Weapons & Guns

Jacob Blake says George Floyd's death was front and center in his mind when confronted by the Kenosha PD pulled ... as he explains, in his own words, what went down when an officer shot him 7 times in the back.

Jacob told 'GMA' anchor Michael Strahan, "I resisted to getting beat on. What I mean by that is not falling, not letting them put their head on my neck. That's all I was thinking."

For the first time, Jacob revealed why he was walking around his car, away from the Kenosha PD officer, Rusten Sheskey. As you know, Sheskey opened fire last August when Jacob opened his driver side door. His 2 children were in the backseat, and Jacob says he was sure he was about to die.

"I said 'Daddy loves you no matter what.' I thought it was going to be the last thing I said to them. Thank God it wasn't. I didn't want to be the next George Floyd. I didn't want to die."

Jacob, who remains partially paralyzed, says he was not fleeing from police, and points out his hands were up ... even after they tased him. He believes the video of his shooting speaks for itself.

The Capitol riots seem to have resulted in Americans on both sides of the aisle agreeing on something -- not removing President Trump from office ... but rather deciding it's time to buy a gun.

TMZ's reached out to gun shops in 20 U.S. cities this week, and half of them reported a substantial increase in sales of firearms and ammunition since pro-Trump insurrectionists stormed the Capitol Building on January 6.

Among these stores receiving a sales boost, we're told the clientele has been a pretty even mix of Republicans and Democrats ... with different businesses reporting different tidbits of interesting info.

For instance ... Paulie's Pistols near New Orleans tells us its sales are up 400% this week compared to last. While it always has a steady influx of Republican customers, the shop says this week they've sold to a surprising number to Dems who purchased a firearm for the first time.

Likewise, the Hyatt Gun Shop in Charlotte says it completely sold out of ammo and rifles this week and has very little product left after a surge of both Republicans and Democrats coming in and stocking up. Hyatt tells us the Democrat customers expressed concern about the aftermath of the Capitol riots ... while GOP supporters said they're worried Joe Biden is going to try to take their guns away.

This was the story for several of the gun shops ... including Tampa and Detroit.

Other shops reporting major sales increases -- like Ray's Hardware & Sporting Goods in Dallas, and Ammo AZ in Phoenix -- tell us their customers are simply letting them know they are buying guns to "prepare for whatever is next" after the riots ... regardless of their political affiliation.

Here's a full list of the stores we contacted, and their gun sales info:

Shooters World in Tampa -- Up 100% this week compared to Christmas week. People are buying every pistol in stock, and they're running very low on AR's and shotguns.

Recoil Firearms in Detroit -- Up 50% this past week compared to the week before. They have sold out of Glocks and AR's.

Ray's Hardware & Sporting Goods in Dallas -- Up 200% this week compared to the week before. People are stocking up on handguns and AR's.

Paulie's Pistols Gun Shop near New Orleans -- Up 400% this week compared to the week before. Completely sold out of ammo. Most customers are buying handguns.

Hyatt Gun Shop in Charlotte -- Sales up 20% this week compared to the week before. Sold out of ammo and rifles, and very little product left.

Ammo AZ in Phoenix -- Up 50% this week compared to the week before. People are mostly buying AR-15's and whatever ammo they can get.

Controlled Pair Munitions in Las Vegas -- Up 50% this week compared to the week before. Sold out of ammo, customers mostly buying handguns and shotguns.

Mid America Arms in St. Louis -- Up 20% this week compared to last week, but would be higher if they hadn't run out of product. Sold out of ammo and most handguns.

Green Mountain Guns in Denver -- Getting 100 calls a day asking about gun inventory. Currently sold out of every handgun.

Guns Direct in L.A. -- Up 40% this week compared to last week. Customers buying mostly handguns.

Atlanta -- No increase

Boston -- No increase

Chicago -- No increase

Nashville -- No increase

Louisville -- No increase

New York -- No increase

Philadelphia -- No increase

Oklahoma City -- No increase

San Diego -- No increase

Baltimore -- No increase

As we've reported ... similar gun sale spikes occurred throughout 2020, especially in the wake of the civil unrest that took place early in the summer following the death of George Floyd.

Then in October, the state of Michigan saw a huge increase in gun sales amid a contentious election season, COVID-19 policy backlash and a thwarted plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Uncle Sam is looking far and wide for some of the best muscle money can buy to help guard the nation's capital through Joe Biden's inauguration -- and it looks the feds found some ... in the Aloha State.

TMZ has obtained federal procurement docs that show the Dept. of Homeland Security recently awarded a private security company called Hana Industries Inc. a $1.6 million contract for protective services, effective now until the very end of the month.

According to the paperwork ... Hana's protective security officers will be standing watch in the capital and surrounding areas. The move to hire this force came directly on the heels of the failed Capitol coup -- the contract was awarded 2 days after last week's siege.

Now, as for what Hana's all about and why the feds sought out their services -- they tout themselves as providing armed security guards for base security operations and entry point management. Specifically, they've protected Naval bases and shipyards around Hawaii.

Appropriately, Hana's been recruiting to get more boots on the ground, as they say, in the D.C. area -- especially anyone with 2 to 5 years of military or law enforcement experience ... and prior certification from the Dept. of Homeland Security.

Getting immediate support for National Guard and police forces in Washington, D.C. was crucial -- as the FBI's now warning domestic terrorists are planning to take action in DC and all 50 states between Jan. 16 through Inauguration Day.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says those involved in the Capitol coup attempt could easily have killed dozens of U.S. lawmakers ... so she's in no mood for calls to forgive and forget.

AOC is strongly vocalizing the fears she and her colleagues in Congress had -- that the insurrectionists came with deadly intentions. She told ABC on Sunday ... "We came close to half of the House nearly dying on Wednesday."

The Congresswoman was among those hurriedly evacuated when the mob first breached the Capitol ... and she's clearly referring to photos of rioters with zip ties, and the fact cops found explosive devices around the Capitol.

Her point is this was no peaceful protest, and everyone involved has to be prosecuted for the country to begin healing. AOC said, "We must have accountability because without it, it will happen again."

One of the rioters who died during the Capitol insurrection was clearly ready for violence, because just weeks before his death he posted a photo of himself with 2 AR-15's with the caption ... "I wish these motherf****** would come to my hood!"

Kevin Greeson, from Alabama, died during the Capitol takeover. So far authorities are only saying his death was caused by a "medical emergency," but they did not provide details.

The 55-year-old was a big fan of Parler, a right-wing site that has just been yanked off the Google Play Store after receiving information the site was used to plan the attack. Apple is also threatening to pull the site from the App Store.

Kevin's family says he did not travel to Washington to engage in violence or rioting. His family says Kevin had high blood pressure and believes he suffered a heart attack.

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."