Ahmaud Arbery Killing Man Who Recorded It Says My Life's in Danger
The man who recorded the video of Ahmaud Arbery's slaying says he had zero involvement in what went down and is now in fear for his life.
William "Roddie" Bryan and his fiancee spoke to Action News in Jacksonville, and he says he and his family have been receiving death threats since the video leaked online last week.
Bryan, who was speaking out for the first time, doesn't explain why he was recording the vid ... which shows Travis McMichael -- with his father Gregory in tow -- shoot Ahmaud during a struggle back in February. Bryan says he's in "complete shock" because he's "never been involved in anything like that before."
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Bryan and his video are under investigation. He was initially named in the police report as trying to block Ahmaud during the controversial chase but Bryan claims he had no involvement. As we've reported ... Georgia's Attorney General is asking the Justice Department to step in and help get to the bottom of all of this.
Bryan told Action News, “I had nothing to do with it. I'm trying to get my life back to normal, and it’s been smeared for the last week. I was told I was a witness and I’m not sure what I am, other than receiving a bunch of threats.”
Bryan added he's not feeling safe at all and as a result, he's been forced to live out of his car. He said, "I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t scared. If that’s what they wanted to do was scare me, they’ve scared me."
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Alberto Del Rio Arrested for Sexual Assault ... Allegedly Choked Woman, Burned Her Passport
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TMZ Sports has obtained the police report from the Alberto Del Rio arrest ... and it's very disturbing.
The accuser told police Del Rio exploded on her on May 3 in San Antonio, Texas -- accusing her of cheating on him with other men.
The accuser -- who cops say only speaks Spanish -- says Del Rio smashed her cell phone, her laptop and attempted to burn her passport in an attack that started at around 10 p.m. on May 3 and lasted until around 2:30 p.m. on May 4.
The woman also claims Del Rio attacked her, causing multiple injuries and left her, "feeling woozy and dizzy from the hits to her head."
There's more ... the accuser also claims Del Rio choked her and at one point "shoved a sock into her mouth, to keep [her] quiet."
The woman says, "When the sock was in her mouth, she could not breathe."
During the incident, the woman claims Del Rio also sexually assaulted her with his penis and other body parts. The woman is adamant she did NOT consent to sexual activity with Del Rio.
The woman told police that she is afraid of Del Rio and had planned on leaving the city as soon as possible.
The responding officer says he saw "multiple bruises" on the accuser's face, arms, legs and neck.
Del Rio -- real name Jose Rodriguez Chucuan -- was arrested for domestic violence and aggravated sexual assault. According to his booking sheet, the 42-year-old is listed at 6'4", 240 pounds. The accuser is 5'5", 132 pounds.
Del Rio was a WWE superstar from 2009 until 2016, winning the WWE championship, the 2011 Royal Rumble, and more. He's also an MMA fighter, who recently lost to Tito Ortiz in December 2019.
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Eddie Murphy Rolls Out Sexy Soul Singing Character For Charity Comedy Fest
Eddie Murphy has a brand new character to add to his comedic arsenal -- a singer he rolled out for big laughs, and to raise money for charity.
If you tuned in for the Feeding America Comedy Festival Sunday night, you saw Eddie's debut as Murray Murray -- a '60s and '70s singer who taught Ray Charles and Little Richard a few things ... but who also took out a hit on Berry Gordy's cat.
Eddie was the headliner on Byron Allen's 2-hour special, chock-full of huge comedians like Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Tiffany Haddish, George Lopez, Whitney Cummings and dozens more who recorded skits and intros for the fundraiser.
Eddie was in classic form as Murray Murray who, BTW, banged Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Tina Turner. The skit was one of the hilarious highlights for the event which raised money for Feeding America.
Fans have been anticipating Eddie's rumored return to standup comedy ever since he hosted 'SNL' back in December. So, the new skit's only gonna have Eddie fans champing at the bit even more.
His Murray Murray skit was obviously written and recorded before Saturday ... when Little Richard died. Eddie closed it with a tribute to the rock 'n' roll legend.
Classy and classic Eddie comedy for a great cause.
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Red Lobster The Place to Be on Mother's Day ... Customers Damn Near Riot
A modest Pennsylvania town's citizenry had a hankerin' for some unextraordinary shellfish for Mother's Day, so they flocked to their local Red Lobster ... which wasn't up to the task.
