Today (September 18), J. Cole released the video for “Crooked Smile,” a single from his albumBorn Sinner. The video honors the life of Aiyana Stanley-Jones, a 7-year-old who was killed during a police raid in 2010.
In June 2013, a judge declared a mistrial in the case of Joseph Weekley, a Detroit, Michigan police officer who reportedly shot and killed Stanley-Jones, according to cbsnews.com. Weekley maintains that his weapon was fired accidentally. The jury on the case could not reach a verdict on the trial, according to cbsnews.com reports. Weekley faces a second trial in December, according to Fox News.
Weekley has said that he pulled the trigger of his weapon in a struggle with Stanley-Jones’ grandmother, Mertilla Jones, according to cbsnews.com. However, Mertilla Jones has denied that she interfered with the gun. Another officer has testified that there was no struggle over the gun, as per cbsnews.com.
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The raid was reportedly recorded for “The First 48,” a docu-reality television series. Stanley-Jones’ family members have said that the officers involved in the raid were concerned about their appearance for the television cameras more than they were about the actual raid, according to cbsnews.com reports.
J. Cole’s video, which appears to tell the story of this case, ends with a note from J. Cole.
“FOR AIYANA STANLEY-JONES.
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AND PLEASE RECONSIDER YOUR WAR ON DRUGS.”
The video, available on HipHopDX, can also be seen below.
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