A$AP Rocky Headed To Trial For Alleged A$AP Relli Shooting
A$AP Rocky is headed to trial to face charges relating to an alleged 2021 shooting incident involving A$AP Relli, a former A$AP Mob member.
On Monday (Nov. 20), Rocky, born Rakim Myers, appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom for a preliminary hearing. Judge M.L. Villar ruled that the prosecution had gathered enough evidence against the rapper to take the case to trial. During the hearing, which both Rocky and Relli attended, the victim detailed the events that took place before and after the alleged shooting, which occurred in the Hollywood area on Nov. 6, 2021.
According to Relli, real name Terell Ephron, the pair’s fallout began in October 2021, when Rocky agreed to have the corpse of a fellow A$AP Mob member flown back to New York for a funeral and burial. While Relli says he believed that Rocky failed to uphold that commitment, causing him to confront his longtime friend, the rapper’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, claims his client paid for the arrangements in full.
About a month later, Relli says he overheard Rocky speak ill of him during a phone call with a mutual friend. This prompted Relli, who says Rocky became arrogant after reaching stardom, to end their friendship for good. “Truthfully, it felt good,” he told the court. “I was mentally preparing myself to leave and don’t need that stigma or type of people. [Rocky] was never going to help.”
On the day of the shooting, Relli says he saw Rocky with A$AP Mob members A$AP Illz and A$AP Twelvyy in front of a parking garage on the corner of Selma Avenue and Vista Del Mar Avenue in Hollywood. He says it was then that Rocky approached him and began to shove and physically assault him. The victim says that Rocky then pulled out a gun and threatened to “kill” him while aiming the firearm toward his stomach before aiming it close against his chest and head.
Relli says Rocky’s actions angered him, prompting him to dare the rapper to fire the gun. “I said, ‘Shoot it,’ because I was mad,” the victim admitted. “I said, ‘Why you bring a gun if you not going to use it?’ I would never bring a weapon. Not in that situation.” According to new surveillance footage from the scene presented at the hearing, two loud pop noises can be heard, however, the alleged firing of the shots weren’t captured on camera.
“Rocky turned around and shot at me,” Relli says of what then transpired. “It all looked like a movie.” The victim claims that Rocky shot at least three more times in his direction, with Relli using A$AP Illz as a human shield to avoid being wounded. The footage then shows the group of men, including the victim, fleeing the scene.
Relli says he returned to the scene of the alleged shooting two hours later and recovered two shell casings, which were turned into police and eventually found to have no fingerprints. He admits he failed to inform police of the incident until two days after due to him wanting to attain an attorney before coming forward.
During the hearing, Detective Frank Flores, who reviewed footage of the incident, testified that he saw Rocky with a gun in his hand during the altercation. However, when cross-examined by Tacopina, Flores admitted that the alleged firearm seen in the video was never recovered.
News of Rocky’s connection to the shooting first surfaced the following year, when the rapper was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in April 2022 and released the same day after posting $550,000 bond. His Los Angeles home was subsequently searched by police after the arrest with multiple firearms being taken from the residence.
However, none of the weapons discovered were connected to the alleged shooting. Rocky, who is charged with two counts of assault with a firearm, has plead not guilty to all charges. “I am certain Rocky will be vindicated of all of this,” Tacopina, who has represented Meek Mill, said of his client.
In addition to criminal charges, Relli has filed a civil suit against the rapper, citing assault, battery, defamation, and emotional distress. He is seeking more than $25,000 in general damages, compensation for medical costs, and punitive damages of an unspecified amount.
A$AP Rocky’s trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 8, 2024.
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