KIM POTTER Found Guilty of Manslaughter ... In Daunte Wright Shooting
1:49 PM PT -- We've obtained Potter's mugshot, it was apparently clear to her she knew she'd be locked up, cuz she kept a smile while the pic was taken.
11:52 AM PT -- Potter has been taken into custody without bail ... her sentencing is scheduled for February 18.
Kim Potter -- the MN cop on trial for shooting and killing Daunte Wright -- has just been found guilty of manslaughter.
The jury returned the verdict Thursday after starting deliberations Monday, finding Potter guilty of one count each of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter.
As we reported ... Potter took the stand Friday and was emotional as she was questioned about what happened in the moments leading up to Wright's fatal interaction with cops.
Potter started sobbing and grabbing for tissues as she fought back tears to tell the court, "I remember yelling Taser, Taser, Taser and nothing happened. And then, he told me I shot him."
Remember ... Potter always maintained she thought she was reaching for her Taser, when in fact, she pulled out her firearm.
Wright's shooting death back in April was captured on police bodycam footage, which showed the exchange between Potter and 20-year-old Wright, who was trying to flee from police after cops made a traffic stop for an outstanding warrant.
As we reported ... Potter resigned from the police force after the fatal shooting, but she was arrested following mass protests and riots.
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'Walking Dead' Star Alicia Witt Parents Found Dead at Home ... No Foul Play Suspected
Actor Alicia Witt's lost both of her parents in very mysterious circumstances -- the couple was found dead in their home ... but cops have no clear indication on how they passed.
The 'Walking Dead' star says she asked a relative to check on her folks -- Robert and Diane, who are 87 and 75, respectively -- after not hearing from them for a few days, and on Monday, their bodies were discovered by police in Worcester, MA.
Cops tell us the deaths are not considered suspicious at this time, and while the fire department checked the home with meters -- presumably for carbon monoxide -- there weren't any abnormal readings.
Local reports say the Witts had recently been having issues with their furnace and were using a space heater, but without an abnormal carbon monoxide reading ... their cause of death won't be determined until after autopsies are completed.
Alicia is obviously devastated, saying, "the outcome was unimaginable" and she needs "time to grieve and to wrap my head around this turn of events and this surreal loss."
In addition to her 'Walking Dead' fame, AW is best known for roles in "Orange Is the New Black," "Twin Peaks" and "Dune."
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Lawrence Taylor Failed To Reveal He Was Living In Hotel For Months ... Cops Say
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Cops say Lawrence Taylor was arrested because he had been living in a hotel for months -- but failed to reveal that to law enforcement despite being required to do so.
It's all spelled out in new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which cops say the NFL legend committed a huge no-no after he failed to inform them that he had left his permanently registered address back in April.
According to the docs, officers say due to his status as a sex offender stemming from a 2011 conviction, Taylor must be diligent any time he moves and notify authorities of the change of address.
Cops, though, say an investigation revealed Taylor moved into a hotel in Florida on April 2 and had been living there without properly notifying them.
Police say when they questioned Taylor about the move ... he told them, "he was living at the hotel ... to avoid issues with his soon to be ex-wife."
Cops say Taylor told them he was unaware that he needed to report the change of address -- though the officers claim in the docs that they have paperwork showing Taylor should've known better.
According to the docs, cops issued a warrant for his arrest over it all ... adding that Taylor "promptly turned himself in" once he was made aware of the warrant.
Taylor has since been charged with two felony counts of failure to register as a sex offender.
LT pled not guilty to the charges earlier this week ... and his attorney, Arthur Aidala, tells us he's confident the case will be dismissed.
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Bryce Hall Stops Man Allegedly Trying to Get into His Home ... Cops Called to Scene
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4:58 PM PT -- We're told the man, Joshua Shakill, was arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Bryce Hall took matters into his own hands after coming face-to-face with a man who allegedly got inside the TikTok star's home uninvited ... apprehending him until cops arrived.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they got a call for a "hot prowl" -- essentially someone trying to break in when a homeowner is present -- at Halls' West Hollywood pad Tuesday. When they arrived, they discovered the man, who had been apprehended by Bryce and another man outside in the driveway.
