NY Supreme Court Justice Naita Semaj publicly stated that an NYPD officer lied on drill rapper C Blu when he testified against the artist.
The cop implied that the teen rapper was not cooperating with the police, but “clear” video footage proves that he was.
According to the Washington Post, this type of police misconduct has cost taxpayers across the nation over $3.2 billion in settlement claims from 2011, to 2021.
Research released by the outlet showed that 7,600 officers are responsible for “40,000 payments at 25 of the nation’s largest police and sheriff’s departments” within the past decade.
The officer’s conduct in C Blu’s case is an example of misconduct and violation of rights that could potentially cost the city of New York City a hefty bag.
According to the New York Daily News, on Tuesday, March 8th, the Bronx judge called the cop’s testimony “incredible” and “self-serving,” later adding it “had no value.”
C Blu, who also happens to want to be a good student in high school with a desire to become a biochemist in addition to his rap career, is accused of shooting an officer on January 18th.
Semaj recognized that the 16-year-old did have a firearm on her person, but there was “no apparent reason” for Bronx Officer Taulant Gjonbalaj, or any other officers to have approached him and escalated the confrontation.
Semaj, who serves in the New York Supreme Court 12th Judicial District, said in her ruling on the case that “there was absolutely zero reason for any of those officers to approach this individual.”
“They approached him, they detained him, they searched him, and no officer even bothered to come up with a halfway legitimate reason for any of that,” she emotionally said.
This act of defiance launched the fight between Officer Kaseem Pennant and the child.
It was alleged that the teen shot at the officer and struck himself in the leg in the process.
C Blu’s lawyer Dawn Florio stated in January, “My client never touched the gun. You could hear the people saying that they thought the police officer shot my client.”
Video footage supports the defense and draws questions to the officer’s recollection about the shooting or firing.
It showed that as Officers Pennant and Gjonbalaj illegally searched the minor, the gun that he had on his person went off, which caused both injuries. The officers made up the other story.
“While there is no disputing the fact that Mr. Williams had a gun on him that night,” Semaj stated, “he literally does everything you tell your child to do when they’re approached by cops. He literally kept his hands up. He literally tried to record to make sure there was proof. He answered questions he had no obligation to answer.”
The judge addressed Officer Taulant Gjonbalaj’s blatant misrepresentation of the facts.
“I cannot state how absolutely incredible his testimony was,” she said. “It was inconsistent with the video, it was inconsistent with his fellow officer’s testimony, it was self-serving, it had no value.”
She further stated that the prosecution did not demonstrate that shot caused Pennant to have “significant physical injury,” a factor crucial to determine if this case should be moved to Family Court, considering the age of the defendant.
This is important.
C Blu, who has pleaded not guilty, was charged as an adult with criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree assault, and other weapons charges.
If the case is heard in Family Court, he will not be prosecuted by the Bronx District Attorney, but the city’s Law Department.
The rapper will also not have a trial by jury, but as a juvenile, he will have the case decided by judges — a possibility that will have less harsh penalties.
As the judge pointed out, the child’s rights were actually violated as there was no reason to approach him or his group in the first place.
Should this case be thrown out, and C Blu file his own civil rights lawsuit, he could potentially add to the number of recipients who have settled with the city because a cop was moving funny.
Over the last decade, the Big Apple has dolled out a total of $1.779 billion (a whopping $1,779,045,901) in police misconduct lawsuit settlements. The report notes that 46% by officers are named in multiple payments.
New York City Police Sgt. Edward Riley responded to this statistic, “The numbers have been, for a few years now, on a continuous downward trend indicating that members of this Department are acting with courtesy, professionalism, and respect and in accordance with the trainings and policies of this Department… Notices of Claim are allegations and are sometimes paid by the City prior to litigation as a business decision, without the benefit of evidence or officers’ testimony.”
Most police officers are upright and serve honorably … it is those rotten apples that spoil the who bunch.
