Editorial: Tell it to the court

Published 12:00 am Monday, May 16, 2011

Tell it to the court
Youtube may be a good way for performers to promote themselves. But itís no substitute for a court appearance when youíre charged with attempted murder.
Quentin Mathis ó also known by the rap name ěSosa da kingî ó was charged in the May 7 shooting of two men at Mooresville Dragway. Mathis left the scene after the shooting. Rather than turn himself in, he used a message attached to a Youtube rap video to assert the shooting was in self defense.
While weíll give him points for creativity ó or brazenness ó the Youtube statement wasnít such a good idea, especially considering that another person pictured in the video appears to be flaunting a handgun stuck in the waistband of his trousers. If youíre going to present yourself as a victim of circumstances, wrongfully accused of attempted murder, a profanity-laced video with ěgangstaî overtones isnít very convincing.
As of Monday afternoon, Mathis was still at large and considered to be armed and dangerous. If he really believes heís getting a bum rap, he should turn himself in to the Rowan County Sheriffís Office, get a lawyer and make his next statement in person, before a judge.