Weapons & Guns

A Russian tank absolutely obliterated a civilian vehicle by opening fire -- killing an elderly couple inside who appeared to be trying to flee.

This went down Tuesday in the town of Makariv, just outside of Kyiv. As you know, that area has been under siege for days ... and people are attempting to get out any way they can, but many are still being targeted by Putin.

Tragically, that happened here ... the tank unleashing a blast from a good distance on an open road, with nothing but the car in sight. There was no threat posed, and nothing to indicate Ukrainian soldiers were afoot ... and yet, the tank operator fired on the vehicle.

The man and woman inside died -- a slaughtering that appears to have been captured by a nearby surveillance camera. In the aftermath, somebody filmed the destruction up close ... and you can see the couple's bodies leaning on each other.

It's incredibly graphic, but also crucial ... to witness the sheer brutality that's being inflicted on the Ukrainian people. There are multiple videos like this ... and reports that ordinary folks are being indiscriminately fired upon by Russian forces.

Ukraine is in a chess match with Putin's army -- but some of the brave men on the ground are playing a different game ... and they have some interesting board pieces.

Check out these photos of Ukrainian soldiers locked in on a round of checkers -- but instead of red and black chips like you might normally see ... they got Molotov cocktails out! Unclear how they're distinguishing between bottles -- but if you look closely, it seems some of the caps might be different colors.

Kinda surreal to see, especially knowing that they're putting these weapons to use beyond just a game.

Of course ... we've seen ordinary citizens using these puppies to fight back against Russian forces, with local businesses (like breweries and whatnot) creating these on the fly and getting them out to the public for defense.

Indeed, the government has given folks there the greenlight to chuck the cocktails as they see fit -- and after the way the Russian army has been targeting civilians lately ... you can understand why they'd let 'em fly.

Looks like the Ukrainian soldiers have a fair amount themselves ... and until they're needed for flinging in battle, would appear they're putting them to good use elsewhere.

Cain Velasquez will remain behind bars for the immediate future ... a judge just denied the UFC legend's request for bail.

In announcing her decision at a hearing in a Santa Clara County courtroom on Monday, judge Shelyna Brown said "the risk is too great" to release Velasquez from custody.

Cain -- who showed up to court in shackles and a black and orange jumpsuit -- is now expected to stay in a cell until at least his next court date, which is currently set for mid-April.

As we reported, Velasquez is facing 10 criminal charges -- including one count of felony attempted murder -- after authorities say he tried to kill Harry Goularte, who's been accused of molesting one of Cain's close relatives.

In court documents, officials say Cain rammed his truck into a car carrying Goularte and family members on Feb. 28, and then fired his gun into the vehicle. Officials say Goularte's stepdad was struck in the gunfire.

Velasquez has received support from many since his arrest -- with Ronda Rousey, Joe Rogan and UFC fighter Derek Brunson all publicly defending the MMA star.

In fact, several Cain supporters were seen outside of the courthouse on Monday, pleading with officials to release him from custody.

DaBaby's legal woes are ebbing and flowing ... he's out of trouble in one matter involving a gun, but still in hot water over balls and pins.

The L.A. County D.A. has rejected the gun case against DaBaby that police have been working on since January 2021 -- when he was arrested in Bev Hills for allegedly having a weapon on him during a shopping spree.

You'll recall ... DB ended up in cuffs right there on Rodeo Drive, and was booked for carrying a loaded firearm.

In the end, the D.A. chose not to prosecute because of a lack of evidence -- which is apparent from the D.A.'s report recounting the incident.

The doc states DaBaby and co. were in a Gucci store, and a security guard says he saw DaBaby lift up his shirt. The security guard claimed he saw something in his waistband resembling a gun, prompting him to call the police.

The crew left, but weren't able to escape Rodeo Drive before a run-in with officers who searched the vehicle and did, indeed, find a gun under one of the seats. When nobody claimed ownership of the gun, cops took DB in based on what the security guard had told them. But apparently, that wasn't enough to file charges.

DaBaby's attorney, Drew Findling, tells TMZ ... "We've been 100% confident in Mr. Kirk's innocence since the day of this incident and are appreciative that the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has made a similar determination."

