In a surprising turn of events, Suge Knight, the former hip-hop mogul, has reversed his earlier stance of wanting a full trial and agreed to a $1.5 million settlement in the wrongful death civil case concerning Terry Carter. This agreement, reached on Tuesday, comes after Knight had previously derailed a potential partial settlement last week. The settlement averts the need for a retrial and addresses claims brought forth by the grieving wife and two daughters of Carter, who tragically lost his life on January 29, 2015, after Knight struck him with his vehicle in a parking lot incident tied to the biopic, Straight Outta Compton.

During a hearing in downtown Los Angeles, Knight appeared via video link from his prison in San Diego to finalize the settlement. Lillian Carter, Terry's widow, along with their daughters, Nekaya and Crystal, were present in the courtroom as their attorney, Lance Behringer, announced that each family member would receive $500,000 as part of the settlement agreement. This decision was not made lightly; the specter of another trial loomed large since a jury had deadlocked in the initial trial held in 2022.

Before formally accepting the agreement, Knight sought clarification from the judge about the potential consequences of proceeding with a jury trial without his long-time attorney, David Kenner, who had expressed a desire to withdraw from the case due to a conflict. It was apparent that Knight acknowledged the breakdown of his relationship with Kenner during the hearing. Los Angeles County Judge Thomas Long made it clear that if Knight chose not to settle, jury selection was scheduled to begin the very next day, with no further continuances permitted. This case is out of time, Judge Long emphasized.

After the hearing, Lillian Carter spoke to reporters with tears in her eyes, reflecting on the pain of losing her husband, whom she had known since high school. Its hard living without him when I lived all those many years with him. Its been very, very difficult, she expressed to Rolling Stone. The emotional toll was evident as she stated, I havent had a good day, not one good day. Aligning her decision with a desire to avoid further strain, Lillian admitted, Im not happy with the outcome of it, at all, but I dont want to give him another opportunity to put on a clown show and act like a bitch. In a moment of raw honesty, she also remarked, Maybe somebody will shank him in jail.

Nekaya Carter expressed relief at the resolution of the case, stating, Im glad its finally over. Its been a long emotional and mental roller coaster. We couldnt put ourselves through it all again. She echoed her fathers sentiments, emphasizing a focus on moving forward: I want to move onward and upward, to get to work like my dad was always saying.

From his prison cell, Knight conveyed a sense of regret about the incident at Tams Burgers, though he maintains that he was fleeing an armed ambush and that the collision with Terry Carter was unintentional. Terry was a friend of mine. It definitely wasnt done intentionally. It wasnt done to bring harm to him, Knight stated in his interview. He elaborated on his reasoning for settling, indicating respect for Terry and his family, stating, I didnt want to put the family through more pain. Its not that I did anything wrong. I never would have. But I do owe the family an apology because of this thing they had to go through.

Now 60 years old, Knight is serving a lengthy 28-year prison sentence following a plea deal related to the events leading to Carters death. Originally charged with murder, the charge was ultimately reduced to voluntary manslaughter as part of an agreement reached with prosecutors in 2018. Knight is currently seeking to overturn this conviction with the assistance of a new attorney, Jasmine Mines.

The wrongful death lawsuit launched by the Carter family alleged that Knight had a history of unlawful behavior and that he acted recklessly when he used his Ford F-150 Raptor truck to kill Carter. In the previous civil trial, Knight faced a demand for $81 million in damages, equating to one million dollars per year for each woman for the 27 years they believed Carter would have lived had he not been killed.

The fatal incident that led to both criminal and civil actions transpired shortly after Knight had been turned away from a production office for Straight Outta Compton. Prosecutors alleged that Knight was upset about his portrayal in the film, which led him to the base camp seeking a meeting with Dr. Dre, a co-founder of Death Row Records and an original member of N.W.A. During the initial civil trial, Knight claimed that his intentions were purely to discuss concerns he had about an alleged murder-for-hire plot against him, which he attributed to Drea claim Dre has denied through his legal representation.

On the day of the incident, Cle Bone Sloan, an actor and self-described non-active gang member, was serving as a technical advisor on the film and engaged in a confrontation with Knight at the movies base camp. Surveillance footage from Tams Burgers captured the altercation, revealing Knight reversing his truck, which struck both Sloan and Terry Carter, leading to Carter's death from blunt force injuries shortly thereafter.

Kenner, Knights long-standing attorney, had sought to withdraw from the case earlier this month, citing a disturbing conversation with Knight that left him feeling anxious about his ability to competently represent him. Although Judge Long initially denied Kenners request on several occasions, it became evident that he was reconsidering as the hearing approached. Following Knights decision to settle, Kenner expressed relief, stating, Now that Mr. Knight has chosen to resolve the case, I look forward to no further involvement.

As Lillian Carter exited the courthouse, she expressed her gratitude toward their lawyer, saying, Lance worked very hard with the case. Were very appreciative.