Weapons & Guns

Kyle Rittenhouse -- the teenager charged with homicide in the Kenosha, WI killings -- seems to be flaunting the fact he's no longer in jail as he awaits trial ... based on his t-shirt anyway.

Rittenhouse -- who just turned 18 -- hit up a bar in Mt. Pleasant, WI earlier this week with his parents and enjoyed a beer ... according to our sources. As you can see ... he was sporting a shirt with the phrase, "Free as F***."

If you're wondering how he was allowed to drink alcohol, you're not alone ... but it's actually allowed per Wisconsin law if a person under 21 is with a parent, guardian or spouse of legal drinking age.

Nonetheless, it seems someone was concerned about Rittenhouse's presence in the bar, because the Mount Pleasant PD tells us they got a call about him being there. We're told the caller believed it may have been a violation of his bond agreement.

Cops say they looked into it and learned Rittenhouse was at Pudgy's Pub on Tuesday afternoon with a parent, and relayed the info to the Kenosha County DA's Office. We're told an investigation determined he had not violated his agreement.

As we reported ... Rittenhouse was released from custody in late November on $2 million bail. The money was raised mostly by donors -- including actor Ricky Schroder -- who have lauded the teenager as a patriotic hero.

Here's an up-close and graphic view of the kind of violence police were facing as the mob stormed the Capitol -- an injured officer screaming for help as the rioters crushed him between a riot shield and a door.

The intense video captures the moment insurrectionists tried to bully their way inside the halls of Congress, clashing with the Capitol Police Department and leaving one officer on the front lines fighting for his life.

The cop was bleeding from his mouth as he was pinned against a door guarding the entrance to the west side of the Capitol. You could hear the mob yelling "heave ho" as they attempted to push through the police line -- and officers were swinging batons and deploying pepper spray to keep them back.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol was shocking, but photos of pro-Trump insurrectionists holding a bunch of zip-tie handcuffs show they might've planned to do much worse.

There were reports Wednesday some of the insurrectionists were prepared to occupy the Capitol throughout the night, and these zip tie pics suggest they were prepared to hold people -- perhaps Congressional leaders -- against their will.

At least 2 different men were seen holding the zip ties -- commonly used as disposable handcuffs -- inside the U.S. Senate Chamber after members of Congress were forced to flee due to the security breach.

On top of this ... we already know many members of the mob that invaded the Capitol were armed, willing to bust into offices and take whatever they wanted, and someone even left behind the threat, "Murder the media," by scratching it on a door.

And, don't forget -- D.C. cops also found explosives near the building that were safely detonated.

It's all potentially crucial evidence, as it could show President Trump wasn't spontaneously urging his amped-up followers to "show strength" and simply march to the Capitol -- it could show the attack was all a premeditated plan.

That means more serious charges for all the rioters, and possibly, for Trump once he's out of office.

Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot in the Capitol as she and other Trump supporters stormed into the building, was pumped up after the President's speech ... and posted one last video as she entered the mayhem.

Ashli went live on Facebook Wednesday in the moments leading up to the coup attempt in D.C., boasting that she was part of the mob marching to the Capitol.

The 35-year-old California native and Air Force veteran claimed there were more than 3 million pro-Trump protesters in D.C. along with her ... and she appeared zealous about what they were doing.

As we reported ... Babbitt was draped in a Trump flag as she jumped up on a window pane and tried to charge through.

Tragically, she was hit by a gunshot -- fired by Capital Police -- during the chaos and was seen falling backward onto the marble floor with blood pouring out of her upper body area.

Babbitt was transferred to the hospital in critical condition, where she later died of her injuries.

Steven A. Sund, Chief of Police for the US Capitol Police, says the employee who fired on Babbitt has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Just a day after Minneapolis cops shot and killed Dolal Idd, his family's home was raided ... and there's new body cam video showing the tense scene inside the home.

Idd was shot and killed during a traffic stop last Wednesday, after he shot at officers. He was a suspect in a felony.

