Rapper The Game is suffering the consequences to releasing the DVD “Stop Snitching/Stop Lying”. A North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in favor of five police officers, awarding each $1 million.
The officers claimed their appearance in Game’s DVD was defamation of character. The officers arrested Game just hours before his scheduled performance in Winston-Salem.
According to Fox News, Game’s entourage was confronted by mall security and later police, as the rapper was filming for the DVD in the Four Seasons Mall. Game was eventually arrested for criminal trespassing, communicating threats, and disorderly conduct, following repeated requests to leave the mall.
In 2006 the officers filed the $5 million defamation suit, alleging they were libeled, slandered and that their images were misappropriated by Game and his Black Wall Street associates. In addition to the defamation suit, the five officers who filed the previous case also filed for $10 million in punitive damages, but that suit was rejected by the same court of appeals.
“The trial court’s findings of fact were based upon competent evidence and supported its conclusions of law, which in turn supported its award of compensatory damages against Taylor,” the appeals court said in Tuesday’s ruling.
“However, the trial court’s finding regarding the aggravating factor which supported the award of punitive damages against Taylor failed to indicate that the aggravating factor was established by clear and convincing evidence.”
As of now, Hien Nguyen, Matthew Brown, Ryan Childrey, Romaine Watkins, and David Gregory are all being awarded $1 million dollars each for their unauthorized and misrepresented role in the DVD.
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