(Reuters) A judge on Monday set a $1.5 million bond for a white Chicago police officer charged with murder after a patrol car's dashboard camera video showed him shooting a black teenager 16 times.
Protesters including NAACP President Cornell William Brooks were arrested on Monday, tweets from Brooks and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said, as demonstrations continued against the 2014 shooting and 13-month delay in releasing the video.
At Monday's hearing, Cook County Criminal Court Associate Judge Donald Panarese, Jr. ruled police officer Jason Van Dyke, who appeared in shackles, must post 10 percent of the total amount. The police union president said that union members would help Van Dyke's family meet the amount.
Last week Van Dyke was denied bail because the judge wanted to see the video first. Prosecutors asked on Monday that the previous ruling stand, but Van Dyke's lawyer, Daniel Herbert, said his client posed no flight risk. Herbert said he did not know when Van Dyke might post bond.
There have been several days of protests in Chicago following the release Tuesday of the video, which showed Van Dyke gunning down 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in the middle of the street on Oct. 20, 2014, as he was walking away from police who had confronted him. Van Dyke, 37, was charged with first-degree murder.
The case is among several high-profile killings of unarmed black men at the hands of mainly white law enforcement officials in U.S. cities over the past two years, reigniting a national debate on race relations and police tactics and sometimes leading to violent demonstrations.
Herbert said Van Dyke is prepared to defend himself. "He is very scared about the consequences that he's facing. He's concerned for his wife and his children. But he's handling it like a professional," Herbert said.
Herbert said the video alone does not show the shooting to be justified, but he decided after consulting with Van Dyke and experts in the field that the case was "absolutely defensible."
"When you see the video alone it does not seem like a justifiable shooting," Herbert said. He said there were certain things he knows that "quite frankly no one else knows."
Dean Angelo, president of the local Fraternal Order of Police union, said on Monday he saw the video of the shooting. "I think Officer Van Dyke steps into his training mode and takes action that he believed at that time to be justified," he said.
The case was linked to an online threat that closed the University of Chicago on Monday. A University of Illinois at Chicago student was arrested in connection with the threat and had threatened to kill 16 white male students or staff in retaliation for the shooting of McDonald, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Over the weekend DJ Whoo Kid had the opportunity to speak with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Right off the top Floyd shouted out Young Buck for the new music he's putting out, talked about artists on his record label, looking to build the next boxing sensation through Mayweather Promotions, his real estate investments, wanting to help Ronda Rousey with her stand up game, fighting 17 times in one year during his career and addressed Oscar De La Hoya dissing him.
"Sometimes drugs, jealousy," Mayweather said, hinting at possible reasons De La Hoya is hating on him. "Drugs and jealousy. I wish him nothing but the best. I understand the reason he's probably going after me. It's because of the drugs and because of the jealousy. You know that comes with the territory."
Money Mayalso talked about retiring with all his faculties,Adrien BronerdissingThe Money Team, upcoming fight between Broner and a Mayweather Promotions boxer, knowing50 Centwants to see him go for his 50th win and more.
After serving up an appetizer over the weekend in the form of his "Before the Party" mixtape, Chris Brown will deliver the main course with his seventh studio album titled "Royalty" on December 18th. The project features Future and Solo Lucci.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on November 30, 2015 at 12:18pm
On today's episode of The Sex Room, we have the sexy Trinidadian bombshell, Blvk Bella (@blvk.bella). Blvk Bella talks with Jack Thriller about being from Trinidad, her fantasy Netflix and Chill day, what she likes in women and shows off her favorite sex position. Catch all this and more on episode 11 of The Sex Room. Follow @_thesexroom @jackthriller @frankantonio @ashtheprgod @jetfrombk @calicoo_
It's probably safe to say that Erykah Badu has been crossed off of Iggy Azalea's Christmas gift list.
Badu was the host of the 2015 Soul Train Awards on Sunday, November 29th, when she poured wet cement on the Australian rapper's head.
