Police

The U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the January 6 riot has revealed himself publicly and strongly defends his actions ... saying it was a last resort, but necessary.

The 28-year veteran officer, Michael Byrd, told NBC News' Lester Holt ... his job that day was to protect scores of House members who were holed up in a room just yards away from the insurrectionists.

Byrd says he screamed a series of commands for the insurrectionists to retreat, but they kept pushing. He says had they got through the glass door ... "they’re into the House chamber and upon the members of Congress."

As you know, Babbitt climbed through a window that led into the Speaker's Lobby, and that's when Byrd opened fire ... striking her in the shoulder. He says squarely... she posed a threat to House members.

Byrd says, "I tried to wait as long as I could ... I hoped and prayed no one tried to enter through those doors. But, their failure to comply required me to take the appropriate action to save the lives of members of Congress and myself and my fellow officers."

The death of Babbitt, a QAnon supporter and Air Force veteran, has been used by right-wing groups to frame a false narrative about the incident, calling Byrd a murderer.

"True Life: Crime" is taking a deep dive into the fatal shooting of Darrien Hunt for its season 2 finale ... and one of show host Dometi Pongo's goals is to have the case re-opened.

The MTV host joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and said Darrien's family never got justice after he was gunned down in 2014 by police in Saratoga Springs, Utah. At the time, the case drew national attention following an outcry over inconsistencies in the police narrative.

Darrien was shot and killed September 10, 2014 after cops said the 22-year-old lunged at them with a sword.

An autopsy report later showed Darrien -- who was cosplaying as a samurai while carrying a decorative sword -- was shot 6 times in the back. Surveillance footage shows Darrien running from cops -- a glaring inconsistency from the police report.

The Utah County D.A.'s Office concluded the use of deadly force was justified. Fast forward to now ... there's a Change.org petition demanding officials reopen the case. The petition is now 744,000 signatures strong.

Billy Crystal and his wife's public support for Gov. Gavin Newsom was halted after a thief made off with a yard sign outside the actor's home ... and now police are investigating.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... there has been a rash of political signs being stolen from homes in Pacific Palisades, and Billy's place was among those that got hit.

We're told the signs being yanked out of lawns were all in support of Newsom and against the recall effort.

Our sources say Billy's wife, Janice, was pissed about the sign being stolen and told neighbors about it ... and they eventually got the case looped into a larger investigation by the LAPD.

The good news? We checked out Billy and Janice's place on Tuesday, and they've got a new sign proudly displayed outside.

As you know, Newsom is facing a recall effort, squaring off against a wide range of candidates including celebs like Caitlyn Jenner. The Republican leading the pack is conservative talk show host Larry Elder.

Brandon Hanks is the most famous Syracuse PD officer -- having gone viral for playing hoops with kids years ago -- but shockingly, he's still on the force after superiors accused him of being a gang member ... prompting him to file a massive lawsuit.

Brandon joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday to discuss his $33 million suit against Syracuse PD ... a legal move he made after the brass denied him a promotion to a gang violence task force.

He says the only reason he was given was an allegation, from at least one superior, that he's a gang member who's selling drugs.

He denies the claims, saying there's no evidence, and also finds it bizarre he's still working his beat. Brandon pointed out the obvious ... if his bosses really thought he was up to no good, he'd be indicted.

He thinks the real issue is racism, and in his lawsuit, he accuses Syracuse PD of having a "Jim Crow culture."

Brandon told us Syracuse PD loved him when he was getting them national attention for challenging kids to basketball games as part of a community outreach program -- but, for some reason, that all changed when he tried to advance his career.

Former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Nicholas Brendon looks unrecognizable in his mug shot ... after he was arrested for allegedly obtaining prescription drugs by fraud.

According to an affidavit, obtained by TMZ, Nicholas was driving erratically when cops spotted his silver Dodge Journey last week in Vigo County, Indiana. Cops say he failed to signal and was swerving all over the place.

After he was pulled over ... cops say they noticed him sweating profusely and "appeared nervous due to a visibly racing pulse on his neck and shaking hands."

