NYPD has opened an investigation into a Brooklyn commander whom a whistleblower says told his officers to shoot 50 Cent “on sight,” leading the rapper to call out the officer on social media as a “dirty cop.”
According to the New York Daily News, the threat in question was said to be made at the 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park this past June by Deputy Inspector Emmanuel Gonzalez, who was the commanding officer. The Daily News wrote that during roll call it was mentioned that 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, was set to appear at an NYPD-sanctioned boxing event. According to the person who filed the complaint, Gonzalez suggested that the officers “shoot him on sight.”
The roll call was not recorded, and Gonzalez tried to pass off the remark as a joke, but a police spokesperson has confirmed to TheWrap that an internal review has now been launched at NYPD headquarters, with Gonzalez remaining on active duty.
“This is how I wake up this morning,” Jackson said Sunday on Twitter in response to the reports of the internal review. “This guy Emanuel Gonzales [sic] is a dirty cop abusing his POWER. The sad part is this man still has a badge and a gun. I take this threat very seriously and I’m consulting with my legal counsel regarding my options moving forward.”
This isn’t the first time Jackson has spoken out about Gonzalez on social media. A month prior to the boxing event, the rapper criticized Gonzalez over reports that the officer was being sued by Imran Jairam, owner of the Sunset Park hip-hop club Love and Lust. Jairam accused Gonzalez of using his authority to force his club to shut down by revoking its liquor license after he refused the officer’s demands to provide him with 11 round-trip tickets to Puerto Rico and to provide a doctor with a generator after the island was ravaged by Hurricane Maria.
Gonzalez filed an aggressive harassment complaint against Jackson for an Instagram post mentioning the report of the lawsuit and in which Jackson wrote “get the strap”; slang for “get the gun.” Gonzalez accused Jackson of inciting violence against him, but according to the Daily News, Jackson was cheered at the event and received chants of “get the strap” when he was introduced.