She kicked things off with a monologue/skit explaining why no rappers would be allowed at the event. The singer took pretend calls from Young Thug and her baby's father, Andre 3000. She explained to them that they were cool, but the night was going to be dedicated solely to R&B.
A call then came in from Iggy Azalea.
“Uh yes? Who is this? Iggy Azalea? Yeah, hey. Oh no no no no, you can come, ’cause what you doing is definitely not rap," Badu quipped.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After 20 years in a Lakers uniform and a lifetime in basketball, Kobe Bryant determined that his aching body and his passion for the game had both grown weaker than his excitement about the future.
That's when Kobe decided he could only wait a few more months to begin his life after the Lakers.
Bryant announced Sunday that he will retire after this season, ending a landmark 20-year NBA career spent entirely with Los Angeles. He was serenaded with cheers throughout the struggling Lakers' 107-103 loss to Indiana, beginning his farewell tour through the league with a clear mind and a burgeoning curiosity about his next chapter.
"I had to just accept the fact that I don't want to do this anymore, and I'm OK with that," the dry-eyed, smiling Bryant said after the game.
The 37-year-old Bryant made the long-anticipated declaration in a post on The Players' Tribune on Sunday, writing a poem titled "Dear Basketball."
"My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it's time to say goodbye," wrote Bryant, the third-leading scorer in NBA history. "And that's OK. I'm ready to let you go. I want you to know now. So we both can savor every moment we have left together. The good and the bad. We have given each other all that we have."
When the Lakers hosted the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, fans expecting an unremarkable regular-season game for the struggling home team instead received a letter from Bryant in a black envelope embossed with gold.
"What you've done for me is far greater than anything I've done for you," Bryant wrote. "I knew that each minute of each game I wore purple and gold."
The theatricality of Bryant's announcement fit a dramatic career that has included five championship rings and 17 All-Star selections during two decades with the Lakers, giving him the longest tenure with one team in NBA history.
Bryant went straight from high school in suburban Philadelphia to his favorite childhood team in 1996. He became the top scorer in Lakers history with offensive creativity and resourceful athleticism that inspired the generation of fans and players who missed Michael Jordan's peak, but grew up on the dynamic exploits of the Lakers' latest superstar.
"Kobe was my Jordan," said Southern California native Paul George, who scored 39 points for Indiana to beat the Lakers after Bryant missed a late 3-pointer to tie it. "Watching him win championships when I was growing up, that's who I idolized. That was the standard."
But Bryant's last three seasons have ended early due to injuries, and he played in only 41 games over the previous two years. He has struggled mightily in the first 16 games of this season with mostly young teammates on a rebuilding roster, making a career-worst 32 percent of his shots and dealing with pain and exhaustion every day.
Yet to Bryant, the current state of his game is no tragedy.
"There's so much beauty in the pain of this thing," Bryant said. "It sounds really weird to say that, but I appreciate the really, really tough times as much as I appreciate the great times. It's important to go through that progression, because I think that's where you really learn about the self."
In recent months, Bryant repeatedly said he didn't know whether he would play another season, clearly hoping for a rebound in his health and the Lakers' fortunes.
Neither has happened, and the ever-impatient Bryant didn't wait any longer to decide his future.
"Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. "Whether competing in the Finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game."
In a ritual likely to be repeated in arenas for the next 4 1/2 months, Bryant warmed up for Sunday's game amid even more than the usual swarm of camera phones and flashes surrounding the court. Bryant then missed his first six shots, including three 3-pointers. His slump stretched to 2 for 17 before he hit two big shots late, including a last-minute 3-pointer before his final miss.
Bryant surprised Lakers coach Byron Scott with his decision Saturday night. Scott, Bryant's teammate during the 1996-97 season, thought the star "had at least another year" in him.
Bryant disagreed, and he decided to make it public after talking with Jordan and other "muses."
