By Ismael AbduSalaam
Former Hip-Hop mogul Suge Knight is suing rapper/producer Kanye West, blaming the Chicago superstar for damages that resulted from a nightclub shooting three years ago.
In August 2005, Knight was shot in the right leg at Kanye’s pre-MTV Video Music Awards party at the Shore Club, located in Miami.
Initially some speculated that Knight accidentally shot himself, but that claim was later refuted after eyewitnesses confirmed that at least six shots were fired during the incident.
The assailant was never apprehended.
Knight, who sought bankruptcy protection in 2006, filed the lawsuit against Kanye West on October 30.
In it, Knight claims West is culpable in the crime since the shooter was able to get past the party’s security with a deadly weapon.
Additionally, Knight alleges that he not only suffered blood loss, but also lost a 15 karat diamond stud earring valued at $135,000, and had to take a private jet back to California.
A bone in Knight’s upper right leg was shattered as a result of the shooting and required surgery the same day he was shot.
Others named in the lawsuit include Philips South Beach (The Shore Club) and Morgans Hotel Group Management LLC.
Knight is seeking damages from West which includes medical expenses from the shooting and mental anguish for “the loss of use and enjoyment of the earring.”
While Knight is still under bankruptcy protection, the courts have allowed him to retain a portion of any proceeds awarded from the lawsuit.
Knight recently had legal troubles on his own, as the former Death Row CEO was arrested on August 27 for assaulting his girlfriend Melissa Isaac near the Las Vegas strip.
That case is now in limbo due to the disappearance of Isaac.
At press time, Kanye West is preparing for the November 24 release of his 4th album 808s & Heartbreak, and could not be reached for comment.