In video, obtained by TMZ, you hear Bryce accuse the man of having followed or approached him before ... though it's not clear why he continues to allegedly follow Hall.
Bryce also posted a disturbing clip, showing the man inside his home, allegedly uninvited, and coming up his stairs.
Officers were quick to take the man into custody, and we're told he's being booked. It's currently unclear what he's been arrested for.
Story developing ...
Originally published -- 4:32 PM PT
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Miami Airport Cop Pulls Gun During Massive Brawl
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A Miami Airport cop saw things quickly spin out of his control during a struggle with a traveler ... getting so bad, the officer was forced to pull his gun to get the guy to back off.
Check out the video, you see the man and the cop tied up -- with the cop seemingly on the losing end -- before he's able to break free. After distancing himself from the man, the officer pulls his gun, pointing it at his aggressor and getting things under control.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, officers were called to the gate after an "unruly passenger" named Gregorio Serranopaca, jumped in front of an airport golf cart, snatched the keys and sat on the hood, demanding to speak to a supervisor.
Serranopaca was allegedly pissed he had missed a chartered flight, and took it out on other staffers.
Once cops arrived, things escalated, triggering a large brawl between cops and Serranopaca. At one point, you see another man, Alberto Yanez Suarez, attempt to pull officers off of Serranopaca.
After being struck several times, the officer then backs away, pulling his gun and getting things under control.
Both Serranopaca and Yanez Suarez were arrested on a slew of felony charges ranging from battery to resisting arrest to burglary and false imprisonment.
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Lawrence Taylor Pleads Not Guilty To Felony Charges ... In Sex Offender Case
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Lawrence Taylor is fighting back in his sex offender case ... the NFL legend has pled not guilty to two felony charges, TMZ Sports has learned.
Court records show Taylor, through his attorney, submitted the pleas on Monday afternoon.
"Lawrence has pled not guilty and we will be working with the prosecutors on the case for a full dismissal," one of Taylor's lawyers, Arthur Aidala, tells us.
"There was some confusion as to Lawrence’s home address that has since been rectified."
As we previously reported, LT -- arguably the greatest New York Giant ever -- was arrested on Dec. 16 in Florida ... and ultimately charged with two felony counts of failure to register as a sexual offender.
Further details surrounding the case and the arrest have yet to be revealed, but Aidala said the day after Taylor was booked that it was all a big misunderstanding.
"Mr. Taylor was constantly a resident of the marital home where he was registered, but on advice of local law enforcement he was sleeping outside the home," Aidala said.
"We are confident that this will be dismissed at the first court hearing."
Taylor's first date in court has yet to be set, records show.
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'Are You the One?' Connor Smith Arrested ... Allegedly Raped 16-Year-Old Girl
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Connor Smith -- who once appeared on MTV's "Are You the One?" -- was arrested in Indiana for raping and brutally assaulting a 16-year-old girl ... according to local authorities.
Cops in Cook County Illinois busted Smith on multiple charges last week -- including a count of rape, sexual battery and two counts of criminal confinement ... and the narrative spelled out in the arrest affidavit is insane.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the unidentified teen told cops she was kidnapped out of her room back in July after going to visit family members in Indiana. She initially said she'd exchanged Snapchat info with someone selling a cat, and gave them the address of the home where she was staying.
The alleged victim told police, that evening ... a man ripped open her bedroom window screen, yanked her out of the room, threw her into his truck and drove to a motel while sexually assaulting her. In later interviews, she said she'd actually linked with the alleged attacker on a dating app, and voluntarily snuck out to meet him.
In any case, once she met him in the truck she says she "immediately had a bad feeling" ... and he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex while driving to the motel, slapping and choking her multiple times, urinating on her in the motel room and forcing oral sex again.
Once he was finished, the teen claims he drove her back to her home and allegedly told her he'd be back the following night to pick her up again. When they pulled into her neighborhood, cops say her family was out front looking for her ... and as soon as they saw the truck, they all gave chase.
