WE HAVE YOUR GIFT GUIDE.
GOOD EVENING.
IS IT FREE SPEECH OR AN ATTEMPT
TO INTIMIDATE PITTSBURGH STATE
POLICE?
IT IS A CASE OUT OF
PITTSBURGH WHERE TWO YOUNG
RAPPERSES WITH CASES AGAINST
THEM BY TWO OFFICERS USED
VIOLENT WORDS IN THEIR LYRICS.
JOHN DELANO HAS MORE AT 6:00.
Reporter: THEY CALL
THEMSELVES GANGSTER RAPPERS,
BUT KNOX AND BEASLEY MAY HAVE
CROSSED THE LINE BETWEEN
PROTECTED FREE SPEECH AND
TERRORISTIC THREATS AND
INTIMIDATION WHEN THEY CALLED
OUT TWO PITTSBURGH POLICE
OFFICERS BY NAME IN A RAP SONG
ADDING LET'S KILL THESE COPS
BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO US NO
GOOD, PULLING YOUR GLOCK OUT
BECAUSE I LIVE IN THE HOOD.
THE OFFICERS HAD OTHER PENDING
CASES AGAINST BOTH YOUNG MEN,
AND WHEN THEY HEARD THE RAP
SONG FELT THREATENED.
KNOX AND BEASLEY WERE
CONVICTED, BUT NOW THE STATE
SUPREME COURT WILL DECIDE
WHETHER THE LYRICS WERE
PROTECTED ART RATHER THAN
THREAT.
THE ATTORNEY PATRICK NIGHTEN
GALE REPRESENTS KNOX WHOSE TUNE
IS ENTITLED WITH A WORD WE
CAN'T USE.
BLANK THE POLICE.
WOULD YOU ADMIT THAT IT WAS
OFFENSIVE STUFF?
YES, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY
AGREE IT WAS OFFENSIVE, AND I
WOULD GO A STEP FURTHER TO SAY
THAT WAS THE POINT.
Reporter: BUT ASSISTANT
DISTRICT DONE SAYS BY NAMING
THE POLICE OFFICERS,
IDENTIFYING WITH THE COP
KILLER, AND INCLUDING GUNSHOTS
IN THEIR VIDEO, THEY CROSSED
THE LINE TO UNPROTECTED
TERRORIST TICK AND INTIMIDATING
SPEECH.
[ MUSIC ]
I DON'T CARRY NO .38 [BEEP]
WHITE COP &&.
Reporter: IN A SEPARATE
VIDEO KNOX INSISTS HE IS AN
ENTERTAINER.
WE NEAR TUESDAY JOE RIGHT
NOW FILMING.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
I AM ONLY 18, AND SHE 20.
WE'RE TAKING ON DRE THAT'S ALL
IT IS.
IT IS ONLY MUSIC TO ME.
I AM A POET.
WHILE THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SAW A DIRECT
THREAT TO SPECIFIC PITTSBURGH
POLICE OFFICERS IN THAT RAP
SONG, THE ATTORNEY ARGUES NOT
SO.
TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT
A THREAT IS A TRUE THREAT, YOU
HAVE TO ENGAGE IN A TWO-STEP
ANALYSIS OF THE INTENT AND WAS
THERE COMMUNICATION?
AND WE BELIEVE THAT IF YOU LOOK
AT THE SONG LYRICS AND IN THE
CONTEXT OF THE MANNER IN WHICH
THE SONG WAS MADE, IT IS NOT A
TRUE THREAT.
HERE IS ANOTHER
COMPLICATION.
THE RAP SONG WAS NOT POSTED ON
FACEBOOK BY THE RAPPERS, BUT BY
SOMEONE ELSE, SO THEY ARGUE
THEY DID NOT INTEND FOR THE
POLICE OH TO SEE IT.
COURTS HAVE GIVEN A WIDE BERTH
FOR ARTISTIC EXPRESSION,
ALLOWING PROFANE AND DISGUSTING
LYRICS THAT OFFEND ONE GROUP OR
ANOTHER.
BUT CALLING FOR THE KILLING OF
POLICE OFFICERS, TWO IN
PARTICULAR, MAY BE TOO MUCH FOR
THE COURT, ESPECIALLY SINCE
THESE TWO OFFICERS HAD PENDING
CASES AGAINST THE RAPPERS AT
THE TIME.
STILL, NO PREDICTING WHAT THE
