Troy Ave Pleads Not Guilty to Attempted Murder, Held Without Bail
On Monday (May 30), just days after a deadly nightclub shooting at a T.I. concert, Troy Ave appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court, where he was formally charged with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
Troy’s lawyers, Scott E. Leemon and John Stella, requested $50,000 bail, stressing the fact that the Brooklyn MC, born Roland Collins, had no criminal record. Despite this, Judge Pandit-Durant ordered that he be held without bail until trial.
Leemon and Stella have argued that Troy was not to blame for the shootout at Irving Plaza on the night of the T.I. show. One of the rapper’s bodyguards, Ronald McPhatter, was killed that evening. Three people were wounded, including Ave, who reportedly shot himself in the leg, though his lawyers claim he was actually shot at. The wounded rapper appeared in court in a wheelchair.
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“He’s the real victim here,” Leemon told the judge (via The New York Times). “McPhatter died a hero trying to protect Mr. Collins. He was not shot by Mr. Collins. He was a lifelong friend.”
Detective John Santiago charged Troy with murder based on released security camera footage that features a man firing a gun. Police claim the man in the video is Ave.
WANTED: Info/witnesses regarding homicide at Irving Plaza in Manhattan. Call #800577TIPS. https://t.co/HuL0YszMK8 pic.twitter.com/hto8W6M42D
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) May 26, 2016
“This 11 seconds of video that the NYPD released, it doesn’t say what happened before, it doesn’t say what happened after,” Leemon said. “The scientific evidence will show he didn’t shoot himself.”
Troy’s lawyers allege that Ave and his bodyguard were shot at by an unnamed man in the club’s backstage area, as per Rolling Stone. The shooter then dropped the gun, they say. Ave reportedly picked it up and fired back. Collins has pled not guilty on all charges.