The owner of the an armored SUV denied Friday any involvement in a pursuit with deputies and rolling-gun battle that left a 65-year-old innocent bystander dead, possibly caught in the crossfire.
Compton native and rapper YG, also known as Keenon Jackson, tweeted Friday that he was nowhere near the scene of the incident.
"I was in Hollywood recording in the studio all day," he tweeted. "I was there until after midnight on the 4th of July and didn't learn of these events until after they happened!"
Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies said the shooters were in an armored-window Cadillac Escalade fired several shots into a patrol car. The shooting occurred in the 400 block of West Spruce Street, near North Oleander Avenue at 11:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to Deputy Erin Liu of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Shots also were fired at a sheriff's helicopter and during a pursuit that ended in Inglewood. At times, an assault-style rifle was fired from the passenger window.
"During the course of the pursuit, deputies came under heavy, sustained gunfire multiple times," said Lt. Derrick Alfred.
The Compton man who died was publicly identified as Rickie Cornell Starks.
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A reckless driving or DUI call prompted the chase of the Escalade. Someone inside opened fire on deputies with a high-powered assault rife. Deputies returned fire at Spruce Street and Aranbe Avenue, officials said. A deputy suffered graze wounds to his arm and shoulder in the gunbattle.
Later someone on the passenger side fired several shots at a sheriff's helicopter, possibly striking it aircraft, officials said. The suspects bailed out and ran and one person was arrested while at least one other person got away.
Deputies found Starks later, with multiple gunshot wounds. He died at a hospital.
Detectives were trying to figure out if he was shot by the gunman in the fleeing Escalade or if he was caught in the crossfire, officials said.
YG was in the news in 2015 after he survived being shot three times at a recording studio in Studio City, according to media reports at the time.
City News Service contributed to this report.