Great news for DaBaby, obviously -- but he's not out of the woods ... there's still a looming case over his bowling alley scuffle with DaniLeigh's brother, which was caught on video.

Our law enforcement sources say there's a much stronger chance that case could actually get some real consideration by the D.A.'s Office, considering the evidence already out there ... and we're told a felony assault with a deadly weapon charge is very much in play.

That said ... we're told the cops are somewhat skeptical on that one too due to D.A. George Gascon. It's no secret ... Gascon isn't interested in pursuing low-level crimes in and around L.A. ... something he campaigned on. In other words.

Joe Rogan didn't mince words when defending Cain Velasquez in wake of the UFC legend's arrest last week ... saying straight-up he wishes the fighter had beaten his relative's alleged molester "to death."

The UFC analyst explained his stance on a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," telling Michael Bisping he's firmly on Velasquez's side.

"I mean, my only wish is that he did it with his hands," Rogan told Bisping during a conversation about the allegations against Velasquez.

"My only wish is that he just ran the car off the road, pulled that guy out of the f***ing car, and beat him to death. F*** you."

Bisping wholeheartedly agreed, telling Rogan, "And even that would have been too good for him."

As we reported, Velasquez is accused of attempting to murder Harry Goularte on Feb. 28 after authorities said Goularte molested one of Velasquez's "close" relatives days before.

Cops say Velasquez tried to chase down Goularte and two of his family members on the road in San Jose, CA. ... claiming the 39-year-old rammed his truck into their car, and fired several rounds into it in an attempt to kill Goularte.

Velasquez was eventually arrested and hit with 10 criminal charges over it all, and has been sitting in a jail cell for nearly a week. He's set for a bond hearing in court later Monday afternoon.

Rogan isn't the only one defending Velasquez following the arrest ... UFC fighter Derek Brunson made "Free Cain Velasquez" t-shirts, while Ronda Rousey also backed the former UFC star.

Ukraine is getting pummeled by the Russian military, but not at zero cost, and this image of a Russian helicopter going down in flames is proof ... Ukrainians still have a lot of fight left in them.

It appears the helicopter was cruising along when it was hit by a Ukrainian missile. You see the chopper burst into flames as it crashes to the ground.

The direct hit causes the helicopter to explode in a fireball. It looks like the video was shot from a drone. As the chopper goes down, you hear someone say "Glory to Ukraine!"

It's unclear where the incident occurred, but there are reports it's around 25 miles from Kyiv.

The type of helicopter is commonly referred to as a "flying tank" because of its size. The type of helicopter was featured in 'Rambo: First Blood Part II' and "Rambo III."

"Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn narrowly escaped violent intruders early Friday ... and what saved them is some sturdy glass.

Christine, her husband, Christian Richards, and their son were sound asleep when they were awakened by some noise outside the house.

They apparently didn't see anything when they peered outside, but when they checked their security footage they were horrified to see 2 armed people trying to break in through a window.

What saved them from a home invasion robbery -- triple-pane glass that just wouldn't crack.

They called 911 and cops got there in minutes, but the robbers escaped.

Christine lives in the Hollywood Hills above the Sunset Strip. That area, along with others in the L.A. area, have been hit hard by crime over the last year.

Christine says the window the robbers were trying to break was 4 feet from her bedroom. She says it was the most horrifying moment of her life.

The man who shot and killed Jacqueline Avant -- wife of entertainment legend Clarence Avant -- will go to prison for murdering her and will, most likely, spend the rest of his life there.

Aariel Maynor pleaded guilty Thursday to murdering the 81-year-old philanthropist back in December ... according to L.A. County D.A. George Gascón. You'll recall, Maynor broke into the Avants' Beverly Hills home in the middle of the night, and opened fire with an "assault long barrel pistol" when he ran into Jacqueline. He also shot at, but missed, a security guard.

Jacqueline was taken to a hospital, but she died of her injuries

The D.A. says Maynor will be sentenced on March 30, and the judge can give him 170 years to life in prison. He will also be ineligible for parole.

Police captured Maynor about an hour after the Avant murder when he attempted to burglarize a Hollywood Hills home, and accidentally shot himself in the foot.

