Marion ‘Suge’ Knight has been charged with murder, attempted premeditated murder, hit-and-run resulting in death, and hit-and-run resulting in injury. Knight was involved in an argument with Cle Sloan and Terry Carter while the three men were on the set of the NWA biopic. The argument escalated, and the rap mogul ran over Sloan and Carter with his vehicle. Deputies have obtained a videotape of the incident, and it is considered to be a “key piece of evidence” in the murder case.
The official murder charges were handed down hours after a judge revoked Knight’s 2.2 million dollar bail. Nicole Nishida, spokeswoman for the LA County Sheriff’s Department, said Knight’s bail was revoked because of his criminal past. He poses a possible flight risk, and he is also a three-strike candidate. There was also a concern that Knight would try to intimidate witnesses. Knight’s attorney, James E. Blatt, claims his client was being assaulted and he felt threatened. Blatt also said the incident was accidental, and Knight was only trying to escape from the two men. There are also claims that Knight and Carter were friends, and Carter tried to break up the fight between Knight and Sloan. Prosecutors have refuted the claims that this was an accident, calling Knight’s actions “intentional.” The Carter family told the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that Knight and Carter were not close friends.
Sgt. Richard Biddle of the LA Sheriff’s Department is one of the officials investigating the case. Biddle also believes Knight’s actions were intentional, after he reviewed the surveillance video. Biddle mentioned the Sheriff’s Department is having a hard time finding witnesses who are willing to help with the case, “There’s a whole bunch of people we still need to interview, but no one is coming forward to cooperate.” If convicted of these charges, Suge Knight faces life in state prison. Last year, Knight was shot while attending a party Chris Brown was hosting for the MTV Video Awards. The rap mogul was taken to a local hospital, and he eventually recovered from his injuries. Knight refused to cooperate with the police, and no witnesses came forward with information regarding the shootings. Therefore, no arrests were made in the nightclub incident. Knight was later quoted as saying “Even if I did know [who shot him], I don’t think that’s really important.” Suge Knight is scheduled to be arraigned today in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.