Lawyer Claims $AP Rocky Fired ‘Two Shots’ from Starting Pistol to Defend Friend

Lawyers defend $AP Rocky’s actions

Lawyers for $AP Rocky stated that he fired “two warnings” from the starting pistol to deescalate the anticipated altercation.

Details of the ongoing trial

On Friday (January 24), the rapper – whose real name is Rakim Myers – was present in court as part of his ongoing gun trial, facing two counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon.

Prosecutors informed jurors that three years ago, Myers discharged multiple rounds from a 9mm semi-automatic pistol during a dispute with his former friend A$AP Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, in Hollywood.

Myers’ attorney, Joseph Tacopina, refuted the allegations, labeling them as false. Rolling StoneField

Tacopina acknowledged that Myers did pull the trigger on the firearm he had that evening, asserting that the rapper fired “two strikes” from his “starter gun” in an effort to break up a supposed confrontation involving Relly and $ap Illz (Illidge’s real name Ulanger), another member of their collective, A$AP Mob.

He also mentioned that the gun utilized that night was linked to a music video he shot months prior with Rihanna, referred to in court as his “life partner” and the mother of his two young sons.

“Rocky shot that gun,” Tacopina elaborated. “He fired twice, hoping the sound would be sufficient to scare off Relli and protect Illz.”

He proceeded to explain that those close to Myers are aware that he was using a “fake gun” to “deter his attackers” after having previously experienced violence and harassment.

“This case revolves around one man’s deceit, jealousy, and greed,” Tacopina stated, describing Relly as “the source of all the evidence” in the matter. “Ladies and gentlemen, this case is purely about money. The evidence will reveal that this is no more than a money grab,” he asserted.

“The evidence will clarify that Relli is attempting to leverage a fabricated story to extract funds.”

This week, Myers declined a final plea offer of 180 days in jail and now faces the risk of a guilty verdict.

According to a report by Associated Press, a plea deal was available if the rapper pleaded guilty to one of his two assault charges involving a semi-automatic firearm.

The decision to put Rocky on trial for the alleged shooting of his former friend and collaborator, Terell Efron, was made in 2023.

Prosecutors in the case mentioned that Rocky allegedly aimed and fired a gun at Efron on a street near the Hollywood W Hotel in November 2021 after being “lured” to settle a disagreement.

Efron separately alleges that he is a victim of assault and battery, negligence, and emotional distress, according to BBCField

Court documents indicate that Myers denied all allegations in his response to the complaint under ABC NewsField

During the state’s opening argument, prosecutors introduced their evidence for the first time, including a 911 call where a woman claimed to have witnessed a “shooting.” They also displayed a photo of a loaded 9mm gun magazine reportedly found at Myers’ residence during a search.

Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomitz emphasized video evidence shown during a probable cause hearing in November 2023, which, along with the 911 call, sought to link Myers to the purported shooting through the caller’s physical description.

“There was a shooting,” recounted a female ASL interpreter during audio played in court. “We witnessed it. … The individual in the black sweatshirt pulled out a gun.” Przelomiec mentioned that the woman later declined to speak with law enforcement.

Przelomiec stated that the aforementioned magazine, which was seized, was discovered in a box within Myers’ bedroom closet during a search on April 20, 2022. He noted that the magazine contained six 9mm Luger bullets, but no semi-automatic pistol was ever linked to it. He highlighted that the shells recovered by Efron from the scene were 9mm shells.

At that time, Tacopina noted that seven police officers arrived at the alleged shooting site and found no shells, while surveillance footage showed Efron looking for police in the vicinity, who had previously covered the area with flashlights.

The attorney added that the brand of bullets found in the magazine at Myers’ home did not match the casings given to Ephron. He indicated that a witness would later testify in court that the magazine belonged to someone other than Myers.