Victory For B.I.G., Family Closes In On Rogue Cop Theory

The city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department have been ordered to pay the family of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” for withholding evidence about the rap star’s murder. A mistrial was declared in the case by U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper on Thursday (July 7), after it was revealed that an LAPD detective […]

The city of Los

Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department have been ordered to pay the family

of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” for withholding evidence about

the rap star’s murder.

A mistrial was

declared in the case by U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper on Thursday

(July 7), after it was revealed that an LAPD detective withheld documents critical

to the Wallace family’s argument that LAPD officers may have played a

role in the murder of Notorious B.I.G.

“The day

before this trial began we held a press conference and made clear that this

trial was intended to hold the LAPD accountable,” the family told AllHipHop.com

in written statement today (July 8). “We made clear this family didn’t

want any family to ever have to go through what they have been through. Little

did we know at the time what dark secrets lurked in the desk drawers of homicide

detectives and little did we suspect that so many lies would be told under penalty

of perjury.”

The "desk"

drawer the family refers to is that of LAPD Detective Steven Katz. The city

argued that Katz forgot about critical documents in his desk drawer until a

search of his office last month, a notion the judge rejected.

The documents in

Katz desk drawer contained information that could link former LAPD officer Rafael

Perez and former LAPD officer David Mack to the murder of Notorious B.I.G.

The documents revealed

that an informant in prison with Perez told the LAPD in 2000 and 2001 that Perez

acknowledged working for Death Row Records on the night of the murder and that

he placed a call to Mack shortly before Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down.

The allegation

supports the Wallace family’s theory that Perez and Mack hired and helped

Mack’s college roommate Amir Muhammad gun down Notorious B.I.G. after

a Vibe Awards after party at the Petersen Automotive Museum on March 9, 1997.

“The detective

[Katz] acting alone or in concert with others, made a decision to conceal from

the plaintiffs in this case information which could have supported their contention

that David Mack was responsible for the Wallace murder," judge Cooper said.

Cooper labeled

Katz’ claim that he “forgot” some of the documents “utterly

unbelievable” and “very disturbing.”

The city was ordered

to pay lawyer fees and costs incurred as a result of the LAPD’s misconduct.

The Wallace family

claims that LAPD officers moonlighted as security for Death Row Records and

arranged Notorious B.I.G.’s murder at the behest of Death Row CEO Marion

“Suge” Knight.

Despite an uncanny

similarity to the composite sketch drawn by witnesses of the shooter and Amir

Muhammad, Muhammad has never been charged with a crime and repeatedly denied

being involved in the murder.

Yesterday, the

LAPD said they would investigate Katz’ mis-conduct, while the family will

re-file a federal RICO lawsuit against the LAPD and will name former officer

Rafael Perez as a defendant.

Perez and Mack

– who is from Compton – first started working undercover together in the

streets of Los Angeles.

In October of 1993,

Perez and Mack were involved in shootout with a Los Angeles crack dealer. An

internal investigation cleared Perez and Mack of any wrong doing and awarded

the men, despite eyewitness claims that the drug dealer was unarmed.

In August of 1995,

Perez became part of the LAPD’s now infamous elite CRASH (Community Resources

Against Street Hoodlums) unit. Perez ended up serving prison time for stealing

over six pounds of cocaine from a prison locker room and is a central figure

in the notorious Rampart scandal, one of the biggest police corruption scandals

in U.S. history.

In 1999 Perez’

testimony led to the arrest of four officers and put almost 100 others under

investigation. Perez testified that officers planted evidence, sold drugs, beat

and even murdered suspects.

According to reports,

Perez and Mack were well known for their lavish lifestyle but were both in financial

debt.

Mack was convicted

of robbing a Bank of America branch in 1997 for over $700,000 and refused to

reveal to authorities what he did with a portion of the money.

Perez, Mack and

Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight have repeatedly denied involvement in the

murder of Notorious B.I.G.

During the trial,

Wallace family attorneys produced previously sealed documents that revealed

Knight allegedly told an informant he conspired to kill Wallace.

Also, Fred Miller,

the detective who headed up the investigation of Notorious B.I.G.’s murder,

testified that Knight was the #1 suspect, not Perez and Mack.

Miller claimed

detectives searched through 400 clues after the murder, but still could not

close the case.

Perez and Mack

were labeled as “scumbags” yesterday (July 7) by LAPD Police Chief

William Bratton, but Bratton denied allegations that the LAPD deliberately withheld

the information.

During the civil

trial, a number of interesting allegations came forth. One suggested that former

LAPD Police Chief Bernard Parks may have had a personal interest in covering

up the murder and the police corruption.

Wallace attorneys

claimed a photograph of Parks’ daughter with Perez and Mack was found

in the home of Compton gang member.

In September of

1998, Parks’ daughter was charged with selling 20 grams of cocaine to

an undercover officer in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Parks denied any

involvement or any notion of a cover up and Wallace family attorneys did not

produce the photo during the trial.

Perez has denied

all allegations and has threatened to sue the Wallace family for malicious prosecution

if they file a lawsuit against him.