When they asked him for ID ... cops say Nicholas gave them a California ID with the name Kelton Schultz. Cops say Nicholas told them Kelton was his twin brother.

Cops claim they found a "small plastic bag that contained crystal/powder residue" and a pill bottle in a bag with a medication prescribed to "Nicholas Bender."

Cops brought out the K-9's because of "signs in the vehicle that narcotics were potentially being trafficked." One of those signs -- the new-ish car's carpeting had been cut out in multiple places and padding under the carpeting revealed evidence screws were removed.

Cops say a thorough search turned up several more plastic bags containing residue but no other contraband ... and a prescription filled that same day at a Kroger grocery store.

The prescription, cops say, was for amphetamine salts prescribed to Kelton Schultz. When asked why he lied to them about his identity, cops say Nicholas told them "they have the same prescription and they fill each other's prescription." Cops say Nicholas admitted to taking pills that were prescribed to Kelton.

They believed Nicholas was abusing the pills and or selling them and believe "he was using his brother’s ID to procure more or that the ID he initially handed me belonging to Kelton is fraudulent.” They arrested him for failure to identify and obtaining a prescription by fraud.

Jackboy has always insisted he's innocent in his gun possession case, and now prosecutors at least agree he shouldn't be charged ... because they don't have the goods to prove he's guilty.

Jonathan L. Adams, the Monroe County D.A., tells TMZ ... his office decided not to move forward with charges against the rapper "due to our concern regarding being able to prove [Jackboy] had actual knowledge of the location of the firearms."

Adams pointed to the same issue cops identified in their initial report ... that a passenger in the backseat claimed to be responsible for the 2 guns found in the glove box.

Jackboy's attorney, Drew Findling, says, "We told you early this year that Pierre Delince (Jackboy) was innocent of these charges." He added, "We are very much appreciative of them making that important decision."

TMZ broke the story ... Jackboy was busted in March after cops pulled over a vehicle in which he was a passenger, because the driver had trouble staying in his lane.

When cops searched the Lambo SUV they said they found 2 unregistered handguns in the glove box next to Jackboy's seat.

Cops say the rapper told cops he didn't know there were guns in the whip. He was ultimately arrested and booked for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. But, prosecutors now say they don't have evidence Jackboy knew the guns were there.

"American Idol" finalist Syesha Mercado and her partner have a huge reason to smile ... they've been reunited with their infant daughter.

Syehsa's partner, Tyron Deener, posted video Friday, presumably during their car ride home, with baby Ast sound asleep in a child safety seat. Syesha had a huge grin on her face and Tyron couldn't look prouder to have their daughter back.

He thanked everyone for helping them get the resources they needed to get their daughter back from Florida's Child Protective Services. He said, "We still got work to do to get 'Ra back. Thank you, because of y'all we had the proper support to get the best attorneys in the country."

Remember ... the couple started a GoFundMe to help cover the legal costs and raised more than $400k. Syesha's joy was evident in her caption -- “AST IS HOME!!!! #BringRaHome POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!!!”

As we reported ... Syesha sobbed as the Manatee County Sheriff's deputies took Ast from her earlier this month. She reluctantly handed over the infant in accordance with a family court judge's order.

The couple's toddler son, Amen'Ra, was put in foster care back in March after a doctor claimed the boy was malnourished. Deputies told the couple they were taking Ast because they didn't tell authorities she'd given birth to Ast during the ongoing legal battle for Ra.

Britney Spears is under investigation for an alleged battery on one of her longtime housekeepers during an argument over Britney's dogs, but Britney and her camp say the housekeeper is making it up and the case will go nowhere ... TMZ has learned.

Ventura County Sheriff's deputies were alerted to the incident Monday at Britney's house. According to our law enforcement sources ... the housekeeper told cops she had taken one of Brit's dogs to the vet, claiming there were issues with the treatment of the pet.

We're told the housekeeper claims Britney confronted her when she got back from the vet, they argued about the dog's wellness -- and then Britney allegedly slapped the housekeeper's phone out of her hands.

