BY BEN BRASCH/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A white Camaro pulls up on Lil Wayne's tour buses along a Cobb County section of I-285 before two handguns appear out of the car and start spraying bullets.
It was a moment borne of a Bloods gang beef and complex contract disputes, and Alvin Lewis was in the middle of it all.
Now, he's suing.
Lewis filed a lawsuit in Cobb County Superior Court in early November against Jeffery Williams (Young Thug) and Bryan Williams (Birdman) along with Cash Money Records and Young Money Records for the April 2015 shooting .
He is suing for civil assault and battery, violation of state and federal racketeering offenses, causing emotional distress and more.
Lewis has not gone back to work since the shooting, in which no one was injured, said his attorney Jeffrey Gewirtz.
"He has emotional injuries including post traumatic stress and is not doing well," Gewirtz said.
Lewis, who started driving the tour bus in Florida, is asking for an amount of money to be determined at jury trial to compensate him for his "pain, anguish, suffering, discomfort, medical expenses" and lost wages.
Dwayne Carter, or Lil Wayne, was not named in the lawsuit because he was a victim of the "assassination attempt," Gewirtz said.
The lawsuit alleges that the other men and labels were involved in a larger contract dispute that led to much of the bad blood that spurred on the shooting.
"The intentional acts complained of were extreme and outrageous, and exceeded the bounds of those usually tolerated in a civilized community," the lawsuit reads.
The suit also names the gunman Jimmy Winfrey (Peewee Roscoe) who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the shooting .
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Winfrey, who used to be Williams' tour manager, told police that he did the shooting for a higher gang status .
A short shouting match began between groups with Winfrey and Carter outside of the Compound night club where Carter was performing.
According to the lawsuit, Winfrey told Carter: "This is my city, keep (expletive) around I'll spray the bus."
Atlanta police rushed Carter and his cadre into their buses. Officers tried to detain Winfrey, but he fled alone in his Camaro with an assault rifle.
A lieutenant saw the Camaro zipping toward the buses, but police broke off before the buses hit the Fulton-Cobb county line.
Shortly after the buses got onto I-285, Winfrey pulled up on the tour buses and started firing.
Lewis called 911 and drove to Buckhead where they met Atlanta police.
The lawsuit alleges that officers allowed everyone but the two bus drivers "to leave the scene without obtaining contact information and without taking statements."
Winfrey's Cobb County indictment also said officers let Carter and other bus passengers go without asking questions.
Dwayne Carter, who goes by Lil Wayne (left) and Bryan Williams who goes by Birdman (right). (File photo)
Atlanta Police declined to comment on whether the officers' actions were in compliance with the department's policies.
"We will not attempt to comment on unsubstantiated allegations contained in lawsuits where neither the City, nor any of its employees are parties," Atlanta Police Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Espy said in an email. "We have no way of knowing whether the allegations are correct and haven’t had an opportunity to look into them."
When asked if the agency was going to look into the situation, Espy did not immediately respond.
Representatives for Bryan and Jeffery Williams, Carter and the two record companies named in the lawsuit could not be immediately reached for comment.
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