Joe Grits Guilty Of Inciting Social Media Violence Against Cops, Taken Into Custody

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Joseph “Grits” Thompson on Friday was convicted by a jury for inciting violence against Bridgeport police officers involved in the March 2025 shooting death of his friend Dyshan Best who authorities say pointed a gun at an officer justifying the response.

The hip-hop artist argued in his own defense at trial that his arrest was an overreach against constitutionally protected freedom of speech in which social media posts included a picture of Police Officer Yoon Heo with a caption “Somebody should die with a badge on.”

Heo, who shot Best during a foot chase after a gun was pointed at him, testified on Thursday “I was scared for my life, I was scared for my family.”

The most serious charge is punishable by up to 10 years in state prison. His sentence is scheduled for July 27.

From Ethan Fry, CT Post:

The judge approved a request from Assistant State’s Attorney Felicia Valentino to raise Thompson’s bond, from $50,000 to $100,000, after which he was handcuffed and taken into custody by judicial marshals. If he is able to post bond prior to sentencing, the judge ordered Thompson not to post anything threatening on social media regarding the officers involved in Best’s shooting.”

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  1. It’s more than fair to say, it’s not about guilt but than about lawyering.

    In online social media, Joe lost the case more than the prosecution winning it. Just based on what has been covered in the media, Joe didn’t go after Heo to establish reasonable doubt about the post being a credible threat. IOM

    Didn’t ask the right questions, per se

    By his own admission, the received threat by the post was “manifested” by his own anxiety of shooting a black man in the back.

    “To be completely honest, I was scared for my life,” Heo said. “I was scared for my family. I was looking over my shoulder.”

    Was it pastens? Joe should have asked Heo many questions about that. Like, when did the by the post stop?
    Was he scared of being charged for an unjustifiable shoot of a fleeing suspect in the back? The media coverage of Best holding a Vape pen in his hand play scare have, or overprescribing, pressured by the political environment in police abusive behavior, like the defund the police movement. Things of that nature.

    I mean (from my understanding), Heo never sought a retraining order or even initiated the investigation.

    So the word “was” was resomeble dought to the state of mind of what Heo thought was threatened on social media. A platform notorious for “disinformation.”

    Not sure if Joe was trying/or did, but clearly didn’t hit that home when it was reported when he asked if the cops had seen him post the post in question. But I don’t hit the mark, to say the least.

    That being said, to be fair to Joe. I didn’t watch Joe on a podcast, and he did want to hire a lawyer, but the lawyer he wanted didn’t take the case. Not sure if he tried others, and I am sure they have to give him a public defender.

    However, that’s the first thing they do when a case is weak, and they want a win. They take your lawyer away and make sure you can’t find another. If you know, you know, the room’s the room, and that shit is not going anywhere.

    Or, not. JS

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne6LTTnfu8I

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