UPDATE: @redlobster on McKnight RD has closed for the evening. People that we’re waiting to pick up their food are furious and where told that they could get a refund online. @RossPolice were called in to make sure people remained calm. #wpxi https://t.co/CSF7XGwyM8
— Ryan (@WPXIPhotogRyan) May 10, 2020 @WPXIPhotogRyan
The chain location in Ross Township, PA was met with literally dozens (and quite possibly more) of would-be customers on Sunday, all of whom were there to pick up takeout orders they'd placed online -- either through the official company website or through a 3rd-party app.
Obviously, the restaurant wasn't seating people inside -- but it doesn't look like they were anticipating the virtual influx of business ... local reports say people waited hours in line just to get their Cheddar Bay Biscuits and lobster shell bibs. In fact, perhaps even more of them left empty-handed ... because the place closed before they could fill everyone's orders.
One reporter says many in the crowd were irate, and cops were called to settle everyone down. Fortunately, no arrests were made ... but still, crazy to think it got that out of hand.
As for RL -- the company says they're sorry some people decided to leave before being able to receive their food, and anyone who ordered through their channel will get a refund.
Everyone else has to kick rocks and take it up with Grubhub, or whatever else they used.
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Harry and Meghan Top Choices for Permanent L.A. Home ... 'Cause You Can Only Stay at Tyler's For So Long!!!
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still looking for a place to call home in L.A., because they can't stay at Tyler Perry's mansion forever, and they will have lots of options.
As we reported ... Harry and Meghan have budgeted $12 million to $18 million, and our real estate sources say they are the brass ring of potential clients. We know a bunch of them are already angling to rep the former royals.
We're told Harry and Meghan are looking on the westside of L.A., and the consensus is the following cribs are the big contenders.
This $15 million Bel-Air modern is an architectural gem, tucked away behind gates. Seven bedrooms should do the trick, and with 10,000 square feet, there's room to expand.
The atrium's amazing, with a curved staircase and ceilings that touch the skies. The floor plan is great because it seamlessly ties in the inside with the outside. The master bedroom is fit for a prince, with glass walls and a spa-like bathroom.
Oh, and there's a 10-seat movie theater, billiard table, 200 bottle wine cellar, plus an exercise and steam room. The grounds have an infinity pool and computerized rain bar. We're in.
Mauricio Umansky, the founder and CEO of The Agency, has the listing.
Next up, check out this $17,995,000 brand-new modern, Hollywood Hills estate with 5 bedrooms and 8,776 square feet, plus a 1,240-square-foot, multi-car garage.
Donald Trump Signed Baseballs Explode In Value ... Haters Buying Too!!!
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Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is killing it when it comes to the autograph market -- with the value of DT signed baseballs more than doubling in price since he took office.
Authentic Trump signed baseballs are selling in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range ... a huge jump from the $1,000 price point most memorabilia shops were getting for DT balls when he moved into the White House in 2017.
In fact, Steiner Sports -- one of the biggest sports autograph dealers in the country -- is asking $2,663.99 for an authentic Trump signature on an MLB baseball.
TMZ Sports spoke with Ken Goldin, who runs Goldin Auctions -- another major player in the sports collectibles market -- who says Trump memorabilia is still in super-high demand, despite the criticism he's received in office.
"The more he's in the news, the more demand there is," Goldin tells us.
Goldin recently sold a copy of the Trump impeachment documents with Donald's signature for a cool $81,000 ... and says the buyer was NOT a Trump fan.
Goldin says some of the biggest Trump collectors are actually Trump haters!
"People who even are not fans of his probably would say, 'Hey, I'd like to have a signature baseball, this is kind of unique."
For comparison ... wondering what an Obama baseball would go for? Goldin tells us a BO ball would sell for around $1,200.
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Rich the Kid Sued Your Unpaid Bling Tab is $234,000!!!
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Rich the Kid can rap all he wants about how "Money Talks" but one celeb jeweler's wondering why the Kid's gone radio silent when it comes to unpaid jewelry bills ... according to a new lawsuit.
Peter Marco from Extraordinary Jewels of Beverly Hills is suing the "Plug Walk" rapper claiming he owes a whopping $234,800 in unpaid jewelry that includes bracelets and incredibly fancy watches.
According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Marco says he's been doing business with Rich since at least October 2017. RTK ordered diamond necklaces, crosses and even a couple of Patek Philippe watches worth several hundred thousand dollars. And, for a while, Rich did make payments.
