103.9 FM WDKX
Rochester, NY
Your #1 Radio for R&B
On air:
Old School House Party
with Gerald McBride
Listen Online
103.9 WDKX Live Stream
REQUEST A SONG!
Request A Song
T.I. was in a Cincinnati courtroom to testify on Friday morning in the murder trial of Hosea Thomas, the man police claim shot and killed the rapper's childhood friend and assistant, Philant Johnson, two years ago.
T.I., on the witness stand for just over 40 minutes in the Hamilton County Courthouse, explained to onlookers the chaotic scene on the night of the May 2006 incident.
According to MTV News, the rapper known as the "King of The South" described an altercation that broke out at the club when someone tried to get into the VIP section and began getting "irate" and "ornery" with venue security. The scuffle caught the attention of rapper's entourage, and as the heated discussion turned into a brawl involving 15-20 patrons, he said he tried to make sure his group was together as they made their way to the door:
Licking his lips and narrowing his eyes, T.I. then described getting into the backseat of a black van, as Johnson sat in front of him. He said he realized very quickly that something unusual was going on as the van pulled away and he saw headlights going into oncoming traffic from a vehicle that was attempting to get alongside the black van. "Before I knew it, shots rang out," he said, explaining that they came from the left side of the van and that he immediately took cover as an unnamed person in his van returned fire.
After the shooting, T.I. said his driver pulled over and then attempted to get on a highway, but realized the van's tires were flat. "At that point, we're calling everybody's names out to see if everybody is all right," he said. "Called Phil's name out, Phil didn't respond, so at that point everybody was trying to get out of the car, picking Phil up, trying to get Phil out and the car come back and open fire again."
Asked what Johnson looked like when he dragged him from the vehicle, T.I. said with a hard stare at no one in particular, "lifeless," describing the blood running down his friends face, a shirt wet with blood and an entry wound on Johnson's left temple.
Prosecutors say Hosea Thomas' brother Padron has identified him as the shooter. It was Padron Thomas that drove the Jeep that allegedly chased the vans used by T.I. and his entourage on May 3, 2006.
Hosea Thomas' attorney said Padron Thomas is testifying against his brother to earn a lesser sentence on federal charges.
Meanwhile, T.I. has had his own legal problems. He was sentenced to one year in prison on federal weapons charges after his arrest in October 2007 before the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta for allegedly trying to buy automatic weapons. He is to start his sentence in March after completing 1,000 hours of community service.
