Rapper The Game has avoided jail time in his assault case after reaching a plea deal.
The Game was accused of threatening and assaulting off-duty police officer Onyebuchi Awaji in an altercation during a pickup basketball game at Hollywood High School in California in 2015.
The Game, real name Jayceon Taylor, claimed self-defence, but he was ordered to stand trial on a felony charge of making criminal threats and a misdemeanour assault and battery count in December 2015. He pleaded not guilty and was facing up to three years in prison if convicted.
The trial was postponed last month (Jan17) and the 37-year-old has now struck a plea deal to keep himself out of prison. According to TMZ, the rapper has pleaded no contest to misdemeanour battery and criminal threats. He has been sentenced to three years’ probation, 120 days of community service, and an 180-day suspended jail sentence. He will also attend 26 anger management classes. If he gets in any legal trouble over the next three years he could reportedly face jail time.
The deal also covered a felony grand theft charge he was hit with after becoming embroiled in a bust-up with two men who were trying to serve him legal papers over the incident in April 2015.
An unnamed process server and his photographer, Justin Willard, were allegedly attacked and Willard had his camera stolen. They subsequently filed a lawsuit.
