
NOT IN MY HOUSE
AP

It was a shocking scene ... first, as Trump was delivering his law-and-order speech -- preparing for his bizarre walk across the street from The White House -- the military outside the gates began attacking the crowd. It was violent and swift, and mind it, this was BEFORE the D.C. curfew went into effect.

Trump then walked across the street to St. John's Episcopal Church, which was partially set on fire the night before. He stood there with a bible ... and there's not much doubt why he did it. Trump was reportedly ticked off when reports surfaced he was taken to a bunker for his safety over the weekend.

The bishop of the church is appalled at Trump's stunt, saying it's antithetical to the bible.

As for the military helicopters ... they were flying so low the rotors were kicking up dirt, which made the crowd disperse. This is a tactic usually used by military jets in war zones.

BTW ... as for Trump's claim he can call in the military to cities and states where there's violence. No, he can't. He needs the permission of the governors, and some have already said no thank you.

NYPD Sergeant Struck by Car and Hurled in Air

Cop Hit By Car
HIT AND RUN
@MylesMill/NBCNewYork

An NYPD officer was hit by a car and propelled in the air during disturbances early Tuesday morning in the Bronx.

An unmarked police car was responding to a commercial burglary at around 12:45 AM when cops saw a bunch of people at the location. A sergeant got out of his car and just as he stepped out a black sedan peeled off, striking the Sgt. ... hurling him into the air.

The sergeant -- a 30-year veteran of the NYPD -- was taken to the hospital where he's in serious but stable condition. Cops are looking for the sedan and the occupants.

Bronx Cop Attacked
RUTHLESS ATTACK
@SBANYPD/Twitter

Also in the Bronx Monday night ... another NYPD officer was beaten by at least 3 different attackers who smashed him in the head with what looks to be a trash can. Unclear what the officer's condition is ... he was able to stand under his own power as his assailants fled the scene.

LAPD Officers Encourage White Gal Who's Tagging ... Don't Forget 'Floyd'

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Egging her on
@walterwbrady/Instagram
UPDATE

11:42 AM PT -- Sure enough, this too is now being investigated. We're told LAPD is aware of the video and they're looking into what went down here.

A white woman tagging 'BLM' graffiti on a building was egged on by none other than cops from 8-feet away ... who seemed to be telling her to include the name of George Floyd.

The video was shot in what appears to be downtown Los Angeles, where an LAPD squad car is parked up next to a curb alongside a lady who's going to town with spray paint, tagging "BLM" messaging on the side of a building's windows ... taking up at least 3 panes.

While the person who recorded this was filming from across the street, you can still make out the cops apparently instructing the woman to make sure to include George Floyd's name in her graffiti ... at one point, even seemingly telling her how to spell it correctly.

She heard the message loud and clear, and sure enough ... went ahead and tagged "Floyd" on the window as well. The officers are just standing by and watching the entire time. The person who posted this says they were laughing too, but we can't quite make that out.

In any case, it's an utter disgrace ... regardless of what the context is, which we're sure LAPD brass will be scrambling to reach for now that this is out. Policemen literally encouraging active criminal activity right in front of their faces -- ya can't excuse it.

Protestors Calling Out Vandalism
DON'T HURT OUR CAUSE!
@gryking

We've seen "bad actors" screwing with the protests and hijacking the message under the guise of justice -- but this takes it to a new level. Some cops appear to be in on it too.

Originally Published -- 11:29 AM PT

Liverpool F.C. Players Kneel For George Floyd ... 'Unity Is Strength'

Liverpool F.C. players decided to team up and send a powerful sign of support on Monday ... with the whole team taking a knee together to honor George Floyd.

LFC shared the image of 29 players kneeling near the center of the field at the Anfield stadium ... featuring the words "Unity is strength. #BlackLivesMatter."

