The second day of the Tupac Shakur trial saw a volatile witness, James "Mob James" McDonald, fiercely confrontational with the defense team, demanding to be allowed to identify those responsible for his death. McDonald, a member of Tupac’s entourage, stated repeatedly that he was threatened with contempt of court if compelled to testify, highlighting a significant escalation in the trial’s atmosphere. Duane "Keffe D" Davis, charged with murder, is accused of orchestrating Shakur’s demise, and he has vehemently denied the charges, pleading not guilty. McDonald repeatedly questioned Davis about his knowledge of the attack, responding with a pointed remark: ‘You’re asking me something that wouldn’t be good for him.’ He directed his gaze at Davis, stating, ‘I’m not going to send him to prison, you are.’ The trial, which aims to finally put an end to one of America’s most enduring unsolved murders, marks 30 years after Shakur’s passing. Shakur was just 25 years old when he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on a Las Vegas street following a Mike Tyson boxing match on September 7, 1996. Prosecutors allege Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips gang, planned the attack after his nephew, Orlando Anderson, was involved in a fight with Shakur in Las Vegas hours earlier. They argue that Davis believed the attack could not ‘go unanswered.’ The shooting came at a time when gangs held significant sway over hip-hop culture, fostering a widespread distrust of police cooperation and rampant law enforcement corruption, mirroring the high-profile LA riots of the late 1990s. Shakur himself, in an ambulance after being shot, refused to speak to a police officer about what happened, instead telling him, ‘we’ll take care of it.’ He died in hospital six days later. Now 30 years on, McDonald appeared conflicted over breaking that street code. The witness, who said he had little love for Davis, remained hesitant when he took the stand on Tuesday, recounting what happened. McDonald – a former member of rival Blood street gang offshoot Mob Piru and enforcer at Suge Knight’s Death Row Records label, which represented Shakur – testified that he wasn’t with Shakur when the shooting took place. He was repeatedly questioned by Davis’ defense attorney, Michael Sanft, about whether he witnessed the attack and whether he knew who was there at the time. Under oath, McDonald raised his voice and arms, stating he didn’t want to answer many of these questions because ‘it ‘wouldn’t be good’ for the defendant. McDonald looked over at Davis at one point, saying, ‘talk to your lawyer man, this dude is tripping.’ McDonald said, ‘I don’t want to send him to prison, even though we don’t like each other. I don’t want to send you to prison," he said looking at Davis, who sat in a suit, stone faced. He then added, ‘You’re asking me questions that can hurt him.’ When his testimony ended, McDonald addressed Davis: ‘What you are going through brother is what you going through. I don’t want to be a part of it.’ Reggie Wright Jr – a member of Shakur’s security detail who in 1997 became general manager of Death Row Records – also provided testimony on Tuesday. Days before the trial, Davis said that the evidence instead points to Wright, a former Compton police officer. His defence team asked Wright about his role protecting Suge Knight, who was in the vehicle with Shakur at the time of the shooting, and asked about how his role grew after Knight left Death Row records, and asked about how his role evolved after Knight was out of the picture. The high-profile case is expected to continue on Wednesday. Shakur’s murder had largely gone cold until Davis himself made public statements about the case, co-authoring a memoir where he said he was a passenger in the vehicle that fired into Shakur’s car and had supplied the gun that was used to kill him. Davis has since distanced himself from the memoir, saying he didn’t write all of it and that parts were fictionalised to sell more copies. The high-profile case is expected to continue on Wednesday. Shakur’s murder had largely gone cold until Davis himself made public statements about the case, co-authoring a memoir where he said he was a passenger in the vehicle that fired into Shakur’s car and had supplied the gun that was used to kill him. Get all the latest trial updates on the BBC Sounds ‘Fame Under Fire: The Tupac Murder Trial’ podcast available wherever you get your BBC podcasts.”}”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
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Source: BBC News