Hours later, just after 2 AM the next day, cops served a search warrant on the family home. You see in the video, cops zip tied family members as they searched the home.

BTW ... it's significant this was a "knock and announce" warrant ... which became the central issue in the Breonna Taylor case. The police clearly ID'd themselves in the Idd case, screaming "Police search warrant! Let me see your hands" just before entering the house.

A woman inside the house pleads, "I have small children." She mentions one of the kids is a special needs child. At one point you see one of the cops carry a small child who appeared to have been hiding in the stairwell.

One of the deputies orders a colleague, "Make sure the 18-year-old male is cuffed behind his back."

It got extremely tense as time went on, with one of the occupants calling the cops "racist bitches."

It's unclear what, if anything, was seized from the home.

As for Dolal Idd's death, body cam video was released which, when slowed down, appears to show Idd fired a shot from inside his car, shattering the window before cops opened fire.

Minneapolis Police just released body cam footage of officers shooting and killing a Black man Wednesday night, but they say he shot first -- a claim the video seems to support.

The incident began as a traffic stop of a man Minneapolis PD say was a suspect in a felony crime. When the video begins 3 cop cars are surrounding the man's vehicle in a gas station parking lot. You can hear one officer yell, "Drop your gun" as another charges toward the scene with his weapon drawn.

As officers yelled for him to stop and put his hands up, the man tried to drive away ... but the cops had him pinned in with their patrol cars. That's when it appears a bullet shattered the windshield of a cop car, and then multiple officers started shooting.

You can hear at least a dozen shots fired. The man was killed ... while his female passenger was not hurt. Police have not identified the man, but his family says it was 23-year-old Dolal Idd.

Lil Tjay couldn't avoid getting arrested this time -- 4 days after NYPD searched him and found nothing, cops pulled him over again ... and now he's facing some serious charges.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper was busted Wednesday afternoon in Brooklyn and booked for criminal possession of a weapon, marijuana possession and grand larceny.

We're told Lil Tjay was in a vehicle with 4 others when cops pulled them over for switching lanes without signaling. Our sources say the officer smelled weed in the car, which resulted in a search and the discovery of 4 loaded handguns and a large amount of marijuana.

We're told neither the rapper nor anyone in the vehicle took ownership of the firearms or the weed, so they were all hit with possession charges. It's unclear why they're also facing the grand larceny charge.

Pennsylvania cops say a man reported as suicidal left them no choice but to open fire ... during a fatal standoff witnessed by several nearby drivers.

State Troopers responded Wednesday to a call for a suicidal man on a highway overpass in Hamilton Township, and they say when they arrived the man was holding a handgun ... which they told him to put down.

The police say the 19-year-old man initially obeyed and placed it on the ground -- but after the troopers continued talking to him, he reached for the weapon and started walking toward them. When he pointed the gun at the troopers, they shot him. He was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The fatal standoff played out as horrified drivers watched from a highway that runs under the bridge.

Louisville Metro PD is about to fire 2 cops involved in the Breonna Taylor raid ... one of whom was responsible for getting the search warrant for the deadly raid.

Detectives Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove both received pre-termination letters from LMPD's Chief Yvette Gentry ... according to their lawyers. Cosgrove was one of the officers present during the raid and did fire shots.

Jaynes was not there but filed the paperwork with a judge to get a warrant. He had said that was based on information from a postal inspector that drug suspect -- Breonna's ex-boyfriend -- had received packages at her home -- but Jaynes later admitted he never verified that info with the post office.

According to the New York Times, the letters both officers got said, "These are extreme violations of our policies."

LMPD previously fired Brett Hankison, saying he had "violated obedience to rules and regulations," and use of deadly force while serving the warrant.

Hankison is also the sole officer the grand jury indicted on a wanton endangerment charge. He was not charged for the shooting of Breonna ... he was charged with shooting into a neighboring apartment.

Early reports of shots being fired in downtown Nashville before Anthony Quinn Warner blew his RV and himself to smithereens may be bogus -- because we've now learned there's no evidence he or anyone opened fire.

