By
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - The weapons and bribery trial of Sean "Puffy" Combs began yesterday, with prosecutors for the first time saying the rap star fired a gun inside a Times Square nightclub as one of his proteges allegedly shot and wounded three people.
"Mr. Combs fired a shot," Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos said in opening statements. "Witnesses will say they saw the muzzle flash."
Combs, 31, isn't accused of shooting anyone in Club New York on Dec. 27, 1999. He was arrested after he fled the club with his girlfriend, actress-singer Jennifer Lopez, who has not been charged.
Combs' rap protege, Jamal "Shyne" Barrow, 21, is charged with attempted murder and assault for allegedly wounding the three club patrons. Also charged with illegal gun possession is Combs' bodyguard that night Anthony "Wolf" Jones, 34.
"It appears that Mr. Barrow fired three times and Mr. Combs once," Bogdanos said. He said the bullet from Combs' gun went into the ceiling, and it was not recovered.
Barrow is accused of firing a 9mm pistol during a dispute in which another man reportedly insulted Combs and threw money in his face.
Combs' troubles stemmed from what happened later. Bogdanos has said that as Combs, Lopez and Jones drove away from the club with driver Wardell Fenderson, someone threw a handgun out the vehicle's window.
And when police stopped the vehicle after it had run several red lights, Bogdanos says, they found another pistol on the floor in front. No one claimed the gun, so police took everybody into custody.
At a police station, the prosecutor says, Combs and Jones tried to bribe Fenderson into claiming that the gun was his. Combs allegedly offered Fenderson $50,000 to take the rap, with a $40,000 diamond ring that Lopez gave him for his birthday as collateral.
Lopez reportedly told a grand jury that she never saw Combs with a gun that night. It was unknown whether she will be called to testify, though she is on witness lists.
Combs' lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, has said the prosecution's version of events is false.
He said an exchange between Combs and a police officer shows that his client had no idea whose gun was in the vehicle. The lawyer said his client promised the officer he would find out who owned the gun, and the dialogue between the rapper and Fenderson was an attempt to do that.
Fenderson, who will testify for the prosecution and who has sued Combs for $3 million, has said he does not remember any windows being open or a gun being thrown out.