The alleged victim was able to escape, but the witnesses got enough info on the vehicle to relay to cops ... who then pinned it to Smith, who had appeared on the MTV show back in 2015.
The teen identified him in a photo lineup. Cops say he appeared to have traveled from Illinois to commit the crimes. He was arrested there and is awaiting extradition back to Indiana.
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Dennis Rodman Run-In with Cops Over Face Mask On JetBlue Flight
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Dennis Rodman's a member of the new mile high club -- the one composed of people who allegedly refuse to wear a face mask on commercial flights -- and cops were waiting for him when he landed.
Rodman flew from L.A. to Ft. Lauderdale Monday morning, and was allegedly told several times to put his mask back on by JetBlue staffers. Law enforcement sources tell us Rodman would first oblige, but then pull the mask down, citing he was having trouble breathing.
That's a big no-no -- especially since there's still a federal mask mandate in effect which all airports and airlines have to abide by. Not to mention ... Omicron's on the rise.
Deputies from the Broward Co. Sheriff's Office spoke to Rodman upon landing, we're told he was cooperative and, in the end, they cut him loose, letting him leave on his own without citing him.
An eyewitness on the flight says Rodman was in first-class ... and was asked 4 different times to keep his face covering over his mouth and nose. We're told he constantly lowered it to his chin, and wouldn't immediately put it back on when asked.
Like we said, all's well that ends well, especially for DR. We've reached out to JetBlue and Rodman's camp for further comment ... so far, no word back.
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Rapper Lil Mosey's Rape Case ALLEGED VICTIM ADMITTED TO PRIOR CONSENSUAL SEX
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Lil Mosey says the alleged victim in his rape case admitted to having consensual sex with him in the past, and he's asking the court for the green light to introduce that evidence at trial.
According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the rapper claims he met the alleged victim back in the day at one of his concerts, and they eventually engaged in consensual sexual activity ... multiple times.
Lil Mosey claims they had sex at a New Year's party, and then again in a car. He says that the second time happened on the same night of the alleged rape, which she alleges happened later in a cabin.
TMZ broke the story ... Lil Mosey was charged with rape back in April with the woman claiming she blacked out from drinking and woke up to Mosey and another man forcing themselves on her. Mosey's pled not guilty.
The case is being tried in Washington, and the state has a "rape shield" statute that generally prohibits evidence of prior sexual relationships and activities with an alleged victim at trial.
However, Lil Mosey is arguing the evidence of a prior consensual sexual relationship should be admitted because he believes it helps him defend against the allegation she did not consent.
Prosecutors are pushing back against allowing the evidence in court. In new legal docs, they say the alleged victim's prior sexual activity is irrelevant to whether she consented, adding he's been charged with second-degree rape which involves an alleged victim who is incapable of consent.
In this case, the woman claimed she had blacked out from drinking and could not possibly have consented.
A decision is expected during a hearing next month.
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Chael Sonnen Cited For Battery In Las Vegas ... Alleged Hotel Brawl
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MMA legend Chael Sonnen was hit with 5 battery citations after allegedly getting in a brawl at a luxury hotel in Las Vegas, TMZ Sports has learned ... and we have video of the MMA star being led away in handcuffs.
Law enforcement sources tell us the 44-year-old fighter was detained ... but was ultimately not arrested because cops didn't personally witness the alleged incident.
Sonnen was given 5 misdemeanor battery citations. However, police are still investigating.
A witness tells us she saw Sonnen banging on the door of a hotel room at the Four Seasons around 7 PM Saturday night.
The witness says a couple walked by and a physical altercation broke out -- the reason why is unclear.
Sonnen, 6'1", 200-ish lb. former fighter was easily handling the man, according to the witness.
We're told the woman accompanying the man began to scream, and someone called the police.
Cops responded and detained Sonnen, leading him away in cuffs.
We're told paramedics also responded ... though it's unclear if they treated anyone for injuries.
Sonnen last fought in 2019 ... losing to Lyoto Machida. However, Chael had an incredible career spanning Bellator and the UFC ... beating everyone from Rampage Jackson, Shogun Rua, Wanderlei Silva, and Michael Bisping.
