Jury deliberations set to begin in ASAP Rocky's assault trial
Jury deliberations in ASAP Rocky's assault trial are set to begin Tuesday morning.
The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is on trial facing two felony counts of assault with a firearm. Rocky is accused of opening fire and shooting at his former friend, Terell Ephron near a Hollywood hotel in 2021.
Closing arguments were delivered last week after Ephron took the stand and testified that Rocky pulled a gun out and pointed it at him before firing shots. According to prosecutors, it was the first of two confrontations that day between Rocky and Ephron.
Rocky has pleaded not guilty to the counts and has maintained his innocence through statements by his attorneys. He turned down a plea deal from prosecutors last week which would have included 180 days in jail.
Rocky's legal team has been relying on video evidence claiming the gun shown was a prop. They said he had it with him for security reasons.
If he is convicted on all charges, Rocky could face a maximum possible sentence of 24 years in prison.
Rocky's longtime partner, Grammy award-winning artist Rihanna, has been seen at his trial. She has been accompanied by their two sons 2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers.
Why is ASAP Rocky on trial
Former friend and once a member of Rocky's hip hop collective, ASAP Mob, Ephron is accusing him of pulling a gun on him, shooting at him and threatening his life.
There were allegedly two confrontations between Ephron and Rocky outside of a Hollywood hotel in 2021. The first confrontation is described only as a scuffle.
Ephron claims that during the second confrontation which occurred a few moments after the first, Rocky pulled out a gun from his waistband and fired shots at him.
During the trial, Ephron told jurors Rocky said "I'll kill you right now" as he pointed the gun at him. He then said the gun was pointed "like towards my stomach, like towards like my head and shoulder," according to the Associated Press's livestream of the trial.
When questioned about the alleged incident, Ephron could not remember certain details.
Ephron testified last year that bullets fired by Rocky grazed his knuckles during the alleged incident. Meanwhile, Rocky's attorneys have argued the alleged victim is lying and the rapper was carrying a prop gun that only fired blanks.
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