Bailey Shooting Suspect Implicates Bey IV In Plea Deal

The Chauncey Bailey Project, in partnership with KTVU, has learned that the Alameda County District Attorney has reached a plea agreement with Devaughndre Broussard in the slaying of the Oakland journalist that implicates onetime leader of Your Black Muslim Bakery Yusef Bey IV.

Wednesday night, the Chauncey Bailey Project reported that the 21-year-old suspect due to stand trial next month has agreed to plead guilty to shooting Bailey in downtown Oakland on August 2, 2007. According to reports, Broussard will say that he carried out the shootings under the orders of former Your Black Muslim Baker leader Yusef Bey IV.

Under the agreement, Broussard would plead guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and receive a sentence of 20-30 years, according to the Chauncey Bailey Project.

The Chauncey Bailey project has also learned that murder charges against former Your Black Muslim Bakery leader Yusuf Bey IV and follower Antoine Mackey in the slaying are imminent, according to law enforcement and other sources.

Sources also indicate charges are likely in two other killings from the month prior to Bailey's slaying that police long have suspected bakery members committed in North Oakland near San Pablo Avenue.

Bey IV is currently being jailed without bail on a host of unrelated charges, including kidnapping and torture. Mackey is serving a sentence for an unrelated burglary charge in state prison and could be released within a year.

Deputy District Attorney Christopher Lamiero said he could not confirm any details late Wednesday, according to the Chauncey Bailey Project.

"We are very close to a point where we are going to be able to hold accountable all of those responsible for Bailey’s murder," Lamiero said. He declined to say anything further.

On Tuesday, KTVU learned that the former homicide detective who was lead investigator in the Bailey murder investigation was been placed on paid leave by the Oakland Police Department.

Although Oakland police officials wouldn't explain why Sergeant Derwin Longmire had been placed on paid leave Monday, Longmire's attorney Mike Rains told KTVU that the move is related to the Sergeant's handling of the investigation of the journalist's killing.

"It has to do with… the way that he conducted the investigation," said Rains.

Longmire was the lead investigator on the case. Some critics feel he was too close to members of Your Black Muslim Bakery.

He allowed Bakery leader Yusef Bey IV alone and unsupervised in an interrogation room with Broussard. Immediately afterward, Broussard confessed to the slaying, although he later recanted.

There was also a taped phone conversation between Longmire and Bey IV, who was in jail on an unrelated case.

"If you need me, you know where I'm at. I have no problems talking to you if you ever need to, so don't think they got to me, because they didn't," said Bey IV on the tape.

"I am brother. I appreciate it," replied Longmire. "I'm really glad that you called just to check on me, man."

Rains said that as a criminal investigator, Longmire had contact with dozens of criminals, including Bey IV.

"These are criminals. They're down-and-out murder suspects in a variety of murders that Derwin Longmire would give his phone number to every single day of the week," explained Rains. "And why would he do that? Because he would say 'I depend on my job to get information from you. You know people, you know what's happening on the streets. And I need you to call me.'"

Critics argue that Longmire's relationship with Bey IV is why the Muslim group’s leader remains uncharged in the Bailey murder. But an affidavit dated three weeks after Bailey's killing may refute it.

In it, Longmire requests a search warrant for phone records saying he believed "Yusef Bey IV may have been complicit in the killing of Mr. Bailey." He continued, asserting "Bey IV, Antoine Mackey, and Devaughndre Broussard made an attempt to kill Mr. Bailey on August 1st."

That was one day before the killing took place.

"I know -- and I say this absolutely unequivocally -- Sgt. Longmire never established any kind of personal relationship with Yusef Bey IV that affected his judgment, his decision making, or his objectivity as a police officer in the city of Oakland," insisted attorney Rains.

Police officials called this a personnel matter that they will not discuss. However, they did indicate Sgt. Longmire would have a special hearing within the next month. The result of that hearing would go to the chief and then to the city administrator, who has the final say on punishment. The punitive action could include suspension or even termination.