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INTELLIGENTNEWZNET
INFORMING the HIP-HOP COMMUNITY
Wise Intelligent Falsely Arrested!!!
TODAY WAS almost A GOOD DAY!
On Wednesday, July 8th I got out of bed feeling a little bit better than good! IntelligentSeedz were finally going to interview Mr. Rodney Lofton – Superintendent of Trenton Public Schools. We were happy that we had been granted the interview and it was finally about to happen. Mr. Lofton is a magnanimous brother with a lot of knowledge to offer our youth film makers on the subject of high lead levels in schools as well as what’s being done to correct the problem.
You can check out a clip of our Intelligent Seedz upcoming documentary “Dying to Learn” (The Effect of Lead on Inner City School Children) http://www.intelligentseedz.org
So, I do the normal run through go over the punch list of things needed for the shoot, make sure all of the children are up, waiting and ready to go. We arrive at the Board of Education, the youth set up and conduct the interview (big shout to Ra’Ees, Ibreania and Kai yall held it down with a three youth crew, they missed you Amir and Megan). Everything was great, interview went well, superintendent Rodney Lofton was nothing short of informative, well knowledgeable on the subject and he also allowed the seedz to interview Mr. Everett Collins – Director of Buildings and Grounds for Trenton Public School district.
We completed the shoot, wrapped up and got on our way; mission accomplish, I’m ecstatic. After dropping the seedz off I hurry to make a studio session scheduled for 1:30pm with Kal and Bizz p.k.a. AD (Angels to some Devils to most). Get there we breeze through the track like professionals, everybody’s happy…we exchange pounds, handshakes and hugs and I’m on my way to my place in Trenton. At this point I’m looking for my Ice Cube cd because TODAY is A GOOD DAY!
Driving down Chestnut St. (One block from my gate), I stop at the light. This is when Diamond – a friend, good brother and Hip Hop/reggae drummer for many established and local artist, myself included – jogs over to the car. He asks me “what’s up”, said he hadn’t seen me around in a while, I tell him “my numbers still the same, give me a holla!” He reaches into the car window we shake hands, in the usual long drawn-out way brothers do, he walks off, the light turns green I pull off.
Less than two minutes later I’m turning on to my street. I begin to park and this is when the Ice Cube Good Day lyrics and melody begin to grind to a dead-batteries in ya boom box halt. As good as my day was going I’m now being chirped to pull over by the TAC Unit (fancy name for COPS), at the moment I am parking! I mean in mid park, they put the Cherries on, chirp me so I stop about 18 inches from the curb.
They jump out of their cruiser briskly, the male officer rushing up to my driver side window, while his partner a female officer maneuvers towards my passenger side window with her hand on her firearm.
My windows were already down, so he comes up and asks “do you have license?” To which I reply “absolutely.” Then he asked “do you have vehicle registration?” To which I again replied in the affirmative “absolutely!” He asked if they were valid, again my reply was “absolutely!” After giving him my valid license, registration and insurance cards, he asked “do you have guns or drugs in the car?”To which I replied ABSOLUTELY NOT!” I asked him “what is the reason I’m being stopped?” I’m just parking in front of my home, he didn’t answer the question. Instead he asked…”Who was the guy you were talking to on the corner back there?” To which I reply “someone I know…why?” To which he replied “get out of the car!” I ask him “why..what did you stop me for?” Again he asked me to get out of my car…again I asked why? This time he answered “because I said so!” To which I said “so I’m expected to just do whatever you say no matter what?” To which he replied..”basically!” So, I got out of the car (complete cooperation, although I still haven’t been told why I’ve been pulled over?). He asks me to go to the back of my car. Next, he ask me to put my hands on the back of my car and I did so.
At this point he’s patting me down. Then he walks away to search in the driver side of my vehicle? His partner is searching in the bushes up the block where I had just driven past and in the bushes I was now parked in front of (my neighbor’s yard basically). The male cop comes back and continues patting me down, checking my pockets.
