A former NBA player and actor was sentenced to 90 years to life in prison on Friday for a series of violent sexual assaults.
The Los Angeles Police Department said an investigation into Rashid Byrd began in 2019. A victim reported she had been sexually assaulted.
“During their investigation, detectives learned [that] in 2010, Byrd was convicted of sexual assault involving a different victim,” the LAPD release stated. “Detectives also discovered that Byrd had been arrested for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington State in 2005.”
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The 7’1″ Byrd charmed his victims at first, then turned violent.
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“He started as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rapes and violence,” said Detective Dara Brown, who served as the lead investigator on the case.
Byrd played 22 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League in the 2008-09 season. He also appeared in the 2008 Will Ferrell-starring basketball comedy, Semi Pro, playing a member of the fictional American Basketball Association team, the Flint Tropics. He also appeared in a documentary short, Bring Your ‘A’ Game.
He was arrested in September 2020 by LAPD detectives for sexual assault.
The 39-year-old was sentenced to 90 years to life in state prison for the violent sexual assaults that occurred in L.A. and Santa Clara counties.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is grateful for the brave women who came forward to tell their stories,” Detective Brown said. “While this investigation has gone on for years, we are thankful that Byrd is no longer on the streets.”
Efforts were made to locate all of Byrd’s victims, Detective Brown said, adding that anyone with more information on his crimes is asked to contact her at 213-486-6840 or by email at rhdtipline@lapd.online.
I know Byrd, he likes to have a good time and he will use his height for perks (entry into clubs etc) but I can’t see him raping women. Maybe I’m wrong. But I’ve also been out with Byrd in Vegas on new years 2004 and watched multiple groups of women flock to him because he’s 7’2”
Wowww that is Sooo fucked up and if this is true he deserves what he is getting
I honestly don’t understand how people can say that they feel bad that he got so much time he didn’t feel bad when he was hurting these women I just don’t understand I’m not saying that every case is the same or or anything like that but when my daughter was 14 she was raped by someone he spiked her drink she woke up to a knife to her throat she did make it out alive but two weeks after that then she tried suicide she made it that time too but a part of her was gone after that day that she never got back when she did decide to get back on the right track not that she was on the wrong track before the rape she was sitting at her friend’s house it was just the two of them went in this guy stopped by but then I ended up losing my daughter at the age of 23 because she never got that part of her back to make her feel whole again so I don’t care who gets mad at me I could care less how long he stays in prison or if he would have gotten the death penalty and got killed right away any man that can do that to a woman doesn’t deserve to live as far as I’m concerned and yes do I feel sorry for his family yes I do but you know what I feel more sorry for the women he abused because they’ll never get that part of their self back again hopefully they’ll survive but they’ll never be the same again
Once again we see disproportionate sentencing of a black man. Yes, give him time, but it is ridiculous to see him get 90 years to life when you give killers and non blacks less time. His poor mother must be sick to her stomach.
This is just the way things work. When you let a little spotlight get to your head. It makes you think you are above and beyond average. Now you have to PAY