The players reportedly came up with the idea to kneel as a sign of support for the movement while training ... and several players like Virgil van Dijk, James Milner and Andy Robertson have also shared the impactful shot

The gesture adds to the global outcry for justice ... with celebrities and athletes coming together to protest following Floyd's death.

Jadon Sancho of Dortmund also dedicated one of his goals to Floyd over the weekend ... wearing a shirt that read "Justice for George Floyd."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Sancho received a yellow card for removing his jersey ... but the act caught the attention of pros like Todd Gurley and Joel Embiid.

J.R. Smith Regrets Beating Alleged Vandal's Ass 'Random Act Of Stupidness'

J.R. Smith
DISAPPOINTED WITH MYSELF
The Pat McAfee Show

J.R. Smith says he's disappointed in himself for opening a can of whoop-ass on an alleged vandal ... saying it was a "random act of stupidness" on both sides.

TMZ Sports posted the video of the incident ... where Smith is seen unloading a bunch of violent kicks on a man who allegedly smashed his car window during the protests in L.A. this weekend.

Smith joined the "Pat McAfee Show" on Monday to give more insight into the situation ... and the NBAer admits he wishes the incident never happened in the first place.

"Granted, if he would've seen me, and seen somebody outside the car or outside the house or whatever, do I think he would've broke it? Absolutely not," Smith says.

JR Smith Beats Up Guy
MESSED WITH THE WRONG CAR
TMZSports.com

"It was just a random act of stupidness, and I give him that. But, that ass whooping was a random act of stupidness on my behalf."

J.R. says he's supporting the peaceful protests in honor of George Floyd, but condemns the looting and vandalism.

"This man was down there for 8:46 for no reason. Literally, taking the life from him. Calling for his dead mother."

"And then, we go out here and try to represent his name in a good way and between tarnishing people's shops -- like so many people have nothing to do with the situation."

Smith continued ... "We should be able to lock arms and stand in front of somebody's store and say no this is not right. Being able to do stuff like this isn't right."

As for the moment he unloaded on the alleged vandal, Smith says he regrets how it went down.

"When it happened, I seen red. Then when I finally snapped to... I'm still disappointed with myself."

"For me, I'm 34 years old. I have 4 little girls at home. I don't want that image, regardless of the fact whether it was right or wrong, I don't want them to have that image of their dad being capable of doing that, and doing something like that."

Smith DID have a sense of humor about his kicking form, though ... saying, "I was trying to go Bones Jones or Anderson Silva."

Atlanta Protests Black Students Tased in Car Speak Out, Decry Brutality in Presser

Two Atlanta cops have been fired over this violent incident -- a black couple yanked from their car and tased while trying to leave a protest ... all captured on police body cam.
EXCESSIVE FORCE
UPDATE

3:17 PM PT -- The two black students who were tased in their vehicle and then violently removed from it say they're lucky to be alive to tell the tale -- but they have an even more important message ... see it, change it.

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Atlanta Couple Press Conference
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
WSB-TV
UPDATE

Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim got in front of cameras Monday and told the media how they're processing what happened to them in Atlanta this weekend -- when they were swarmed by police officers and yanked from the car by force ... this after being tased.

UPDATE

Messiah said he was grateful to have so many allies in the community -- there in ATL and beyond -- who had his and Taniyah's backs ... but he also said what occurred would likely happen again, adding their case was not unique ... and going to demand structural change.

UPDATE

Taniyah then spoke, and blasted one of the officers on the scene -- not one of the two that were fired -- saying he told them they were lucky he and his team didn't shoot them. As Taniyah rightly notes, that's not something to say to someone who just went through that.

Two Atlanta cops have been fired over this violent incident -- a black couple yanked from their car and tased while trying to leave a protest ... all captured on police body cam.

APD released the video showing just how chaotic and scary it was Saturday night for the 2 college students as they were being swarmed and attacked by the cops. The officers smashed the windows when the couple refused to comply with their orders of exiting the vehicle, and then they fired their tasers on them.

