Judge Shuts Down Bobby Shmurda’s Lawyer’s Bid For Complaint Files Of Cops Involved In Rapper’s Takedown
BOSSIP Exclusive: Judge Shuts Down Bobby Shmurda’s Lawyer’s Bid To Get Complaint Files Of Cops Involved In Rapper’s Takedown
Bobby Shmurda’s Lawyer Said Cops Who Arrested The Rapper Have “Serious Credibility Issues”
The judge presiding over Bobby Shmurda’s gang conspiracy case shut down the rapper’s lawyer’s attempt to obtain the disciplinary records of cops involved and complaints against them from the public.
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Abraham Clott denied Alex Spiro’s motion to obtain the personnel records and civilian complaint files for two detectives and one police officer who arrested Shmurda back in June 2014 in a Brooklyn apartment where guns were found.
Spiro said he requested the cops’ records because he said they’d show a pattern of misconduct that raised questions about their credibility and could potentially vindicate Shmurda. Spiro said the cops were the only witnesses in Shmurda’s gun arrest, and one officer confessed to lying about a drug deal in a separate case.
Spiro said the three officers had each been sued for misconduct including unlawful stop and search and false arrest, and the city settled some of the cases out of court, and a few are still pending.
“This isn’t just a singular encounter where one police officer is sued by one individual one time and the case is dismissed,” Spiro told the judge during a hearing March 15, according to transcripts obtained by BOSSIP.
“This is a rampant pattern that existed in this case and with these officers in other cases.”
But an NYPD lawyer identified as Sgt. Reale said the police records had no bearing on Shmurda’s case because the rapper – real name Ackquille Pollard – never filed a complaint against the police or complained about the way he was arrested.
“…There is no current allegation of misconduct against these police officers as to this case. So how could their personnel files be relevant? Sgt. Reale said. “Whatever happened in the past, these former cases can’t be relevant to this matter, because there is no accusation of misconduct, there’s no evidence of misconduct.”
The “Hot Ni**a” rapper has been locked up since December 2014 on charges that he led GS9, a violent gang that terrorized Brooklyn with shootings and drug dealing.
In denying Spiro’s motion, Judge Clott said there wasn’t enough evidence to force the NYPD to hand over the cops’ personnel records. The judge also denied Spiro’s request for Shmurda’s stop and frisk records.
Spiro argued that the cops repeatedly targeted Shmurda with stop and frisks, but never found any drugs or weapons on him. But the prosecution argued it didn’t matter if cops didn’t find anything because he is charged with conspiracy, or agreeing to participate in illegal gang activity.
