Silento a.k.a. Ricky Lamar Hawk Found incompetent to stand trial

Ricky Lamar Hawk's Mugshot -- January 2021

October 14, 2024 --Decatur, GA- Ricky Lamar Hawk or Silento rocketed to international fame after releasing "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" in 2015, with the everyone from young children to newscasters imitating his accompanying dance moves after the song went viral. The official video has been viewed more than 1.9 billion times. He became famous for other less auspicious reasons in January of 2021 when he was arrested for the murder of his cousin, Frederick Rooks.

Hawk has been in jail since and has been found incompetent to stand trial. The order finding the defendant incompetent to stand trial was entered today. Dr. Maria T. Silva found Hawk to be suffering from Bipolar 1 disorder with mood congruent psychotic features. The disorders mentioned are characterized by paranoid and delusional thinking and oft times mania. Pursuant to OCGA 17-7-130 Hawk will be transferred to Georgia Regional Hospital where it will be determined if he is still incompetent to stand trial after a 90 day period. Hawks was scheduled to go back to court but pre-trial hearings have been postponed due to an attorney conflict.

Where it all began

On the afternoon (3:35 pm) of January 31st, rapper Silento or Ricky Lamar Hawks was arrested for the murder of his cousin, Frederick Rooks, 34.

Dekalb County Police responded to shots fired on January 21 around 3:30 am in the Panthersville area where they found Rooks dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds, including to his face and leg as reported by DeKalb police Lt. Rod Bryant.

Following the shooting, investigators said it appeared that Rooks knew the residents at one of the homes on Deep Shoals Circle, where they found Rooks in the middle of the street. Officers found at least eight bullet casings around Rooks.

Ring camera video from neighbors caught several cars leaving the scene. Investigators later connected the shooting to Hawk and arrested him. He was arrested twice within 1 week in Aug 2020 for domestic violence and trespassing and for speeding in Oct. 2020.

The Law

Georgia Law § 16-3-2. Mental capacity; insanity
A person shall not be found guilty of a crime if, at the time of the act, omission, or negligence constituting the crime, the person did not have mental capacity to distinguish between right and wrong in relation to such act, omission, or negligence.


§ 16-3-3. Delusional compulsion
A person shall not be found guilty of a crime when, at the time of the act, omission, or negligence constituting the crime, the person, because of mental disease, injury, or congenital deficiency, acted as he did because of a delusional compulsion as to such act which overmastered his will to resist committing the crime.

The Case for Insanity or Delusional Compulsion

Prior Incidents of Violence and Delusion
In October of 2020, Hawk had been pulled over for driving 143 miles per hour on the I-85 and was charged with reckless driving, speeding, failure to maintain lane and improper stopping. He claimed he is always being followed by people and by satellite, adding that Donald Trump calls him daily for help.

Hawk initially argued with the officer about how fast he was going and insisted that he'd done nothing wrong even asking to inspect the equipment. Hawk per body-cam footage stated, "If there is like 10 cars following me, I can do 143 because I am not a regular person, and you could go and look on your computer and it would tell you that."

Prior to that arrest he was charged with inflicting corporal punishment on a spouse or cohabitant at a Santa Ana, California home in the 100 block of MacArthur Boulevard on August 28th. He was booked and released.

Hawk appeared to be delusional as he managed entry into a stranger's unlocked home armed with a hatchet claiming to be looking for his girlfriend. The incident took place at a Valley Village area of Los Angeles on August 29th. Hawk was driven 2 blocks away by a friend then arrested at 1:50 p.m. in the 12700 block of Albers Street, near Bellaire Avenue and about a block from Burbank Boulevard. He was allegedly swinging a hatchet at the two people inside before one of them disarmed him. Hawk was charged with assault with a deadly weapon.