LOS ANGELES — On the primary day of A$AP Rocky ‘s trial, jurors noticed surveillance movies {that a} prosecutor argued make it clear the rapper fired a gun in 2021 at his former pal, who the protection forged as jealous, money-seeking rival who fabricated massive elements of the story.
Deputy District Legal professional Paul Przelomiec gave a sober, simple presentation throughout opening statements Friday within the trial of the hip-hop star, vogue maven and actor. It relied nearly totally on the video proof and audio from a 911 name.
“What’s going to develop into nearly immediately clear is that this isn’t an advanced case,” Przelomiec mentioned.
Rocky’s legal professional Joe Tacopina mentioned within the protection opening assertion that the video proof is meaningless with out the testimony of the accuser – Terell Ephron, who goes by A$AP Relli. Tacopina argued Relli is pushed by “jealousy, lies and greed.”
“This case rises or falls on his credibility,” Tacopina mentioned, repeatedly calling Relli, “a perjurer and a prison,” spurring prosecution objections. “The movies you noticed, with out his testimony, show completely nothing.”
The protection mentioned that the gun was a starter pistol that shot solely blanks – which they argued Relli knew – and Rocky carried solely as a prop for cover.
The primary video proven by the prosecution, captured from close by however partly blocked, confirmed a bodily battle between two males – with two others intervening – exterior a parking storage in Hollywood on the night time of Nov. 6, 2021. Considered one of them, carrying a black hoodie, pulls out a gun and factors it, however doesn’t fireplace it.
“The proof on this case will present that the person within the black sweatshirt is the defendant, Rakim Mayers,” Przelomiec mentioned, utilizing Rocky’s authorized title. “That proof might be uncontradicted.”
Rocky has pleaded not responsible to 2 felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, fees that might result in as much as 24 years in jail.
Przelomiec confirmed two extra movies of the second from different cameras, minutes after the primary confrontation, when he mentioned pictures have been fired a couple of block away. One reveals a scuffle between 4 males in a tiny picture within the nook of the body. The opposite, shot on the similar time, captures two gunshot sounds.
He additionally performed a 911 name from minutes later.
“There’s been a capturing,” a girl with an Australian accent says. “We watched it. There have been 4 males, and so they have been type of combating.”
The 4 males have been all outdated buddies, Przelomiec informed the jurors. That they had all been members of the A$AP Collective, a crew of creators established at a highschool in New York round 2006.
Together with Rocky and two buddies who have been with him in Los Angeles for a live performance efficiency, they included Relli.
Relli will testify that the 2 had been beefing. Relli believed that after they met up close to the W Resort, they might argue however reconcile, the prosecutor mentioned. That modified shortly when Rocky pulled out a gun. However Relli nonetheless pursued him as he walked away.
“In his way of thinking he by no means believed he was going to be shot,” Przelomiec mentioned.
The protection lawyer argued that Relli was not scared as a result of he “knew that gun wasn’t actual.”
Relli was not critically damage. Przelomiec confirmed jurors a photograph of tiny, bloody scrapes on Relli’s knuckles that he mentioned might have come from the capturing, however that was irrelevant to the fees.
The protection argued that the harm, which Tacopina mocked, was necessary as a result of Relli’s preliminary claims about it present his dishonesty.
“Oh my god, how is he gonna survive that scrape on his knuckles?” Tacopina mentioned.
Tacopina argued that Relli had really been the aggressor in each encounters, and that Rocky fired clean pictures from his prop gun to cease Relli from attacking considered one of their A$AP crew members who was with him. He mentioned that was why Relli scraped his knuckles.
Przelomiec additionally confirmed textual content messages from about 90 minutes after the incident, through which Rocky denies something occurred.
“U attempt killing me,” a message from Relli learn.
Rocky responds, “wtf iz ut speaking about.”
And Tacopina made hay of the truth that seven officers who searched the scene discovered neither shell casings, a weapon, or any suspects.
Relli went to police two days later, and introduced a pair of 9 mm shell casings he mentioned he had picked up from the scene himself.
“You will note that story crumble so onerous,” Tacopina mentioned.
Relli has filed a civil lawsuit over the incident, and Przelomiec confirmed a textual content message from him to a different pal from shortly after the incident saying he was going to get Rocky’s cash as a result of “he shot at me.”
Tacopina mentioned all the cause Relli went to police was {that a} civil lawyer wouldn’t take his case and sue Rocky until he did.
One other prosecutor, Deputy District Legal professional John Lewin, objected usually, saying Tacopina was flagrantly and intentionally making arguments and unjustified claims that are not allowed throughout opening statements.
Throughout a subsequent break, Lewin and Tacopina received in one another’s faces to shout in a heated trade that broke with typical courtroom decorum. One other protection lawyer tried to get between them to quell the argument.
Rocky sat within the courtroom and watched along with his attorneys, carrying a grey swimsuit. His mom and sister have been among the many supporters sitting in his part. Rihanna, his longtime companion and the mom of his two toddler sons, was not in court docket, and isn’t anticipated to look a lot if in any respect throughout the proceedings.
In an only-in-Hollywood second, the primary witness referred to as by the prosecution was police Sgt. Thomas Zizzo, whose physique digital camera video from the scene was proven.
He’s the son of Erika Jayne, former star of “The Actual Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
Zizzo contradicted what Tacopina mentioned in his opening, and testified that he and different officers responded to capturing studies by looking out “each inch” of the realm for shells.
“We might have missed one thing,” he mentioned.
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