Entertainment

Hurdles in ‘Suge’ Knight Case: Hesitant Witness, Fuzzy Video

Published

11 years ago

April 17, 2015

In this March 9, 2015 file photo, Marion “Suge” Knight, center, arrives in court for a hearing about evidence in his murder case, in Los Angeles. Knight will stand trial on murder and attempted-murder charges after the former rap music mogul struck two men with his pickup truck in January, killing one and seriously injuring the other. Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen made the ruling Thursday after concluding a hearing that focused heavily on testimony from Cle “Bone” Sloan, who was hit outside a Compton burger stand. The judge also reduced bail from $25 million to $10 million. (Kevork Djansezian/Pool Photo via AP, File)

ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — On paper, the evidence in the murder case against Marion “Suge” Knight looks strong: Prosecutors have a surviving witness, video of the former rap music mogul running over two men and Knight’s history of violence and intimidation.

But a hearing this week that ended with a judge ordering Knight to stand trial showed the difficulty prosecutors will face if they hope to convict the Death Row Records co-founder. The witness says he doesn’t want to testify and be labeled a “snitch” and won’t even identify Knight as the one who ran over him. The video is fuzzy and has elements that could help either side.

And Knight is not the only one involved with a shady past.

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THE WITNESSES

Cle “Bone” Sloan, the man who survived the crash, is a former gang member, and Knight has ties to the Mob Piru Bloods, a gang that helped him maintain a fearsome image during the heyday of Death Row Records. Experts say witness issues are common in prosecutions involving gang members.

Meanwhile, Knight’s defense attorney used the video to show that several men with gang affiliations hired by Sloan for work on the film “Straight Outta Compton” were at the scene, when they should have been several blocks away preparing to shoot a promo video.

Sloan made clear that he is a reluctant witness. Such behavior is common in cases involving gang members, in large part because testimony can mean physical harm or death for someone seen as a snitch.

“That is the hallmark of a gang case,” said Alan Jackson, a former Los Angeles prosecutor who has written guidelines used nationwide in gang prosecutions.

“Although it’s a very daunting situation to be confronted with, it’s one that can be overcome,” Jackson said. “It’s usually overcome by the prosecutor explaining to the jury through a gang expert what these rules of the street are.”

___

THE VIDEO

Footage of Knight running over Sloan and Terry Carter, who died, could be used by both sides.

While the video shows Knight’s truck barreling over Carter, it offers a limited view of the scene. Knight’s attorney, Matt Fletcher, has contended that Sloan was carrying a gun — the video shows one of Sloan’s associates taking something off him after he was hit.

A prosecutor implied at this week’s hearing that it could have been a radio used by Sloan during the film shoot. Fletcher said Thursday that testimony ruled out that it was a radio, cellphone or wallet.

“We eliminated all the possibilities but the last remaining possibility, which is the gun,” Fletcher said.

Stan Goldman, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said, “You never quite know what’s going to happen with a video.”

He noted that defense lawyers slowed down and painstakingly analyzed footage of Los Angeles police beating motorist Rodney King, successfully winning acquittal of the officers in a state criminal trial. Convictions against two of the officers were later obtained through a separate federal case.

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A SHADY PAST

Knight, 49, was a key player in the gangster rap scene that flourished in the 1990s, and his label once listed Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg among its artists. Knight lost control of the company after it was forced into bankruptcy.

He has prior felony convictions for armed robbery and assault with a gun. He pleaded no contest in 1995 and was sentenced to five years’ probation for assaulting two rap entertainers at a Hollywood recording studio in 1992.

For his part in perhaps the most infamous violence associated with rap music in the 1990s, Knight was sentenced to prison in February 1997 for violating terms of that probation by taking part in a fight at a Las Vegas hotel hours before Shakur was fatally wounded in a drive-by attack as he rode in Knight’s near the Strip. Shakur’s slaying remains unsolved.

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KNIGHT’S DEFENSE

Fletcher has repeatedly said that his client’s life was in danger when he was attacked by Sloan.

