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Ex-NYPD Chief Says Pop Smoke Was Target of Gang Probe Before 2020 Killing

The assertions stem from a single interview by ex–NYPD chief John Chell, remaining unverified.

Overview

  • Chell said he was personally involved in an NYPD investigation that monitored Brooklyn crews he linked to the rapper, including the G-Stone Crips.
  • He claimed the probe gained traction after Pop Smoke allegedly transported a stolen Rolls-Royce Wraith from Los Angeles to New York.
  • According to Chell, arrests connected to that car case were used in an effort to apply leverage while investigators built a larger case.
  • He said the effort stalled when Pop Smoke was killed in a Los Angeles home invasion in February 2020.
  • Separate coverage noted a widely shared image of an alleged participant in the killing wearing Pop Smoke merchandise, drawing renewed online attention.