The young woman can be heard shrieking as she's violently ripped from the car, and eventually ... they get the guy out too and put both of them in cuffs and lead them away.

It's still not clear what led up to this -- some have said these folks were out past curfew, other reports say they attempted to drive around a cop when ordered to stop -- but in any case ... this excessive force cost 2 of the officers their jobs, and sent 3 others to desk duty.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she understands the police are under distress ... they still have a responsibility not to escalate situations. She called it a clear case of "excessive force."

As for the 2 students -- both are not going to face charges. The guy was initially arrested Saturday night, but Mayor Bottoms has told APD to drop the case entirely.

Originally Published -- 7:11 AM PT

MLB's Dale Murphy Son Shot In Eye W/ Rubber Bullet ... At Colorado Protest

Atlanta Braves legend Dale Murphy says his son nearly lost his eye while peacefully protesting over the weekend ... claiming an officer fired a rubber bullet at his kid's face.

The two-time National League MVP explained the terrifying situation Sunday ... saying his son was protesting George Floyd's tragic death in Denver, Colo. when cops opened fire with less-than-lethal weapons.

Murphy says his son needed to be rushed to the hospital ... but, fortunately, the former MLB star says he appears to have avoided serious injury.

"Luckily, his eye was saved due to a kind stranger that was handing out goggles to protestors shortly before the shooting and another kind stranger that drove him to the ER," Murphy says.

Murphy claims others who were protesting with his son were not so lucky and suffered "permanent" disabilities as a result of the cops' actions ... and now, he's pleading for change.

"As terrible as this experience has been, we know that it's practically nothing compared to the systemic racism and violence against Black life that he was protesting in the first place," Murphy said.

"Black communities across America have been terrorized for centuries by excessive police force."

Murphy added, "If you're a beneficiary of systemic racism, then you will not be able to dismantle it at no cost to yourself. You will have to put yourself at risk. It might not always result in being physically attacked, but it will require you to make yourself vulnerable."

Murphy implored his followers to continue to peacefully protest ... as well as donate to Black Lives Matter charities that have been set up throughout the country.

"Please consider taking action for a more just world," Murphy said.

George Floyd Protests Celebs Take to the Streets ... Other Countries Do Too

Protests decrying the killing of George Floyd have been in full swing here in the States for days now -- but over the weekend, a bunch of celebs got in on the action ... as did international partakers who seem just as outraged.

Several stars were spotted out in L.A. over the weekend taking part in the protests -- many of which started out peacefully, but eventually turned destructive -- including folks like Nick Cannon, Halsey, Machine Gun Kelly, Yungblud, Mod Sun, Tinashe, Ariana Grande, Paris Jackson, Madison Beer, Courtney Easton, Ross Lynch, Tyler the Creator, Emily Ratajkowski, Kendrick Simpson, Jeremy Meeks, Lauren Jauregi, Jaz Sinclair and more.

Elsewhere were even more famous faces, like J. Cole and Meek Mill. Tons of celebrities also spoke out online, like Billie Eilish who bashed anyone who backed "All Lives Matter."

That was just here in our own backyard -- but the demonstrations for George did NOT end at our borders along the Pacific or Atlantic oceans ... a handful of other countries held their own protests from afar. Places like Berlin, London, Tokyo, Toronto and others featured their own BLM protests ... with many citizens facing off with their own police forces.

Gotta say, it feels like we haven't seen anything quite like this reaction in a long time.

SPACEX ASTRONAUTS WHAT'S UP, DOCK?!?

053120_space_x_dock_4792890 :: 0_ahlgtiz7 :: 0_6unx7wx2 5/31/20
SUPER SPACY
SpaceX

It was awesome and picture-perfect, as the 2 U.S. astronauts hitched their space capsule onto the International Space Station.

It went down Sunday AM Earth time ... 19 hours after the Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

It's the first time in the history of U.S. space exploration that astronauts were hurled into parts unknown by a rocket manufactured by a private company -- in this case, Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Space X Launch
WE HAVE LIFTOFF!!!
NASA

A cam from the Space Station captured the docking procedure ... check out the red, white and green lights that signify the progress as the Dragon capsule bellies up to its host.