“There’s no intent to kill,” Fletcher said, arguing to dismiss the case. “There’s an intent to survive.”

Knight’s fiancee also provided a preview of a self-defense claim that may be raised.

“He heard them verbally saying that they were going to shoot him,” Toi Kelly said of Knight. “And not to shoot him in the truck, to pull him out of the vehicle and shoot him.”

___

Associated Press writers Brian Melley and Raquel Maria Dillon contributed to this report.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

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Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

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October 4, 2026

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From Historic Memories to New Possibilities: Oakland Celebrates Coliseum 60

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, September 18, for Coliseum 60, an event marking six decades of sports, entertainment, employment, and community memories at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex. Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum first opened, the celebration featured cultural performances and a mini-documentary highlighting its history. Speakers reflected on the venue’s significant role in the community and its future possibilities. Read more to learn about the individuals and stories honored during this special event.

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1 week ago

September 27, 2026

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Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE moderates a panel discussion at the Coliseum 60 celebration at Youth UpRising featuring Keith Brown, a member of IATSE Local 107; author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; and African American Sports and Entertainment Group President Ray Bobbitt.

By Carla Thomas

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration honoring six decades of sports, entertainment, employment and community memories connected to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex.

Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, the event carried the theme, “One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together.”

The celebration opened with the national anthem performed by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company contributed African dance and drumming, bringing movement, rhythm and cultural expression to the program.

A mini documentary highlighted the Coliseum’s sports history and its broader role as an entertainment destination. Archival material recalled performances by Prince and Tina Turner, along with memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Raiders.

“The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history,” said event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE.

“It’s about the people who made that history possible: the families, workers, athletes, artists, community leaders, fans and generations who gathered there and created memories together.”

A panel exploring that history featured author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; stagehand and union representative Keith Brown; and Ray Bobbitt, president of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group AASEG. Lewis described her family as fourth-generation Bay Area pioneers.

“My family and Black families who arrived even earlier helped build the Bay Area, grew businesses and established culture here,” Lewis said. “This should be taught in the public schools.”

Lewis recalled Oakland’s influence on sports, music and literature, from the Raiders’ beginnings at Laney College to stars such as The Pointer Sisters and Rickey Henderson who attended Oakland public schools. She also advocated for school museums, historical timelines, entrepreneurship training and investments benefiting corridors such as Bancroft Avenue and High Street.

Keith Brown, a member of Local 107 of the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) who began working at the Coliseum in 2011, remembered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, baseball bat giveaways and Nelson Mandela’s 1990 appearance.

“The special events are amazing, but it’s the workers that make the memories real for everyone,” Brown said. “They make the magic happen at the Coliseum.”

The program recognized longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and Kenyatta Gentry, who worked as a vendor for 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment. Union workers Jose Gonzales and Carmen Sandoval were also honored. Speakers emphasized that Coliseum employment provided generations of residents with union wages and benefits.

Dr. Denise Saddler, the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) was also honored. Saddler shared her family’s history of working at the Coliseum.

District 7 Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston discussed the complex ownership arrangements involving the city, county and private interests.

“This was the most complex deal of its kind in the country,” Houston said.

Prior to moving from the East Coast, Alameda County Supervisor and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Chair Nate Miley recalled learning about Oakland through its three professional sports teams. As an elected official and public servant, Miley fought hard to keep the Golden State Warriors, Oakland As, and the Raiders, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The story is not over for the Coliseum,” Miley said. “We’re entering a new chapter.”

Bobbitt said the departure of three teams had once seemed unimaginable, but he maintained that Oakland’s future remains bright.

“Oakland is a cultural superpower worldwide,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to write the future where we participate and drive the redevelopment.”

Bobbitt highlighted AASEG’s four-year partnership with Castlemont High School’s architecture program, which engages students in reimagining and creating redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. “The youth will always move us forward. They are the future.”

In closing, Atkins said, “September 18 is the celebration, but what we build together afterward is the legacy.”