Over the last few years, and especially since retirement, Sonnen has become one of the most respected and sought-after voices in MMA, becoming a cult figure.
Story developing ...
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Kim Potter Breaks Down on Stand ... Details Shooting & Killing Daunte Wright
2:51 PM PT -- The legal team for Wright's family tells us, "Daunte Wright's killing at Potter's hands was absolutely preventable. The argument that she mistook her firearm for her taser is simply beyond comprehension and a damning indictment of both her and the Brooklyn Center Police Department's practices and training protocols."
Kim Potter -- the MN cop on trial for shooting and killing Daunte Wright -- just broke down during her testimony about the second she realized what she had done.
An emotional Potter was questioned Friday on exactly what happened in the moments leading up to Wright's death. Potter has maintained she thought she was pulling out her taser, when in fact, it was her gun.
Fighting back tears, she told the court, "I remember yelling Taser, Taser, Taser and nothing happened. And then, he told me I shot him."
By the end of the sentence, Potter was sobbing, and grabbing for tissues.
Potter's been charged with manslaughter for Wright's death, which happened back in April. Bodycam showed the exchange between Potter and 20-year-old Wright -- who was trying to drive away from cops after officers stopped him on a weapons possession warrant.
Originally Published -- 11:55 AM PT
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Glenn Foster Ben Crump Says Evidence Shows Ex-NFLer Was Choked ... Before In-Custody Death
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Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump says evidence shows ex-NFL defensive lineman Glenn Foster was choked before he died in police custody earlier this month.
The renowned lawyer made the claim in a statement Friday ... saying an independent autopsy revealed that Foster's body showed "some evidence of neck compressions and strangulation."
Crump said he and medical experts believe it all reveals that Foster did not die of "natural causes" on Dec. 6 ... just two days after he was arrested in Alabama on Dec. 4.
"As we continue to investigate the case," Crump said, "we are learning that Mr. Foster's death in Pickens County appears to be part of a disturbing trend of Black men dying while in the custody of the Pickens County Sheriff's Office."
NEWS ALERT: @AttorneyCrump and co-counsel Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmermann and Robert F. “Bobby” DiCello have released a statement on the preliminary findings of the independent autopsy of Glenn Foster Jr. pic.twitter.com/ezay4XHign
— Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) December 17, 2021 @BenCrumpLaw
"Keeping people in your custody alive is literally the lowest bar we can set for a law enforcement agency," Crump added, "and is something that the Pickens County Sheriff's Office failed to do."
"Pickens County owes the family the truth relating to Mr. Foster's tragic death."
Law enforcement officials have been mum about the details surrounding Foster's passing ... with reps from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency only saying that Foster did, in fact, die while in police custody.
"Nothing further is available as the investigation is ongoing," officials said in a statement the day after Foster's death.
We've reached out to the ALEA for comment on Crump's claims ... but so far, no word back yet.
Foster -- who signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and played two seasons for the team -- was just 31 years old.
His funeral has been set for Saturday in Louisiana.
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Young Dolph Murder Case Feds Leaning on Informants ... No Solid Suspects Yet
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Federal agents investigating Young Dolph's murder are hoping their informants can help them crack the case ... but so far, the information provided hasn't led to any suspects or arrests.
Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation tell TMZ ... federal agents recently interviewed informants about Dolph's shooting death in Memphis, resulting in a few new leads.
While we're told there are no solid suspects yet, the feds are hoping the information gleaned from their informants will lead them in the right direction to eventually make a probable cause arrest.
Meanwhile, investigators from the Memphis Police Department are also probing the case and talking to their sources on the street.
Memphis PD Sgt. Louis Brownlee tells TMZ ... cops have received quite a few tips on Young Dolph's murder, and while investigators have followed up on that info, there hasn't been anything to lead to an arrest.
As we reported, Young Dolph was gunned down last month while he was inside a Memphis cookie shop, with 2 masked gunmen being caught on surveillance footage before they fled in a getaway car.
