Taxstone Found Guilty In Manslaughter Case: Details

Over the past couple of weeks, popular podcaster Taxstone has been standing trial for his alleged involvement in the 2016 shooting at Irving Plaza. This incident led to the death of Troy Ave’s bodyguard Ronald “Banga” McPhatter. Overall, there has been quite a bit of publicity surrounding this trial. Many throughout the hip-hop world have been curious to see how this would all play out. However, for Taxstone, the worst-case scenario has played out.

According to XXL, Taxstone has been found guilty of first-degree manslaughter. Moreover, he was also found guilty on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, two counts of assault in the first degree, and one count of assault in the second degree. Throughout the trial, Troy Ave testified that he remembers Taxstone firing the gun at his bodyguard after McPhatter confronted him. Subsequently, Troy Ave reportedly tried to get the gun off of Taxstone, which led to him being shot.

Taxstone To Be Sentenced Soon

(L-R) Loyal Duce, Taxstone, and Fame School Tell attend Highline Ballroom on August 11, 2015, in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Alvin Bragg, the district attorney in the case, released a statement on the matter. Overall, the DA seems quite content with the ruling today. “Daryl Campbell was convicted of killing a man and shooting three others during a tragic and deadly confrontation in a packed New York City music venue,” Bragg said. “In addition to seriously injuring his rival and killing his rival’s bodyguard, Mr. Campbell shot innocent bystanders and put hundreds of other lives at risk. We will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits this type of deadly violence.”

Moving forward, Taxstone still needs to be sentenced. This sentencing will go down next month on April 19th. The punishment for manslaughter is quite hefty and with the other charges in mind, the podcast star could be behind bars for decades. At this point, it remains unknown what the ballpark of the sentence will be. This remains a developing story, so stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates. Additionally, let us know what you think of this ruling, down in the comments section below.

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D.L. Hughley Says Donald Trump Deserves Manslaughter Charges

Donald Trump has been putting a lot of energy towards his 2024 Presidential campaign in recent weeks. Seeing as the Jan. 6 Committee commissioned to analyze the deadly insurrection at the Capitol during his last stint in office has referred him for criminal charges, though, it’s entirely possible we may not see the politician hit the campaign trail next year.

Earlier this month, news came out declaring that the New York native is facing accusations of “providing aid and comfort” to the 2021 mob. Additionally, he could receive charges for “obstructing Congress’ Jan. 6 joint session, conspiracy to make false statements to the National Archives, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.”

Former U.S. President Donald Trump tosses hats into the crowd during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit held at the Tampa Convention Center on July 23, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

At the time, panel chair Rep. Bennie Thompson said, “Faith in our system is the foundation of American democracy. If the faith is broken, so is our democracy. Donald Trump broke that faith. He lost the 2020 election and knew it, but he chose to try to stay in office through a multi-part scheme. This can never happen again.”

While he still has a surprising number of supporters, just as many others have been expressing disdain for Trump since the moment he began his political career. Specifically, comedian D.L. Hughley has been vocal about his thoughts on the Jan. 6 situation.

Recently, TMZ caught up with him at LAX, at which time they discussed what the future may hold for Trump. “Ultimately, we all saw what happened,” he tells the camera.

When asked about the former POTUS’ future election plans, Hughley says, “He should be disqualified from running again. Anybody who tries to overthrow, and have armed people rise up… Use white nationalists and skinheads to affect the results he wanted. They should automatically have been disbarred.”

Additionally, the actor thinks that failure to indict Trump on these allegations would “speak volumes of our legal system.” He went on, “Stop saying out loud that nobody is above the law because clearly, they are.”

“From espionage to, you know, tampering with elections. You name it. I think he should be charged with manslaughter for the cop that died, even though it wasn’t in the event,” Hughley told TMZ.

He then said that if Trump was a Black man, he would be a “co-conspirator” and put in jail long ago. “He is clearly guilty,” the 59-year-old insisted. “He’s taking this country down fast. I don’t know that it will ever recover.”

Listen to D.L. Hughley’s full rant below, and check back later for any updates on Donald Trump.

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Ex-Cop Aaron Dean Sentenced To Almost 12 Years In Prison For Fatally Shooting Atatiana Jefferson

In October 2019, 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson was fatally shot in her Texas home by a police officer. 

Aaron Dean, the former cop responsible for pulling the trigger, was convicted of manslaughter in Jefferson’s death last week and has now been sentenced to close to 12 years behind bars.

To be exact, Dean was given a sentence of “11 years, 10 months and 12 days” according to the Associated Press. He was facing up to 20 years behind bars prior to the sentencing.

Jefferson’s neighbor reached out to a nonemergency number in 2019 and later noted that her door had been left open. At trial, it was revealed that she opened it to clear the air after her 8-year-old nephew Zion burned hamburgers. The pair had been playing video games together on the night of the shooting.

READ MORE: Say Her Name: Remembering Black Women Who Died At The Hands Of Police

According to body camera footage, Dean and another officer didn’t announce that they were the police when they approached the home. With his gun drawn, he shouted at Jefferson to show him her hands and immediately after opened fire through her window, claiming that he saw her pointing a gun in his direction.

Jefferson’s nephew offered testimony in court, saying that his aunt retrieved a gun after thinking that an intruder was near her home.

DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 24: A mourner pays respects before the start of the funeral service for Atatiana Jefferson on October 24, 2019, at Concord Church in Dallas, Texas. On October 12, 2019 Jefferson was at home with her nephew when Fort Worth police officer Aaron Y. Dean, who was responding to a non-emergency call, fired one shot through a window, killing her. Dean has since resigned from the department and been charged with murder. (Photo by Stewart F. House/Getty Images)

Following Tuesday’s sentencing, Jefferson’s sister Ashley Carr attended a news conference at her sister’s former home. Carr reportedly revealed that she wanted the ex-Forth Worth officer to receive more time. 

“Eleven years, that’s the same age as Zion,” Carr stated. “Ten months, 12 days, that’s the day that it happened. It’s a message in this. It might not be the message that we wanted and the whole dream, but it’s some of it.”

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