The brazen and brutal crime shook Hollywood to its core, as the Avants have been loved and respected in the entertainment biz for decades. They have deep ties to

Ronda Rousey is throwing her support behind Cain Velasquez following his attempted murder arrest earlier this week ... saying if the allegations are true, she "would have done the same thing" as the UFC legend.

The WWE star explained her stance on her social media page Thursday ... saying she doesn't blame Velasquez one bit for allegedly going after the man who was accused of molesting one of his close relatives.

In fact, Rousey -- whose husband Travis Browne lost to Velasquez at UFC 200 in 2016 -- said if she had been in Cain's position ... she might have done "worse."

As we previously reported, Velasquez was arrested on Monday in San Jose, CA. after he allegedly tried to kill Harry Goularte, a 43-year-old man who law enforcement says inappropriately touched one of Velasquez's family members at a child care facility days earlier.

In court documents, officials say Velasquez chased Goularte and his family members in his black Ford F250 ... rammed them, and then shot at them repeatedly, ultimately striking Goularte's stepdad in the arm.

Velasquez was eventually hit with 10 criminal charges, including felony attempted murder, over the incident ... and if he's convicted on all counts, he's facing decades behind bars.

Legendary college hoops coach Jim Boeheim says his wife, Juli Boeheim, is still "shook up" days after she was robbed at gunpoint in New York.

Boeheim joined Syracuse commentator Brent Axe's radio show on ESPN on Wednesday, where Axe asked Jim how his wife was doing following her traumatic ordeal.

"She's definitely shook up," Boeheim said. "I mean, this isn't television. It's not movies. It's real life."

The Syracuse men's basketball coach told the ESPN host that Juli is handling the situation better than most people would, but it's still not easy for her.

"She's a little shook," Jim said, "but I think she's doing much better than could be expected."

As we reported, law enforcement said Juli was sitting in her car in the Destiny USA parking lot in New York around 2 PM on Monday, when a "juvenile looking male" approached her, pointed a gun at her, and then grabbed her purse before running away.

The Syracuse Police Department confirmed that officers responded to the parking lot a short time later for a report of a 55-year-old woman who was robbed.

Fortunately, Juli did not sustain any injuries in the incident, and Jim says she was actually more concerned about the kid's well-being than her own.

"Her main thought was, 'Let's help this kid,'" the hoops coach said. "That's what she does and what we do with our foundation is try to help these kids."

Just hours after Cain Velasquez was hit with 10 criminal charges on Wednesday stemming from his alleged role in a Monday shooting ... he appeared in a courtroom in shackles.

Velasquez was flanked by an officer and wore a COVID mask ... and looked stern as he faced the judge.

According to sources close to the UFC legend, he was not granted bail at the hearing ... and instead will now be forced to remain in custody until his next court date next week.

As we reported, prosecutors hit Velasquez with one count of felony attempted murder and several other charges after they alleged he tried to a kill man who has been accused of molesting one of his close relatives.

In court docs, officials say Velasquez opened fire on the man and his family members as they were driving in San Jose on Monday afternoon.

Velasquez has yet to publicly issue any comment on the situation -- and he did not enter a plea at Wednesday's hearing.

Many of Velasquez's peers in the fighting world have thrown their support behind the UFC legend following his arrest, with Derek Brunson even making T-shirts to try to raise money for Cain's legal fees.

Cain Velasquez allegedly rammed his truck into the car of a man accused of molesting the UFC legend's family member, before allegedly firing multiple shots into the man's vehicle, striking the alleged molester's stepfather.

TMZ Sports has obtained court docs that spell out the allegations against 39-year-old Velasquez.

In the docs, officials say Velasquez followed a 43-year-old man named Harry Goularte -- who was recently charged with 1 felony count of a lewd and lascivious act for allegedly molesting Velasquez's "close relative" -- along with his mom and stepdad from their San Martin, CA home on Monday afternoon.

Velasquez, who was driving a black Ford F-250, then allegedly began shooting into the Chevy Silverado driven by Goularte's stepdad.

Authorities say Cain caught up to the car and rammed it, before eventually firing off more shots.