In docs, Marco says Rich wired over several payments but they eventually stopped. Even still, RTK continued ordering jewelry and Marco kept delivering ... but the bills kept piling on and Marco claims he wasn't getting paid. So, he's now suing for what he says he's still owed.
Rich the Kid's no stranger to flossing his bling. In the past, he's ordered pricey jewelry when he dropped new albums and even collaborations.
We've reached out to Rich the Kid for comment, so far ... no word back.
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Bryce from 'Too Hot to Handle' Paddleboards with Model Khloe Terae Spitting Image of New Bae!!!
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"Too Hot to Handle" star Bryce Hirschberg made a huge splash with a girl who's the spitting image of his new GF and costar, Nicole O'Brien ... but it's not what it looks like.
Bryce was recently spotted with model Khloe Terae in Marina del Rey for a little paddleboarding action. They looked kinda flirty ... he splashed her with some water and they laughed while enjoying some Vitamin D.
But, again, it's not what it seems. Sources tell us Bryce and Khloe are just friends. Great news, for sure, since Nicole just revealed during the hit Netflix show's reunion that she and Bryce are definitely dating.
They didn't hit it off during the show but reconnected after filming ended. They've been doing some serious long-distance, but things appear to be getting serious ... 'cause Nicole told the BBC she's ready to introduce Bryce to her family in Ireland.
To recap here ... Bryce and Khloe -- even though she's a smoke show -- are just friends and he's definitely still dating Nicole.
So ... relax, y'all.
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Guess Who This Cake Kid Turned Into!
Before this cute kid with a cake was treating the world with delicious reggaeton music to eat up, he was just another cute kid celebrating his birthday in Colombia.
This small little sailor no longer rocks the Donald Duck inspired duds 'cause he traded in the naval outfits for lavish diamond chains, brightly colored streetwear, fashion-forward sunglasses and rainbow-colored hairstyles.
This kid traded in a longwinded first name (Jose Alvaro) for a single letter moniker after he gained fame for his Latin pop songs, complete with colorful titles like "Morado," "Rojo," "Azul" and "Amarillo."
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Ahmaud Arbery Case Georgia AG Asks Uncle Sam for Help Requests DOJ Investigates
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Georgia's top prosecutor says something's fishy about the Ahmaud Arbery case -- beyond the killing itself -- and he's asking the feds to step in to figure out who knew what ... and when.
Attorney General Chris Carr formally requested the U.S. Department of Justice -- led by the lead U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia -- to conduct its own investigation of how Ahmaud's case was handled internally by lower-level officials early on.
In an open letter, Carr spells out major inconsistencies in what his office was told about the case in February, March and April -- long after Ahmaud was shot to death in cold blood by Travis McMichael, while accompanied by his father, Gregory, in late February.
(2/2) I have formally requested U.S. DOJ (@SDGAnews) to conduct an investigation into the handling of the case - including communications by & between the Brunswick/Waycross DA’s.
— GA AG Chris Carr (@Georgia_AG) May 10, 2020 @Georgia_AG
Read more -> https://t.co/qAh4yQdo3H pic.twitter.com/4nYhRP8q9D
He writes, "The request to the U.S. Department of Justice includes, but is not limited to, investigation of the communications and discussions by and between the Office of the District Attorney of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit and the Office of the District Attorney of the Waycross Judicial Circuit related to this case." Those departments' leaders, respectively, are Jackie Johnson and George Barnhill. Carr's got questions about Barnhill, especially.
Carr says correspondence between his office and Barnhill's office back in early April -- about a month or so after Carr's office formally assigned Barnhill and his team to investigate/prosecute the case -- appears to show Barnhill was not being forthright in how he was handling things up to the point he asked to be taken off, due to a conflict of interest.
Long story short, Barnhill told the AG that his own son -- who's a prosecutor in a neighboring district -- had handled a previous prosecution of Ahmaud, and that one of the defendants -- the elder McMichaels, per reports -- served as an investigator in that old case. Carr says Barnhill told him he learned of this development 3-4 weeks before his dated letter to the AG on April 7. Carr says Barnhill offered no reason why he didn't notify them sooner.
That's not the biggest issue, per Carr. He also says in that April 7 letter, Barnhill did not reveal that he had already been calling shots in the case, including the crucial decision to NOT make any arrests after he reviewed the evidence himself and decided against it.
