On the evening
of November 15,
the Vibe Award
ceremony was
held at a rented
airport hangar
in the 3000
block of Airport
Avenue, Santa
Monica.
At approximately
7:25 p.m., an
individual
approached Mr.
Andre Young, an
entertainer
known as Dr. Dre,
and appeared to
be asking for an
autograph. This
individual,
later identified
as Jimmy James
Johnson, 26, of
L.A., assaulted
and punched Mr.
Young several
times. Johnson
was quickly
subdued by
several private
security
persons. As
they were
attempting to
control suspect
Johnson, several
unidentified
males were
making attempts
to assault him.
The suspect, and
later victim
Johnson, was
moved toward a
stage by the
security staff,
who were
attempting to
shield him from
further
assault. Two
uniformed Santa
Monica Police
Officers
attempted to
intervene and
themselves
became victims
of assaults when
unidentified
males threw
chairs at them.
A
video of the
incident
revealed that
three males were
in the immediate
area of this
melee and were
seen to be
holding knives.
One of these
individuals was
identified as
Rap entertainer
David Darnell
Brown, aka
“YOUNG BUCK.”
Brown is seen
with a knife in
hand and
attempting to
reach Johnson.
At one point,
Brown is seen
lunging over
another male and
swinging the
knife at
Johnson’s upper
body while
Johnson is
looking away
from him. Brown
is clearly
depicted as
holding the
knife after the
assault and is
one of a number
of fight
participants who
is pepper
sprayed by
officers
attempting to
stop the
unlawful
assaults.
Brown fled the
scene after the
crime and was
not identified
until this
morning.
Johnson
continued to be
assaulted and
was later
determined to
have a serious
stab wound to
the upper body.
Johnson was
transported to a
local hospital
and is now in
stable
condition.
Jimmy James
Johnson is a
parolee with a
last known
address in Los
Angeles.
David Darnell
Brown is M/Blk,
3-15-1981, last
known address in
Nashville,
Tennessee.
Brown has
several arrests
in Nashville for
minor offenses.
The
investigation is
continuing and
detectives are
in the process
of identifying
several other
assault
suspects. A
warrant alleging
Assault with a
Deadly Weapon is
being prepared
for Brown. We
are asking Mr.
David Darnell
Brown to
surrender
himself to the
Santa Monica
Anyone with
information is
encouraged to
call the Office
of Criminal
Investigations
at 310-458-8451.
