New York Mayor Eric Adams and the New York Police Department are under fire after a Bronx judge found inconsistencies in a police officer’s recount of a drill rapper’s arrest that ended with a suspect and an officer shot this year.
NYPD officer Taulant Gjonbalaj said they approached 16-year old Camrin’ C Blu’ Williams after he ignored their orders to remove his hands from his pockets during the Jan. 18 encounter.
Gjonbalaj alleged Williams started fighting one of the officers when they responded to a “disorderly crowd” in a Bronx neighborhood. The officer said Williams’ gun went off in his pocket during the scuffle striking Officer Kaseem Pennant in the leg and Williams in the groin.
Bronx Supreme Court Justice Naita Semaj said during a March 8 hearing that Gjonbalaj’s testimony runs counter to video footage of the incident.
Semaj said even though Williams, who has a history of gun charges, was illegally possessing a weapon, authorities had no reason to search the teen. She said Williams raised his hand when he was ordered and complied with officers before being roughed up by Gjonbalaj and Pennant, which led to the gun’s accidental firing.
“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,” Semaj said.
The judge ruled the rapper, who recently signed a deal with Interscope Records, be tried as a juvenile and not an adult. The ruling received instant backlash from the NYPD and Adams, who has been a loud critic of drill music. Williams used an advance from the record deal to pay his $250,000 bail.
“I agree with the judge that there is no denying Mr. Williams had an illegal gun on him that night — a gun that ended up injuring both him and a police officer,” said Adams, a former NYPD captain. “This was Mr. Williams’ second gun-related arrest and exactly the reason why we need to work to get guns off the streets.”
Drill music is often categorized by its violent lyrics. The hip-hop subgenre originated in Chicago, where the slang word “drill” reportedly means to kill or murder. The mayor has criticized the music for its association with a string of murders in the city and has called for an internet ban of drill music videos that depict gang violence.
However, Adams reportedly walked back the comments after meeting with drill rappers last month.
Adams said he was concerned about “violent people who are using drill rapping to post who they killed, and then antagonize the people who they are going to kill.”
He vowed to work with the group of rappers, led by Maino, after the Feb. 15 meeting, but no further announcements have been made.
Williams’ release on bond reignited a push by Adams for stricter bond restrictions.
Under current New York law, cash bail is granted for violent felonies based on a suspect’s risk of flight. Adams believes a suspect’s “dangerousness” should also be considered in determining bail.
While Semaj slammed the NYPD officer for his “self-serving” testimony, community advocates said Adams owes residents an apology after the judge’s ruling.
“The mayor wrongly blamed bail reform for the release of a 16-year-old. Now, unsurprisingly, we learn that the police fabricated the circumstances leading up to the incident,” Marvin Mayfield, a director at the Center for Community Alternatives, said.
“Video proved that this young person was unconstitutionally assaulted, and it is now clear that he was the only person seriously injured as a result of police action.”
Daily News reporters said the police department and the mayor dodged direct questions about Gjonbalaj’s testimony.
Deputy Commissioner of Public Information John Miller said the NYPD disagrees with Semaj and intends “to litigate this case in the courtroom.”
“A 16-year-old and a police officer were each shot and wounded in this incident. The bullet came from a gun being carried by a teenager who was released in a prior gun arrest. The officers were on patrol that night for the sole purpose of keeping our citizens safe. Those are the most critically important elements of this case,” Miller said.
“This is dangerous work, but the intent is to foster peace and achieve just outcomes for all New Yorkers whether they are victims, witnesses, or young people who make wrong decisions to carry firearms.”
