While Tory Lanez is finding success outside of his prison restrictions, he continues to seek retribution for the jail stabbing he suffered in May of last year. His $100 million lawsuit against incarceration authorities over the attack, committed by fellow inmate Santino Casio, remains active. But these law enforcement and prison officials believe the Canadian artist should also face some responsibilty for his own injuries.
According to AllHipHop, a Wednesday (October 7) court filing shows T. Valdez's response to the suit. Valdez is one of the defendants in the case and the acting warden at California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. He reportedly argued via the California attorney general's office that Tory agreed to his housing arrangement. The filing claimed he "consented to his prison housing classification and assignment and assumed any risk alleged... with that housing."
Reportedly, the filing does not specify what he consented to, when, or what specific details the housing arrangement indicated to him. As such, it seems like officials want to paint this as an issue independent from their jurisdiction or responsibility, instead framing it as a personal and isolated incident.
"The intentional or criminal act of a third party or parties was a superseding, intervening cause of [Tory Lanez’s] injuries," the new filing reportedly claims. It also reportedly alleges the artist "caused and contributed to the claimed injuries and damages through his own acts, omissions, and legal fault... Defendant is entitled to qualified immunity because his conduct was objectively reasonable. It did not violate any clearly established constitutional or statutory rights of [Tory Lanez]."
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Tory Lanez Stabbing
Tory Lanez believes otherwise. His lawyers described the stabbing as an "unprovoked life-threatening attack" in the lawsuit, arguing "the choice to house Casio with Peterson was known or should have been a known danger." Valdez reportedly acknowledged the stabbing but dismissed responsibility for it. He also admitted Casio has a history of breaking prison rules and that officers have a duty to protect all inmates.
Santino Casio claimed he attacked Lanez in self-defense, a claim the latter's lawyers disputed. Casio allegedly heard rumors about someone putting a bounty on his head and suspected Tory was carrying a suspiciously large item in his pocket.
Prison officials now claim the Tory Lanez stabbing is due to Santino Casio, not their alleged failures. Authorities transferred the rapper and singer to California Men’s Colony after the stabbing, where he will complete his sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
