A$AP Rocky Had Only a Prop Gun in Shooting Case, Says Lawyer
Prosecutors Say Rapper Faced Two Counts of Assault with Semiautomatic Firearm
A$AP Rocky was carrying a harmless prop gun from a music video on the night he allegedly shot a former friend in Hollywood, his lawyer told the court on Friday, as his trial on assault charges got underway.
A$AP Rocky’s Background
The 36-year-old, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, faces two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm during confrontations with Terell Ephron on November 6, 2021. Mayers has two children with singer Rihanna. He was arrested in April 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport after arriving on a private plane from Barbados, where he and Rihanna had been on vacation.
The Shooting Incident
Prosecutors say Mayers pulled a gun on Ephron – also known as A$AP Relli – after a heated argument in the heart of Hollywood, firing on one occasion and causing a minor graze. The two had previously been friends and had both been part of ASAP, a rap collective from New York, but had fallen out because other members of the group felt Mayers’ commercial success had made him arrogant.
A$AP Rocky’s Defense
Mayers’ attorney, Joe Tacopina, argued that Ephron’s resentment “is the catalyst for this incident.” “It was Relli who was looking for a fight,” he said, adding that CCTV footage from the scene showed it was Relli that made the first physical contact. Tacopina also claimed that the gun that Ephron alleges was pulled on him was a prop that was not capable of firing live bullets.
The Prop Gun
“The video that you saw shows Rocky holding an object that appears to be the gun, and Relli seized on that and manufactured his extortion,” Tacopina said. “The evidence will make clear that the object (was) absolutely nothing more than a prop gun… a starter gun, a blank gun, a fake gun. It’s used in pop movies and music videos.”
Evidence of Planting Evidence
Describing Ephron as “a criminal and a perjurer,” Tacopina said seven police officers searched the scene of the shooting hours later but found neither shell casings nor a weapon. Yet, after officers left, Ephron returned to the scene and discovered a pair of 9mm shell casings he said he had picked up from the street where he was shot at, Tacopina said. With this planted “evidence”, Relli set out to extort money from his now-successful former friend.
The Trial Continues
The trial continues on Tuesday. Before the trial began, Mayers rejected an offered plea deal that would have seen him serve six months in jail in exchange for admitting one of the charges against him.
A$AP Rocky’s Career
A$AP Rocky shot to fame in the first half of the last decade with two mega-selling albums: “Long. Live. A$AP” and “At. Long. Last. A$AP.” In 2019, he was given a suspended prison sentence in Sweden after a fight, in an affair that caused diplomatic tensions between Stockholm and Washington, pushing then-president Trump to intervene.
Conclusion
The trial is ongoing, with the prosecution arguing that A$AP Rocky is guilty of assault, while his defense team claims that the evidence is fabricated and part of an extortion plot. The outcome is yet to be determined, but one thing is certain – the reputation of A$AP Rocky is on the line.
FAQs
Q: What is the charge against A$AP Rocky?
A: Two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Q: What is the alleged incident?
A: A$AP Rocky allegedly shot a former friend, Terell Ephron, in Hollywood on November 6, 2021.
Q: What is A$AP Rocky’s defense?
A: His lawyer, Joe Tacopina, claims that the gun was a prop and that Ephron is a perjurer who is trying to extort money from him.
Q: What is the outcome of the trial so far?
A: The trial is ongoing, with the prosecution and defense presenting their cases. A$AP Rocky has rejected a plea deal that would have seen him serve six months in jail.