The housekeeper initially called deputies to the house, but then went to a Sheriff's station to file a report. Our sources say deputies attempted to get in touch with Britney to get her side of the story, but she would not speak with them ... but that's not unusual. Most lawyers would advise a client not to have such a discussion.

Now, a source connected to Britney denies there was any physical altercation, and claims the Sheriff's Dept. assured Brit's camp the case would go nowhere.

Blues Traveler had a scary moment on its travels ... the band's tour bus crashed on an interstate and several band members were rushed to a hospital with minor injuries.

A rep for the band, Deborah Radel, tells TMZ ... their bus crashed Wednesday night in Minnesota on their way to Friday's tour stop, and the crash left everyone inside trapped until law enforcement and first responders arrived.

We're told the band was on the way to Rochester, MN and the single-vehicle crash left them shaken, while a few, including frontman John Popper, were injured and treated at a local hospital.

Minnesota State Police say the tour bus lost control on I-90 and crashed into the center median ditch, resulting in non-life threatening injuries for 3 passengers.

John was live-posting about the crash on Facebook, saying he injured his ribs and another bandmate suffered a dislocated shoulder.

The people who allegedly swiped jewelry from Swae Lee's hotel room -- along with the 4 suspects who smashed up Lil Pump's rides -- are going to get off scot-free ... unless police get some new info.

A spokesperson for the Miami Beach PD tells TMZ ... in both cases, all investigative leads were exhausted, and in the end, no arrests were made.

We're told the 2 separate cases are now considered closed ... unless cops receive additional leads which would then be reviewed.

We broke the story ... Swae Lee claims he had $300,000 worth of jewelry jacked from his room at the Mondrian Hotel in South Beach back in June, and he was suspicious of the cleaning staff.

About a month before that -- not too far from Swae's hotel -- Lil Pump had 3 of his luxury vehicles broken into and vandalized. According to the police report, 4 suspects were caught in the act on surveillance footage ... but it still apparently didn't lead to any arrests.

Lil Wayne's never forgotten "Uncle Bob" -- the former New Orleans police officer who saved his life when he attempted suicide at age 12 -- and he's told him he's got his back for life if he ever needs anything.

"Uncle Bob," whose real name is Robert Hoobler, tells TMZ ... he saw Lil Wayne in 2019 when the rapper was in NOLA for a radio show, and that's when Wayne offered to provide Bob with financial support if he ever needed it, telling Bob all he has to do is say the word.

Bob says he hasn't taken up Weezy on the generous offer, but there have been talks about him joining Weezy's team in some sort of administrative capacity ... it's still TBD.

If you don't know ... Lil Wayne recently opened up about his mental health struggles as a kid and the incident with "Uncle Bob" when he was 12.

Lil Wayne now admits he intentionally shot himself in the chest -- for years, it was believed to be an accidental shooting -- and Bob was the cop who came to his rescue, refusing to let him die.

Now, all these years later, Wayne's still trying to pay back Bob. It's not the first time he's tried either -- you may recall his 2015 track "London Roads" in which he rapped about Bob saving him, and suggested the ex-cop had died.

But, Bob was still alive ... and says he got in touch with Wayne to let him know all reports or rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated.

The political divide over vaccines just got bloody.

Someone was stabbed Saturday during a massive brawl in downtown L.A. ... in the middle of an anti-vaccine protest.

People on both sides squared off and it didn't take long for fists to fly. The person stabbed is hospitalized in serious condition.

The protesters called the demonstration a "Choose Freedom March." They say they are protesting the "medical tyranny" of mandatory vaccinations and vaccine passports ... whatever that means.

As the Delta variant continues to wreak havoc in the U.S., more and more cities and businesses are either contemplating or implementing mandatory vaccination policies. There's a clear move to declare restaurants, concerts, sporting events and other gathering places off-limits to people who choose to turn thumbs down to the vaccine.

As for Saturday's confrontation, there were counter-protesters present, calling their mission "No Safe Space for Fascists" ... they are demonstrating against what they call "violent anti-vaxxers."

This video shows former "American Idol" finalist Syesha Mercado absolutely beside herself, in tears, as law enforcement takes her newborn baby following a child protective services investigation ... and the video is stirring outrage.

