A Westchester County, New York Judge has ordered DMX to pay $240,000 in damages to the man who was the target of the rapper’s FBI impersonation incident in New York five years ago, The Journal News reports.
On Tuesday (April 27), a White Plains jury began hearing the case of 36-year-old Sergei Priporin, who filed a civil suit against the embattled rapper, born Earl Simmons.
Priporin accused DMX of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress during their brief encounter.
On June 24, 2004, in what would become one of the first in a string of publicized run-ins with the law, DMX used a police light and siren to force Priporin to pull over in one of the parking lots at New York’s JFK International Airport.
The plaintiff claimed that once he pulled over, with his mother and daughter in the vehicle, DMX attempted to forcibly remove him from the vehicle, claiming to be an FBI agent.
After attempting to flee the scene and ultimately crashing through an exit gate, DMX was arrested by Port Authority police.
The rapper was later forced to surrender his Ford Expedition and pay a $1,000 fine.
"It really doesn't matter whether he's a celebrity or not," Priporin told the Journal News. "Every person has to be accountable and responsible for their actions."
Priporin was originally seeking compensation in the amount of $4 million from DMX, who is currently serving time in an Arizona jail on charges of animal cruelty and identity theft.
DMX’s attorney Rich Corde spoke on behalf of his client, explaining that the rapper felt he was justified in pulling Priporin over and making a citizen’s arrest.
"His vehicle looked like it was a police vehicle and he believed Mr. Priporin should've gotten out of the way," Corde said. "When Mr. Priporin didn't get out of his way, he decided he should pull him over. He readily admits to making believe he was an FBI agent and telling Mr. Priporin to get out of the car. He denies striking him or trying to pull him out of the car."
Corde further admitted that DMX’s decision to use the siren and light was an attempt to catch a flight for which he was running late.
In addition to his very public legal incidents across the country, including a Miami drug possession charge and several encounters with the Mariposa County Sheriff’s office in Arizona, where he currently lives, DMX has also faced his share of problems with law enforcement in his hometown of Yonkers, New York and neighboring White Plains.
He still faces pending warrants in both towns.
Two months into his current 90-day sentence, DMX was re-booked on charges of aggravated assault on February 22 for allegedly throwing a dinner tray at a correctional officer and refusing to attend work assignments.
If found guilty of the latest charges, the multi-platinum rapper faces a longer sentence and the possibility of having his probation revoked.