So, I turn around slightly gazing under my right arm pit, both hands still on my car, and ask “am I being arrested?” And this A-hole of an officer says “now you’re being arrested for ASSAULT ON AN OFFICER!”???? Am I crazy or did he just say I’m being arrested for assault on an officer? Yep, assault on an officer I never touched, disrespected, raised my voice to or challenged in any way?
So he handcuffed me they put me in the cruiser and took me down to the precinct. But before we got to the precinct I asked “so, let me get this straight, you arrested me for assault on an officer?” Now, the arresting officer says to me “do you want to be arrested for assault on an officer?” I’m thinking, is this a trick question? So I respond “absolutely not!” This is when he says “you don’t have any warrants, traffic violations, etc., so we’ll take you down, they’ll give you a couple tickets and a summons and let you go!” OOOO..K? I’m thinking “tickets for what..a summons for what?” I’ve done absolutely nothing???
So, I ask him again..”what are you arresting me for?” This time he says “for obstructing an investigation?” At this point I’m just dumb, none of this shit makes since? I ask him “what investigation? And who are you investigating…me?” To which he says “yes!” Investigating me my ass! This is a familiar case of over aggressive police work turned harassment! Nothing more, nothing less!
These two Tactical Unit officers thought they had witnessed a drug transaction when Diamond (the drummer), came to my window at the light. We exchanged words, he reached into the window to shake my hand and they thought we exchanged more than salutations!
They followed me to my block, stopped me, searched all the bushes up the street for the distance I had traveled thinking maybe I threw drugs out of my car window!?!?! When they realized I was not a drug dealer that had somehow out witted them, but a married father of two, a youth organization director and co-founder without any warrants, prior arrests, traffic or parking violations they felt just a little disappointed! This disappointment lead them in their arrogance and abuse of power and authority to make up all kinds of BS to charge me (an apparently innocent civilian) with some kind of violation?
Please understand me. I can accept being pulled over because the officer suspected I may have been trafficking, selling or distributing drugs. However, at the moment it is realized that’s not the case, send me on my way..you don’t even have to apologize! But, don’t, after discovering you were wrong, treat me like I am in effect a “drug dealer” who just happened to outwit you this time!
I am a youth advocate, not a drug dealer, drug user, gangbanger, or criminal. I know many people in Trenton, I grew up here since I was two years old! Trenton is only 7.5 square miles, everybody knows everybody! I went to school with, grew up with and I am friends with lawyers, judges, doctors, nurses, police officers, firemen, garbage men, government workers, rappers, city workers, school teachers, principals, businessmen, politicians, activist and yes, gangbangers, convicts, drug addicts, etc. The good, the bad, and the ugly…I AM TRENTON!
An apparent part of the problem is that the arresting officers ARE NOT TRENTON! They didn’t grow up here, they do not know the people. It’s hard to have lived in the 7.5 square mile box that is Trenton and not know me, what I do and or what I’m about! I’ve been the same ole me for years!
Is this what the justice system is? Arresting innocent people on bogus charges knowing most will want to avoid court, missing work and paying for attorneys. So, get them to plea bargain to the lesser tickets and or summons while dropping other charges? Most people take this “deal” to avoid court, attorney fees and possibly more fines, even though they’re innocent! This is extortion, intimidation and abuse of power in the worse way!
Nearly half Trenton’s population are “minorities” living somewhere below or at the poverty-line and cannot afford to pay their basic household bills let alone bogus tickets, summons and citations. Not to mention missing days from work to go to arraignments and trials! So, they pay “the lesser” of the fines knowing they are guilty of absolutely nothing at all. This is an oppressive system and that’s saying the least! With all the educated people local and state governments have on its payroll I’m sure they can figure out a better way to raise money rather than arresting obviously innocent civilians and charging them with violations they did not commit!
