A drill rapper who donned a scary clown mask and brandished a shotgun from a stolen BMW during a police chase has been jailed for 23 years.
Lekan Akinsoji, 21, aka CB, and three other gang members were pursued by officers after they embarked on a “ride out” to target rivals in east London, the Old Bailey heard.
Akinsoji was caught on camera waving a gun out of the window as they drove through narrow residential streets, over speed bumps, at up to 60mph.
Officers, including one who described the white mask as reminiscent of the Hollywood film Heat, opened fire, believing their lives were in danger, jurors were told.
In dramatic dashcam footage played in court, an officer could be heard shouting “Gun. Gun. They’ve got a gun. They are pointing a long barrelled weapon at us.”
Police shot the vehicle 13 times before bringing it to a stop on a one-way street – with officers shooting the car again as they approached on foot.
The chase came to an end when the BMW was driven the wrong way down a one-way street in Leytonstone.
Akinsoji emerged from the car wearing a “frightening” clown mask and all four gang members were wearing gloves and had their faces either partially or fully covered.
A fifth man, who was behind the wheel, fled on foot and was not arrested, the court heard.
Police seized an arsenal of weapons, including a loaded sawn-off shotgun, two lock knives, an axe, a machete, a hunting knife and a zombie knife.
Officers described the terrifying incident, with one saying: “I was in fear. What was happening was overwhelming.”
Family members wept in the packed public gallery as the men were sent down.
The defendants had smiled and gestured to their supporters but were heard to shout as they were led away from court.