Suge Knight likely to remain in custody over the weekend, attorney says

Rap mogul Suge Knight will likely remain jailed through the weekend following his arrest for allegedly running over two men outside a burger joint in Compton, killing one.

Knight isn’t expected to make bail until Monday, his attorney, James Blatt, said Friday. His bail was set at $2 million.

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FOR THE RECORD
11:39 a.m.: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Lt. John Corina of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department as a captain.

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Knight turned himself in to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s West Hollywood station early Friday after authorities named him as a person of interest in the death of Terry Carter, 55. Another man, Cle “Bone� Sloan, 51, also was injured in Thursday’s incident, sheriff’s officials said.

Hours earlier, Knight and Sloan had been arguing at the set of a promo for the biopic “Straight Outta Compton,� sheriff’s officials said. Deputies asked Knight to leave, but the dispute continued, said Lt. John Corina, of the sheriff’s Homicide Division.

Twenty minutes later, at Tam’s Burgers at Central and East Rosecrans avenues, Sloan confronted Knight, who was seated in his Ford F-150 Raptor.

The dispute escalated into a fist fight, Corina said. Knight then reversed his truck and struck Sloan, knocking him to the ground.

Knight drove his car forward and aimed at Sloan and Carter, who was standing next to him. Carter died at the scene.

Sloan was in stable condition and was expected to survive. He was “doing fine� and recovering at a hospital, said Jermaine Shelton, his manager.

Suge Knight: Timeline of shootings, fights

Blatt says Knight came to Tam’s at Carter’s invitation. After Knight left the film set, Carter called him and asked him to a meeting at the burger join, Blatt said. Knight was near the 105 Freeway when he turned around and headed back to the restaurant.

“Cellphone records will support this,� Blatt said.

When Knight pulled up, Carter was sitting in his own car. Four men, including Sloan, then approached Knight’s window and attacked him, according to Blatt.

The attorney said that Sloan, an actor who appeared with Denzel Washington in “Training Day,� initiated the fight.

“It appears clear ... Mr. Knight was physically assaulted while he was going to the location. His window was open and these four individuals grabbed him and beat him,� Blatt said.

As to why the men would attack Knight, Blatt said: “It’s just too complicated to get into.�

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested Knight, 49, early Friday on suspicion of murder. Authorities cited accounts from witnesses who said the driver hit the men with the truck, then backed over them before driving from the scene.

But Blatt said another witness told him the group of men was beating, threatening and attempting to drag Knight from his vehicle.

“He made an effort to escape, he was in fear for his life. And that’s exactly what he did.�

Blatt said Knight was “heartbroken� when he learned Terry Carter had died. The two had known each other since the 1980s, were in business together for a time and were “good friends.�

‘Suge’ Knight accused of murder; lawyer says he was fleeing for his life

The attorney said he expected the Sheriff’s Department to investigate whether Knight was ambushed. He maintained that Carter was trying to help Knight when he was run over.

“He was trying to break up the fight,� Blatt said.

Knight’s attorney said he’d asked detectives to comb the area for security cameras that could show the confrontation in hope that it would exonerate his client.

Knight is being held in Men’s Central Jail on $2-million bail.

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Los Angeles Time staff writer Ryan Parker contributed to this report.