Former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight has been arrested and charged with murder following a hit-and-run incident that occurred Thursday (Jan. 29), The Hollywood Reporter notes. Knight allegedly got into an altercation near the site of a promotional shoot for the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton before the alleged homicide happened. According to witnesses, Knight began arguing with two men when he pulled up to the scene in a red pick-up truck. When the fight began to get more serious, Knight reportedly backed into a victim, who died, and hit two others, who suffered non life-threatening injuries.
UPDATE: The incident did not occur at the N.W.A. photo shoot, and neither Ice Cube nor Dr. Dre were present, according to reps from the hip-hop stars.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said the incident occurred at around 3 p.m. in Compton, California. Knight allegedly followed the men after the initial dispute to a restaurant where the crime took place. Knight turned himself in with the help of his attorney early Friday.
"They obviously knew each other," Lt. John Corina told the Los Angeles Times. "They got into some kind of verbal altercation and it escalated. So far the people we talked to said it looked like an intentional act so we are handling it like a homicide."
TMZ broke the story yesterday, identifying the murdered victim as Terry Carter, who is known to be a friend of Knight's. Initial reports stated that Carter arrived with Knight and was on his way to the passenger's side of the vehicle before he was ran over. Actor Cle "Bone" Sloan was one of the other victims who were injured. It's unclear if Sloan or the other victims were involved with the promotional shoot.
By the time the incident occurred, shooting for the promo had wrapped. Ice Cube and Dr. Dre had been on set earlier in the day, but they were not present when the hit-and-run took place.
Bail for the celebrity has been set at $2 million.
Knight hit a rough stretch in the final months of 2014. The Black Kapital Records CEO was shot at a pre-VMAs party hosted by Chris Brown in August. He was also arrested for stealing a camera from a photographer alongside comedian Katt Williams. His health has been erratic, having suffered an episode due to a blood clot recently.
