Claiming that the infamous Hip Hop Police were behind this delay, Leemon believed his client was innocent from the start.
“As I told you from the beginning, Tony Yayo did not hit anyone and would never do anything to harm a child," Leemon said. "This fact was confirmed by Mr. Fletcher when he told members of the notorious Hip Hop Police in August that he did this on his own. The Hip Hop Police buried this helpful information, and the charges against Tony Yayo proceeded until today."
The dismissed charges come from an alleged March 22, 2007 altercation where Rosemond’s son named Tony Yayo as his attacker when an incident occurred in front of Czar Entertainment.
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The source said Yayo was overheard insulting several rival crews prior to the incident and then apologizing to Rhymes for the disturbance.
Leemon would not comment on his client’s whereabouts during the time of the shooting or his alleged actions on the set. “I have informed [the authorities] that I am his attorney and that we will not be making any statements to law enforcement. I say that because after what happened to Martha Stewart and Lil’ Kim, I don’t think any competent lawyer would allow his client to speak to authorities, and it’s not in [Yayo’s] character to speak to the authorities.”
An NYPD spokesperson said Tuesday (February 7) that the investigation into the incident is ongoing. He would not comment on whom authorities are seeking to interview. On Monday police commissioner Raymond Kelly said Rhymes is one of the witnesses police want to speak with, and Newsday reported that Yayo is also being sought for questioning. According to Newsday, Yayo was supposed to be in the video but was ejected from the studio for unspecified reasons, and was later heard by witnesses saying that no one tells him to be quiet and that he is on parole.
Leemon said Yayo is on federal supervised release until May, that he completed New York State parole in December on gun-possession charges and that no one has formally contacted him about speaking to the rapper about the murder. The lawyer said he preemptively informed the DA’s office that he was representing Yayo after reading stories about the shooting in the press. By law, once the authorities are notified that a person is represented by counsel, they cannot speak to that person without the lawyer present.