Rap mogul Suge Knight has been formally charged with murder and is being held without bail in a fatal hit-and-run in a restaurant parking lot that killed one man and injured another last week.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a statement that Knight would be arraigned Tuesday on murder and other charges that include use of a deadly weapon and causing great bodily injury.
Knight allegedly drove his truck into the parking lot of a Compton restaurant, slammed into the two men and then fled the scene, according to the district attorney's statement.
Terry Carter, 55, died and actor Cle "Bone" Sloan, 51, was injured,
reported KCBS-TV.
Los Angeles Sheriff Department Lt. John Corina told the
Los Angeles Times that the incident started earlier with an argument between Knight and the victims on the set of "Straight Outta Compton," a biopic about the rap group N.W.A.
If convicted, it would be Knight's third conviction under California's "three strike" law. Knight was on bail at the time on a separate robbery case, noted the district attorney's office.
Sheriff's Deputy Mike Barraza told
People magazine that bail for Knight was revoked.
"It was due to a possible flight risk, a three-strike candidate, possible witness intimidation and a criminal past," Barraza told People. "It was homicide detectives who petitioned the bail commissioner this morning to raise his bail to a no bail. (Knight) is being held in our L.A. County jail system."
James Blatt, Knight’s attorney, told KCBS-TV that his client was defending himself after being attacked by a group of men and was just trying to escape. He said he hopes to see a video of the incident which will vindicate Knight.
Knight became famous as the co-founder of Death Row Records with N.W.A. member Dr. Dre in 1991. Before going bankrupt, it was the first rap label to consistently produce hit records.
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