A jury has declared rapper A$AP Rocky not guilty on two charges of felony assault at the end of his trial in Los Angeles.The artist, who shares two children with singer Rihanna, was facing over 20 years in prison had he been convicted of the alleged assault on a former friend in Hollywood back in 2021.
There was a flurry of activity in the courtroom as the jury’s decision was announced, with the Grammy-nominated hip hop artist, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, embracing supporters in relief upon being found not guilty.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors alleged that Mr. Mayers had discharged a 9mm semi-automatic firearm during a confrontation with Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, on November 6, 2021, in central Hollywood, which resulted in Mr. Ephron’s hand being grazed.
The pair had previously been friends and were part of A$AP, a rap collective from New York, but their relationship soured due to other group members believing that Mr. Mayers’ commercial achievements had led to his arrogance.
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Mr. Ephron testified that he had been lured to a parking garage for a meeting that was partially captured on grainy surveillance footage.
He recounted that following an exchange of words, Mr. Mayers drew a firearm from his waistband, aimed it at Mr. Relli’s stomach, and threatened, “I’ll kill you right now.”
Mr. Ephron stated that two shots were fired, one of which grazed his knuckles.
Defending attorney Joe Tacopina asserted that the firearm was “absolutely nothing more than a prop gun… a starter gun, a blank gun, a fake gun. It’s used in pop movies and music videos.”
Labeling Mr. Ephron as “a criminal and a perjurer,” Mr. Tacopina noted that seven police officers searched the area where the shooting reportedly occurred hours later but found no shell casings or weapon.
However, after the law enforcement had departed, Mr. Ephron returned to the site and claimed to have discovered two 9mm shell casings he alleged he retrieved from the spot where he was shot at, as stated by Mr. Tacopina.
Neither party could provide the firearm purportedly involved that night.
Mr. Tacopina claimed that the entire narrative of a shooting had been fabricated to extort money from his affluent and successful client.
Following the verdict, the attorney informed reporters that the jury had seen through the “mirage of a case.”
“I’ve always maintained this was an act of extortion. The extortion unfolded in real time in court,” he remarked.
“The district attorney should seriously consider prosecuting Terell Ephron.”
Mr. Tacopina also praised Mr. Mayers and Rihanna, calling them “the greatest people.”
In 2019, the rapper received a suspended prison sentence in Sweden after a physical altercation, a situation that ignited diplomatic tensions between Sweden and the United States, prompting then-president Donald Trump to intervene.