The 2 astronauts -- Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley -- took over the controls during part of the maneuver. The actual docking was computer-driven.

The docking follows a picture-perfect launch Saturday afternoon. The docking indicated that the first portion of the test flight with crew aboard was successful.

The trip will be considered a complete success once the astronauts return to Earth in the near future, opening the way for more travel to the space station and orbit by astronauts and perhaps space tourists in the years to come.

The Space Station is 250 miles above the earth and travels at the incomprehensible speed of 17,500 MPH. NASA, which partnered with SpaceX, hasn't decided how long the astronauts will stay up in space. It could be anywhere between a month and 3 months.

George Floyd New Vid Angle Shows ... Struggle Inside Cop Car

George Floyd appeared to be getting roughed up in the back of a police car shortly before he was pinned and killed -- and a new angle shows one cop was definitely standing watch.

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The new surveillance footage -- obtained by activist Shaun King -- shows what happened after George was led away by Minneapolis police after he was cuffed and detained from across the street. This seems to show what happened right before George was taken out of the car and forced to endure the weight of 3 grown men on top of him ... which ended with Derek Chauvin as the last man kneeling on his neck, costing him his life.

Now, we see that something hectic was happening in the back of the SUV officers had Floyd in -- it looks like two officers on the street side had their door open, as did one officer along the sidewalk ... and they were all moving about frantically, which appears to indicate some type of physical altercation taking place. The 4th officer stands watch nearby.

Eventually, they get George out of the car -- and, well, we've all seen what happened next. What's crazy about this is that the one guy who was assigned as lookout clearly sees the surveillance camera that caught all this ... as he looks directly at it for a brief second.

He's also got his head on a swivel, making sure no one else is around or videotaping.

Minneapolis Police 5/25/20
EXCESSIVE FORCE
Facebook/ Darnella Frazier

As you know by now ... all four cops here lost their jobs, and one of them has been arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter. These two newest videos showing what role the other officers played leading up to George's final breaths are quite revealing though.

Unclear what, if anything, they might lead to ... but if prosecutors and officials haven't seen this footage by now, they might wanna take a hard look.

U.S. Riots Luxury Stores in D.C., L.A. Board Up ... Anticipate Looting

UPDATE

2:55 PM PT -- The city of Bev Hills just announced they have closed Rodeo Drive.

UPDATE

As more riots break out into straight-up looting across the U.S. in the wake of George Floyd's death ... high fashion luxury stores are preparing for the worst as well.

A bunch of top-shelf retail giants out in D.C. scrambled Saturday to have their windows and doors boarded up, once again, on the heels of massive looting that's been taking place in several cities ... where some protesters are starting to hit up and bust through the priciest shops to take what they can amid all the chaos. Case in point, Dior and Gucci out in ATL.

Someone captured video of some guys trying to break through Gucci's windows at Phipps Plaza about a day or so ago, and not too far away ... a Dior store had been ransacked and cleaned out. Reports of looting going down at the ritzy Lenox Square mall surfaced as well.

In light of all that craziness, it would seem managers heading up this strip of high fashion retail in the middle of CityCenterDC got the memo ... and hired construction crews to start barricading their shops. It's crazy -- some of these guys said they'd just gotten done taking the wood panels down at a lot of these stores ('cause of D.C. being allowed to open up again) but were called shortly thereafter and told to board these places back up once more.

Beverly Hills Safety
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
TMZ.com

Ditto for some shops out in Beverly Hills, including the Gucci location there. Workers were quickly putting up wood boards on their windows as well. Not just that ... they were clearing the sidewalk trash cans, too, which they said was being done as a safety precaution.

Check it out -- sounds like L.A. protesters are coming in hot around the corner. 😬

Originally Published -- 2:03 PM PT