Beverly Hills apologizes to Celtics star Jaylen Brown for claims about his event that was shut down

BOSTON (AP) — The City of Beverly Hills apologized to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown on Thursday for initially stating that an event he hosted on the eve of the NBA All-Star Game was shut down because the city said it lacked a permit.

“Upon further internal review, the City has determined that its prior public communication contained inaccurate information,” the city said in a statement posted to Instagram. “Specifically, no permit application was submitted nor denied for the event and the residence does not have any prior related violations on record.”

But Brown posted a statement from Jaylen Brown Enterprises on the X platform Thursday night taking issue with another part of the city's statement that claimed the event was actually shut down because of a perceived code violation.

The event promoting Brown’s performance brand, 741, was held at Oakley founder Jim Jannard’s home. Brown has a sponsorship deal with Oakley.

“We acknowledge the City of Beverly Hill's recent clarification confirming that prior public statements made on their behalf were incorrect and false; specifically that no permit was ever applied for, denied, and that the residence had no prior violations on record, ” the statement said.

The statement from Brown's company added that while it appreciated the clarification, it still took issue with the city's insistence that the event was shut down because of a belief that a code violation had taken place.

“No alleged proof of any violation was ever produced to the homeowner, our team or legal counsel,” the statement said. “Without observation, documentation, or confirmed violations, enforcement action based on belief alone raises serious due-process concerns.”

On Sunday, Beverly Hills released a statement to The Boston Globe, saying it rejected a permit.

“An event permit had been applied for and denied by the City due to previous violations associated with events at the address,” the statement to the Globe said. “Despite the fact that the permit was denied, organizers still chose to proceed with inviting hundreds of guests knowing that it was not allowed to occur. BHPD responded and shut down the unpermitted event.”

Brown countered to ESPN, saying: “That was not true. We didn’t need a permit because the owner of the house, that was his space. We were family friends. He opened up the festivities to us so we didn’t have to. We never applied for one.”

The statement from Brown’s company on Thursday said it remains “open to a constructive resolution with the City of Beverly Hills.”

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, bottom, drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

BANGKOK (AP) — When Thai police were having trouble catching a serial burglar who repeatedly slipped through their fingers, they came up with a creative plan: going undercover in a traditional lion costume to get close to their elusive quarry.

Video footage released by the Bangkok police department showed officers hidden beneath a red-and-gold lion costume dancing toward the suspect on Wednesday as he wandered through a Lunar New Year fair at a temple in Nonthaburi, a province neighboring Bangkok. Moments later, the officer who was holding the lion’s papier-mache head lunges at the suspect swiftly pins the man to the ground.

Police say the suspect, identified as a 33-year-old man, is accused of breaking into the home of a local police commander in Bangkok three times earlier this month, making off with valuables worth about 2 million baht ($64,000).

In a press release, police said they had attempted to arrest the man several times, but he was quick to spot police officers and ran off. They later identified him by tracing stolen amulets he had sold and learned that he frequently visited temples in Nonthaburi.

While the Lunar New Year is not an official holiday in Thailand, celebrations are common and lion dances are often part of the festivities, providing the perfect cover for the operation.

Police said the suspect has confessed to the buglaries, saying he stole to buy drugs and gamble. They added that he has previously been convicted of drug-related offenses and burglary.

In this image released by Thailand’s Metropolitan Police Bureau, Thai police disguised as lion dance performers catch a burglary suspect at a temple fair in Nonthaburi province, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (The Metropolitan Police Bureau via AP)