A writer/producer pal of rapper Ice-T was recently gunned down by an unidentified suspect in Long Island City, Queens. Joseph “Taheim” Bryan, 50, was shot and killed around 11:15pm on Thursday while sitting behind the wheel of his brand new Mercedes parked on Jackson Avenue.
The New York Post reported the shooter had fired about seven shots at the driver’s side of Bryan’s car leaving him with four fatal gunshot wounds on his arm and torso. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan where he was later pronounced dead.
According to police, the suspect was dropped off around the corner by someone driving a dark colored Mazda SUV. Footage from CCTV cameras revealed the gunman wearing black track pants, a white sweatshirt, a hat and mask, pacing around the entrance to a garage in the area while talking on the phone. He then walks across to Bryan’s 2021 sedan and opens fire on him. The shooter then hopped into the SUV as it drove off.
The SUBJECT pictured below is #WANTED by our DET’s regarding the HOMICIDE that occurred this past THURSDAY, Aug 19, at approximately 1105pm.
— NYPD 108th Precinct (@NYPD108Pct) August 22, 2021
The SUBJECT shot the VICTIM multiple times while seated in his vehicle parked in front of 4224 Orchard St
Any info pls ☎️ 718-784-5441 pic.twitter.com/d5eiRFkV5C
Bryan, who lives in Jackson Heights, had just written and produced the movie "Equal Standard," starring his long time pal Ice-T. The rapper-turned- actor said he was not in a good place with the death of his friend who is behind the driving force of his new movie.
MFs Killed my friend last night.I’m not in a good place behind this.Taheim was a GOOD dude making Positive moves.He wrote & we made the film EqualStandard together.He leaves a Wife&Daughter.Dirty MFs followed him home and Murdered him.Pic @iamtaheim1st @mobbdeephavoc @tobiastruv pic.twitter.com/eo6vcMc1zn
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) August 20, 2021
“MFs Killed my friend last night,” Ice-T tweeted Friday night. He posted a photo of himself with Bryan along with his co-stars Tobias Truvillion and rapper “Havoc” of Mobb Deep. “He leaves a Wife & Daughter. Dirty MFs followed him home and Murdered him,” Ice-T added.
The filmmaker’s brother-in-law Gilbert Cantres said Bryan was “on the cusp” of making it and he was robbed of the fruits of his labor, puzzled even more with the fact that Bryan had no known adversaries. "It’s the why that’s killing the whole family. He didn’t have any enemies out there, not from what I know.”
The independently released “Equal Standard," was filmed on location in Queens with a cast that included other rappers. The movie’s review on IMDB was noted to have fallen notably short of its well-intentioned ambitions as it tried to honor significant viewpoints amid the rising racial tensions in the US. The plot centers on the killing of a white NYPD cop by a black detective.