Federal law enforcement sources involved in the investigation and with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... yes, officers initially responded to the scene on Christmas morning after receiving reports of shots fired -- but since then, officials haven't been able to find anything to back that up.

We're told investigators have zero evidence to suggest Warner opened fire in or around the explosion site. Our sources say their initial theory was that Warner may have fired shots to get the cops to the downtown area where they would hear the recording from the RV of an impending explosion and clear the area so no one would be injured or killed in the blast.

There's another, more sinister theory ... that Warner wanted cops there to get close to the explosion, but officials now don't believe that. They say everything Warner did was to avoid loss of life, which is why he chose 6:30 AM on Xmas morning.

Now, our sources do say ammo was recovered at the scene, including exploded rounds that authorities say came from the RV ... however, they don't have markings of rounds fired from a gun. Authorities are convinced that ammo was in pristine condition until the explosion.

As for that loud bang prior to the blast, heard by the people who called 911 -- and we're told multiple people called -- our federal sources say they believe it could have been a recording of gunfire blaring from the RV, which would accomplish the same purpose of getting cops there to clear the area, but they just don't know for sure.

As we reported, there seems to be increasing evidence the AT&T building was Warner's main target.  Authorities think he may have been paranoid about 5G technology.

A bust of Breonna Taylor was vandalized, smashed into pieces, just 2 weeks after it was installed.

The statue graced an area of downtown Oakland, with the inscription, "Say Her Name Breonna Taylor."

The cops are now on the hunt for the vandal/vandals. Since it's in the downtown area there may be surveillance video that helps police find the culprit, but so far no one has been named a suspect.

The sculptor, Leo Carson, said he's starting a GoFundMe page to pay for the repairs.

Carson was furious, saying ..."This vandalism is an act of racist aggression, and it shows why sculpture and art matters," adding, "I made this sculpture to support the Black Lives Matter movement and while I'm overcome with rage and sadness at their cowardly act, their vandalism will make her even more potent."

Authorities have confirmed the identity of the Nashville bomber -- it's who everyone thought it might be, and his fate is also sealed ... the guy's a goner.

The U.S. Attorney for Tennessee made the revelation Sunday at a presser, saying 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner is, indeed, the man they believe detonated a bomb in an RV that was camped out in front of the AT&T building in downtown Nashville early Christmas morning.

He also said Warner died at the bomb site, and that human tissue discovered -- and later analyzed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation -- matched Warner's DNA profile.

As for the RV ... officials say that, too, also belonged to Warner. They linked the VIN number to him. It appears the vehicle had been in his possession for a while, as it had been seen parked at his property as recently as last year. Neighbors also ID'd it in interviews.

Still no word on motive -- although there's speculation he might've been paranoid about 5G tech, but that hasn't been confirmed. The feds also say they can't link his act to any type of ideology they've picked up on in the early days of their investigation. As a result, they aren't dubbing it as terrorism just yet.

Fortunately, Warner himself is the only fatality from the bombing ... which is pretty miraculous considering how big it was. A few people were injured, but not critically.

The moments leading up to the explosion add an extra layer of unease as the why continues to be a mystery ... Warner had an alarm blaring for several minutes telling people to evacuate, and then right before his bomb went off -- cops say he played Petula Clark's "Downtown."

Surrounding businesses were decimated in the blast -- not to mention other damage to public property -- and several shopkeepers are looking for help as they navigate next steps.

A vile woman whose son was being taken into custody did everything she could to make a simple arrest turn violent, as she ordered her son to escape the cops and then hurled obscenities at the officers.

This all went down in Valencia, about 35 miles north of L.A., where Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Deputies were searching for a stolen Tesla in the area -- and happened upon another stolen vehicle ... a Chevy Camaro.

Cops descended on a cul-de-sac with guns drawn, ordering the driver out of the Camaro.  He was taken into custody, but then cops set their sights on a passenger -- the woman's son.

She comes out of the house with her daughter and then gets crazy ... telling her son to come in the house, defying the cops. Remember, police had their guns drawn.