Cops were called, and Velasquez allegedly left the scene. Soon after, cops located Cain on the road, pulled him over and took him into custody without issue.

According to the docs, police found a 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun in Cain's truck. They also noted they found two 10-bullet magazines in the vehicle, noting that 8 total bullets were missing from the mags.

Cain has been hit with 10 charges, including 1st degree attempted murder, multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and shooting an occupied motor vehicle, among others.

If he's ultimately convicted, Cain is facing decades in prison.

But, it's the circumstances surrounding the case that makes this situation unique.

Juli Boeheim -- the wife of legendary college basketball coach Jim Boeheim -- was robbed at gunpoint in Syracuse on Tuesday, according to local reports.

Boeheim was sitting in her car in the Destiny USA parking lot at around 2 PM ... when a minor approached her and started a conversation, per Syracuse.com.

A short time after, cops say the boy pointed a gun at Boeheim, reached into her car and grabbed her purse.

The boy then ran off with the purse and fled the scene with two accomplices in a car that was reported stolen, according to the report.

Luckily for Boeheim, she was not injured during the incident.

A search for potential suspects is underway ... and Syracuse cops are asking for anyone with additional information to call 315-442-5222.

Juli is co-founder of the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation, which helps young kids fight cancer in the New York area.

Juli and Jim first met at the Kentucky Derby in 1994 ... and were married in 1997.

A brewery in Ukraine is joining the fight against Russian troops ... switching out their craft beer for Molotov cocktails.

Employees at the Pravda Brewery -- located in Lviv -- chose to create the bombs after word spread Russian tanks will roll into their city near the Polish border ... home to 720,000 residents.

They began producing the cocktails for the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces -- a team made up of reservists who responded to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call to defend the country.

“You have to wait for the cloth to be well soaked. When it is, that means the Molotov cocktail is ready,” said one smiling employee as he demonstrated the process.

Military instructors have been teaching residents to use the beers-to-bombs against the heavily armed Russian troops ... after officials in the capital of Kyiv urged locals to “neutralize the occupier” with the homemade firebombs.

“We do this because someone has to. We have the skills, we went through a street revolution in 2014,” says Brewery owner Yuriy Zastavny ... referring to Kyiv’s uprising that defeated a Kremlin-based regime.

One of Pravda’s favorite brews is called “Putin khuylo,” -- which translates to “Putin is a d*** head.”

Ukrainian soldiers kicked Russia's ass in a battle that left Russian tanks destroyed in the road and Russian soldiers dead ... and the person who is probably most surprised is the aggressor himself -- Vladimir Putin.

The video shows the aftermath of a massive battle on the outskirts of the capital -- in a town called Bucha ... which shows tons of Russian military equipment and vehicles torched up and utterly destroyed ... apparently at the hands of the Ukrainian army.

Ukrainian officials say as many as 100 units of enemy equipment were stopped in their tracks  ... which halted a convoy that was trying to make its way toward the epicenter of the nation.

As you see in the videos ... it was more than just tanks and armored vehicles that got blown up. Surrounding buildings and homes also suffered some ruin during the fight -- but it sounds like there were more Russian casualties than Ukrainian.

While the official tally varies from source to source ... some European officials estimate as many as 50 Russian aircraft, 150 tanks and 4,300 soldiers have either perished or been successfully pushed back.

CNN's Matthew Chance also got compelling on-the-ground footage of the aftermath ... and it was clearly a bloody affair, as he actually panned to a dead man left behind -- whom he claimed was a Russian.

The Ukrainian people have mounted a heroic resistance to Russian aggression ... people from all walks of life, including beauty queens.

Anastasiia Lenna, aka former Miss Grand Ukraine, is now a member of Ukraine's fighting force to block Russia from taking over her country.

Lenna has influence, for sure ... with more than 115,000 Instagram followers. She's also a bad ass, writing, "Everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed!"

She paid homage to the person who has become a worldwide hero -- President Volodymyr Zelensky, referring to him as "a true and strong leader."

She's been posting pics of her in military issue ... sporting the guns she's more than willing to use to protect her homeland.

Lenna has been blasting out pleas for donations to allow her military to fight off the Russians.