Basically, Carr suggests there was a lot of stuff being done behind the scenes and seemingly in secret -- and he wants Uncle Sam to get to the bottom of it with a definitive timeline. Presumably, if the feds find something illegal was done during all this buck-passing ... charges could be brought against those same officials who were initially involved.
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Chaka Khan & Luenell Mother's Day Protest ... Stop Killing Our Black Children!!!
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Chaka Khan and Luenell have had it with mothers in their community continuing to lose their children -- so, in their honor, they held a peaceful protest on an important holiday.
The singer and comedian got together in L.A. Sunday with a bunch of other women of color -- who have lost their own kids or relatives to violence ... be it from the police or at the hands of someone else. The purpose of the rally was to speak out against the killing of these children -- minors or adults, alike -- and to offer support to their grieving mothers.
We talked to Luenell about it, and she tells us the time to voice concern about this issue is more pressing than ever ... and they want the public and people in power, especially, to know #EnoughIsEnough, which also happens to be the official name for their viral campaign.
Now, while Luenell insists the issue of black children being murdered goes beyond law enforcement -- hers and Chaka's movement comes at a moment where, once again, we're seeing excessive violence being exacted upon men of color -- specifically, black men -- by cops and/or rogue vigilantes -- encounters that often lead to their deaths as a result.
Of course, we're referring to two recent cases of this in Ahmaud Arbery -- who was gunned down after a man and his son claim he fit the profile of a burglary suspect -- and Sean Reed, who live streamed his own death after cops gunned him down during a chase.
We've seen it before ... the list of black/brown people being killed by the authorities is long and well-documented. But, for Luenell and co., they're truly pissed and demanding structural change. Watch ... she's incredibly passionate about the cause and for good reason.
Fortunately for the moms who've lost their kids in L.A. ... Chaka and Luenell are on the front lines using their voices for them.
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VP Mike Pence Denies He's in Self-Isolation ... After Staffer Catches 'Rona
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4:04 PM PT -- Mike Pence's office has released a statement, essentially denying Bloomberg's report that he's self-isolating -- but their wording is interesting.
A spokesperson for the VP says, "Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine. Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow."
It's interesting, 'cause Bloomberg didn't say Pence was in quarantine ... they made sure to use the phrase self-isolation. In any case, it was a brief solo stint if he was, in fact, doing that ... as he's apparently expected to be back at the podium on Monday. Welcome back!
Vice President Mike Pence is going away for a little while -- the Veep is reportedly self-isolating after someone in his own office tested positive for coronavirus.
Pence is self-isolating away from the White House, which would explain his absence from a meeting with President Trump and other top military officials Saturday, according to Bloomberg. He's staying home out of an abundance of caution says Bloomberg, noting he hasn't tested positive himself. Unclear how long MP will be in isolation, or if it'll be a full quarantine.
Of course, this comes after his press secretary, Katie Miller, recently tested positive. She's usually in close contact with Pence, as well as others on the coronavirus task force. Miller is also married to Stephen Miller, who's a key member of Trump's administration at the WH.
As for DT, no word yet if he'll shutter himself in like his #2. One of Trump's personal valet of his also tested positive for coronavirus, as have several Secret Service agents.
In the meantime, both the Prez and Vice Prez will continue getting tested daily. Pence is the latest at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to head inside -- Dr. Fauci is currently in a modified quarantine himself ... and other CDC officials are on lockdown too.
The White House is a mess.
Originally Published -- 3:20 PM PT
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Mother's Day Serenade Granny Gifted a Balcony Song ... Other Old Folks Piggyback
The more the merrier is the attitude this trio of grandkids had when their quarantine Mother's Day gift for meemaw brought out other old folks, who wanted some of the love.
Check out this sweet video of a group of young-ins who went to their grandma's living facility and delivered a song and dance for her from outside, while she safely watched from her balcony. Definitely considerate -- especially seeing how seniors are incredibly vulnerable.
Today we went to visit my grandma at her at her independent living facility and 4 other women came out thinking we were there for them. They all loved it. And so did we.❤️ #HappyMothersDay #SomeGoodNews @somegoodnews pic.twitter.com/AmQkRVHVPh
— Rebecca Roy (@beccaturner94) May 10, 2020 @beccaturner94
Welp, the "Say Anything" moment evolved into a mini get-together via other residents of the old folks home. At least 2 other women came out onto their balconies as well and enjoyed a little bit of "You Are My Sunshine" for themselves. Mother's Day vultures??? Eh, maybe.
