🚨 DAY 5 LIL DURK TRIAL: BRIAN STEEL PUTS THE FEDERAL AGENT UNDER PRESSURE DURING CROSS-EXAMINATION 👀⚖️
Brian Steel’s cross-examination focused heavily on the “Redman” music video, Lil Tim, Quando Rondo, King Von and what the federal agent could — and could not — actually determine from the evidence.
Here’s the breakdown:
🔹 STEEL BREAKS DOWN THE “REDMAN” VIDEO 🎥
Brian Steel brought the agent back to the “Redman” music video, which was filmed on January 21, 2021.
Steel had the agent go through the video and acknowledge that the events depicted were staged for a music video and were not real-life events.
The agent agreed:
➡️ It was a music video
➡️ The scenes were staged
➡️ The shooting was part of the video production
Steel then asked whether the video was ever officially released.
The agent said no.
He explained that during his investigation, he searched across the internet and was unable to find the video being officially released.
🔹 WHO CREATED THE CONCEPT?
Steel then started digging into the investigation itself.
He asked whether investigators ever spoke with:
➡️ The producer
➡️ The videographer
➡️ The record label
The agent said no.
Steel then highlighted the obvious question:
Did you ever follow up to determine whose idea the video was?
Again, the agent had to say no.
👀 Steel was essentially highlighting that investigators had analyzed the video but did not speak to the people who actually created it to determine the intent behind it.
🔹 KING VON, QUANDO RONDO & LIL TIM
Steel then went through footage surrounding the confrontation between King Von and Quando Rondo, including the moment Lil Tim exited the vehicle and began shooting.
Steel strongly challenged the idea that Lil Tim’s actions should be viewed through the lens of self-defense.
His argument was essentially that Lil Tim got out of the vehicle, moved around the corner and began shooting, rather than being trapped in a situation where he had no choice but to defend himself.
Steel also brought up the Georgia case involving Lil Tim, which was ultimately dismissed after the shooting was viewed as a self-defense situation.
Steel made it clear that he disagrees with that characterization.
🔹 “YOU DON’T KNOW THEIR MINDSET” ��
Steel then focused on what the federal agent could actually know about another person’s state of mind.
They discussed Quando Rondo dragging King Von after Von had been shot.
Steel asked the agent about Quando’s mindset during that moment.
The agent acknowledged that he didn’t know what Quando Rondo was thinking.
Steel immediately seized on that answer.
His point was essentially:
If you can’t know another person’s mindset, how can you interpret what another person is thinking or what their actions mean?
This was one of the moments where Steel was clearly trying to establish the limits of the agent’s interpretation of the evidence.
🔹 STEEL: DURK IS AN ARTIST 🎨
Steel returned to the “Redman” video.
He described Durk as an artist who is talented at painting pictures with his words.
Steel asked the agent if he agreed.
The agent hesitated.
Steel then asked whether the video itself could be considered an expression of someone’s art.
The agent said he wouldn’t agree.
Steel continued questioning him about whether artistic content could involve taking certain things and putting them together to fit a particular narrative.
The agent disagreed.
🔹 GRIEF CAN MAKE PEOPLE SAY THINGS
Steel then asked the agent whether people who are grieving or extremely sad may sometimes say or do things that they later wouldn’t agree with.
The agent responded:
“I suppose.”
Steel appeared to be using that answer to challenge how much weight should be placed on Durk’s statements while dealing with the aftermath of King Von’s death.
🔹 THE TEXT MESSAGES STEEL WANTED TO SHOW 📱
Steel then asked why investigators did not submit certain other text messages involving Durk.