Initiation ritual used by the Gangster Disciples street gang, in which new members must endure a six-minute beating.

Initiation ritual used by the Gangster Disciples street gang, in which new members must endure a six-minute beating. Kezar said Staff Sgt. Jerome A. Johnson's beating escalated that night from reckless to a free-for-all. The beating reportedly occurred in a park pavilion outside Kaiserslaughtern. Kezar told the court-martial that witnesses will place Jones at that pavilion.
The military alleges that Jones is a member of the Gangster Disciples and that he helped raise money and recruit members for the gang. The military claims the gang advocates the use of force or violence in violation of military law. Court documents also claim that Jones tried to persuade a witness not to testify, that he helped another suspect hide and that he used marijuana. Capt. Jeremy Emmert, a defense lawyer, said Jones did not kill Johnson and does not belong to a violent gang. He said the defense also has evidence that Jones was not at the park that night.
What prosecutors call a gang was a "benign" group for brotherhood, Emmert said. Also, Emmert said, "Each (government witness) has their own motive to lie about why they say Sergeant Jones was there." Others accused in Johnson's beating are either serving sentences or facing a court-martial.