Daughters of the Man Suge Knight Killed in Hit-and-Run Speak Out
On Jan. 29, 2015, Suge Knight was involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident in Los Angeles, CA that left Cle "Bone" Sloan injured and Terry Carter dead. Knight was charged with murder and attempted murder shortly thereafter and has been sitting in jail on $10.5 million bail awaiting trial.
The death of Carter occurred after Sloan and Knight were involved in a heated argument at Tam's Burgers near the set of Straight Outta Compton. Carter allegedly told Suge that Dr. Dre had contacted him about meeting with the Death Row founder to settle their differences. When Knight showed up Sloan, who was working security and fought with Suge on the set, had another confrontation and landed the first punch against Suge. From there, Knight used his car as a weapon. The victim's family say that Carter and Suge had no relationship and he was an innocent bystander.
Carter's daughters, Nekaya and Crystal Carter, sat down with Crime Watch Daily and spoke about their father's passing. When asked if she believed her father was acting as a peacemaker, Nekaya responded, "Yes, absolutely. I think that's what he was doing when he walked in...I received a phone call from one of his childhood friends and he just told me right there over the phone. He said, 'Nekaya...your dad's been killed.'"
In June, the Carter family filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit in Los Angeles against Suge Knight, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Universal Studios, Tam's Burgers and Sloan. According to the New York Daily News, the suit says that "[The defendants] should have known that there was a likelihood of some sort of violent confrontation between Suge and Bone (occurring) if they were ever allowed to confront each other, and that such an encounter could become violent and lead to damages and injuries to members of the public, including Terry Carter."
"Terry was a respected member of the community and an innocent victim," family lawyer Michael Berger told The News. "He's dead, and his family is in a difficult spot. They have serious family and emotional problems. We hope to have justice."
Knight has pleaded not guilty and claimed self-defense in the case. As of Jan. 21, the long-troubled former CEO fired his former attorney Thomas Mesereau and hired Stephen Schwartz. The hiring of Schwartz marks the fifth lawyer to represent Suge in the case. XXL has compiled a full timeline of the case.
See 40 Hip-Hop Albums Turning 20 in 2016