ATLANTA — Testimony continued Thursday on Day 4 of the trial against Young Thug and the alleged YSL street gang, after an Atlanta Police detective testified throughout Wednesday as the trial's first witness.
Detective Mark Belknap of the Atlanta Police gang unit opened testimony by tracing the alleged gang origins of YLS - Young Slime Life, as he testified. Defense attorneys have asserted YSL is simply the Young Stoner Life label Young Thug has recorded on and that he has no ties of any kind to organized crime.
In addition to Belknap's testimony, the third day of the trial - after opening statements were delivered Monday and Tuesday - was marked by an interruption to the court after some of the jurors were briefly shown by cameras in court. In an effort to protect the integrity of the jury, 11Alive and other news outlets took down their streams and removed any videos that included the moment the jurors were shown. Judge Ural Glanville determined the proceedings could continue, though in the later afternoon portions he asked that Belknap no longer be shown on camera. The latter half of the detective's testimony was done audio only.
More people took the stand Thursday in the case. One woman testified about a 2013 carjacking.
There was also testimony heard from police.
An Atlanta resident took the stand about a 2013 burglary that occurred at his Buckhead home.
An APD officer describes a 2013 traffic stop where Young Thug was arrested.