Witness gets combative in Tupac murder trial - 'I don't want to send him to prison'

A subordinate of Tupac Shakur's entourage was combative successful grounds during the 2nd time of the rapper's execution trial, decrying being forced to instrumentality the basal and place those liable for Shakur's death.

James "Mob James" McDonald said helium was threatened with being held successful contempt of tribunal if helium did not attest connected Tuesday.

Duane "Keffe D" Davis is charged with execution and accused of orchestrating Shakur's death. He has denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.

McDonald was asked repeatedly implicit whether helium could place who was liable for Shakur's death. "You're asking maine thing that wouldn't beryllium bully for him," helium said pointing to Davis. "I'm not going to send him to prison, you are."

The proceedings - which aims to enactment to remainder 1 of America's astir high-profile unresolved murders - comes 30 years aft the West Coast rapper's death.

Shakur was conscionable 25 years aged erstwhile helium was gunned down successful a drive-by shooting connected a Las Vegas thoroughfare aft a Mike Tyson boxing lucifer connected 7 September 1996.

Prosecutors allege Davis, a erstwhile person of the South Side Compton Crips thoroughfare gang, planned the shooting aft his nephew Orlando Anderson was progressive successful a combat with Shakur successful Las Vegas hours earlier. They reason that Davis believed the onslaught connected his nephew could not "go unanswered".

The shooting came astatine a clip erstwhile gangs had a clasp implicit the '90s hip-hop scene, thoroughfare codification forbade constabulary practice and distrust of authorities was rampant successful the aftermath of the high-profile constabulary brutality lawsuit of Rodney King and the consequent LA riots.

Shakur himself, successful an ambulance aft helium was shot, refused to speech to a constabulary serviceman astir what happened, alternatively telling him, "we'll instrumentality attraction of it". He died successful infirmary six days later.

And present 30 years on, McDonald appeared conflicted implicit breaking that thoroughfare code. The witness, who said helium had small emotion for Davis, remained hesitant erstwhile helium took the basal connected Tuesday to recount what happened.

McDonald - a erstwhile subordinate of rival Blood thoroughfare pack offshoot Mob Piru and enforcer astatine Suge Knight's Death Row Records label, which represented Shakur - testified that helium was not with Shakur erstwhile the shooting took place.

He was repeatedly questioned by Davis's defence lawyer Michael Sanft astir whether helium witnessed the onslaught and whether helium knew who was determination astatine the time.

Under oath, McDonald raised his dependable and arms, saying helium didn't privation to reply galore of these questions due to the fact that it "wouldn't beryllium good" for the defendant. McDonald looked implicit astatine Davis astatine 1 point, saying, "talk to your lawyer man, this dude is tripping".

"I don't privation to nonstop him to prison, adjacent though we don't similar each other. I don't privation to nonstop you to prison," helium said looking astatine Davis, who sat successful a suit, chromatic faced.

"You're asking maine questions that tin wounded him," McDonald told Sanft, flabbergasted.

When pressed, McDonald explained that adjacent though helium was not determination to witnesser the shooting, those who were determination that nighttime wrong Shakur's entourage had rapidly communicated who was responsible.

"It was a pack war. People were getting hurt. People were being sought," helium said. "Orlando (Anderson), him and definite different radical were being sought due to the fact that radical wanted to termination them."

He said radical wanted revenge against those liable for Shakur's death.

"They were the main subjects of a pack warfare - they were successful the middle," McDonald said of Davis and his nephew, noting he, too, was portion of this pack war.

When his grounds ended, McDonald addressed Davis: "What you are going done member is what you going through. I don't privation to beryllium a portion of it."

Reggie Wright Jr - a subordinate of Shakur's information item who successful 1997 became wide manager of Death Row Records - besides provided grounds connected Tuesday.

Days earlier the trial, Davis said that the grounds alternatively points to Wright, a erstwhile Compton constabulary officer.

His defence squad asked Wright astir his relation protecting Suge Knight, who was successful the conveyance with Shakur astatine the clip of the shooting, and asked astir however his relation grew aft Knight near Death Row records.

"And past you became wide manager," Sanft said, noting that aft Knight was retired of the picture, Wright took implicit Death Row Records, which was valued astatine $3m.

The high-profile lawsuit is expected to proceed connected Wednesday. Shakur's execution had mostly gone acold until Davis himself made nationalist statements astir the case, co-authoring a memoir wherever helium said helium was a rider successful the conveyance that fired into Shakur's car and had supplied the weapon that was utilized to termination him.

Davis has since distanced himself from the memoir, saying helium didn't constitute each of it and that parts were fictionalised to merchantability much copies.