Weapons & Guns

Brett Hankison, one of the 3 Louisville cops who fired their weapons during the deadly March 13 raid at Breonna Taylor's home ... is about to be tossed off the force.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer just announced Hankison will no longer be employed by the Louisville Metro Police Department.

A letter from police Chief Robert Schroeder says Hankison had "violated obedience to rules and regulations," and use of deadly force while serving the no-knock warrant at Breonna's home.

The letter also says, Hankison "displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life when [he] wantonly and blindly fired 10 rounds into the apartment of Breonna Taylor." The chief also calls out Hankison for firing on someone he did not know posed a threat, and also for firing through a patio door without knowing who or what was on the other side of it.

As we've reported ... the 3 officers -- which includes Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove -- had been placed on administrative reassignment but were still part of the force, until Hankison's Friday firing.

On Thursday, KY Attorney General Daniel Cameron addressed the investigation into Taylor's death, saying his team was working nonstop ... but had nothing to report yet in terms of possible charges for the officers.

Instead, he pled for patience and peace and vowed to follow the truth and be "thorough and fair" to everyone involved.

Rapper Hurricane Chris -- best know for the hit track, "A Bay Bay" -- has been arrested for murder in Louisiana ... TMZ has confirmed.

The rapper, who's real name is Christopher Dooley, Jr., was arrested and booked for second-degree murder after cops say he shot and killed a man early Friday morning at a Texaco gas station in Shreveport, Louisiana ... according to the Shreveport PD.

Cops say Chris initially told them there was an alleged struggle over his car, so he shot the man multiple times in self-defense. But, cops say surveillance footage painted a much different picture ... resulting in Chris' arrest for second-degree murder.

What's more ... cops say the car Chris was riding in was actually reported stolen out of Texas, which resulted in the rapper also getting booked for illegal possession of stolen things.

One of the cops involved in Rayshard Brooks' shooting has turned himself in and he's been charged with aggravated assault ... TMZ has learned.

In addition to aggravated assault, Devin Brosnan faces 3 acts of violation of oath by a public officer ... according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Atlanta.

Garrett Rolfe the cop who shot Rayshard -- and is charged with felony murder -- has not turned himself yet. The D.A. gave him until Thursday evening to do so.

As we reported ... Fulton County D.A. Paul Howard announced 11 charges against Garrett Rolfe, including multiple counts of aggravated assault. Howard claims Rolfe kicked Rayshard while he lay dying.

Howard didn't mince words ... he doesn't believe Rolfe feared for his life and noted Rayshard had been cordial, cooperative and calm for more than 41 minutes before he was fatally shot.

The D.A. also said Rolfe was not motivated by fear but rather "another type of emotion." Howard didn't specifically say which emotion, but did say you can hear Rolfe right after he shot Brooks say, "I got him."

A man who was recording video of cops pouncing on a protester from his building got his window blasted ... and he's looking for the officer he believes fired at him.

Twitter user Kentucky Kenji says he was shooting the Black Lives Matter protests in Louisville earlier this week, and as he got close to his window to zoom in on some potential police brutality, he got shot at.

As you can see, his window got smashed by a projectile -- looks like a rubber bullet or a pepper ball -- and the damage was visible as he backed away. Makes ya think ... they're non-lethal rounds, but damn!!! If one of those hit you from 20-30 feet away?

It's unclear exactly who shot at him, but Kenji's looking for "the name of the cop who shot at me."

The former Atlanta cop who shot Rayshard Brooks in the back and killed him has now been charged with felony murder, and the cop's partner has agreed to testify against him.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced 11 charges against Garrett Rolfe, including multiple acts of aggravated assault. Howard made particular notice that Rolfe kicked Brooks while he lay dying.

Howard made it clear ... he does not believe Rolfe feared for his life in any way, shape or form. Howard noted Brooks had been cordial, cooperative and calm for more than 41 minutes. The D.A. said Rolfe was not motivated by fear but rather "another type of emotion." Howard didn't specifically say which emotion, but did say you can hear Rolfe right after he shot Brooks say, "I got him."

It's especially significant the other cop, Devin Brosnan, is now cooperating with the D.A.'s investigation.

Howard has charged Brosnan with aggravated assault -- he's on video stepping on Brooks' shoulder. He's also been charged with failure to render timely aid. He could face more than 20 years in prison, but it's almost certain he'll get way less for cooperating.

Video of the incident shows Brooks was shot by Rolfe during a chase in a Wendy's parking lot after Brooks had obtained one of the officer's Tasers and was attempting to flee arrest following a failed breathalyzer test.

This is a sea change to the extent prosecutors have now sent a message to cops they don't have to blindly stand by colleagues who cross the line.

Howard said his office talked to multiple witnesses and reviewed a number of videos and other physical evidence before reaching the decision to charge them.

The D.A. is recommending a $50,000 bond for Brosnan and no bond at all for Rolfe. Both men have until Thursday night to surrender.

Brandishing his semi-automatic rifle at a group of black men who'd simply parked near his home was enough for a white guy in Virginia to get busted by cops.

