The Pennsylvania cop who appeared on video to put his knee on a man's neck didn't commit a crime ... this according to the Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.
The D.A. concluded Friday the cop did NOT put his knee on the man's neck during an incident that sparked outrage last weekend. The D.A. insists the cop in question put his knee on the man's head ... not his neck.
Martin said, "Based upon my review and the totality of the circumstances surrounding this event, I have concluded that there is absolutely no evidence to support filing criminal charges against either of the Allentown police officers involved in this incident."
He went on to say, "I am satisfied that given Mr. Borrero's obvious intoxication and his actions, he was clearly a danger to himself and potentially to others."
Martin said he assigned several detectives to investigate. He says the detectives interviewed the man and he revealed he was a heroin addict who ingested powder cocaine and did so just hours before the altercation.
As we reported ... a man was driving in Allentown Saturday when he saw cops trying to subdue the man. A few seconds into the video, the officer seems to employ the type of neck restraint that killed George Floyd.The police department had recently banned the use of chokeholds and other neck restraints.
Allentown PD had said the man yelled, screamed and spit at officers and hospital staff before they were finally able to restrain him.
The felony charges against NFL receiver Kenny Stills and 'Real Housewives' star Porsha Williams stemming from a Breonna Taylor protest in Kentucky have been dropped ... prosecutors say.
But, they're not in the clear just yet.
Stills and Williams were just 2 of the 87 people arrested on Tuesday for demonstrating on the front lawn of the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
The group was chanting for justice for Taylor -- they want the police officer who killed her to be arrested and charged with crimes.
All 87 people were initially charged with felony intimidating a participant in a legal process -- and 2 lesser misdemeanors.
The felony charge is a big deal -- if convicted, people face a minimum of 1 year behind bars ... and up to 5 if the judge wants to make a point.
But, on Friday, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell says he is DROPPING the felony for all 87 people, effective immediately.
"After careful review of the law, I am dismissing the felony charge of Intimidating a Participant in the Legal Process against the protestors arrested on Attorney General Cameron's property on July 14, 2020."
"While we do believe the LMPD had probable cause for the charge, in the interest of justice and the promotion of the free exchange of ideas, we will dismiss that charge for each protestor arrested this past Tuesday."
The bad news for Stills, Williams and the 85 other people -- O'Connell says the misdemeanor charges are still in play ... at least for now.
"We continue to review the misdemeanors and violations for prosecution at a later date."
Kenny -- who plays for the Houston Texans -- issued a statement after his arrest -- saying, "Arrested for peacefully protesting. While Breonnas Taylor’s murderers are still out on the street."
Joey Lawrence is throwing in the towel on his second marriage ... he just filed for divorce.
The former "Blossom" star filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court to divorce Chandie Lawrence as they approached their 15-year wedding anniversary.
Joey and Chandie met at Disney World way back in 1993, when he was 16 years old and on vacation. Joey says he invited her on an ice cream date at the Mouse House when they first met and joked about getting married at the theme park.
After Joey's first marriage to Michelle Vella ended in divorce in 2005, he quickly wed Chandie in July and their teenage wedding fantasies became reality as they tied the knot at Disney World.
It's not clear what led to the split, but Joey and Chandie will have to settle child custody and/or support issues -- they have 2 minor daughters, 14-year-old Charleston and 10-year-old Liberty.
Despite Disney's best efforts ... no fairytale ending this time.
Jeffrey Epstein's Palm Beach estate, where he allegedly sexually molested dozens of teenage girls lured in by money, just got vandalized with a very powerful message.
"GONE BUT NOT FORGIVEN" reads the mark left on the front gate guarding one of Epstein's former homes.
The image is in red paint, clearly intended to look like blood.
The house has been tied up in litigation since the charges against Epstein were brought. As you know, Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. Authorities say he hung himself, but a private autopsy raised questions. Medical Examiner Cyril Wecht concluded it is virtually unheard of for 3 neck bones to break when someone hangs themself.
