Judge rules A$AP Rocky must stand trial on charges he fired gun at former friend
A$AP Rocky: The rapper was in a Los Angeles court on Monday. (Allison Dinner-Pool/Getty Images)
(Allison Dinner-Pool/Getty Images)
ByBob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles judge ruled on Monday that there was sufficient evidence for rapper A$AP Rocky to stand trial amid accusations that he fired a weapon at a former friend and collaborator outside a California hotel two years ago.
Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar announced the ruling during a preliminary hearing after hearing more than a day of testimony, KCAL-TV reported.
Villar said “the totality of the video and testimony” shows there is sufficient evidence for the defendant to go to trial, according to The Associated Press. The judge added that preliminary hearings have a much lower evidence standard than a trial, and that she was only finding probable cause.
#Breaking: A judge has ordered rapper A$AP Rocky to stand trial on felony charges that he fired a gun at friend outside Hollywood hotel in 2021 https://t.co/IKoQMBScxa
A$AP Rocky, 35, whose legal name is Rakim Athelaston Mayers, has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of assaulting his friend since high school, Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli, with a firearm, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The two-time Grammy Award nominee is in a relationship with singer Rihanna, with whom he has two sons, according to KCAL.
Mayers is accused of pulling a gun from his waistband during a fight on a Hollywood sidewalk on Nov. 6, 2021, the Times reported. The rapper allegedly shot Ephron, grazing his hand, according to the newspaper.
Mayers was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in April 2023 and was charged in the case four months later.
If convicted, he faces up to nine years in prison if convicted, Rolling Stone reported.
1 of 22
Through the years Rapper A$AP Rocky performs onstage at the 2012 BET Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on July 1, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images For BET) (Earl Gibson III)
Through the years Rapper A$AP Rocky (L) and singer Rita Ora arrive at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards at Staples Center on September 6, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Through the years Rapper A$AP Rocky performs at PacSun's Common Threads event hosted at MOCA Grand Avenue on December 7, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for PacSun) (John Sciulli)
Through the years Rapper ASAP Rocky performs onstage at the Samsung Milk Music Lounge featuring A$AP Rocky on March 19, 2015 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Samsung) (Rick Kern/Getty Images for Samsung)
Through the years Rapper A$AP Rocky performs at Drai's Beach Club - Nightclub at the Cromwell Las Vegas during his first Drai's Live performance on January 3, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Drai's Beachclub-Nightclub) (Bryan Steffy)
Through the years Rapper A$AP Rocky attends The 58th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 15, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) (Jason Merritt/Getty Images for NARAS)
Through the years Music artist A$AP Rocky performs onstage during day 1 of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella) (Frazer Harrison)
Through the years Elliott Wilson and ASAP Rocky attend Tribeca Talks:Tribeca Film Festival: CRWN with Elliott Wilson and A$AP Rocky during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studio on April 21, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for 2015 Tribeca Film Festival) (Ilya S. Savenok)
Through the years A$AP Rocky attends MTV Studios on September 30, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for MTV) (Brian Ach/Getty Images for MTV)
Through the years Rapper A$AP Rocky, wearing Gucci, attends the 2016 LACMA Art + Film Gala honoring Robert Irwin and Kathryn Bigelow presented by Gucci at LACMA on October 29, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Through the years A$AP Rocky attends AWGE presents: A$AP Rocky x GUESS Club on March 10, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for GUESS) (Todd Williamson/Getty Images for GUESS)
Through the years A$AP Rocky and Gwyneth Paltrow attends the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images) (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Through the years A$AP Rocky (L) and ScHoolboy Q perform onstage at night three of the STAPLES Center Concert, sponsored by Sprite, during the 2017 BET Experience at Staples Center on June 24, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET) (Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET)
Through the years A$AP Rocky attends BACARDI, Swizz Beatz and The Dean Collection bring NO COMMISSION back to Miami to celebrate "Island Might" at Soho Studios on December 9, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for BACARDI) (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for BACARDI)
Through the years Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attend the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 21, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) (Dominique Charriau/Getty Images)
Through the years A$AP Rocky attends Rihanna's 5th Annual Diamond Ball at Cipriani Wall Street on September 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images) (BAUZEN/Getty Images)
Through the years A$AP Rocky attends 2021 Tribeca Festival Premiere of "Stockholm Syndrome"at Battery Park on June 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival) (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Tribeca Festiva)
Through the years A$AP Rocky and Rihanna attend The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images) (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Through the years A$AP Rocky and Rihanna attend The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) (mike coppola/Getty Images)
STAR Cares is an exclusive Community Affairs initiative of STAR 94.5, committed to enriching the lives of African-Americans in our community who need to be informed and benefit from programs targeting Education, Health and Financial Literacy
Sign Up
