Opinion ID: 1267352
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Farmer's Move from New York and Attempted Murder of Jacquel Patterson

Text: In December 2001, three months after the White shooting, Farmer moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he associated with fellow Bloods Damion Russell and Jacquel Patterson. Russell was a high-ranking OG member of the Bloods who had enhanced his status living in California and assumed leadership of the VGL when he returned to New York. Russell imposed discipline within VGL ranks and imported west-coast traditions. Farmer told Russell that he had been driving around with Key, Jackson, and Petrizzo looking for any Crip he could see, and boasted that he had avenged the attack on the Bloods by shooting a Crips. Russell suggested that Farmer go back to Glen Cove to make sure the gun was destroyed, which Farmer did in December 2001. In Wilkes-Barre, Farmer and his girlfriend Stacey moved in with Russell, then moved out a few weeks later to live with one of Russell's friends, Khasan Dancy, who had a larger house. Jacquel Patterson and his girlfriend were also living in the house when Farmer moved in. Farmer, Patterson, and Dancy sold crack together. Farmer's relationship with Patterson developed into hostility. Russell testified that Farmer viewed Patterson as soft and weak. One day, when Dancy and Patterson got into a bar fight with men from Philadelphia, Farmer stabbed one of the Philadelphia men to help out, and became angry when Dancy and Patterson did not back him up or show appreciation. Worse, Patterson expressed the view that the VGL was an illegitimate and inferior Bloods set, to which Farmer and Russell took offense. In July 2002, Farmer and Patterson bought narcotics from a man named Udi, whom Farmer greeted with the Bloods salute. When Udi brushed off the salute and mocked the VGL set, Farmer objected, Udi drew a gun, and Farmer was forced to stand down. Patterson gloated at Farmer's humiliation. Furious, Farmer visited Patterson's house, punched cabinets, argued, and discharged his gun. After leaving Patterson's house, Farmer called Russell, demanded that he identify himself as a member of the VGL, and told him that he was sick of [Patterson], that he can't take it no more, and that he was about to give it to [him]. Farmer and Russell agreed to teach Patterson a lesson and again visited Patterson's house. While Russell waited in the front doorway of the home, Farmer and Patterson walked to Patterson's bedroom. After they entered the bedroom, Patterson's girlfriend, Esther Ross, heard the rapid firing of seven to eight gunshots. During the fussilade, Ross heard Patterson apologize repeatedly and plead for his life. After Patterson stopped pleading, Ross heard two more shots. Patterson suffered gunshot wounds to his body, legs, arms, and face, but survived. After the shooting, Farmer recounted to Russell that he followed Patterson into the room; that Patterson moved toward the bed, urging Farmer to hold on; that Farmer started shooting, while Patterson apologized repeatedly; that when Farmer stopped firing, he found a 9 millimeter pistol under the mattress that Patterson had been approaching; and that Farmer retrieved the pistol and used it to shoot Patterson in the face. Russell gave Farmer money and arranged for him to flee to New York.