Talking of media confusion regarding hip hop crime cases, the Cincinnati Police Department has denied media reports that a significant breakthrough has been made regarding the killing of Philant Johnson, the friend and assistant of rapper TI, who was shot dead as TI and his entourage sped away after a confrontation outside Cincinnati's Club Ritz back in May 2006.
Responding to reports in the local media of some kind of key breakthrough in their investigation, Cincinnati Police Public Information Commander Lt Mark Briede told AllHipHop.com: "There have been no arrests in this case and there are no warrants pending. We've heard that Atlanta radio is reporting it and we've gotten several calls about this. But we know nothing about it".
Asked about the ongoing investigations, the police force's Media Liason chief Fran Cihon said because the case was live they could not comment. Cihon: "Our investigators don't discuss their investigations unless there is a major development or an arrest. Once a homicide takes place, we do a media release announcing the crime and its investigation. But we don't do updates on a case, with the exception of situations where information is uncovered that the public could use to help us resolve the case. In those situations, we release that information to the press in hopes of driving up Crimestoppers tips".