A California judge has reportedly reinstated a wrongful death lawsuit that charges that LAPD officers had a role in the 1997 murder of rap icon Notorious B.I.G.

 

The original suit, which named the City of Los Angeles and two LAPD officers as defendants, was dismissed in December of 2007, after the rapper's family missed state deadlines. It claimed that B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, was shot on orders from Marion Suge Knight, who allegedly hired off-duty officers Rafael Perez and David Mack to execute the murder.

 

 

 

 

 

Among the family's contentions is that Lil Kims former manager Damien D-Roc Butler allegedly witnessed Mack standing near the Petersen Auto Museum moments before B.I.G. was shot and killed. According to reports, Butler identified Mack in a photo lineup shortly after the shooting. The officer was not supposed to be on duty that night due to a sick leave.

 

Mack and Perez, who have both been convicted on unrelated corruption crimes, deny that they were involved in B.I.G.s murder.

 

"This was a standalone action based on state laws, but the rigorous rules state that if you don't file suit within six months of the injury, then the suit cannot go forward, and we didn't find out that Perez was on duty until August 2006," said Wallace family lawyer Perry Sanders just after the first lawsuit was dismissed.