This wild incident was caught on camera Sunday in Partlow, VA, where Dennis Lee Berry allegedly approached a squad of motorcycle riders who pulled over near his home to catch their breath and re-route.

One of the bike riders says Mr. Berry sprung up on them with an AR-15 cocked and seemingly loaded ... asking if they lived there, and then demanding they leave.

Some of the interaction was captured on video ... the men (4 of whom are black) tried talking him down, and questioning why he seemed so ready to shoot. They also pointed out they didn't appear to be on his property.

Welp, after some back and forth -- without any bullets flying -- the cops showed up and sorted things out. Berry was arrested for brandishing a firearm. He was released on bond, and the rifle was seized as evidence.

According to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office -- which responded to the call -- the bikers had, in fact, pulled into a private neighborhood ... but acknowledge the men didn't see a "No Trespassing" sign when they did it.

A Wendy's employee was concerned Rayshard Brooks had drank too much because he was sleeping in his car, but also made it clear she didn't think he posed any danger.

TMZ's obtained audio of the 911 call that employee made, and she told the dispatcher she needed police to respond because Brooks is asleep at the wheel and partially blocking the drive-thru. She said she believed he was "intoxicated."

The woman said she tried to wake Brooks, and get him to pull off to the side ... but she couldn't get through to him.

The Wendy's employee described Rayshard's car, and when asked, told the operator he was black. When the operator asked if he had any weapons, the worker replied ... "No, no I think he's intoxicated."

As we reported ... Rayshard was cordial and cooperative with the 2 officers who arrived -- Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan -- for nearly 30 minutes ... based on Brosnan's bodycam footage.

However, after a failed field sobriety test, he resisted when Rolfe tried to slap the cuffs on him, a struggle ensued. When Rayshard took off running, Rolfe opened fire ... hitting him twice in the back.

Rolfe has since been fired, and Brosnan placed on administrative leave. Neither has been arrested or charged yet.

The Atlanta PD has released body cam video showing the interaction between Rayshard Brooks and cops in a Wendy's parking lot moments before Brooks was shot and killed.

The conversation between Brooks and Officer Garrett Rolfe starts out cordial. Rolfe suspects Brooks had been drinking and driving, although when cops came on scene Brooks was not driving ... he had fallen asleep in his car.

Rolfe is trying to get Brooks to admit he had been drinking and driving, pressing him to take a field sobriety test. Brooks says he had a few drinks during his daughter's birthday party, but that was it.

Brooks makes it clear ... he doesn't want trouble and agreed to leave his car behind and walk home. Rolfe clearly views that comment as a confession Brooks is unable to drive.

Eventually, Brooks takes the test and the officer tries to handcuff him, and that's when a struggle ensues.

Again, Brooks was able to grab one of the officer's tasers and run, so the officers knew a man accused of a non-violent misdemeanor was running away from them with a NON-LETHAL weapon, yet Brooks was shot 3 times.

The family lawyer is indignant the cops waited more than 2 minutes to even check on Brooks once he was down.

Officer Garrett Rolfe was fired and Devin Brosnan, whose body cam footage it is, has been placed on administrative leave.

Ryan Guettler -- a BMX star and former X Games medalist -- was arrested after he was accused of firing off a shotgun while naked outside a North Carolina home.

Cops say they responded to a call accusing Guettler of roaming the streets nude with a firearm Wednesday afternoon in Wilmington, N.C.

When they arrived, officers say the 36-year-old ran into a garage and barricaded himself ... and refused to come out.

The scene appeared to be pretty intense, the Wilmington P.D. even tweeted about it at the time, saying, "Police responding to a barricaded subject with a gun just minutes ago off Covenant Lane. More details to come."

Cops say SWAT and negotiators arrived on the scene to help extract Guettler ... and, fortunately, he complied with nobody getting hurt.

Cops say they took Guettler to a nearby medical center for assessment ... before they ultimately arrested him and booked him on several charges, including felony "breaking or entering" and "going armed to terror people."

According to jail records, he's still in custody.

Former Playboy Playmate Ashley Mattingly -- a domestic violence survivor at the hands of Lane Garrison -- took her own life with a gunshot to the head ... according to her autopsy.

The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office says Ashley put a handgun in her mouth when she pulled the trigger. The rest of the report reveals graphic, and quite frankly, obvious details we don't need to get into here.

The ME's report, obtained by TMZ, also includes toxicology results that show Ashley had opiates and benzos in her system when she died.

TMZ broke the story ... Ashley died back in April at her home in Austin, Texas, leaving a suicide note. Her family told us Ashley was struggling with substance abuse and alcohol abuse.

While they acknowledge she had many demons, they also say she was trying to get her life back on track.

Ashley was 33.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's son was arrested Wednesday after cops say he stabbed his Orange County neighbor multiple times, TMZ Sports has learned.

28-year-old Adam Abdul-Jabbar -- who appeared on "Celebrity Family Feud" with his famous father back in 2017 -- has been booked on 1 count of assault with a deadly weapon, records show.

Cops tell us ... officers responded to call about a stabbing on June 9 around 10 PM in San Clemente, CA.