"If I had a burning desire to continue to play, I would," Bryant said. "I wouldn't be second-guessing. I wouldn't be on the fence. I feel very solid in my decision."
Even during his late-career struggles with the foundering Lakers, Bryant's fans have remained devoted to the 6-foot-6 star who won titles alongside Shaquille O'Neal in 2000, 2001 and 2002 before teaming with Pau Gasol for two more in 2009 and 2010. Only 13 players in league history played on more championship teams than Bryant.
Even with the Lakers already likely to miss the playoffs for the third straight season — a first in franchise history — Bryant intends to keep going. The Lakers start an eight-game road trip Tuesday in Philadelphia, and he has already been saluted with cheers this season in savvy cities like New York and Miami where fans already realized it was probably his last stop.
"There's nothing I would love more than to be able to play this entire season, to go through all of these tough times, to be able to suit up and play on the road in these buildings for the last time," Bryant said.
Bryant is the NBA's highest-paid player this season with a $25 million salary bestowed on him by grateful Lakers owner Jim Buss despite his recent injury problems, and he is keeping his vow never to play for another franchise.
But Bryant's departure will allow the Lakers to split with the past while embracing a future with young prospects Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson.
General manager Mitch Kupchak has spent his entire career building rosters around Bryant, but the executive acknowledged frustration with the Lakers' incredible struggles in Bryant's final two seasons.
"Clearly we're not playing at the kind of level that a player of Kobe's age and experience finds challenging, kind of like there's no light at the end of the tunnel," said Kupchak, who didn't learn of Bryant's decision until Sunday afternoon. "So I'm not surprised that he would make the announcement now. I think the game will be easier for him now. I think he'll be able to enjoy the rest of the season."
Bryant struck a philosophical tone in his first public comments since his decision, referencing the peace of mind created by his decision. He also spoke vaguely about plans for next year, but provided hints such as describing himself as "a storyteller" and explaining his conversations with Giorgio Armani about the fashion designer's ability to build a global brand after turning 40 years old.
None of Bryant's plans appear to have much to do with basketball — although he allowed that it would be "an honor" to play for his third Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro next summer if he is picked for the U.S. team.
"I don't want to get too Zen-like," Bryant said. "But honestly, when I'm sitting in meditation, my mind starts drifting, and it always drifted toward basketball, always. And it doesn't do that now. It does that sometimes. It doesn't do that all the time, and to me, that was really the first indicator that this game is not something I can obsess over for much longer."
Kobe's favorite part of his story? "The ones that we’ve lost and the struggles to get there. That completes the journey."
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on November 29, 2015 at 11:30am
Video After The Jump
Battle rap is entertainment and props have been increasingly used more often to hype the crowd and get under an opponent's skin.
Things got heated on Saturday, November 28th, when Charron tried to liven things up during his and 100 Bulletz battle against DNA and K-Shine at Don't Flop's USA "First Anniversary" event.
Charron pulled out a fake gun and pointed it at K-Shine while rapping lines from Slim Jesus'"Drill Time." Shine wasn't feeling and slapped the gun out of Charron's hand, who responded by knocking his opponent's hat off of his head.
K-Shine reacted by slapping Charron in the face.
Check out video from the battle and peep the Twitter feedback below.
Let us know what you think of the situation in the comment section below.
Trey Songz teams up with DJ Drama for a new mixtape titled "To Whom It May Concern." Trigga gets features from Chisanity, Mike Angel, Dave East and J.R.
730 Dips artist Sen City drops off some new heat titled "Corner Callin" featuring Billy Blue. Produced by araabMUZIK. Give it a listen up top and let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Ice T and his wife CoCo are the proud parents of a newborn baby girl named Chanel Nicole. The 5 lbs., 7 oz bundle of joy was born on Saturday, November 28th, at 11:47 a.m. in Englewood, New Jersey.
Chanel is the couple’s first child together and the third for Ice-T, who has two adult children from previous relationships.
Ice and Coco have been married since 1992.
