Police sources tell Philadelphia Daily News that investigators are skeptical about rapper Beanie Sigel's account of his shooting, which took place last week and sent him to the hospital with a wound in his shoulder.
Residents in his old neighborhood tell police that they never heard gunshots, cops were unable to find any shell casings in the street where Sigel said he had been shot, and police sources said detectives still haven't tracked down enough evidence to corroborate the rapper’s story, the Daily News reports.
"I would have heard the shots even from down here," said 61-year-old Christine Thomas, a block captain on McClellan Street, where Sigel told investigators the shooting took place.
The rapper, whose real name is Dwight Grant, told authorities that four assailants jumped out of two cars and robbed him of his $75,000 worth of personal items, including a Jacob the Jeweler watch and a platinum chain bearing a record-shaped pendant. The robbers also took off with about $3,000 in cash, police sources said.
One of the attackers then shot him in the shoulder before the group sped off, leaving Sigel somewhere near 22nd and McClellan streets, a block from Sigel Street, which inspired the rapper’s moniker.
Police said they were informed of Sigel’s shooting at 7:02 via a phone call from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Sigel told police he had driven himself to the emergency room.
His car, a white Chevy Impala, was quickly roped off by yellow crime-scene tape and flanked by no-parking signs in the valet lane of the hospital's 34th Street entrance, where Sigel had parked it. Dried blood was smeared inside the driver's-side door and blood specks peppered the armrest, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. A child's car seat and several shopping bags were in the back seat.
Sigel was released from the hospital at 11:40 a.m. and was whisked away in a chauffeur-driven black Mercedes R350. Before taking off, he rolled down the window and told reporters: "I'm alive. I got shot. I am cool."
Detectives have questioned Sigel repeatedly about the incident, and authorities say he appears to be cooperating. But investigators are finding that his account of the shooting is not supported by corroborating evidence.
The newspaper quotes police sources in the following detailed account of Sigel’s story:
The rapper partied with friends inside the Z-Bar, on Spring Garden Street before leaving the club with at least one friend at about 3:30 a.m. to hang outside for a bit. The two men climbed into Sigel's Impala and headed toward Buist Avenue to drop his friend home.
Now alone, Sigel drove toward South Philadelphia, crossing the Passyunk Avenue Bridge and then turning underneath the 25th Street bridge. He looked into his rear view mirror and noticed a car that he thought was following him. He pulled over on Snyder Avenue to let the car pass, then moved behind the car to follow them. The vehicle then made a left on 22nd Street and another left on McClellan and stopped. Sigel followed.
Two men jumped out of the car, one clutching a handgun. Before hopping out of his Impala, Sigel had just enough time to take off his bracelet, but didn't remove his watch and chain.
"Know who I am?" Sigel asked.
"Yeah, you know what this is about," one of the men replied.
Then, a second car pulled up behind Sigel. Two more men got out, one with a gun. They ordered Sigel to hand over his watch and chain, then the second car sped off. The two remaining robbers told Sigel to get down on the ground. Sigel refused and took off toward his Impala. The gunman fired four shots, hitting the rapper once in the shoulder.
Residents in his old neighborhood tell police that they never heard gunshots, cops were unable to find any shell casings in the street where Sigel said he had been shot, and police sources said detectives still haven't tracked down enough evidence to corroborate the rapper’s story, the Daily News reports.
"I would have heard the shots even from down here," said 61-year-old Christine Thomas, a block captain on McClellan Street, where Sigel told investigators the shooting took place.
The rapper, whose real name is Dwight Grant, told authorities that four assailants jumped out of two cars and robbed him of his $75,000 worth of personal items, including a Jacob the Jeweler watch and a platinum chain bearing a record-shaped pendant. The robbers also took off with about $3,000 in cash, police sources said.
One of the attackers then shot him in the shoulder before the group sped off, leaving Sigel somewhere near 22nd and McClellan streets, a block from Sigel Street, which inspired the rapper’s moniker.
Police said they were informed of Sigel’s shooting at 7:02 via a phone call from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Sigel told police he had driven himself to the emergency room.
His car, a white Chevy Impala, was quickly roped off by yellow crime-scene tape and flanked by no-parking signs in the valet lane of the hospital's 34th Street entrance, where Sigel had parked it. Dried blood was smeared inside the driver's-side door and blood specks peppered the armrest, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. A child's car seat and several shopping bags were in the back seat.
Sigel was released from the hospital at 11:40 a.m. and was whisked away in a chauffeur-driven black Mercedes R350. Before taking off, he rolled down the window and told reporters: "I'm alive. I got shot. I am cool."
Detectives have questioned Sigel repeatedly about the incident, and authorities say he appears to be cooperating. But investigators are finding that his account of the shooting is not supported by corroborating evidence.
The newspaper quotes police sources in the following detailed account of Sigel’s story:
The rapper partied with friends inside the Z-Bar, on Spring Garden Street before leaving the club with at least one friend at about 3:30 a.m. to hang outside for a bit. The two men climbed into Sigel's Impala and headed toward Buist Avenue to drop his friend home.
Now alone, Sigel drove toward South Philadelphia, crossing the Passyunk Avenue Bridge and then turning underneath the 25th Street bridge. He looked into his rear view mirror and noticed a car that he thought was following him. He pulled over on Snyder Avenue to let the car pass, then moved behind the car to follow them. The vehicle then made a left on 22nd Street and another left on McClellan and stopped. Sigel followed.
Two men jumped out of the car, one clutching a handgun. Before hopping out of his Impala, Sigel had just enough time to take off his bracelet, but didn't remove his watch and chain.
"Know who I am?" Sigel asked.
"Yeah, you know what this is about," one of the men replied.
Then, a second car pulled up behind Sigel. Two more men got out, one with a gun. They ordered Sigel to hand over his watch and chain, then the second car sped off. The two remaining robbers told Sigel to get down on the ground. Sigel refused and took off toward his Impala. The gunman fired four shots, hitting the rapper once in the shoulder.