The house is a centerpiece of the allegations made against Epstein, where he brought numerous underage girls to the estate and sexually abused them. And, as you know, Epstein's longtime girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, is now in jail after being arrested for allegedly facilitating and participating in Epstein's sexual abuse of minors.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently completed a round of chemotherapy to treat "a recurrence of cancer" ... but insists she's still fully able to sit on the Supreme Court.
RBG says she began the cancer treatment on May 19 after a February biopsy revealed lesions on her liver. She says the chemo is yielding positive results -- and no new disease -- and she'll continue biweekly treatments.
The legendary justice points out that her recent hospitalization was to remove gall stones and treat an infection, but was unrelated to the cancer.
Ginsburg adds ... throughout her health issues, she has maintained an active daily routine and been keeping up with all her Supreme Court work.
She says ... "I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that."
The 3 men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery entered not guilty pleas in court and one of the defendants wants potential jurors to be asked probing questions in a private setting.
Gregory and Travis McMichael, along with William "Roddie" Bryan, all pled not guilty Friday in court. Bryan's attorney also requested bond for Bryan, but the judge denied the request citing a slew of concerns, including a sex crimes investigation by the GBI at the request of the Glynn County Police Department. That investigation is active and ongoing.
Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, and Arbery's father, Marcus Arbery Sr., gave statements requesting the court deny bond.
Bryan's attorney had brought up the coronavirus pandemic as another reason why his client should get bond ... claiming Bryan's in the high-risk category. Prosecutors countered saying the Sheriff's doing his part keeping things safe behind bars. The hearing's currently in a recess.
Bryan's attorney also filed a motion to submit certain questions to potential jurors in an attempt to weed out biases.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Bryan's attorney submitted a list of more than 50 questions for potential jurors to answer ... including: "What in your opinion is the principal cause of crime in America today?"
Another question ... "What steps do you think people who are frightened about crime should take to protect themselves?" as well as "Have you ever heard the statement, he looks like a cirminal? If yes, do you think that if someone 'looks like a criminal' they are probably guilty if they are arrested for a crime? Why/why not?"
Bryan's attorney wants everyone examined separately and privately, claiming there are "sensitive and potentially embarrassing questions exploring the prospective juror's bias and prejudice, especially with respect to matters of race."
Then there's this ... Bryan's attorneys also want to inspect all of Arbery's probation docs, any medical or mental health records, any juvenile court records, any DCFS records and any board of education records.
The issue of citizens arrest was also brought up in docs ... Bryan's attorney claims there was enough evidence to establish probable cause that Arbery had committed the offense of criminal attempt to commit burglary. According to the docs, this allowed McMichael to attempt a citizens arrest and then, when Arbery fought back, to defend himself.
Bryan's attorney also argues someone running in an attempted burglary case allows you to presume criminal intent ... and he notes that Arbery was running. Bryan's attorney also claims Arbery knew he was a convicted felon on probation for shoplifting ... so an objective observer would have reason to believe he was trying to commit a burglary when he ran from the house.
As we reported ... the men were all indicted by a grand jury for Arbery's murder on June 24. They are each facing 9 felony charges -- 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts felony murder, 2 counts aggravated assault, 1 count false imprisonment and 1 count criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
The 3 defendants have been in custody since their arrests in May, and last appeared in court in early June for a probable cause hearing ... where a judge concluded there's enough evidence to move forward with the case.
During that hearing, a GBI detective testified he found no evidence Arbery stole anything from the construction site he walked through before he was shot and killed. Gregory McMichael had claimed Arbery matched the description of a burglary suspect, which is why they were after him.
Gregory's son, Travis, fired the fatal shots during a struggle with Ahmaud on February 23. The GBI detective also testified Bryan told cops he heard Travis refer to Arbery as a "f***ing n*****" right after he shot him.
Travis and Gregory were arrested and charged with murder on May 8. Authorities allege Bryan -- who recorded the incident -- was working with the McMichaels to trap Arbery. He was arrested and charged 14 days later.
