Rapper The Game pleaded no contest Monday to attacking an off-duty
police officer during a basketball game two years ago and later stealing
a videographer’s camera.
The Grammy-nominated artist, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, was
sentenced to three years probation, 120 days of community service and 26
anger-management classes, a spokesman with the Los Angeles District
Attorney told the Daily News.
A six-month jail term was entered but suspended, meaning Taylor won’t
have to serve it if he meets the other terms of his sentence, the
spokesman said.
A felony count of making criminal threats was dropped to a misdemeanor
in the deal, and Taylor also pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count
of battery and one count of felony grand theft.
The platinum-selling performer, 37, got in trouble after he attacked
off-duty police officer Onyebuchi Awaji during a pickup basketball game
in Hollywood, Calif., on March 29, 2015, and threatened to kill him.
Awaji later sued Taylor in civil court, claiming the rapper became
“angry” and started a verbal altercation as he played on the opposing
team.
In his filing, the cop said Taylor hit him “with a closed right fist
with no warning,” in a manner “otherwise known as a sucker punch.”
When the police officer’s lawyers sent two people to Taylor’s house in
Calabasas to serve him with the suit on April 11, 2015, the
"disgruntled" rapper charged at the men, a followup lawsuit claims.
Taylor jumped over his gate and grabbed videographer Justin Willard by
the shoulders before “forcefully” throwing him to the ground, pouncing
on top of him and grabbing his Sony digital camera, the lawsuit states.
He then jumped back over his gate with the camera and hopped in his
silver Rolls Royce Phantom to go perform at the Coachella Music
Festival, Willard’s lawsuit claims.
“Defendant never returned the video camera,” it states. “Willard was
severely hurt in his health, strength and activity, sustaining severe
injuries to his back, neck, head and other parts of (his) body.”
Taylor is due back in criminal court on March 22 for a restitution hearing, the judge ordered Monday.
The rapper had no immediate response on social media. Shortly before
the Monday hearing, he posted a photo of his young kids with the
caption, “Squad. #FamilyGoals.”
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