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Alec Baldwin Cops Get Search Warrant for His Phone As 'Rust' Investigation Continues
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6:29 AM PT -- 12/17 Hannah's attorney, Jason Bowles, tells us that while at the time she didn't believe anyone could have brought live ammo on set, "... as time has gone on and our investigation continues to uncover suspicious and troubling facts pointing to sabotage, she wants this fully and completely investigated to uncover the full truth."
6:28 AM PT -- As we've reported, Bowles believes it's possible there was sabotage against Hannah from a fellow cast or crew member working on the project.
Alec Baldwin's phone might contain crucial evidence in the "Rust" shooting investigation ... at least cops think so, and that's why they now have a warrant to comb through it.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Dept. got a New Mexico judge to sign off Thursday on a search warrant for Alec's mobile phone ... a move that comes nearly 2 months after the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Alec told investigators about emails between head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and himself, in which she showed him different styles of guns and knives for the film. He says he requested a bigger gun, and she showed him an antique Colt.
We know Alec was using a replica of an 1873 Colt 45 at the time of the shooting.
Remember, during his ABC interview ... Alec said he's sure he's not responsible for Halyna's death, although he wouldn't say who was. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies begged to differ though ... saying neither Baldwin nor anyone else who had contact with the weapon was in the clear yet. She stressed the investigation was ongoing.
In the docs, cops say they're trying to gather information about the production from before filming started. They clearly feel Alec's emails and/or texts might contain some of that data. When they asked for his phone, they were told to get a warrant.
One interesting anecdote about Hannah -- during an interview with detectives, they say she said she didn't believe anyone on the "Rust" production would be malicious enough to bring live ammo on the set.
That's weird because, as we reported, her attorney told us he thinks someone sabotaged Hannah by intentionally mixing live rounds with dummy ammunition. The D.A.'s dismissed that theory.
Originally Published -- 12/16 2:54 PM PT
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Jenifer Lewis Congress Needs to Get Involved ... Investigate Murder of Kendrick Johnson
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Jenifer Lewis is calling on Congress to open an investigation into the death of Kendrick Johnson -- a 17-year-old black boy -- whose body was found rolled up in a gym mat years ago.
"The Mother of Black Hollywood" author and exec producer of the Starz documentary "Finding Kendrick Johnson" joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and shared why she thinks his case is so important.
Jenifer told us, "This is the most important film I’ve ever worked on. What this family has gone through is unspeakable but we must speak it so the public knows the truth."
The controversial death was ruled "accidental" by the state of Georgia, although Kendrick's family hired a forensics specialist who said his death was caused by "non-accidental blunt force trauma." The case was closed, but reopened in March ... we're told the doc sheds light on new evidence in the case.
Jenifer's clearly outraged by the lack of action on the part of law enforcement, saying, "You know how much evidence the FBI has to have to storm somebody’s house with guns AK- 47s out? And then when they got in there and saw that it was an FBI agent, it was just pushed under the rug, just pushed under the rug. Another Black kid. So what?”
The actress also talked about her special connection to filmmaker Jason Pollock after his 2014 Michael Brown doc, since she grew up in a small town just outside of Ferguson ... and she now wants the people in Washington to do something about it.
The doc is available now on Prime Video and will be released by Starz on December 27.
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Josh Duggar's Sister Jana Explains Child Endangerment Case ... Kid Wandered Outside
Josh Duggar's sister, Jana, is sharing her side of her child endangerment case ... chalking it up to a babysitting mishap she says could happen to anyone.
Jana says the charge against her stems from one of the children she was babysitting wandering outside alone, with a passerby noticing the child and calling the cops.
Josh's sister says police gave her a written citation, but she claims a follow-up with child welfare concluded it was an accident and the child was unharmed. She claims child welfare "recognized it was a case of a child slipping out of the house when you turn your back for a moment."
Jana says everything unfolded very quickly and admits it was scary ... but she says she's "thankful it all ended safely." Still, she says she's upset at herself for what happened.
As we reported ... Jana, the oldest daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle, was cited back on September 9 and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor. She's due back in court next month.
Meanwhile, Josh was just found guilty on both counts by a jury in his child pornography trial ... though his legal team says they will appeal the verdict.
Bottom line ... the Duggar family is swamped with legal issues.