Grammy-nominated rapper ASAP Rocky was acquitted on Tuesday of charges related to the shooting of a former collaborator, a case that had the potential to damage his career. The jury deliberated for nearly three hours before delivering its verdict.

ASAP Rocky Acquitted of Shooting Former Friend

The 36-year-old artist, born Rakim Mayers, faced two felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon following an altercation in 2021 with Terell Ephron, also known as ASAP Relli, near a hotel in Hollywood.

Upon hearing the verdict, Rocky rushed to embrace his family, including his partner Rihanna, the singer and entrepreneur who shares two young children with him, as well as his attorney, Joe Tacopina. “Thank y’all for saving my life,” he expressed to the jury.

The case centered around the weapon used during the incident. Prosecutors argued it was a semiautomatic firearm, while the defense contended it was a prop gun, sourced from a music video shoot. No physical weapon was presented as evidence, and Rocky did not testify in his defense. If convicted on both charges, he faced up to 24 years in prison.https://svtoday.org/

This trial occurred amid a busy period for Rocky, with several significant projects on the horizon. He is slated to perform as a headliner at the Los Angeles stop of the Rolling Loud festival in March and was recently announced as one of the celebrity co-chairs for the upcoming Met Gala. Additionally, he stars alongside Denzel Washington in an upcoming Spike Lee film set to release this summer.

During the trial, John Lewin, a Los Angeles deputy district attorney, cautioned the jury not to be influenced by the frequent presence of Rihanna, who attended much of the 13-day trial, including the final days with their two children. Tacopina, however, remarked that Rocky had not wanted Rihanna at the proceedings, but she insisted on being there, regardless.

The trial was the result of a long-standing rift between Rocky and Ephron, who had once been close friends and part of the same rap group, ASAP Mob. Tensions escalated, and the two agreed to meet on November 6, 2021, to resolve their differences, as Ephron testified.

According to Ephron, Rocky arrived with two other men, ASAP Twelvyy and ASAP Illz, at a parking garage near the W Hotel in Hollywood. After a brief argument, the situation escalated when Rocky allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband as Ephron tried to seek cover behind Illz. Ephron claimed that Rocky fired the gun, grazing his hand. The prosecution presented surveillance footage showing Rocky holding a weapon prior to the shooting.

However, Twelvyy and other defense witnesses argued that Rocky had fired blanks from a prop gun, which he had started carrying months earlier on the advice of a security consultant. They maintained that Ephron knew the gun was a fake. The defense further argued that Rocky had intended to protect Illz, who was allegedly being attacked by Ephron, and that Ephron had fabricated the story to extort Rocky and build a case for damages in a civil trial.

Throughout the proceedings, Ephron, who spent several days testifying, became visibly agitated, especially during a contentious cross-examination by Tacopina. Ephron, whose Instagram account had been displayed in court, expressed frustration over the death threats he had received because of his accusations.

At one point, Judge Mark S. Arnold had to intervene and calm Ephron down, advising him to drink some water. “I’ve been here for five days, dealing with this man,” Ephron said, frustrated. “I’ve been looking stupid for five days.”

In his closing statement, Tacopina called Ephron a “perjury machine” and dismissed his injuries as “knuckle scrapes” that could have occurred during a fight or fall.

Thomas Zizzo, a police sergeant who was one of the first responders at the scene, testified that it was difficult for authorities to determine whether a crime had occurred. Though police were unable to locate the weapon or any discharged shell casings, Ephron later claimed to have found two 9-millimeter casings near the scene.

“The failure of police to find the weapon became a key point for the defense,” said Sam Bassett, a criminal defense attorney. Ephron had also filed a civil lawsuit against Rocky for damages sustained during the incident, as well as a defamation suit against both Rocky and Tacopina. However, the not guilty verdict has complicated those legal actions.

Tacopina remarked after the verdict, “He sued us, and after today, I don’t think that’s going so well.”