Her kid mouthes off to the cops, swearing at them ... "I see the bitch in all of your f***ing eyes." He then orders cops to unload their guns ... seriously.

His mother then totally loses it ... hurling epithets at the cops. They tried explaining to her they were investigating a crime, and she fired back ... "I don't give a s*** about your f***ing investigation."

She then orders the cops to "get the f*** out of here." When they approach her she screams, "Get the f*** out of my f***ing face." Oh, there's more ... "F*** you and your f***ing mother who birthed your f***ing ass."

BTW ... the woman recklessly let her dog out without a leash in the middle of all of this, and it sure looks like a pit bull.  It walked up to the officers, and she's lucky the dog wasn't shot.

Incredibly ... the mother, who gives Karens a bad name, was not arrested. Her son was arrested on weapons charges.

A Columbus cop shot and killed an African-American man in his own garage ... and it all happened in 10 seconds.

Cops were responding to a non-emergency call ... someone reported a guy inside a car, turning the ignition on and off.

When officers arrived, they noticed the garage of 47-year-old Andre Maurice Hill was open. and Hill came out.

You don't hear the first 60 seconds of audio ... the cop's bodycam wasn't turned on. The cops shined their flashlights on Hill, who turned around and held his cellphone high in the air, almost to say he was not armed. They shot Hill, then ordered him to roll over on his stomach. He was unable to do anything but moan because he had been fatally shot. He died a short time later.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther says he was outraged by the shooting and demanded that the officer who shot Hill be fired. The Mayor was not just outraged at the shooting cop. He said he noted the bodycam video shows none of the officers jumped to give Hill any first aid ... no compression on the wound to stop the bleeding, no CPR. Columbus, Ohio police.

The police report does not go into any detail about the shooting other than to say, "Officer discharged his firearm upon confronting Mr. Hill. Mr. Hill did not survive his injuries."

Some Texas cops are getting sued over a simple traffic stop that turned into 2 completely outrageous arrests in what, on video, appears to be a disgusting abuse of power.

This Keller PD body cam footage shows Sgt. Blake Shimanek pulling over Dillon Puente for allegedly making a wide right turn. That's it. But, watch the video, Shimanek immediately escalated things by ordering Dillion out of his car. Why? Because he had rolled up his window. Shimanek said to him, "Why are you acting so suspicious?"

Next thing ya know ... Dillon's getting handcuffed and his father, Marco Puente, happened to drive by and witness this. The concerned parent pulled over and stood on the sidewalk across the street recording his son's arrest with his phone.

This clearly pissed off Shimanek, who ordered another officer to go arrest Marco ... allegedly for interfering with an arrest. Eventually, Shimanek and the other cop end up wrestling Marco to the ground, grabbing at his phone, and pepper spraying him.

They cuffed Marco and arrested him ... while Dillon had to pay a ticket for the wide right turn just to get released from jail.

Marco filed a lawsuit last week against the officers for the August 15 arrest -- he alleges they denied him medical attention for nearly 20 minutes after he was pepper sprayed.

Shimanek's already been demoted by Keller PD which conducted an internal investigation and found his conduct was unbecoming of an officer ... and his use of force was "inappropriate."

Former Playboy model Victoria Valentino didn't think twice after seeing a gunshot victim lying in her street ... rushing to action and playing nurse until paramedics arrived.

Victoria tells TMZ ... she was sitting in her Altadena, CA home Sunday afternoon when she heard what sounded like a bunch of quick firecrackers -- cops say it was a shooting -- and went outside to discover a neighbor down on the ground.

VV says the man had gunshot wounds, including one in his shoulder, and he was turning gray and going into shock ... so she used her experience as a retired hospice and respiratory nurse, raising his leg to keep blood flowing to the heart and brain.

Victoria, the September 1963 Playmate and a Bill Cosby rape accuser and survivor, says the gunshot victim's wife was by his side too ... and they did what they could to keep him calm until paramedics arrived and took over. She says it's just what nurses do.