A$AP Rocky found not guilty in gun assault trial, avoids prison time
A$AP Rocky found not guilty in felony assault trial
A jury on Tuesday found rapper A$AP Rocky not guilty in his Los Angeles felony assault trial.
LOS ANGELES - Hip-hop star A$AP Rocky was acquitted Tuesday in a Los Angeles court, avoiding more than 24 years in prison after being accused of firing a gun at his former friend, A$AP Relli, in Hollywood.
The jury deliberated for only three hours before finding the 36-year-old hip-hop star not guilty on both felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Rocky had maintained his innocence, rejecting a prosecution plea deal that would have sentenced him to six months in jail in exchange for a guilty plea to one count.
A$AP Rocky cleared of charges
The backstory:
The rapper, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, was charged in August 2022 for his role in a violent confrontation with former friend A$AP Relli.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 14: Rakim Mayers, aka A$AP Rocky, appears in court during his felony assault trial at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on February 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon - Pool/Ge
Rocky was accused of firing a gun at former friend A$AP Relli. The alleged shooting stemmed from an argument in Hollywood that broke out in November 2021.
What prosecutors argued
The other side:
Prosecutors claimed the incident stemmed from a dispute between Rocky and Relli, a former member of their A$AP Mob collective. They alleged that Rocky fired two shots during an altercation on Nov. 6, 2021, with one bullet grazing Relli’s knuckle.
A$AP Rocky got charged less than a year after the alleged incident broke out.
Over the course of the trial, A$AP Relli accused the "F*****g Problems" rapper of shooting twice, with one bullet allegedly grazing the former's knuckles. A$AP Rocky claims he used a "starter pistol" that only fires blanks.
A$AP Rocky won't testify in felony assault trial
Legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff joins LiveNOW's Christina Evans to discuss rapper A$AP Rocky's decision to not testify in his felony assault trial in Los Angeles.
At the time of the investigation, police said they couldn't find any physical evidence that a shooting broke out. A$AP Relli reportedly came forward to police after that development bringing the shell casing allegedly from the incident.
There was no video evidence of bullets flying from the shooting. A security footage showed parts of the encounter.
The case hinged on whether A$AP Rocky used a real gun or a fake gun, with both sides presenting conflicting narratives.
Rocky’s defense team, led by attorney Joe Tacopina, countered that Relli was lying and that Rocky had fired a prop gun loaded with blanks to de-escalate a fight.
"An angry pathological liar" is how Tacopina described Relli in court, accusing him of committing perjury repeatedly. Rocky’s legal team also argued that their client acted in self-defense, saying he believed he or his friends were in imminent danger.
Rocky opted not to testify during the trial. He was facing up to 24 years in prison.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Jury deliberations on Feb. 2025 in A$AP Rocky trial
Read more of this story from FOX 11 Los Angeles.
The Source: This report is based on coverage from the Associated Press and previous FOX reporting.