A new video of R. Kelly being attacked in prison allegedly reveals not one guard tried to stop the August beating, the singer’s lawyers claim in a new court filing.
Attorneys for the singer said the video shows no guard at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, where Kelly is being held, “raised a finger,” until the inmate who attacked him was “well into beating Kelly,” according to CNN.
The Grammy-winning performer’s attorneys stated in the documents that the video shows the attacker “roamed a great distance within the MCC before carrying out the act, without any opposition. It is undisputed that, as a result, Mr. Kelly has suffered significant physical and psychological injuries.”
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Michael Leonard, a lawyer for R. Kelly, wrote: “An unresolved issue remains as to whether MCC personnel encouraged, and then allowed, a beating of Mr. Kelly to take place. That alone merits an evidentiary hearing.”
The attacker, who was identified in court documents as Jeremiah Farmer, wrote that he had “physically beaten Mr. Kelly in a [sic] attempt to shed media spotlight” on his own case.
An employee identified as “D. Szyhowski” was attempting to meet with Farmer “when he left the office against my (Szyhowski’s) order to stay,” according to a Federal Bureau of Prisons incident report obtained by CNN.
The assault left Kelly with “significant physical and psychological injuries,” the filing said. His lawyers have not released the video.
Kelly is currently facing federal and state charges in Illinois, including child pornography and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He also faces federal charges in New York, including racketeering and sex trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
