Local rappers make a plea to end a "code of silence" on the streets.
Bryan Couch, who performed under the name "B Chubb," was killed Thursday
in Over-the-Rhine, with about 100 people in the area.
Hand-in-hand, it began with a prayer. But Friday's gathering of the city's
top rap artists quickly got down to business, led by promoters Robert
Reeves and Al Chang, talking about the cold-blooded killing of their
friend Bryan Couch, and how no one who witnessed the killing outside Club
Dream Thursday is telling police what they know.
"The community used to look out for each other," said Robert Reeves, music
promoter. "We have lost that with this. Well I ain't no snitch, people
have no idea what that means."
"Snitching" is street lingo for telling police who is responsible for
committing a crime. A term born on the street, and glorified in a lot of
rap music.
The murder of Bryan Couch is ringing true that by not helping police is
hurting everyone, the gunman remains free to shoot again.
"We got to come up with something to let people know it's okay," said
Khadeja, rapper. "Chubb did nothing to nobody and you all are going to
protect the person who hurt him because you say it's uncool?"
Rapper Khadeja was friends with Bryan Couch. She's calling for a change in
the stop snitching mentality.
"Who are you protecting?" asked Khadeja. "Someone who took a life? That's
crazy. You don't protect someone who's causing harm to other people."
Officer Larry Scott said the message coming out of Friday night's meeting
is for people to not be afraid to get dangerous people off the street.
"He's still out there and as long as we keep our mouths shut, it's another
crime waiting to happen," said Officer Larry Scott, Cincinnati Police.
Rappers are also discussing boycotting clubs that don't provide solid
security.
Being called a snitch can be dangerous.
A Hamilton County Jail inmate accused of snitching was attacked by other
inmates Friday. Christopher Morrow testified in the case against
co-defendant Mario Wilcox for the robbery of a UC student last year.
The sheriff's office says Wilcox tried to get into Morrow's holding cell
and called him a snitch. Inmates Adrien Broner and Kevin Sanders are then
accused of attacking Morrow, who suffered a cut on his eye.
Broner and Sanders are charged with assault for the attack.
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