Aug. 8 (UPI) — The Canadian rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in both her feet after an argument in 2020.
Lanez, 31, was sentenced by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Herriford, according to a statement from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
“Over the past three years, Mr. Peterson has engaged in a pattern of conduct that was intended to intimidate Ms. Pete and silence her truths from being heard,” District Attorney George Gascón said, referring to Megan by her legal name, Megan Pete, and to Lanez by his legal name of Daystar Peterson.
“Women, especially Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault because they are too often not believed.”
Lanez was found guilty in December of charges including assault with a semiautomatic handgun, carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
He was initially scheduled to be sentenced in January but the sentencing was delayed when Lanez hired new lawyers and filed a motion for a new trial, which was denied in May.
Lanez’ lawyer Jose Baez told reporters outside of the courtroom Tuesday that he plans to appeal the “incredibly harsh” sentence.
“This is another example of someone being punished for their celebrity status and someone being utilized as a — to send an example and he’s not an example he’s a human being,” Baez said. “I think it’s incredibly unfortunate, and it’s something that we plan on appealing.”
Lanez, who had been out on bail until his verdict, had pleaded not guilty to the charges. He had faced up to 22 years in prison during his sentencing and possible deportation to Canada. Prosecutors asked for a 13-year sentence.
Megan Thee Stallion had testified she was riding in a car with Lanez and her former friend and assistant Kelsey Harris on the way home from an event at the home of reality star Kyle Jenner.
Lanez wanted Megan Thee Stallion to tell Harris that the two had been intimate with each other, which created a tense situation in the car, she testified. She testified that she then exited the car and began walking away when Lanez yelled at her to “dance” before firing at her.
Lawyers for Lanez argued during the trial that Harris and Megan Thee Stallion had been arguing over him that night, implying that the assistant may have been motivated to shoot her friend.
Prosecutors on Monday read an impact statement from Megan Thee Stallion, according to ABC News. In it, she said Lanez should “be forced to face the full consequences of his heinous actions and face justice.”
“He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma. He tried to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul. He lied to anyone that would listen and paid bloggers to disseminate false information about the case on social media. He released music videos and songs to damage my character and continue his crusade,” she said, through her attorneys.
“Today, I beg this court to send a message to every victim of violence and fully hold the defendant accountable for his criminal conduct. This is a statement for all survivors that their lives matter and there is zero tolerance for the torture that accompanies violence.”
