*Marion “Suge” Knight wanted to avoid a murder trial that had been nearly four years delayed, so the former rap mogul pleaded no contest Thursday to voluntary manslaughter for running over and killing a Compton businessman and agreed to serve nearly 30 years in prison.
Knight will serve 28 years in state prison for the January 2015 hit-and-run incident, during which a vehicle he was riding in struck two pedestrians, including witness Cle “Bone” Sloan, in Compton, California, killing 55-year-old Terry Carter.
“I’m surprised he pleaded out. Normally he likes the cameras to be on him 24/7,” grieving daughter Crystal Carter said outside court, according to the Associated Press.
The incident occurred following an argument on the set of a commercial for the film “Straight Outta Compton,” which tells the story of rap group N.W.A.
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At the time, Knight claimed he was attempting to flee to safety after being attacked by two crew members.
The plea deal calls for the former Death Row Records exec to serve 22 years in prison on the voluntary manslaughter count, five years because it is a third strike violation and one year for deadly weapon allegations, PEOPLE confirms.
The publication also noted that by entering his plea, “Knight resolves two other pending criminal cases: he was indicted for making criminal threats in August 2014 and he was charged for allegedly stealing a camera from a woman in September 2014.”
Suge entered his plea just days before jury selection was scheduled to begin in the case that was to start on Oct. 1. He originally faced life without the possibility of parole if convicted.
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