Witnesses in the trial of rapper Nipsey Hussle’s killer testified that Hussle and the killer had a discussion about “snitching,” or revealing information to the police, before Hussle and two other associates were shot.
“The conversation wasn’t particularly intense, it wasn’t particularly belligerent, and it lasted about four minutes,” Deputy District Attorney John McKinney, prosecutor in the case against murder suspect Eric Holder, told jurors in the case, via CNN.
The conversation was then brought to an end by autograph and photo-seeking fans. One of the women in the crowd was a woman who ended up being the getaway driver for Holder, according to CNN.
The Los Angeles Police Department posted to Twitter on April 2 that Holder was in custody. The arrest announcement came two days after the shooting took place on March 31.
Eric Holder, the suspected killer of Nipsey Hussle, has been arrested and is in police custody. Thank you to both our community for the heightened awareness/vigilance, and our partners at @LASDHQ. pic.twitter.com/0zujy89Yfm
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) April 2, 2019
According to testimony obtained by TMZ, the incident started when Holder and the getaway driver, whose name has not been released, went to get food at a strip mall. Nipsey Hussle’s clothing store was in the same strip mall.
The woman saw Hussle was there and told Holder that she wanted an autograph. Holder got something to eat, according to the testimony.
Holder then walked over to Hussle, and Hussle accused him of being a snitch. Holder then asked Hussle if he ever snitched. Hussle waved Holder away as if not wanting to speak with him. Holder then left, according to the testimony obtained by TMZ.
Holder went back to the restaurant, then drove away with the unnamed woman.
The woman then saw Holder take out a gun. He asked her to help him do a drive-by shooting. She refused, so he told her to not move the car. He left, whereupon the shooting allegedly occurred. He returned to the car with two guns, according to the testimony.
Nipsey Hussle Was Shot After He and Alleged Shooter Accused Each Other of Snitching: DA https://t.co/SLZbUUUfbB
— People (@people) June 28, 2019
According to CNN, the woman testified that it didn’t occur to her that the shots she heard ring out were from Holder. When Holder returned, he forced the woman to drive away, otherwise he said he would slap her.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Holder and Hussle shook hands to greet each other that day. They spoke for four minutes before the topic of snitching arose.
“Apparently, the conversation had something to do with [Hussle] telling Mr. Holder that word on the street was that Mr. Holder was snitching,” McKinney told a grand jury in May, according to the Los Angeles Times.
McKinney explained that snitching is considered a serious offense in the minds of Los Angeles gangsters.
PUMA has launched a “TMC” billboard campaign in Los Angeles, using photos from Nipsey Hussle’s last photoshoot with them ????
????: @mrpeniche pic.twitter.com/TMIbwlaobj
— MASS APPEAL (@MassAppeal) June 27, 2019
Although McKinney explained that the conversation was rather calm, “it moved Eric Holder to a point of wanting to return to the parking lot and kill Nipsey Hussle.”
Hussle suffered from at least ten gunshot wounds. As Holder was leaving, he kicked Hussle in the head. Hussle told Holder, “You got me,” after he was shot, according to testimony obtained by the Times.
The information on Hussle’s final moments come from a 515-page document of grand jury testimony that Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry ordered released on June 27, according to the Times.