Syesha sobbed as she reluctantly handed over her baby daughter to Manatee County Sheriff's deputies Wednesday in Florida. Cops insisted she surrender the child during a welfare check.

You see Syesha begging the deputies not to take her baby ... then pumping breast milk into a bottle to send off with her daughter, who was eventually taken away in the back of a SUV.

The newborn is reportedly the second child authorities have taken from Syesha this year. Her toddler son was placed in foster care following a hospital visit where a doctor sounded an alarm, claiming the boy was malnourished.

In this video, Syesha asks law enforcement why they're taking her baby girl, and she's told it's because she didn't tell authorities she'd given birth while the legal battle for custody of her son was ongoing.

Syesha insists her newborn is happy and healthy, claiming she has all the paperwork to keep the kid, and saying cops should have contacted her attorney -- but in the end, she lost custody.

The emotional video is sparking outrage online, with some folks accusing authorities of racism.

Ben Crump is now taking on another civil rights case ... this time seeking justice for a Black realtor who was wrongfully detained in Michigan during a house showing.

Crump tells us he is considering a lawsuit against the City of Wyoming PD for what he says was the false imprisonment and unlawful detention of realtor Eric Brown and his client Roy Thorne.

As we reported, cops detained and handcuffed Brown, Thorne and his 15-year-old son during a house showing. They detained the 2 men after a neighbor made a call to cops that they fit the description of someone who allegedly broke into a nearby house. The description was incredibly vague.

The Wyoming PD has since apologized for the incident, but says race had nothing to do with how officers responded to the situation. The department explained the call came in as a possible home invasion, and their officers responded as trained.

But, Brown and Thorne claim the ordeal caused them to suffer mental trauma, and they're saying the whole incident was rooted in racial profiling. What's more ... Thorne's son, Sammie, now suffers from anxiety and has trouble sleeping from the incident.

Country singer Clare Dunn is terrified her alleged attacker -- a Lyft driver in Nashville -- is out there abusing another woman, because nearly 2 months after she was beaten on a roadside ... he's still free.

Clare says she'd been out in Nashville with girlfriends on June 25, and around midnight she got Lyft to take herself and one of her friends home. The driver dropped off the friend first, and then started a 10-mile drive to Clare's place -- but she knew something was wrong when he refused to take the route she requested.

The singer -- who lives in Colorado, but was in Music City working on an album -- says the driver sped onto a highway before finally pulling over about a mile from her stop, and dragging out of the backseat by her collar and slamming to the ground.

Clare says she was face-down in a ditch as she desperately tried to dial 911 on her phone, but couldn't as he was assaulting her. She was out cold for some period of time, and when she came to she started screaming ... and the driver fled at that point.

Clare went to an emergency room for treatment and filed a police report. She's identified the driver to a detective, and while there's a warrant out for the suspect's arrest ... cops still haven't tracked him down.

She told People, "He's out on the street — is he doing this to someone else? Does he have a wife he's abusing? Does he have a girlfriend he's abusing like this? Because he obviously has no regard right now."

Lyft says it's fired the driver and is helping law enforcement with the investigation.

A violent shootout near a youth football game in Detroit on Sunday was captured on camera ... and the shocking footage is horrifying.

Cops say it went down at around 6 PM at a local park while children were playing in a local sports league ... when two groups pulled out guns and fired on each other after an argument.

A witness captured the chaos on their cell phone -- and the video is terrifying, showing dozens of people running for cover as multiple rounds of gunfire went off.

Officials say three males -- aging from 14 to 15 years old -- were shot in the melee ... but somehow, officials added none of the children in the area were struck by bullets.

"Very unfortunate and unnecessary situation when you've got people using gunfire to resolve whatever disputes that they are having," said Detroit Police Department's James White, who added the three teenagers were transported to a local hospital and are currently in stable condition.

"Certainly could have been a lot worst."

Police say they recovered two firearms from the scene and made several arrests -- but added the investigation is still ongoing.

"We're confident that we've got some of the shooters," White said.