Nick Cannon is at his wit's end over his anti-Semitic comments and his apology for them -- he clearly feels he's in a no-win situation, and now some fans are concerned about his well being.
"The Masked Singer" host let his frustrations out Thursday night, saying ... "I hurt an entire community and it pained me to my core, I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Then I watched my own community turn on me and call me a sell-out for apologizing."
He added ... "Goodnight. Enjoy Earth."
An hour later, he followed that up, tweeting ... "Y'all can have this planet. I'm out!"
As you know ... Nick came under fire for pushing anti-Jewish rhetoric on his "Cannon's Class" podcast, which resulted in ViacomCBS dropping him. Instead of apologizing, he initially stuck to his guns and was defiant.
But he changed his tune after a discussion with Rabbi Abraham Cooper, and posted a lengthy apology for his "hurtful and divisive words."
Nick's frustration is clear from his Thursday night tweets -- after initially getting backlash for the anti-Semitic remarks, he's now getting backlash for apologizing. It's interesting ... you could read the apology backlash as a reflection of just how much anti-Semitism there is out there.
Some fans online took Nick's tweets as a sign he might harm himself.
As we reported, Nick had a follow-up face-to-face meeting with Rabbi Cooper Thursday night, but the social media trolling is obviously weighing heavily on him.
Italian police thwarted drug-smugglers who sliced hundreds of coffee beans open, stuffed them with cocaine and carefully encased them with dark brown tape.
The perps might have gotten away with it too ... if it wasn't for that darn John Wick.
According to police, they became suspicious of the package containing the coffee beans when someone noticed the name on it was Santino D'Antonio ... a mafia boss villain in "John Wick: Chapter 2" as well as the third film in the franchise.
The coked-up beans were shipped from Medellin in Colombia to Milan's Malpensa airport, and all in all ... the 2kg package contained 150g of cocaine powder via about 500 beans.
The package was addressed to a tobacco shop in Florence, and cops busted the 50-year-old man who came to collect it.
Italian police named their operation "Caffe' Scorretto" -- which means Improper Coffee, which plays off the name of the country's popular drink, '"Caffe' corretto" ... corrected coffee.
Tamar Braxton may have attempted to take her own life.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a 911 call was placed at around 10 PM Thursday. The caller said someone at the Ritz Carlton hotel in downtown L.A. attempted suicide.
When EMTs arrived we're told they found Tamar unconscious inside her room. Her boyfriend, David Adefeso, told cops she may have overdosed on pills and alcohol.
Our sources say the boyfriend also told police Tamar had been upset earlier in the day and had threatened suicide. Our law enforcement sources say Tamar did not leave a note.
Tamar was rushed to the hospital. We do not know her condition.
Tamar and David do a YouTube show called, "Coupled & Quarantined," and the latest episode was supposed to run Thursday night, but earlier in the day they said it was being postponed. They did not say why.
They also have an upcoming show on WE tv called, "Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life." The first trailer for the show was released Thursday, and in it, Tamar is seen arguing with producers about being portrayed as the "angry black woman."
Tamar, whose latest album was "Bluebird of Happiness" back in 2017, may be even better known for her reality series, "Braxton Family Values."
She also won the U.S. version of "Celebrity Big Brother" last year.
We attempted but were unable to reach Tamar's rep.
Hayden Panettiere's allegedly abusive ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, is now facing serious criminal charges in California ... this, days after Hayden got an order of protection against him.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Hickerson was charged Thursday in an 8-count complaint that includes domestic violence charges, assault charges. Seven of the 8 charges are felonies.
Panettiere recently reported her ex-BF to the Teton County Sheriff in Wyoming -- along with the Santa Monica police and LAPD -- for multiple incidents involving extreme domestic violence against her during their year-and-a-half relationship.
The former "Nashville" star tells TMZ ... “I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life."
