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| Suge Knight trial: Rap mogul pleads no contest over hit-and-run death | Suge Knight trial: Rap mogul pleads no contest over hit-and-run death |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Former US rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight has pleaded no contest to a voluntary manslaughter charge over a hit-and-run incident in 2015. | Former US rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight has pleaded no contest to a voluntary manslaughter charge over a hit-and-run incident in 2015. |
| The Death Row Records founder made the plea to avoid charges of murdering one man and attempting to murder a second with his pick-up truck in Los Angeles. | The Death Row Records founder made the plea to avoid charges of murdering one man and attempting to murder a second with his pick-up truck in Los Angeles. |
| He will be formally sentenced to 28 years in prison in October. | He will be formally sentenced to 28 years in prison in October. |
| His record label helped launch the careers of artists including Dr Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. | His record label helped launch the careers of artists including Dr Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. |
| Under Californian state law, a no contest plea is the legal equivalent of a guilty plea. | Under Californian state law, a no contest plea is the legal equivalent of a guilty plea. |
| As part of the agreement, the murder charges against Knight, 53, will be dismissed by prosecutors, along with separate criminal cases charging him with robbery and making criminal threats. | As part of the agreement, the murder charges against Knight, 53, will be dismissed by prosecutors, along with separate criminal cases charging him with robbery and making criminal threats. |
| The deal, in which Knight admitted using a "deadly and dangerous weapon" when he ran down two men with his vehicle, calls for him to serve 22 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter with a further six years added because of the US "three-strikes" law relating to repeated violations. | |
| Had Knight been found guilty of murder as originally charged, he would have faced life in prison, prosecutors said. | Had Knight been found guilty of murder as originally charged, he would have faced life in prison, prosecutors said. |
| What happened in the hit-and-run? | What happened in the hit-and-run? |
| The charge relates to an incident in January 2015 in Compton, a suburb of Los Angeles. | |
| Knight was accused of deliberately running over two men with his pick-up truck before fleeing the scene following an argument relating to the making of Straight Outta Compton, a biopic about pioneering rap group NWA. | |
| One of the victims, Terry Carter, died of his injuries while the other, Cle "Bone" Sloan, suffered serious injuries to his feet and head. | |
| Footage of the incident captured by security cameras show Knight's vehicle pulling up to a drive-in burger stand, with one of the victims approaching the driver's side window. Following what appears to be a brief discussion, a struggle then ensues. | |
| Knight's truck is seen going into reverse, throwing the man to the ground. It then moves forward, driving over his legs and slams into the other victim, who was killed. | Knight's truck is seen going into reverse, throwing the man to the ground. It then moves forward, driving over his legs and slams into the other victim, who was killed. |
| Knight turned himself in to authorities a day after the incident. His attorneys had said he was acting in self-defence and was fleeing armed attackers when he ran over Mr Carter and Mr Sloan. | Knight turned himself in to authorities a day after the incident. His attorneys had said he was acting in self-defence and was fleeing armed attackers when he ran over Mr Carter and Mr Sloan. |
| Mr Sloan has denied claims he was carrying a gun during the confrontation. | Mr Sloan has denied claims he was carrying a gun during the confrontation. |