A nationally known New Orleans rap artist who performs under the name "Turk" has been booked with attempted first-degree murder in the shooting Monday of two police officers in Memphis, Tenn.
Virgil Tab Jr., 22, is accused of shooting two Shelby County deputies who were serving a search warrant at an apartment complex in South Memphis. The deputies, part of a 12-member team of SWAT and narcotics officers, had gone to the apartment in search of heroin, Memphis police officials said.
One of the deputies remained in critical condition Wednesday with gunshot wounds to the mouth, hip and leg, Memphis officials said. The other deputy was released from a hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound to the neck.
Tab was one of three people inside the apartment when the officers approached the front door and announced their presence, Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell said. The officers immediately came under fire, Luttrell said.
"There is a criminal element that is showing absolutely no respect for the law," Luttrell said.
The two people in the apartment with Tab were questioned and released. Tab, who has been wanted in New Orleans on a probation violation since March, is being held in lieu of $1 million bail. Rumors of Tab's arrest began circulating in New Orleans rap circles shortly after the shooting, but Memphis police did not release his name until Wednesday when charges were finalized.
Memphis police officials said no heroin was found in the apartment, although officers did confiscate a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Tab broke into the hip-hop scene as one of the "Hot Boys," a group of four New Orleans rappers who recorded for the popular local label Cash Money Records in the late 1990s. Known at the time as "Young Turk," he was only 15 when his hard-edged rhymes earned him a following as one of the up-and-coming gangsta rappers associated with the style known as Dirty South.
By the time Tab released his first solo album, "Young & Thuggin'," in 2001, he had been arrested several times, twice for possession of heroin, court records show. In 2000, a heroin charge was dropped when he agreed to a diversionary program, the records show. A subsequent arrest, however, led to probation and a string of drug-treatment programs. In December 2002, his probation was tightened, and he was placed on electronic monitoring, but a warrant was issued for his arrest four months later after he missed several court appearances, the records show.
At Cash Money headquarters on Wednesday, a receptionist said, "I have no comment. You'll have to talk to the CEOs, and they aren't in," referring to Cash Money founders Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams.
Virgil Tab Jr., 22, is accused of shooting two Shelby County deputies who were serving a search warrant at an apartment complex in South Memphis. The deputies, part of a 12-member team of SWAT and narcotics officers, had gone to the apartment in search of heroin, Memphis police officials said.
One of the deputies remained in critical condition Wednesday with gunshot wounds to the mouth, hip and leg, Memphis officials said. The other deputy was released from a hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound to the neck.
Tab was one of three people inside the apartment when the officers approached the front door and announced their presence, Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell said. The officers immediately came under fire, Luttrell said.
"There is a criminal element that is showing absolutely no respect for the law," Luttrell said.
The two people in the apartment with Tab were questioned and released. Tab, who has been wanted in New Orleans on a probation violation since March, is being held in lieu of $1 million bail. Rumors of Tab's arrest began circulating in New Orleans rap circles shortly after the shooting, but Memphis police did not release his name until Wednesday when charges were finalized.
Memphis police officials said no heroin was found in the apartment, although officers did confiscate a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Tab broke into the hip-hop scene as one of the "Hot Boys," a group of four New Orleans rappers who recorded for the popular local label Cash Money Records in the late 1990s. Known at the time as "Young Turk," he was only 15 when his hard-edged rhymes earned him a following as one of the up-and-coming gangsta rappers associated with the style known as Dirty South.
By the time Tab released his first solo album, "Young & Thuggin'," in 2001, he had been arrested several times, twice for possession of heroin, court records show. In 2000, a heroin charge was dropped when he agreed to a diversionary program, the records show. A subsequent arrest, however, led to probation and a string of drug-treatment programs. In December 2002, his probation was tightened, and he was placed on electronic monitoring, but a warrant was issued for his arrest four months later after he missed several court appearances, the records show.
At Cash Money headquarters on Wednesday, a receptionist said, "I have no comment. You'll have to talk to the CEOs, and they aren't in," referring to Cash Money founders Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams.