At Wednesday's preliminary hearing in Los Angeles, testimony revealed that before shooting Terell Ephron -- who went by the name of ASAP Relli while part of rapper ASAP Rocky's Mob crew -- Rocky had threatened to take his life.
Relli alleges that this altercation took place two years ago.
Relli took the stand yesterday in an attempt to explain the events that transpired on November 6, 2021.
According to him, he was attacked by his former companion, who fired multiple shots at him, one managing to make contact with his hand. This individual is purported to be the key witness and alleged victim in this case.
What Happened To ASAP Rocky and ASAP Relli?
TMZ reported on the news of what happened inside the courtroom.
Testifying in court, Relli detailed the beginning of his and Rocky's relationship and how ASAP Mob was formed.
He attested to the deterioration of their friendship upon Rocky's rise to international stardom, with the rest of the group feeling somewhat excluded from it.
According to Relli, a few of Rocky's actions caused animosity between them. He felt that the rapper had not kept his word when he supposedly promised to help out the family of an A$AP Mob member who was killed.
This apparent lack of trust eventually led to a confrontation on that fateful night.
Relli was contacted by Rocky, who wanted to know his location. Agreeing to meet at a Los Angeles hotel, Relli thought this would allow them to settle their differences. However, the encounter quickly escalated when he saw Rocky with some companions, and tensions heightened when a gun was allegedly drawn.
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According to Relli's testimony, harsh words were thrown back and forth between them. He even alleges that Rocky put a gun to his stomach and threatened to kill him on the spot. However, he claims that while shots weren't fired at that moment, it wasn't long before bullets began to fly once they separated.
The moment when Relli felt his hand get hot was the instant he realized he'd been shot.
He claims Rocky pulled the trigger 4 times before running away, leaving him alone on the roadway. The terror Relli experienced caused him to delay notifying the police until 24 hours had passed.
At his arraignment, a not-guilty plea was entered by ASAP Rocky on charges of two counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon.
Last year, law enforcement officials laid siege to his place shortly after his return from a holiday in Barbados taken with Rihanna.
Today, the accused was present during Relli's statements in court and appeared during the lunch break. Subsequently, proceedings will reconvene on November 20.
ASAP Relli Questioned By Rocky's Attorney
In court, the cross-examination of ASAP Relli by Joe Tacopina - attorney to powerful defendant Rocky - was volatile. The questioning delved into the personal issues between Relli and his client that had caused their rift and accurately assessed when the alleged crime was reported.
Tacopina suggested that Relli had an ulterior motive in not immediately taking this issue to law enforcement, and it seemed like his questioning was solely designed to provoke a confession. All of his efforts were geared toward getting a particular admission from Relli.
Relli, however, asserted his reason for holding off on reporting the incident was because he was scared of retribution...and maintained that he alone had been a target of gunfire.
Additionally, he declared he had no wish to make a financial gain from the occurrence. It quickly became very intense as tensions rose between them; an argument was clearly escalating.
Today's proceedings shed some light on the potential outcome for Relli, with a source close to the situation indicating that there were too many inconsistencies to hold up in court. Whether this assessment is true or not is something only time will tell.
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