ASAP Rocky Enters Not Guilty Plea in Alleged Shooting of Former Associate ASAP Relli
ASAP Rocky denies involvement in alleged shooting of former associate ASAP Relli, pleading not guilty to charges
A$AP Rocky Michael Kovac/Getty Images for LACMA
ASAP Rocky, 35, (born Rakim Mayers) entered a plea of not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm during his arraignment on Monday, January 9. The charges are related to an incident in November 2021, during which Rocky allegedly discharged a semi-automatic handgun at his former friend, ASAP Relli (real name Terell Ephron). It has been confirmed that Rocky is scheduled to return to court on March 6 for a pretrial conference.
During the arraignment, Rocky chose not to have a formal reading of his rights. Trial date remains unscheduled but the rapper's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, stated that he anticipates the trial to commence in September, as explained to reporters on Monday. The latest development follows a judge's decision two months prior, affirming that there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial. In November 2023, prosecutors charged Rocky with pointing and shooting a handgun at Relli, who alleged that the incident caused injury to his left hand.
Rocky, who had previously entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in August 2022, could face a maximum sentence of nine years if convicted. Despite being in custody, he has consistently asserted his innocence.
“I am confident that Rocky will be cleared of all these allegations,” Tacopina stated to journalists in November 2023.
Rocky was taken into custody at an airport in April 2022 while returning to the U.S. with his girlfriend Rihanna. (The couple have two children: sons RZA, 20 months, and Riot, 5 months.)
A$AP Rocky Allison Dinner-Pool/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Police Department stated that Rocky was involved in a November 2021 altercation with an "acquaintance" that resulted in the suspect firing a handgun and injuring the victim. According to authorities, Rocky and two other men allegedly left the scene while Relli sustained a minor injury.
Rocky was released on $550,000 bail hours after being arrested. Meanwhile, Relli filed a separate civil suit against Rocky for assault, battery, and emotional distress. In August 2022, Relli's attorneys Jamal Tooson and Brian Hurwitz released a statement detailing how Rocky allegedly lured their client to an obscure location under false pretenses to discuss a disagreement between them.
The lawyers revealed to Rolling Stone that Mr. Ephron had no idea that ASAP Rocky had more than a conversation in mind and had brought a semiautomatic handgun with him. When they arrived at the site, a conversation took place, during which ASAP Rocky suddenly and without any provocation, warning, or justification, pulled out the handgun and deliberately fired several shots at Mr. Ephron.
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In response, Rocky’s legal team refuted Relli’s account of the events with a statement that reads, “The defendant denies all the allegations in the complaint, particularly stating that the plaintiff has suffered any damages as a result of the defendant’s actions or lack thereof.”
The statement further indicated that any injuries or damages mentioned in the complaint were the direct result of negligence or intentional actions by someone other than the defendant.