Hayden's attorney, Alan Jackson, says ... "After suffering for years as the victim of psychological, emotional and severe physical abuse, Hayden Panettiere has begun the process of taking back her life. Hayden has found the strength and courage to share the truth about her abuse and her abuser, and she intends to assist the prosecution to see that justice is served. As a survivor, she recognizes that her arduous journey of healing has just begun."
As we reported ... Panettiere recently got court-ordered protection from Hickerson in Wyoming, and a California judge just granted her that same protection in the Golden State.
Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence on Valentine's Day in Teton County, Wyoming -- after Hayden told cops he'd roughed her up after an argument and punched her in the face.
As for Hayden, a source close to the actress says she's been undergoing successful treatment for alcohol abuse issues and is now focused on healing, sobriety and recovery.
Conor McGregorproved he could switch to Irish Olympic diving now that he's "retired" from MMA ... executing a perfect leap during his vacation in the French Riviera.
LOOK AT THAT FORM!!
The UFC superstar has been chillaxing off the coast of France for the past few days as part of a 32nd birthday celebration -- and while he left his brand new $620,000 watch in the hotel room, he made sure to bring his media team to the beach!
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Seriously, Conor made sure his personal photographer AND a videographer tagged along with his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, and their 2 kids as they enjoyed the sun and sand.
Gotta have content for the Gram, right?!
Despite the fact Conor announced his retirement from MMA back in June, he seems to be keeping himself in fighting shape -- dude looks absolutely jacked.
Earlier this week, he traded friendly tweets with Manny Pacquiao suggesting a possible boxing match between the two -- but we're guessing he'll be back in the octagon before the boxing ring.
In the meantime, enjoy the time off ... and smile for the cameras!
The #FreeBritney movement has re-emerged in a big way, with lots of people spinning conspiracy theories that she's being held against her will ... but they got the story wrong.
Folks on social media have been alarmed by Britney Spears posting a gaggle of dance and fashion show videos. They're odd, to say the least ... she's dancing, pacing back and forth and looking not quite put together.
So then, fans started sending Britney secret messages -- "wear black if you need help," and "wear pink if you are in trouble." Well, she wore pink shorts with black polka dots in a dance video, and that's all she wrote.
She also crossed her arms in an "X" fashion and folks interpreted that as saying, "I'm not okay." Well, people went nuts online, again suggesting her conservatorship -- led by Britney's dad, Jamie -- was holding her against her will.
Here's the reality. We've reported for the last 2 years ... Britney is struggling. Her meds stopped working and doctors were having trouble finding the right combination. Sources with direct knowledge tell us she's not been easy to deal with ... she sometimes complains she wants more freedom. Short story -- she hasn't been especially stable managing her mental illness.
There's collateral damage in all of this ... Kevin Federline has had their 2 kids considerably more than Britney -- and it all relates back to her mental state.
The conservatorship has been around for 12 years -- an incredibly unusual amount of time for a conservatorship to last, but this one's different. Our sources have said for years ... Britney's mental illness requires this conservatorship -- probably for life.
Lots of people think this is all Jamie lording over his daughter, but it's not the case. There is a slew of people involved in the conservatorship -- doctors, lawyers, therapists and a judge. There is no way Jamie could go rogue without one of the others taking it to the judge.
As one source very close to Britney told TMZ ... "These people who are screaming for the conservatorship to end, well if that happened and she hurt herself or died 2 weeks after would these people utter a peep? No way."
Caitlyn Jenner wants Kanye West to keep his presidential bid in the family ... and she's already positioning herself to be Yeezy's vice president!!!
Caitlyn was walking back to her car after grabbing some Starbucks in Westlake Village, CA when she was asked if she'd be voting Kanye for Prez in the 2020 election.
It's pretty funny ... Caitlyn says she's already texted Kanye about being his running mate!!!
Caitlyn thinks they'd make a pretty awesome combination on the Birthday Party ticket ... and while it sounds like she's joking about being Ye's veep, ya can't exactly rule it out, not with the way Kanye's entered the race at the last minute.
