Suge Knight will not be testifying against Duane “Keefe D” Davis in the 2Pac murder case, despite being an eyewitness of the 1996 shooting.
TMZ spoke with the Death Row Records co-founder over the phone on Monday (October 2) to get his thoughts on the recent developments in ‘Pac’s long-running homicide investigation, which saw Keefe D arrested by Las Vegas police last week.
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The 60-year-old former gang member has been charged with “murder with the use of a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang,” marking the first time charges have been made in the 27-year-old case.
“Well, surprise, number one,” Suge said while reacting to the news. “Because I don’t think Keefe D would ever get arrested, nor do I want to see him get arrested.
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“Let’s get one thing straight, first and foremost: me and Keefe D played on the same Pop Warner football team. And whatever circumstances — if he had an involvement with anything, if he didn’t have an involvement with anything, I wouldn’t wish somebody going to prison on my worst enemy.”
Knight, who is currently behind bars serving a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, also claimed that Keefe D’s nephew, Orlando Anderson, was not the shooter, contrary to popular belief.
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“There were only two people in the car; ‘Pac’s not gonna tell the story, I ain’t gonna tell the story,” said the former record executive, who was sat next to 2Pac and also wounded during the fatal drive-by shooting.
“But I can tell you this: I never had nothing bad to say about Orlando because […] he wasn’t the shooter [..] It wasn’t Anderson, so that’s all I got to say about that part.”
When asked straight-up if he’ll take the stand if called to testify against Keefe D in the case, Suge replied: “I wouldn’t be. Well, number one, I’m not gonna get on the stand and testify on somebody for what? […] I wouldn’t go, I wouldn’t testify. None of that shit.”
Suge Knight’s comments echo those of a witness who testified in the weeks leading up to Keefe D’s arrest that Orlando Anderson wasn’t the shooter. The witness told a Las Vegas grand jury that it was actually Deandre “Big Dre” Smith who shot 2Pac.
Smith was allegedly sat in the backseat of the car from which the shots were fired. Detectives believe Anderson was sat next to him, while Keefe D and another man named Terrence Brown were sat up front.
Keefe is the only suspect who is still alive. He is alleged to have orchestrated the hit as “retribution” against 2Pac, who alongside his entourage had attacked Anderson in the lobby of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas the night of September 7, 1996.
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Hours later, a car pulled up alongside ‘Pac and Suge Knight’s BMW sedan at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane and opened fire. The All Eyez On Me rapper was shot four times, while his label boss was struck in the head by a bullet fragment.
2Pac died in hospital six days later after succumbing to his injuries. He was 25 years old.
