Supervisor Says Prop Gun Returned to ‘DMB’ Director

A$AP Rocky’s longtime excursion supervisor seemed at the rapper’s gun attack trial in Los Angeles Monday and claimed he is aware of what took place to the purported prop pistol Rocky stated he fired all through an issue with a former good friend on a Hollywood boulevard nook 3 years in the past.

Louis Levin informed jurors that two months after Rocky had the Nov. 6, 2021 disagreement with A$AP Relli, Levin took custody of the prop gun and carried it with him on a personal jet again to New York. Beneath oath, Levin stated he in the end returned the prop gun to the co-director of Rocky’s “D.M.B.” track video, the similar person who allegedly first equipped the non-lethal gun to Rocky when the video was once filmed with Rihanna in July 2021. The co-director was once now not known by way of identify.

“The verdict was once made as a result of, like I stated, [Rocky] carried it to discourage violence, and on Nov. 6, it clearly didn’t paintings. And he made up our minds to only get precise armed safety, and he didn’t need to elevate it anymore,” Levin, often referred to as A$AP Lou, testified. “I flew again to New York with it and gave it to the co-director we were given it from.”

Levin informed jurors that he and Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, first met in 2010, when Mayers pulled him out of a crowd at a display as a result of he favored his “power.” Levin stated he got to work for Mayers as his private assistant and later was a excursion DJ and excursion supervisor. Levin stated he was once provide all through filming of the “D.M.B.” video, the place he allegedly noticed the prop gun for the primary time. “He were given it from that video shoot,” Levin testified. “I used to be on set, and I treated it there. I did see him take it, sure.”

Levin stated he once more noticed Mayers with the alleged prop gun, which he described as a Glock 26, simply hours ahead of the incident on the middle of the trial. He stated Mayers was once at a get dressed practice session for a ComplexCon efficiency in Lengthy Seashore and passed it over to him for safekeeping whilst he was once “working round” on level. Levin stated Mayers’ shut circle of pals knew he carried a prop gun as a safety measure for the reason that rapper were given “jumped” in a membership in 2018 and was once the sufferer of a stalker and a couple of house invasions.

The protection referred to as Levin to shore up Mayers’ declare he was once firing blanks, now not actual 9mm bullets, when he pulled the cause on two “caution photographs” the evening of the scuffle with Relli, born Terell Ephron. Mayers, 36, has pleaded now not in charge to 2 counts of attack with a semiautomatic firearm. He claims he fired the caution photographs to forestall Ephron from attacking A$AP Illz, any other good friend with them that evening whose actual identify is Illijah Ulanger.

In step with prosecutors, Mayers was once the aggressor all through the two-part disagreement that began when Mayers allegedly brandished a black gun and threatened to kill Ephron on the front to a parking storage now not a long way from the famed Hollywood and Vine intersection. Prosecutors declare Mayers later opened fireplace on Ephron a block away, grazing Ephron’s left hand with a bullet that left visual accidents beneath his knuckles. Ephron described the alleged capturing all through his personal testimony, announcing it was once like a film. He stated he by no means attacked Ulanger and that grainy safety video as a substitute confirmed him grabbing Ulanger to make use of him as a “human protect” after Mayers fired the primary shot.

If convicted as charged, Mayers is dealing with a most conceivable sentence of 24 years in jail, regardless that he’d most likely obtain a lot much less. All through a dramatic second Monday, Levin let it slip at the witness stand that he’d learn Mayers was once dealing with as much as 24 years in the back of bars. “I don’t need him to visit prison for twenty-four years,” Levin blurted out, announcing the max sentence a 2nd time. Jurors aren’t intended to imagine sentences whilst deliberating, so the pass judgement on agreed to admonish the jury they shouldn’t imagine the testimony.

Levin confronted a fierce cross-examination from Deputy District Lawyer John Lewin, who sought to poke holes within the declare that Levin was once the real proprietor of the Glock mag loaded with 9mm bullets that was once present in Mayers’ bed room closet all through a wonder raid on April 20, 2022. Levin testified Monday that he introduced two of his personal pistols over to Mayers’ space someday in the summertime of 2021 as a result of they deliberate to consult with a capturing vary in combination. He claimed the trip by no means took place, however whilst he was once “oiling” and making ready his weapons, he spotted for the primary time that he “mistakenly” grabbed a Glock 43 mag from an equipment rack at a gun store when he bought his Glock 42. He stated that once he attempted to load the mag with the .380 rounds for his Glock 42, he spotted they have been too small. He stated he by no means sought to go back the mag after figuring out his error as it handiest price $20.

Lewin seized on the truth that the mag was once loaded with six rounds of 9mm ammunition when it was once recovered. He requested Levin why someone would have loaded the mag with such a lot precious ammunition realizing it didn’t are compatible any to be had firearms. Levin stated he was once “fidgeting” with the mag that evening whilst placing out and loaded it and left it in the back of with out considering.

“Isn’t it true sir, that this details about the Glock 43 mag is what is known as a lie? That it by no means took place?” Lewin requested, resulting in an objection that brought about him to transport directly to any other query. “Isn’t it true, that the rationale that 9mm mag was once on the defendant’s space was once as a result of he had a 9mm firearm, a Glock 43, that he used on this capturing of Relli, and that that was once merely the second one mag that he forgot to eliminate? Isn’t that what took place?” Lewin requested.

“No,” Levin responded as Mayers sat quietly on the protection desk. Levin went directly to testify that he attempted to trace down the prop gun after Mayers was once charged by way of calling the video director. “I requested him if he nonetheless had it, and he stated, ‘No,’” Levin testified. “I requested if lets get it again, and he stated, no, it was once long past.” He stated the prop were positioned in a storeroom that was once available to a lot of people and it merely went lacking. Requested why he didn’t inform police the gun was once a prop when he was once provide at Mayers’ space for the wonder seek, Levin claimed he didn’t perceive what was once going down on the time and confirmed up with keys so officials wouldn’t have to damage down any doorways. “We have now not anything to cover so I used to be there in the event that they wanted anything else,” he testified.

When Levin was once excused from the stand, Pass judgement on Mark Arnold requested if the protection was once in a position to place up any other witness. At that time, Mayers’ attorney Joe Tacopina stated he wanted a minute, and the pass judgement on excused the jury for the day. Tacopina later informed the court docket Mayers had now not but made up our minds whether or not he would testify in his personal protection. “We’re going to have a dialogue at this time,” Tacopina stated, relating to Mayers. “If he chooses not to testify,” Tacopina stated, the protection could be resting after yet another fast witness Tuesday morning. He didn’t establish the person however stated the testimony “will have to be a minute lengthy.”

Pass judgement on Arnold stated that if Mayers doesn’t testify, it could be as much as Deputy District Lawyer Paul Przelomiec whether or not he get started his ultimate argument Tuesday or wait till Thursday. (Wednesday is a court docket vacation.)

In opening statements, Przelomiec stated the case wasn’t sophisticated and requested the jury “not to depart your commonplace sense on the door.” Right through the trial, he and Lewin have sought to undermine the prop gun protection, casting it as incredible. The protection, in the meantime, has painted Relli as an unreliable witness who’s suing for $30 million. They are saying he fabricated the 9mm shell casings he allegedly recovered from the scene after police searched the road and located not anything.

“This example is set one mans’ jealousy, lies, and greed,” Tacopina stated. “Girls and gentleman, this example is all about cash. The proof will display you it’s not anything greater than a cash grasp,” the legal professional stated. “The proof will shed light on Relli is attempting to leverage a fabricated tale to extract cash from Rocky.”