Court don find Rapper A$AP Rocky not guilty of firing one gun at im former friend.
One jury for Los Angeles free di musician, wey im legal name na Rakim Mayers, on two felony assault charges wey carry up to 24 years in prison.
Terell Ephron claim say di Grammy-nominated hip-hop star open fire give am during one argument for one Hollywood street on 6 November 2021, e say one of di shots injure im knuckles.
Mr Mayers, wey also be fashion mogul and di longtime partner of pop star Rihanna, deny di charges, e bin argue say di weapon na prop gun and say im former friend, wey call imself A$AP Relli, only dey after money.
As dem read di first not-guilty verdict on Tuesday, pipo shout and clap for court. Mr Mayers rush towards im family and partner Rihanna, wey bin siddon behind am. E dive over one wooden barrier to hug dem.
E hug im lawyers and e bin be like say tears dey im eyes as dem read di second not-guilty verdict.
“Thank God for saving my life,” Mr Mayers tok loud. E thank members of di 12-person jury.
Dem arrest di rapper on di two felony assault charges after one strong argument with im former friend for di heart of Hollywood.
Mr Mayers and Mr Ephron bin don know each other since high school for New York and bin dey part of di A$AP Mob hip-hop collective.
Dia friendship cool off as A$AP Rocky career take off.
Authorities say Mr Ephron meet Mr Mayers on 6 November 2021, one day after dem two get palava, outside one hotel, wey no far from di ogbone Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Fight burst as yawa gas.
Mr Mayers bin also dey alleged say e bring out gun from im waistband and point am give Mr Ephron, as e tell am say: “I go kill you right now.”
“E look me for my eyes and point di gun give me,” Mr Ephron testify.
Mr Ephron say e tell di rapper to fire di weapon, but Mr Mayers start to dey waka go.
As e comot, Mr Ephron follow, as e dey shout give am.
Prosecutors allege say na at dat point, Mr Mayers again pull out di gun and fire multiple shots, with one bullet wey dem sat touch Mr Ephron knuckles.
Most of di trial based on weda di firearm in question na harmless prop gun, as Mr Mayers defence tok, or weda na real weapon wey dey capable of causing harm, as Mr Ephron and prosecutors allege.
Di weapon never dey recovered by authorities.
Jurors bin watch some footage of di fight because some parts bin dey captured on surveillance video, including audio of gunfire, but no video evidence directly show any shooting.
Mr Ephron take two days before reporting di incident to authorities and e bring shell casings e say e pick from di scene.
But police wey respond to reports of one shooting for di area no locate any shell casings. Mr Ephron, wey say e go back with im girlfriend hours later, say e bin know wia exactly to look, but no surveillance footage support im account.
E bin no dey admitted to any hospital in Los Angeles and instead e go for medical treatment after e fly back to New York.
Attorneys for Mr Mayers suggest say Mr Ephron bin plant di shell casings to frame di rapper.
Di trial get emotional moments and times wey e be like fight go burst, particularly wen Mr Ephron – di trial star witness – take di stand.
At one point, Mr Ephron call Mr Tacopina – a defence attorney for Mr Mayers – “annoying”, wey make di judge warn am.
Anoda witness, A$AP Twelvyy, dey asked by prosecutors about one photograph wey show Mr Mayers bed with di letters “AWGE” wey dem write on di furniture.
Wen dem ask am wetin e stand for, Mr Mayers unexpectedly interrupt di proceedings as e shout say, “Don’t say!” Twelvyy come refuse to elaborate.
Outbursts from defendants during trials no common, especially in front of jury.
However, for a criminal suspect on trial to cut in and instruct witness not to answer prosecutor question during cross-examination na something wey dey nearly unheard of inside court.
Rihanna make appearance for di trial and siddon with di rapper family
Di rapper dey set to release im first solo album in nearly one decade and e dey scheduled to co-headline Los Angeles Rolling Loud festival for March 2025.
For May, e dey set to co-chair di 2025 Met Gala alongside big names like Anna Wintour, British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, singer Pharrell Williams and basketball superstar LeBron James.
Additionally, im togeda with Denzel Washington dey for Spike Lee upcoming film “Highest 2 Lowest,” wey dey due for a summer release.
Im longtime partner, singer Rihanna, attend court once in a while. She dey courtroom on Tuesday as dem read di verdict.
