A$AP Rocky’s arrests span roughly two decades and four incidents: a teenage attempted-murder arrest in New York that sent him to Rikers Island, a 2012 New York arrest that ended in a felony guilty plea, a 2019 arrest in Stockholm that produced an assault conviction and a suspended sentence, and a 2022 Los Angeles arrest for a Hollywood shooting that ended in a full acquittal in February 2025. Rakim Mayers, who performs as A$AP Rocky, has no pending criminal charges as of late 2025.
Rikers Island at 16
Mayers was first arrested as a teenager in New York City and charged with attempted murder after a shooting. By his own account, he andced his cousin armed themselves to confront a man who had been bullying him, and Mayers fired when he believed the other man was reaching for a weapon. The attempted murder charge was later reduced because of his age, and he spent two weeks at Rikers Island awaiting bail.1XXL Magazine. A$AP Rocky Attempted Murder Charge at 16, Rikers While there, he was befriended by a fellow inmate who later performed as the rapper Casanova.2Complex. A$AP Rocky Being Charged With Attempted Murder When He Was 16
2012 New York Arrest and Felony Guilty Plea
In July 2012, Mayers was arrested in New York City after a street altercation with two amateur photographers, during which he tried to grab their cameras. He was initially charged with attempted robbery in the second degree and assault.3Rolling Stone. A$AP Rocky Pleads Guilty to Attempted Grand Larceny
On December 12, 2012, he pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny, a felony, and the original charges were dropped. The sentence was three days of community service and a $250 fine.4Billboard. A$AP Rocky Pleads Guilty to Attempted Grand Larceny
2019 Stockholm Arrest and Assault Conviction
On June 30, 2019, Mayers and two members of his entourage, David Rispers and Bladimir Corniel, were involved in a street brawl in Stockholm with a 19-year-old named Mustafa Jafari, who was kicked and beaten on the ground.5Los Angeles Times. A$AP Rocky Arrest in Sweden Coverage Mayers was arrested on July 3, 2019, and held in a Stockholm jail for about a month. He pleaded not guilty and claimed self-defense. Video footage showed members of his group initially trying to de-escalate the situation, though other segments appeared to show Mayers throwing Jafari to the ground.6NPR. A$AP Rocky Found Guilty of Assault
The Stockholm District Court released him pending verdict on August 2, 2019, and he returned to the United States. On August 14, 2019, the court found all three defendants guilty of assault, rejecting the self-defense claim and ruling that the defendants “were not subject to a current or imminent criminal attack.” The court also found insufficient evidence that a bottle had been used in the assault. Mayers received a conditional sentence with no additional jail time and a two-year probationary period.7CNN. A$AP Rocky Verdict Sweden The defendants were ordered to pay Jafari 12,500 Swedish krona, about $1,300, in damages.8NBC News. ASAP Rocky Found Guilty of Assault, Spared Jail The court cited the defendants’ lack of a recent criminal record and low likelihood of reoffending.9Al Jazeera. US Rapper A$AP Rocky Found Guilty of Sweden Assault
On August 27, 2019, Swedish prosecutor Daniel Suneson said he would not appeal, though he personally believed the crime merited more than the two months the court had assessed.10Variety. A$AP Rocky Suspended Sentence Stands, Swedish Prosecutor Rules Out Appeal No appeal was filed on either side, and the conviction stood.
Trump’s Intervention
The case drew unusual attention from the U.S. government. President Donald Trump tweeted that Sweden should “Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM” and said Sweden had “let our African American community down.”11BBC. A$AP Rocky Trump Sweden Robert O’Brien, then the U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, was dispatched to Stockholm and attended the trial on July 30, 2019.12Politico. A$AP Rocky Presidential Envoy A spokesperson for Prime Minister Stefan Löfven responded that the Swedish judicial system is independent and that the government cannot influence proceedings, stating that “everyone is equal before the law.”13DW. Sweden Hits Back at Trump Over A$AP Rocky Comments Suneson said he had not spoken with anyone from the White House or the Swedish government during his investigation.
