Witnesses drag feet at trial of Nipsey Hussle shooter

By ANDREW DALTON
AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has issued a bench warrant for an eyewitness to the shooting death of rapper Nipsey Hussle for failing to appear at the trial of the man charged with first-degree murder in the slaying. Evan MacKenzie, known as “Rimpau,” was one of Hussle’s closest friends and was standing next to him when he was shot. But his refusal to testify underscores a wider reluctance among witnesses in the trial of Eric Holder, who is charged with killing Hussle in 2019. Mistrust of authorities is widespread in the predominantly Black neighborhood where the shooting took place, and Hussle’s and Holder’s gang ties may add to the hesitation to talk. The defense has acknowledged that Holder shot Hussle, but says there was no premeditation and he is not guilty of first-degree murder.