| Entirely predictable, I guess. The "handyman" who confessed to shooting the editor now sez: "I didn't do it" and "they (Yusuf Bey IV) told me to take the fall". Complicating factors include spectacularly (and possibly deliberately) bad post-arrest management by the Oakland cop shoppe, when they apparently put Bey and Broussard together in the same interrogation room. Be sure to read the comments to this article at the link and then look over the related links, including the standard three-hankie "misunderstood black muslims" handwringer. |
Grim's comments come as he revealed new details about what was going on at the bakery weeks before the Aug. 2 slaying of Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey and what Bey IV told Broussard while both were placed in the same interview room during a police interrogation. Grim said the details weretold to him by Broussard during a jail house interview Sunday night.
"My client tells me that Yusuf IV came in and said, 'Everything is on the line for us and the bakery and we're in survival mode,'" Grim said of the conversation he had with Broussard. "He tells him, 'If you take this, you're young, we will get you an attorney, we will get you manslaughter, we will get you probation and a year in county jail.'"
Broussard is facing the possibility of life behind bars for allegedly killing Bailey. Oakland police said the 19-year-old handyman confessed to the killing, saying he did the shooting because he was "a good soldier." He also told police that he was angry at Bailey for stories he was working on regarding the bakery's troubled finances and the Bey family feud, police said.
But ever since police said his confession was taken, Broussard has said he is not the person who pumped three shotgun blasts into Bailey.
Broussard first claimed during a television jail house interview, that he was beaten into a confession by police. About two weeks later, Grim claimed Broussard was told to take the fall for the killing by "a high-ranking member of the bakery." Police later confirmed that they placed Broussard and Bey IV together in an interview room before Broussard confessed to the killing. Police, however, would not say what was said during the conversation, only that Bey IV told Broussard to "tell the truth, tell them what you told me."
Grim said he is revealing the information in hopes of persuading police to take a look at Bey's involvement. "The police already announced that he confessed, giving the impression that it is all over," Grim said. "This is not necessarily what the police department is presenting it to be. There are questions about whether this confession was true."
Assistant Police Chief Howard Jordan said Monday that police continue to believe that Broussard's confession is true. However, Jordan said an investigation into any involvement Bey might have had with the killing will continue. "We believe Broussard's confession is valid," Jordan said. "We are looking into any or all of Bey's involvement and if we find any evidence, we will present it to the district attorney and hope to get him charged."
Bey IV's court-appointed attorney, Ted Johnson, said he had not had a chance yet to talk with his client and thus declined comment.
Nevertheless, Grim continues to say his client is a fall guy. Grim said Monday that his client decided to take the fall because he respects Bey IV and believes in the bakery's mission. "My client thinks the bakery is a good thing and that it helps a lot of people become 'good men,'"Grim said. "He was influenced by all that — Yusuf IV says they did a lot for him and to go on with the good cause and with the brotherhood. Yusuf IV kept telling him this is what a good soldier does. He tells him, 'You're a good soldier, we have to stick together,'" Grim continued.
Grim also said Broussard told him that about two weeks before the killing, he saw Bey IV and several other bakery members watching a videotape of what looked like the funeral for Yusuf Bey Sr. While the group was watching, they were pointing out different people who appeared on the video. Grim said Broussard did not think about the video until after he heard of the shooting and heard bakery members talking about how they saw Bailey on the video two weeks ago.
Grim also said the murder weapon was found at Broussard's duplex because bakery members gave it to him and told him to hide it. "They decided that my guy was going to take the fall, he thought that was not a good idea but because he feels Yusuf IV has done a lot of good things, he was influenced," Grim said. But after sitting in jail for two weeks and talking with his family, Grim said Broussard decided he no longer wanted to take the fall. "He did think about whether he wanted to risk his life by putting it all out, and even last night he had mixed feelings," Grim said. "But he decided to go ahead and do it."