The judge presiding over the wrongful death lawsuit of The Notorious B.I.G. has reinstated a wrongful death lawsuit that claims LAPD officers played a part in the rapper’s March 1997 murder.
The lawsuit, which names the City of Los Angeles and two LAPD officers as defendants in B.I.G.’s murder, was dismissed in December of 2007, after B.I.G.’s family missed state deadlines to bring claims against the city and two police officers.
The original lawsuit claims that B.I.G. was shot on orders from Marion “Suge” Knight, who allegedly hired off-duty officers to help plot the murder.
The family contends that evidence proves that convicted corrupt cops Rafael Perez and David Mack, an alleged Bloods gang member, conspired with Knight to arrange the murder of the Notorious B.I.G.
According to reports, Lil’ Kim’s former manager Damien “D-Roc” Butler allegedly witnessed Mack standing near the Petersen Auto Museum moments before B.I.G. was shot and killed.
The family also claims that Perez and his corrupt imprisoned partner Nino Durden were on duty the night B.I.G. was murdered.
Butler also identified Mack, who was not supposed to be on duty that night due to a sick leave, in a photo lineup shortly after the shooting.
Knight, Mack and Perez have denied claims that they were involved in B.I.G.’s murder.
"This was a standalone action based on state laws, but the rigorous rules state that if you don't file suit within six months of the injury, then the suit cannot go forward, and we didn't find out that Perez was on duty until August 2006," the family’s lawyer Perry Sanders said shortly after the lawsuit was dismissed.
The family has 20 days to file a new lawsuit in Federal court.
