Jury hears opening arguments in ASAP Rocky’s alleged 2021 shooting case

Former Grammy-nominated rapper and pop star ASAP Rocky’s assault trial began in the city of Los Angeles on Friday as he has been accused of pointing a gun at a former friend who was also his music collaborator. The rapper has two felony charges against him.

The real name of the rapper is Rakim Mayers and was charged on August 15, 2022, with two charges of assault for using a semi-automatic gun to allegedly fire the weapon twice at a victim during a heated argument. While he pleads not guilty, if convicted, the rapper will face prison for up to 24 years.

The prosecution presented video evidence in their opening statement stating that Mayers had fired a gun at the victim named Terell Ephron. The videos were presented by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec.


Ephron, who also goes by the name ASAP Relli, was a childhood friend of ASAP Rocky, and both were part of the rap collective named ‘ASAP Mob’, based in Harlem.

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The prosecution insisted that the case was clear with the videos and there was nothing much to debate on. They also presented photographs, a series of maps, and the record of an emergency (911) call from the night of the quarrel along with the video captured by cameras.

The defense opened by stating that Mayers is innocent and Ephron was trying to make financial gains. The defense was being led by Joe Tacopina.

Ephron filed a lawsuit on August 10, 2022, as the victim of an assault. As reported by ABC News, Ephron accused Mayers of battery, emotional distress, assault, and negligence. He claims that he was struck by a ‘bullet/projectile/fragments’ at the time of the assault.

Mayers denied doing any of the above-listed wrongdoings. Ephron also filed another lawsuit on September 19, 2023, accusing Mayers and his legal aid including Tacopina.

According to ABC News, the documents state that Mayers and his legal team deny all the accusations.

Opening arguments for both cases have begun, and a jury of five men and seven women, who were selected on Thursday, is judging the case.

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Mayers also turned down a plea deal which was offered to him on Tuesday, as mentioned in a report by ABC News.

FAQs

Is ASAP Rocky married to Rihanna?
No, as of today, both pop stars are not married but have been in a relationship for 5 years as confirmed by the couple.

Has ASAP Rocky been convicted before?
Yes, he has been convicted in 2019 for allegedly kicking and beating someone over an argument