Hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight has been officially charged with one count of murder, one count of attempted murder and two counts of hit-and-run after being arrested in a fatal hit-and-run last week, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
In a statement, the district attorney’s office said, “Following an altercation on Thursday outside a Compton[, Calif.,] restaurant, Knight allegedly was driving his truck when he ran over two men standing in the parking lot. One man was injured and the second man, Terry Carter, 55, died. The driver of the pickup fled the scene.”
Police say that last week, after an argument occurred on the set of the movie Straight Outta Compton, Knight followed the men to a burger joint and then ran them over. Several eyewitnesses, according to media reports, told authorities that after hitting the men with his truck, Knight backed over them before fleeing the scene, leaving one person dead. TMZ, which first reported the story, said that Carter, the man who died, was a “friend” of Knight.
According to Rolling Stone, Knight’s attorney James Blatt stated that his client will be exonerated. “We are confident that once the investigation is completed, he will be totally exonerated,” Blatt said. “He was in the process of being physically assaulted by two men, and in an effort to escape he unfortunately hit two [other] individuals. He was in his car trying to escape.”
In addition to the charges, Knight’s $2 million bail was revoked after he was labeled a flight risk and amid concerns about possible witness intimidation. Knight is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Los Angeles and faces a life sentence if convicted.