We broke the story ... Yeezy filed a second set of docs Thursday with the Federal Election Commission -- a Statement of Candidacy, which shows he's spent or raised over $5,000 in campaign-related expenses, officially elevating him to candidacy status under the federal campaign law.
Ye previously filed legal docs qualifying him to get on the ballot in Oklahoma, though he missed Wednesday's deadline in Florida, a battleground state.
Kanye tabbed Michelle Tidball to be his running mate in his instantly infamous interview with Forbes, but she comes with a lot of baggage and has yet to formally accept the invitation.
Caitlyn's seizing the opening and shooting her shot ... and now the ball's in Kanye's court.
The protesters arrested and charged with a felony for protesting Breonna Taylor's death made sure residents in the neighborhood knew they came in peace.
The demonstration outside the Louisville home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron was completelynon-violent and peaceful, and protesters made sure to touch base with neighbors beforehand ... according to Jeanette Thomas, who lives on Cameron's block.
Jeanette says the protesters assured neighbors they were only there to demand justice for Breonna and weren't there to start trouble ... and they peacefully protested by chanting Taylor's name, and remained calm even when police started arresting them.
As we reported ... the 87 people arrested and booked on a felony charge of intimidating a participant in a legal process -- that participant being AG Cameron -- included 'RHOA' star Porsha Williams, 'L&HH' star Yandy Smith, NFL player Kenny Stills and activist Tamika Mallory. Opinion -- frickin' ridiculous ... that citizens of a State are not allowed to stage a protest against an elected official.
Yandy and Tamika told us they find it ironic they now how have a felony charge to fight, while the police officers who killed Breonna still roam free.
Jeanette says the protesters told her they knew they would be arrested and vowed not to resist ... and explains why residents weren't scared in the slightest.
And, get this ... Jeanette tells us protesters even showed concern for the safety of her and her daughter as police started to move in, and says demonstrators sent her flowers the next day as a thank you for letting them park in her driveway.
"Big Brother" is on its way back -- 'rona be damned -- but it's not just the all-star cast that will be quarantining together to make it happen ... the crew must too.
Sources close to production of season 22 tell TMZ ... the people working on the popular reality competition will be taking a page out of the NBA's book, and staying in a bubble.
We're told the crew members will reside in RVs by the set -- otherwise known as the 'Big Brother' house -- but will be swapped out monthly.
Our sources say the system will work like this -- one month on for the crew, then 2 weeks off followed by 2 weeks in quarantine ... then back on. A typical 'BB' season lasts around 3 months.
Those familiar with the show know ... although the 'Big Brother' Houseguests don't directly interact with the people running the show ... the crew must still enter the house to haul in supplies, make repairs, and set up the competitions.
So, it's just as important for the cast to remain safe and take every COVID-19 precaution as the cast.
As we first told you ... CBS is busting out some of its All-Star Houseguests from seasons past for the upcoming season, which is tentatively scheduled to begin shooting later this summer after already being delayed.
Julie Chen Moonves is set to return as host. We don't know if she's part of the bubble.
Our sources tell us the "Pretty Little Liars" actress reached out to Colton soon after his split from ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph ... and the two have been seeing each other a lot.
The ex-'Bachelor' went on a hike with Lucy Wednesday at Paseo Miramar Trail in Los Angeles' scenic Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and as you can see ... Colton and Lucy were pretty sweaty, close and without masks.
Our sources say Colton and Lucy have gone on a few of these "casual hike dates" over the last few weeks, so it seems their relationship has legs.
Lucy's had her eye on Colton for years too ... back in 2018, she said he would make a good 'Bachelor' because he's "wholesome," a "good guy" and "beautiful to watch." Oh, and we're also told they have mutual friends.
As for Colton being out without a face covering ... well, he's already survived his battle with COVID-19. True, outdoors is safer than indoors, but it's unclear just how much immunity -- if any -- people have who already contracted the virus.
BTW ... walks and hikes are kinda Colton's thing during the pandemic, only now he's transitioned from Cassie to Lucy.
