Entertainer A$AP Rocky Tuesday was found not guilty of firing a handgun that killed a former friend on a Hollywood street in 2021

After the verdict was read, the hip-hop star, fashion mogul and burgeoning actor,[legal name Rakim Mayers], 36, dove into the courtroom gallery to hug his longtime partner, Rihanna

A$AP Rocky is accused of firing two shots at a former friend A$AP Relli on a Hollywood street corner in Nov. 2021, but he claimed what he was carrying was a prop gun that fired only blanks

Risking a sentence of 24 years sentence on the eve of trial, he turned down a prosecution offer of just six months in jail, along with probation and other conditions, in exchange for pleading guilty to one count

“Thank y’all for saving my life,” he told jurors as they left the Los Angeles courtroom after they cleared him of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm

Rapper Rakim Mayers aka A$AP Rocky, was found not guilty Tuesday of firing a handgun at a former friend on a Hollywood street in 2021

Rapper Rakim Mayers better known by his industry name A$AP Rocky, 36, was found not guilty Tuesday of firing a handgun at a former friend on a Hollywood street in 2021.
“Thank y’all for saving my life,” he told jurors as they left the Los Angeles courtroom. They cleared him of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
After the verdict was read, the hip-hop star, fashion mogul and burgeoning actor, went straight to the courtroom gallery to hug his partner, Rihanna.
Risking a sentence of 24 years sentence, on the eve of trial, he turned down a prosecution offer of just six months in jail, along with probation and other conditions, in exchange for pleading guilty to one count.
Insisting on his innocence, Rocky decided to gamble that a jury would feel the same.
The jurors felt at least that there was reasonable doubt of his guilt, cleared him on all counts.

Risking a sentence of 24 years sentence, on the eve of trial, he turned down a prosecution offer of just six months in jail, along with probation and other conditions, in exchange for pleading guilty to one count

The hip-hop star, fashion mogul and burgeoning actor has been in a long term relationship with music megastar and billionaire fashion entrepreneur Rihanna.
When the verdict was read, Rihanna cried and hugged the defense lawyers. She attended the trial sporadically and brought the couple’s two sons, 2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers, for some of the closing arguments.
Rapper A$AP Rocky was found not guilty Tuesday of firing a handgun at a former friend on a Hollywood street in 2021.
“Thank y’all for saving my life,” he told jurors as they left the Los Angeles courtroom. They cleared him of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
After the verdict was read, a relieved Rocky went straight into the courtroom gallery to hug Rihanna.

After the verdict acquitting on all counts was was read, A$AP Rocky turned and hugged his attorneys

Next Rocky dove head first into the courtroom gallery to hug his longtime partner Rihanna

A$AP Rocky and fellow music superstar Rihanna share two young sons. She was in court for the verdict on Tuesday

He risked a sentence of 24 years in prison if he had been convicted as on the eve of trial, he turned down a prosecution offer of just six months in jail, along with probation and other conditions, if he would plead guilty to one count.
The jurors felt at least that there was reasonable doubt of his guilt. The 12 person jury began their discussions in the morning after three weeks of testimony and arguments that ended Friday, reached the verdict by mid-afternoon.
When the verdict was read, Rihanna cried and hugged the defense lawyers. She attended the trial sporadically and brought the couple’s two sons, 2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and Riot Rose Mayers, 1, for some of the closing arguments.

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna depart court in Los Angeles shielded by umbrellas after closing arguments on February 13

Rocky is accused of firing two shots at a former friend A$AP Relli on a Hollywood street corner in 2021. He’s been free on bail since his 2022 arrest. If he was convicted, he would have been taken into custody immediately,
His attorneys argued that he only fired blanks from a prop gun he had picked up for security on a music video shoot.
During his closing argument, Rocky’s defense attorney Joe Tacopina told the court the plaintiff, A$AP Relli, was the aggressor as well as an unreliable liar.
Tacopina showed the jury belligerent text messages from just before the confrontation, later deleted by Relli, where he urges Rocky to beat him up. The prosecution had shown only Rocky’s angry responses to suggest he started the fight. But it was not the opposing lawyers’ fault, he said.

“You’re annoying, bro!” accuser, A$AP Relli, [photo] yelled at the defense attorney after a frustrating cross. He was beefing with former friend A$AP Rocky when they met up in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021. After a scuffle Rocky pulled the [prop] gun and fired twice at Relli, who claimed a shot grazed his knuckle

Prosecutors and their witnesses said that he was beefing with a former friend, A$AP Relli, with whom he had been in a crew who called themselves the A$AP Mob since high school. They said the two men met up in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, and after a scuffle Rocky pulled the gun and fired twice at Relli, who said one of the shots grazed his knuckle but was not seriously hurt.
A$AP Relli’s testimony made up the bulk of the prosecution’s case
Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina said in his closing argument that Relli is “an angry pathological liar” who “committed perjury again and again and again and again.”
The incident was captured by several surveillance cameras, albeit from different angles.
Jurors also considered text messages to Rocky and others that Relli sent before and after the incident, purportedly trying to ‘get paid’, to walk away from the suit. Relli has also filed a civil lawsuit, and said in the communications that he had a greater desire to be paid by Rocky rather than to see him prosecuted.
the defense put on the stand witnesses who testified that weapon he allegedly fired was only a prop gun that only fires blanks. The defendant they said had been carrying for security since taking it from a music video set months earlier. They said he fired it as a warning because Relli was attacking another member of their crew.