Nonetheless, my GOOD DAY gone astray, turned into two tickets and a summons for Obstructing an Investigation that carries a $1000 fine and up to 6 months in prison!?!? Needless to say I plead NOT GUILTY to all charges and my day in court is August 28th of this year…I’ll keep you posted!
You can leave all your comments and thoughts on my Facebook page (I’m under Timothy Taylor) and my twitter spot… http://twitter.com/wiseintelligent
Thank you in advance for all your support!
Wise Intelligent
intelligentmuzik@yahoo.com
I know him and respect him. He may think he’s innocent but he is quilty of DWB in the first degree (Driving while Black). His whole career, his whole vibe and his whole energy is POSITIVE. If enough of us show up at his trial (yeah Hip Hop needs to stand up for those among us who have chosen the right path and direction) and offer to testify as character witnesses and burn up the blogs, websites and social networking sites we can yield a huge influence and bring this abuse to light. and let us all thank God he was not man handled, shot or killed in the process. Ernie Paniccioli
As Mr. Lofton said, “This is extortion, intimidation and abuse of power in the worse way!” The “public safety” system in Trenton and many, many other places should be ashamed. They need sensitivity training or at least should be educated about the community they are “serving”. I’m just a 52 year old, white guy in Albuquerque, NM but I am absolutely appalled. My prayers go out to Mr. Lofton, who is a great man and role model, and ALL OTHER TRENTONIANS!
That’s straight out of a comedy routine…SMH!
Good luck with that case, Wise!!!
Keep your head up Wise intellgent
Thank you for posting this. I’m spreading the word.
EVERYWHERE.
CRAZY!!! But sadly too common. Ditto what Ernie said. I’m glad Wise is safe. We need more folks like him in our communities! There really should be some follow up done on this to make sure these officers are fired or at least reprimanded with a note on their record.
Maybe this was the one that will change things. Cops treated a innocent hometown civic leader like a guilty criminal. Hope he gets paid big time and puts the money people have been extorted out of back into the community. Sounds like a civil rights violation.
Man, this Babylon bullshit is getting old quick. I don’t even care if this WASN’T about “driving while black” and the cops wife is straight out of Ghana. This is wrong on ANY level.
By the way, stop paying Federal Taxes and take your four months worth of pay back for yourself. It’s perfectly legal as there is no law that says you have to and the “tax” doesn’t go to the Federal Government anyway, but rather a company called “The Federal Reserve” which is as Federal and Government as Federal Express.
They’ll still lock you up for it though, so try at your own risk.
Bro. its just another day these “official” fools try to make another statistic. Blast your situation to as many folks as possible. Get the actiivist media involved (e.g. Jared Ball on Freemix Radio). Make noise! Might as well, your an established bro. (mentally & spiritually) you should be able to find creativity to get out of this one and teach others.
I wonder if Wise is gonna defend himself in court, or pay some greedy lawyer to do it? I never understood how lawyers will charge an innocent person, and will defend a guilty one.
Stick to your guns wise. Sad sad situation, I to have been there and done that also. Trenton, my home but currupt in certain areas of the goverment. Best of luck with this. E, from 43.
Government fights against Pilot:
a personal story, with a difference
http://bennymay.wordpress.com/
I am sorry to hear about this incident with you and the police. Just keep being positive and doing what you do.
Stay Blessed,
Denny Live !
“THE KING OF PHILLY STAND UP COMEDY”
Peace to the God. I’ve been a fan from about 1990 until now. I have every album and you are my favorite M.C. I’ve noticed that your muzik has changed over the years. The early Poor Righteous Teachers albums had a lot more NGE doctrine and lessons being mentioned. The recent muzik is just as good, if not better, b.u.t. I have noticed that not too much of the NGE lessons are used like in the previous muzik. I was just wondering if you were still a member of the NGE. Do you still claim the school of thought or what? Please respond at your earliest conveniance. Peace God.