*“Power” actor Isaiah Stokes is making it known that he is not the one responsible for the death of a man in an “execution-style” shooting.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, the entertainer relayed his distress over the situation, proclaiming his innocence while blaming the legal and prison systems for keeping him locked up for so long without a trial date in sight.
For Stokes, “ineffective counsel” is to blame for delays in having his case heard as he claims that African Americans are assumed “guilty until proven innocent,” rather than the other way around. As a result, Stokes has been behind bars in New York’s Rikers Island for more than two-and-a-half years.
“I’m not guilty, I’m super innocent,” he told Daily Mail. “This is my first time ever being in jail. I never did juvenile detention centers or anything like that.
“The issue I’m facing now is trying to be someplace safe. It’s a very, very uncomfortable environment, it’s dangerous.”
Stokes is accused by prosecutors of firing 11 shots at 37-year-old Tyrone Jones on Feb. 20, 2021, after approaching his white rented Jeep Cherokee and shooting him multiple times in the face and head, Daily Mail noted.
Stokes currently faces a three-count indictment charging him with murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
Before his incarceration, Stokes was known for his roles on the small screen with roles in “Boardwalk Empire” in 2011 and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2009. In 2019, he played Mozzy in 50 Cent‘s popular TV series “Power.” In acting, Stokes was involved in music, with recording under the name I$AIAH.
Regarding his legal drama, the actor believes he will become “one of the greats” if acquitted. However, he adds that his fame will make him a target.
“I’m not the first person to be in this predicament,” Stokes told Daily Mail, referencing celebrities who have triumphed despite legal setbacks. “When I think about my situation, I think about Snoop Dogg. He’s been charged with murder, he got off and had a beautiful career. I think about Nelson Mandela. I think about Lil Boosie. He was charged with capital murder and he made it out of that situation. And now he’s back to being successful.
“I feel like I’m one of the greats,” he continued. “I’m only going through what successful people go through. Falling down is the easy part, getting up is the hard part, and bouncing back is the hard part. A lot of people don’t bounce back and they accept defeat. I’m a winner. I have to win. I have no choice.”
Despite his silence on Jones, confirmation on whether he knew his alleged victim, and plans to defend himself at trial, Stokes did have a message for the Jones family if he was acquitted.
“But responding to whether he had a message for Jones’s family if he was acquitted, he said: ‘All I would say to the victim’s family is God Bless, God Bless him. It’s not up to me. It’s up to God,” said Stokes, who voided his struggle to fight his case, in light of the prosecution only handing over ‘bits and pieces’ of the evidence against him.
“What I’m accused of is super whack. Whack with a cape on. But I believe everything happens for a reason. I believe that this was a blessing in disguise. I don’t feel like the evidence that they have against me right now is enough to leave anybody in jail for 30 months at a time. Prosecutors and the DA will always try to paint the worst picture. But this ain’t the right one.”
Up next for Stokes is an appearance in court sometime this month. According to Daily Mail, both sides are urged to be ready for a trial in 2024 following two years of delays.
Prosecutors stated the existence of surveillance footage that shows Stokes walk past the driver’s side window of the Jeep before doubling back, gunning down Jones, and fleeing the scene. The gunman was captured on separate footage getting into a rented Audi, which police say they tracked to a parking spot near Stokes’s home, the site noted, adding that authorities have yet to confirm what they believe led to the slaying.
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