The person who shot this video says several women came out, apparently thinking the serenade might've been their own gift. They write, "Today we went to visit my grandma at her independent living facility and 4 other women came out thinking we were there for them. They all loved it. And so did we."
They also tagged John Krasinski's Some Good News channel, and it looks like the clip caught their attention. The account retweeted the vid -- yeah, it's right up their alley.
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Karl-Anthony Towns Remembers His Mom on Mother's Day ... W/ Loving Christmas Texts
Karl-Anthony Towns is honoring his late mother on a holiday dedicated to her and moms everywhere -- this less than a month after she succumbed to coronavirus and passed away.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star posted a touching tribute on social media Sunday, showing off a screenshot of an old text exchange he had with his mom, Jacqueline Towns, during Christmas last year ... where they shared some loving words between each other.
At the time, she wrote to her boy ... "My Son it seemed like I closed my eyes for just a moment and suddenly a man stood where a boy used to be, I (may) not carry you in my arms anymore but I always carry you in my heart. You are the sweetest present life has ever given me." KAT responded, "Love you mom Merry Christmas!"
Jacqueline then sent Karl a photo of herself in a Santa sweater. KAT wrote of the interaction on Sunday, "Miss you so much," while adding an animated heart with an arrow through it.
Karl's mother passed away last month after a long battle with coronavirus -- which she contracted around mid-March and later had her placed in a medically-induced coma.
The NBA big man released an emotional video at the time, pleading with people to take the virus seriously while revealing the news that his mother had been hospitalized because of it.
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Central CA Hiker Gets Trapped in Vicious Whirlpool Rescued by Crafty Cop!!!
A man who got stuck in a vortex of water while hiking has one resourceful officer of the law to thank for saving his life -- a moment that was captured on WILD video.
The 24-year-old Fresno-area man -- who has not been identified -- was hiking the Angel Falls crossing along the Willow Creek Trail near Bass Lake in Central Cali this weekend, when for some reason -- he ended up off the beaten path and right in the middle of a whirlpool.
Fortunately for him, an off-duty CHP officer named Brent Donley was hiking nearby and he rushed over to help. He was quick on his feet and MacGyvered a contraption that ended up rescuing the dude. Donley tied his backpack strap to a branch, tossed it to the kid, and with the help of others, safely yanked him to the edge of the rocks he was plopped on.
Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Video.
It's a pretty incredible scene -- and the best part is that Donley is actually trained for this type of thing ... he's been described as a search and rescue CHP officer, so literally the perfect man for the job.
CHP Fresno and the Madera County Sheriff's Office were obviously proud, posting videos of the actual rescue and the aftermath too -- showing they even got the guy's bag out of the water.
Let's hear it for our first responder heroes!
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Scientists on Coronavirus Eyes Are An Easy Entryway ... Tears Could Spread It!!!
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Do NOT cry us a river during this pandemic, 'cause it could cost you your life -- or at the very least ... possibly infect you with coronavirus, according to a new scientific study.
A team of docs and lab heads over at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine released a new report suggesting eyes and the surrounding tissues might very well be perfect gateways for COVID-19 to get inside us -- this after they examined dead people.
Long story short ... the scientists studied a group of 10 cadavers -- who did not die from anything coronavirus-related -- and found that their eyes and the area underneath their eyelids produced a solid amount ACE2 -- an enzyme known to facilitate COVID-19's permeation of the human body. This enzyme is found in lots of places -- like in the mouth and lungs -- but until now, it wasn't known our eyes had 'em in such copious amounts.
That's a huge problem, obviously -- but it gets worse. There's another enzyme called TMPRSS2 which further helps the virus slip through our pores and blood vessels ... and the Johns Hopkins crew found that our eyes have a crap-ton of that floating around as well.
Here's the kicker ... the group goes so far as to say that tears could possibly be a way of transmitting the virus and spreading to surfaces and/or to the others -- depending on where you're crying. For the record, this new study has not been peer-reviewed by others yet.
Still, it's scary to think about. Of course, we've heard the pros tell us not to rub our eyes during these times -- now, ya have even more reason to refrain from an eye scratch.
Talk about see no evil, huh?