Suge Knight Named In Gang Injunction

Calling it a "publicity stunt" Suge Knight of Death Row
records fame was named in a gang injunction the first
for the city of Compton which is long known for gangs
and gang violence. The gang being targeted is known
to have close ties to the record mogul. After reading the
article below, feel free to offer up your comment.


Seeking to further curb criminal activities, Compton has asked a judge to ban individuals identified as members of the Mob Piru street gang -- including rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight -- from congregating in a northeast neighborhood.

Using a strategy employed by other crime-ridden communities, the court order would be the first gang injunction in a city with a long history of battling street gangs.
Authorities contend that the Mob Piru gang has terrorized the neighborhood for years, with buying and selling of drugs, discharging firearms, robbing and assaulting residents and by creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

For the last two years, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department gang task force has worked to get gang members off the streets with aggressive enforcement of immigration, housing and parole violations.

"We've done it without an injunction," said Lt. Paul Pietrantoni, who heads the task force. "We have the lowest murder rate in 20 years in Compton. The injunction is just going to give us one more tool."

But the proposed injunction is expected to be controversial because community leaders and others say it opens the door to police harassment of innocent residents.

"What you find is that the whole community becomes terrorized by law enforcement," said Kim Saunders, 45, a city planning commissioner who is also a teacher and a long-time community volunteer.

Knight, who is listed as a defendant, dismissed the injunction as "a publicity stunt."

"This is crazy," said Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records. "I'm a 42-year-old businessman, not a gang member. I don't even live in Compton anymore . . . . This injunction names people who are already in jail -- and at least one guy who is long dead."

Henry "Hendog" Smith, who is also named in the injunction, was shot to death in 2002, according to news reports.





This Article Continues Here





Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/