A$AP Rocky found not guilty of shooting his former friend
A$AP Rocky has been found not guilty in his gun assault trial in which he was accused of shooting a former friend. The Harlem rapper, born Rakim Meyers, was acquitted of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
The verdict was read in a Los Angeles courtroom on February 18th as Rocky rushed from the defence table into the gallery to hug his partner, Rihanna, sitting between his mother and sister. “Thank y’all for saving my life,” he told the jurors before they left the building.
After pleading not guilty in August 2022, Rocky recently turned down a plea offer that involved three years probation, a seven-year suspended prison sentence and 180 days in county jail. The trial started on January 24th and saw A$AP Relli (real name Terell Ephron) testify that Rocky fired two shots at him from a handgun and grazed his knuckles.
The incident between them took place in Hollywood in 2021. If found guilty, Rocky could have faced 24 years in prison. His defence attorney, Joe Tacopina, claimed that Rocky fired a prop gun, which he took from a music video set for security reasons.
His partner Rihanna attended the closing arguments with their children, two-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and one-year-old Riot Rose Mayers, having previously appeared during the trial. Following the chaotic response to the first not-guilty verdict, the clerk took a while to read the second not-guilty verdict. However, it was unlikely that the jury would split between the counts.
Speaking to reporters before leaving the courthouse in an SUV, Rocky said, “This whole experience has been crazy for the past four years. I’m thankful, and it’s blessed to be here right now, to be a free man talking to y’all.”
District Attorney Nathan Hochman respected the jury’s decision while addressing Rocky’s celebrity status. “Our office remains committed to seeking accountability for those who break the law, no matter their status or influence,” he said in a statement. “Fame does not place anyone above the law, and we will not waver in our pursuit of justice for victims and the community.”
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