Rap royalty Jay-Z has dispatched one of his lawyers to Phoenix to represent a Black family in their lawsuit after they were terrorized by police after their daughter took a .99 doll from a store, according to The Blast.
The video of the profanity-laced tirade from the Phoenix police officers with drawn guns has gone viral and shows them threatening to “put a cap” in the parents.
Officers were responding to a shoplifting report from the store, where the child took a cheap item without her parents’ knowledge, and can be heard screaming to the parents, “I’m going to put a cap in your a–” and “You’re going to f—ing get shot!”
Video footage was captured by nearby witnesses in the apartment complex as officers surrounded 22-year-old Dravon Ames, his girlfriend Iesha Harper, and their two children, 1-year-old London Drake and 4-year-old Island Drake on May 29, Buzzfeed News reports.
The Phoenix police indicated they have launched an investigating the allegations of misconduct, but the family has already filed a $10 million lawsuit against the city and department. And now they have the help of Jay-Z and the national press on their side.
Cellphone video can be viewed from two angles from KTAR News and Occupy Democrats below:
"My hands are up! My hands are up!" 22yo Dravon Ames says as a Phoenix police officer yells to "get your fucking hands up." The same officer later says "You're gonna fucking get shot!"
Ames says the officers stopped him after his child walked out of a Dollar Store with a doll. pic.twitter.com/Nlkd7IXsyc
— Meg O'Connor (@megoconnor13) June 12, 2019
In addition to Jay-Z’s gesture, rap star Meek Mill retweeted the post from Occupy Democrat and then wrote, “Do you hear the tone of their voices … they want to kill!!!”
Do you hear the tone of their voices … they want to kill!!!! https://t.co/hnUiLxNRIG
— MeekMill (@MeekMill) June 14, 2019
After putting the Black family through this harrowing experience, the police simply returned the “stolen” item to the store. Since the store refused to press charges, the case was dropped. The Phoenix officers did not even file a report after drawing guns, threatening to shoot the couple, manhandling the pregnant mother and abusing the father.
The Phoenix Police Department promised to conduct a thorough investigation of the officers’ actions against the Black family.
“The Phoenix Police Department takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and for this reason, this incident is currently being investigated by the Professional Standards Bureau,” police Sgt. Tommy Thompson said in a statement to BuzzFeed News.
“In addition, please understand, I am not defending the officers’ actions, which are under investigation. As a police department, we have been very transparent about this incident,” he added.
