S Poddar
The highly publicized case of A$AP Rocky just got a dramatic twist as his lawyer claimed that the rapper only fired blank shots from a prop gun in an attempt to protect his friend. The two were involved in an incident on November 6, 2021, with Terell Ephron, a former childhood friend of Rocky.
Jurors were presented with surveillance footage that prosecutors argue clearly depicts Rocky firing a gun at Ephron near a Hollywood parking garage. However, Rocky’s defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, dismissed the video’s significance, stating that it holds no weight without the testimony of Ephron himself. Tacopina portrayed Ephron as being driven by “jealousy, lies, and greed,” emphasizing that the case hinges entirely on his credibility.
According to the defense, the gun in question was not a functional weapon but a “starter pistol” that fires blanks. Tacopina said Rocky only carried this prop gun for protection and that Ephron knew that.
The first clip shown by the prosecution featured a physical confrontation of two persons with two other individuals trying to stop them. A man, who was dressed in a black hoodie, could be seen pulling out a gun and aiming it, but no shot could be clearly seen being fired.
Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec countered that the individual in the black sweatshirt was Rakim Mayers, whose legal name is A$AP Rocky. “The evidence in this case will show that the man in the black sweatshirt is the defendant, Rakim Mayers. That evidence will be uncontradicted,” he said to the jury.
Rocky pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison.
The history between Rocky and Ephron is complex. At one point, the two were part of the A$AP Collective. Przelomiec said that Ephron had expected an argument but believed they would work things out. However, things quickly turned sour when Rocky allegedly pulled out a gun. Nonetheless, Przelomiec still maintained that Ephron continued stalking Rocky, adding, “In his state of mind, he never believed he was going to be shot.”
Tacopina argued that Ephron was not afraid because he knew that the gun was not real. He further argued that probably, the ulterior motives advance Ephron’s testimony rather than any concern about what really happened.
Prosecutors also presented a picture of Ephron’s bloody knuckles, suggesting that the wounds may have been inflicted by the shooting. Przelomiec admitted, however, that the wounds were irrelevant to the case at hand. Tacopina claimed that Ephron was the aggressor in the fight and that Rocky fired blanks only to prevent him from hurting another member of their crew. This, he said, accounts for why Ephron’s knuckles were scraped.
Another key argument presented by the defense was the failure to find any physical evidence. According to Tacopina, seven officers conducted an in-depth search of the scene and found no shell casings or any firearm. The failure to find material evidence, he argued, contributed greatly to the fail in the prosecution’s claims.
Another point of the case is Rocky’s decision to turn down a plea deal. Prosecutors had given him a final chance to plead guilty to one of the two felony charges, which would have meant a 180-day jail sentence. However, the rapper declined, choosing to roll the dice in court instead. This puts him at risk of serving 24 years in prison if convicted.
During the trial, tensions continue high between the Grammy-nominated artist and Rihanna; besides being a public record, his personal life has captured many headlines in light of his celebrity relationship with Rihanna, with whom he fathers two young sons. Although Rihanna was not present in court, Rocky’s lawsuit has undoubtedly shone a spotlight on his life beyond music.
Other than his legal battles, Rocky has been making a buzz in the entertainment world. He has been announced as one of the celebrity chairmen for this year’s Met Gala in May and has a major role in an upcoming Spike Lee film, starring Denzel Washington. But all these career milestones now are in the balance as his fate is decided in the courtroom.
Both the prosecution and the defense are gearing up for what is set to be a highly scrutinized case with the trial expected to last about three weeks. The verdict will ultimately come down to whether the jury believes Rocky acted in self-defense with a harmless prop gun or whether he knowingly endangered his former friend with a real firearm.