2022 Los Angeles Arrest for the Hollywood Shooting
On November 6, 2021, around 10:15 p.m., Mayers was involved in a confrontation near Selma Avenue and Argyle Avenue in Hollywood with Terell Ephron, a childhood friend and fellow A$AP Mob member who performs as A$AP Relli. Ephron told police, and later testified, that Mayers approached him with a handgun, said “I’ll kill you right now,” and fired twice, with one bullet grazing his hand.14ABC News. A$AP Rocky Defense Team Rests Alleged Shooting
On April 20, 2022, Mayers was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport as he arrived on a private jet from Barbados. LAPD, assisted by Homeland Security Investigations, took him into custody on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Bail was set at $550,000, and he posted bond within three hours.15NBC News. A$AP Rocky Detained LAX Connection November 2021 Shooting
On August 15, 2022, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón charged Mayers with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, plus a special allegation of personal firearm use.16Los Angeles Times. A$AP Rocky Charged With Felony Assault With a Firearm in November Shooting in Hollywood Mayers pleaded not guilty and was released on bond.
The 2025 Trial and Acquittal
The case took more than two years to reach trial. On the first day of jury selection, January 21, 2025, prosecutors offered Mayers a plea deal: guilty to one count of assault with a gun, 180 days in county jail, three years of probation, a seven-year suspended prison sentence, 480 hours of community service, and a 52-week anger management program. Mayers declined in open court. His lead attorney, Joe Tacopina, said he refused “because he is actually innocent.”17Rolling Stone. A$AP Rocky Rejects Plea Deal, Gun Prop Mayers faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted, and prosecutors sought an eight-year sentence.18NBC News. A$AP Rocky Shooting Gun Assault Trial Verdict
Deputy District Attorney John Lewin built the prosecution around Ephron’s account. Ephron acknowledged returning to the scene hours after the incident with his girlfriend to retrieve shell casings, which he then gave to police. Prosecutors acknowledged that officers did not independently find casings at the scene and that no video captured the shooting itself.19CBS News. A$AP Rocky Trial Jury Deliberations Lewin called Ephron a “problematic” witness but argued the combativeness on the stand came from being labeled a snitch by Mayers’ associates.20Courthouse News. A$AP Rocky Trial Finally Goes to the Jury
Tacopina argued that the weapon was a prop gun firing blanks and that Ephron was lying for money. Defense witnesses, including A$AP Twelvyy, testified that Mayers carried a starter pistol obtained for a music video. The defense also presented a recording in which a voice resembling Ephron’s discussed accepting money to drop his involvement.19CBS News. A$AP Rocky Trial Jury Deliberations Tacopina noted that Ephron had filed a civil suit, had allegedly deleted belligerent text messages before the confrontation, and had visited a gun range two weeks before the incident, giving him a possible source for the 9-millimeter casings he later turned over.21Hollywood Reporter. Joe Tacopina Defense A$AP Rocky Mayers did not testify, invoking his Fifth Amendment right.22WDSU. A$AP Rocky Does Not Take Stand at Felony Assault Trial
On February 18, 2025, after about three hours of deliberation following three weeks of testimony, the jury found Mayers not guilty on both felony counts.23NPR. A$AP Rocky Not Guilty Hollywood Firearm Trial Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who had succeeded Gascón, said: “While today’s verdict is not the outcome we sought, we respect the jury’s decision and the integrity of our justice system.”24Los Angeles Times. A$AP Rocky Verdict Assault Trial
What Remains Open
The criminal file is closed, but one civil matter is still active. Ephron filed a civil suit in 2022 seeking damages for assault, battery, and emotional distress. On November 11, 2025, his attorney Aaron Morris announced that Ephron was dropping the civil assault claims, saying his client was “ready to simply move on.”25iHeart. A$AP Relli Speaks After Dropping Civil Lawsuit Against A$AP Rocky
Ephron is continuing a separate defamation suit against Mayers and Tacopina over public statements calling his shooting allegations “extortion” and a “get-rich-quick scheme.”26Billboard. A$AP Rocky Shooting Lawsuit A$AP Relli Drops Assault Claims In October 2025, a Superior Court judge denied Tacopina’s motion to dismiss under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, finding that his statements to outlets like TMZ were not protected by litigation privilege.27Courthouse News. Defamation Claims Against A$AP Rocky and His Attorney Dodge Anti-SLAPP Bullet That defamation case is the only known active legal proceeding tied to Mayers.