Prosecutors played
a videotape in court yesterday that they hope will convict rapper Lil’ Kim
of lying to a federal grand jury about her knowledge of a 2001 daylight shootout
in New York that left one man wounded.
Lil’ Kim
denied knowledge of the shootout to the federal grand jury, which occurred in
front of Hot 97’s Greenwich Village offices in 2001, after a dispute erupted
between her entourage and associates of Capone-N-Noreaga.
Prosecutors claim
that Kim told a grand jury that she did not see her manager Damion Butler near
the scene of the crime.
Videotape surveillance
played yesterday in court showed Kim standing next to Butler on the street just
before bullets started flying.
James Cruz, a manager
for Capone-N-Noreaga took the stand yesterday and described the scene.
“I heard
the rapid succession of shots," Cruz testified. "My first reaction
was to get into the building. D-Roc [Butler’s alias] pulled me around.
As he moved me out of the way, I thought it was to protect me, he started firing
back across the street…it was a pistol."
Cruz, who said
he phoned Noreaga and told him not to come to the station due to gunfire, also
testified that Kim stood on the street during the shootout and was not in her
limousine as previously reported.
Kim has repeatedly
denied all of the allegations. In a statement released to AllHipHop.com today
(March 3), Lil’ Kim thanked her loyal followers for supporting her.
"I have confidence
in our legal system and look forward to justice in my case,” Lil’
Kim told AllHipHop.com in the statement. “I would like to thank my amazing
and loving fans for the overwhelming number of letters, e-mails, phone calls
and expressions of support. It is very much appreciated, welcoming and gratifying
during my time in need."