"The suspect, who is the neighbor of the victim, was arrested without incident," a police spokesperson tells us.

Cops say the victim transported himself to the hospital "with multiple non-life-threatening injuries."

According to his booking sheet, Abdul-Jabbar stands 6'7" and weighs 180 lbs. He has since been released from custody, cops say.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, officials tell us.

A journalist covering the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis is suing the city and its police chief, claiming cops left her permanently blind in one eye ... courtesy of rubber bullets.

In the lawsuit, journalist Linda Tirado claims cops ignored her press credential and targeted her with a ballistic tracking round ... before firing foam bullets at her face.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Tirado says she was covering the protests on May 29 -- the first night the city implemented a curfew -- and was left with blood dripping down her face as she repeatedly cried "I'm press." She claims officers ignored her and it was protesters who got her to a medic who transported her to the hospital.

Tirado claims by the time she got to the hospital her left eye was permanently destroyed. She says doctors told her "in connection with her injury, she now has a flat aspect and no depth perception.”

The mother of 2 also says the injury will have long-term effects on her children. She says her oldest is 9 years old and is autistic and "will need therapy to work through her trauma associated with her mother’s injury." Tirado also says her youngest, 7, may also need therapy.

Cops have a Seattle gunman in custody after he drove his car down a crowded street of peaceful protesters and shot a person who tried to stop him.

It was a terrifying scene Sunday evening as the black car came barreling down a street ... forcing people to run and jump out of the suspect's path.

He slowed down as he approached a barricade, and a few people reached into his car ... trying to stop him before he reached a much more crowded street. That's when he opened fire, shooting one male victim ... then stopped his car and got out brandishing the handgun.

Onlookers from surrounding buildings screamed in horror, and the gunman started running through a packed street of people protesting the killing of George Floyd.

Seattle PD was able to track down the gunman before anyone else was injured and they now have him in custody.

Elmer Fudd is losing one of his signature items for the rebooted 'Looney Tunes' on HBO Max -- the guy's going gun-less moving forward ... but has other lethal weapons at his disposal.

The news was confirmed this weekend as people noticed the new animated series doesn't feature any firearms -- with one of the EPs telling the NYT, "We're not doing guns." Obviously, Elmer Fudd -- a hunter -- uses a rifle/shotgun in the OG cartoon show. Ditto for  Yosemite Sam -- he uses pistols -- who will also be without his usual weaponry from now on.

Funny enough, Elmer and Sam still get to use incredibly dangerous artillery in their never-ending pursuit of Bugs Bunny ... Elmer gets a scythe, and Sam is reportedly going with a grass hook. Of course, they still have access to dynamite and other ACME-certified products.

Lo and behold, a lot of people are "outraged" over this, accusing WB and HBO of going soft to appease to this generation's PC sensibilities ... especially as it pertains to gun violence.

It does seem a bit hypocritical to ban guns, but not other explosives that are depicted with as much verve and explicit violence as Elmer's rifle and Sam's pistols used to be in the old days.

Reche Caldwell -- a former NFL wide receiver who played with Tom Brady -- was shot and killed in Tampa on Saturday, his mother confirms to TMZ Sports.

He was only 41.

Caldwell's mother tells us ... Reche -- real name Donald Caldwell -- was getting ready to take his girlfriend out on a date when he went back inside his home to grab a jacket.

Reche's GF says the former player was "ambushed" by a "couple of people" who jumped out of bushes trying to rob him.

We're told Reche was shot in the leg and chest -- and someone called 911.

Unfortunately, the injuries were so severe, Caldwell's mother tells us Reche died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

"He was a good person who smiled all of the time," Deborah Caldwell tells us.

"He tried to help everyone he could. He was the type of guy who would take his shirt off his back and give it to you."

Caldwell was a 2nd round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft after a stellar career at the University of Florida.

He played 6 years in the NFL for the Chargers, Patriots and Redskins -- and was a part of the New England team that lost to the Colts in the 2006 AFC Championship.

We've reached out to authorities to find out of any arrests have been made. So far, no word back.

The New England Patriots have issued a statement saying, "We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of former Patriot Reche Caldwell."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

A Chicago PD officer charged at a protester, shoved him to the ground and started attempting to pummel him ... and it was all caught on video.

The attack went down Thursday night as demonstrators took to the streets again to protest the killing of George Floyd and police brutality ... the latter of which was on full display.

Take a look -- as cops appear to be trying to clear protesters from the area, one of them snaps and bum-rushes a guy and throws him down ... then starts delivering violent left hooks to his head.

The officer's so unhinged, he even strikes his own guy as he turns around to go at more protesters, before seeking out his original target for more action.

Chicago PD tells us they've opened an investigation into the incident. CPD adds it "strives to treat all individuals our officers encounter with respect. We do not tolerate misconduct of any kind and if any wrongdoing is discovered, officers will be held accountable."

This incident came just hours after one in Buffalo, where cops pushed an elderly man to the ground, causing him to hit his head and bleed -- and the day after NYPD officers assaulted a man they said was violating curfew.