A former Law & Order actor has begged a court to let him be moved from a wing on Rikers Island after he was repeatedly beaten despite being in protective custody, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Isaiah Stokes, 43, is currently incarcerated at the Robert N. Davoren Complex (RNDC) after being charged with the 2021 murder of Tyrone Jones, 37, in Forest Hills, Queens.
Stokes is accused of shooting Jones 11 times after he approached his white rental Jeep Cherokee and shot him multiple times in the face and head.
He faces a three-count indictment charging him with second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, Stokes faces a prison sentence of 25 years to life.
Isaiah Stokes, 43, was arrested and charged in the February 2021 murder of Tyrone Jones, 37, in Forest Hills, Queens
He appeared in court this week to plead to be moved from Rikers after being beaten, with his attorney saying there is a “clear and present” threat to his life
Stokes appeared in a 2009 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Stokes, 43, is currently incarcerated at the Robert N. Davoren Complex (RNDC) on Rikers Island
During a hearing Tuesday in Queens Criminal Court, Stokes' attorney Victoria Brown-Douglas asked Superior Court Judge Kenneth Holder for help in moving the actor from Rikers due to a “clear and present” threat to his life.
Stokes is accused of shooting Jones (pictured) 11 times after he approached his white rental Jeep Cherokee and shot him multiple times in the face and head
Brown-Douglas replaced the actor's original attorney in June, and a court ordered Stokes into protective custody in October following his move from the West Facility two months earlier.
Stokes appeared in court after the attack with a broken tooth and is suffering from 'PTSD' as a result of the attacks.
He is currently housed in a wing of the prison for prisoners in protective custody, away from the general population, in a single cell with a bed, sink and toilet.
The actor says he has been 'dead locked' in his cell bed for almost a month and is reportedly only allowed to leave once a day to shower or visit.
In a statement to the New York City Corrections Department seen by DailyMail.com, Stokes claims the problems within the detention center began after he was transferred from the West Facility “without cause” in August.
He writes that he was falsely accused of “swearing” at prison staff, which prompted the move, and that he was targeted because he is not a “gangbanger” and has no ties to gangs within the facility.
Police said Jones was shot multiple times in the face and head while sitting in a white rented Jeep (pictured) near the corner of Linden Blvd. and 200th St. in St. Albans
The scene of the 2021 shooting in Forest Hills, Queens, amid a wave of gun crime in New York
The actor also claims that an officer has been “antagonizing and harassing” him since his arrival because he is “jealous of his celebrity.”
Stokes played Mozzy in the TV series Power in 2019 and had roles in Boardwalk Empire in 2011 and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2009. He also records music under the name I$AIAH, according to IMBD.
In his statement, he claims that the officer heard about his acting career from other inmates and staff because he did not talk about it.
Stokes also states that he spoke with a director in early November and was assured he would be transferred back to the West Facility as soon as a bed became available.
His lawyer also told the court that he was unable to view all the footage of the alleged incident while in custody due to limited access to the library.
Judge Holder was asked to allow Stokes to view the footage in court, or sign a motion compelling Rikers to give him more time, but declined, telling Brown-Douglas, “And watch for hours and hours video, some of which only shows the street it shows he would go to a car and blow someone's brains out?
Stokes plays character Mozzy in season 6, episode 7 of the hit Starz TV series Power
Stokes (in Power in 2019) also had roles in Boardwalk Empire and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
'It just shows an empty street, just a car in the street. So we're just going to sit here and watch for hours and hours while I have other things to do so he can watch the whole video?
'I'm not going to do that. I have no control over Rikers Island. If they have decided that one hour a day is enough for each defendant to see their video, then that is it.”
Prosecutors said surveillance footage shows Stokes walking past the driver's side window of the Jeep before backing up, shooting his victim and fleeing the scene.
The suspect was captured on separate footage getting into a rented Audi, where police say they followed him to a parking lot near Stokes' home.
Authorities have yet to publicly confirm what they believe led to the murder, with sources close to Stokes saying the actor has 'no idea' who his alleged victim was. Stokes denies the charges against him.