Chanel is already getting acquainted with social media with her own Twitter and Instagram pages.
So I don't overload with pictures.. Baby Chanel has started her own twitter page @babychanelworld
"Surprise!!! Look who came early!! Welcome the new arrival of Chanel Nicole.. A beautiful healthy 5.7 pound and 18 inch baby girl .Ice and I are so proud! I cried while she was coming out I was so excited to meet her!" CoCo wrote. "Thanks so much for all the warm wishes today.I'm doing great! I had the best delivery! I pushed Chanel out in 3 tries! This was taken not 5 minutes after delivery,called skin to skin contact..better for a more bonding experience.
PS.I just started a Instagram for Chanel @babychanelnicole."
Thank you for ALL the LOVE all of you have given us today.. You are truly appreciated... And we are humbled.
50 Cent has teamed with director Eif Rivera to shoot a short film titled "Kanan," which also happens to be the name of his forthcoming mixtape and his character on the hit STARZ crime/drama, "Power."
The music icon made the announcement Saturday, November 28th, via his Twitter and Instagram pages.
It appears that the short film will accompany the mixtape, scheduled be released in early December. He also revealed earlier today during an interview with DJ Whoo Kid that there will be a music video for all eight songs on the project. He's exchanged ideas for the visuals withChris Brown.
G-Unit boss 50 Cent called into Shade 45 from Abu Dhabi to chop it up with DJ Whoo Kid about any and everything.
He talked about exchanging ideas with Chris Brown for the music videos on "The Kanan Tape," working with producers !llmind, Sonny Digital and London On Da Track, Snoop Dogg's alter egos, the 3rd season of "Power,"La La Anthony's acting ability, being cool with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, friendship with Floyd Mayweather Jr., how he deals with beefs, why he won't work with The Game again, announces "Reloaded" mixtape will be released after "Kanan," which drops the first week of December, says Interscope intentionally didn't support his "My Life" single.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on November 28, 2015 at 11:30am
A man from Berkshire, England, Waseem Anwar Choudry, has eight long years in prison to think about being a piece of filth and betraying his wife. That's the sentence that was handed down by London's Isleworth Crown Court, after the 31-year old cab drive admitted to using his unsuspecting wife as a drug mule.
Cloudry and his 28-year old wife, Nazreen Anwar, were in Islamabad, Pakistan for a two-week holiday in June. When she prepared to leave, Cloudry packed her luggage with 7.7 pounds of heroin, worth $706,000. The illegal narcotics were sewn into eight dresses without his wife's knowledge, according to the National Crime Agency.
When Anwar got off of her flight at Heathrow Airport in London on June 28th, she was arrested after the drugs were found. During interviews with National Crime Agency investigators she said that she didn't know the narcotics were in the dresses. She had brought them back at the request of her husband.
Cloudry was apprehended eight weeks later. Instead of taking a direct flight back to England. He tried to reenter the country at St Pancras International rail terminal, having traveled from Pakistan to Paris.
He later admitted to putting the drugs in his wife's luggage. On Friday, November 27th, he pleaded guilty to the importation of heroin.
Siobhan Micklethwaite, from the NCA’s Heathrow border investigation team issued the following statement:
“This was a cynical attempt to import a large amount of class A drugs by a man who seemed quite happy for his wife to take all the risks on his behalf."
G-Unit emcee is getting to it while he prepares to release his latest mixtape. In part six of his "10 Pints" vlog, Buck links up with none other than DJ Kay Slay a.k.a. The Drama King.
New Orleans rapper and Reallionare Records/G-Unit member, Kidd Kidd, sits down with DJ Smallz and reads the first page of Chapter 3 from Julia Beverly's new book "Sweet Jones: Pimp C's Trill Life Story."
The page describes Pimp C getting pistol whipped in his hotel room by Master P for dissing No Limit Records.
"Sweet Jones: Pimp C's Trill Life Story" is available now onAmazon.
}