Thousands Pack South LA Streets To Honor Nipsey Hussle
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Thousands who were unable to attend the memorial for rapper Nipsey Hussle lined the route of the procession across South Los Angeles, some tossing flowers onto the hearse carrying Hussle's body as it was driven past, and others moving into the street to touch the slow-moving vehicle.
A large crowd assembled outside The Marathon store – which Hussle founded in 2017 and the location of the Grammy-nominated artist's fatal shooting – with many people waiting since early in the morning for the procession to pass by.
By late Thursday afternoon, the crowd became restless at times, prompting surges of people into the street, toppling barricades that had been placed to clear a path for the hearse to pass.
At one point, a balloon is believed to have popped, startling the crowd and prompting many people to push into the street. Police formed skirmish lines to push the crowd back, and appeared to restore order without arrests or major injuries.
More officers were brought in as the procession neared the location to help keep the street clear.
As the procession approached the store around 5:40 p.m., a security team encircled the hearse and walked alongside the vehicle to escort it through the crowd and allow it to keep moving – at a crawling pace.
As the hearse moved into the area, the boisterous crowd became respectfully calm, with spectators lifting their cellphones to snap photos. The convoy repeatedly came to a stop when people pushed too far into the street, blocking the hearse's path.
The procession ended about 7:20 p.m. when the hearse arrived at the Angelus Funeral Home at Crenshaw Boulevard and 39th Street.
PHOTO GALLERY: Nipsey Hussle Memorial
The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that crews treated 15 people along the route, with five of them being taken to hospitals, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department's Nicholas Prange.
Downed power lines damaged by Mylar balloons were also reported, he said.
The 33-year-old rapper and community leader – whose real name was Ermias Joseph Asghedom – was fatally shot March 31 in front of The Marathon Clothing store. Last week, 29-year-old Eric Ronald Holder Jr., an aspiring rapper and acquaintance of Hussle, pleaded not guilty to one count each of murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, along with two counts of attempted murder.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Teresa Sullivan ordered Holder to be jailed in lieu of $5 million bail while awaiting his next court appearance May 10, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to allow the case against him to proceed to trial.
Holder could face a potential life prison sentence if convicted as charged, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Holder got into some type of personal dispute with the rapper outside the store, then left and returned with a handgun. Hussle was shot in the head and body and died at a hospital, according to police and the coroner's office.
Moore declined to discuss the nature of the disagreement between Holder and Hussle but stressed the shooting appeared to be a result of that dispute, not any type of gang rivalry or feud. Hussle transformed himself from a South Los Angeles gang member to a rap musician and channeled his success into efforts to help others stay out of gangs. He bought shoes for students, re-paved basketball courts and provided jobs and shelter for the homeless.
Actress Lauren London – Hussle's longtime girlfriend – and rapper Snoop Dogg are among those who spoke at the funeral.
The program included heartfelt notes from actress Issa Rae, rapper Jay-Z, and NBA stars LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.
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Hussle helped renovate a Mid-City roller rink and redeveloped the strip mall that housed his Marathon Clothing shop where he was fatally wounded.
On Friday, the Los Angeles City Council is expected to adjourn its regular meeting in honor of Hussle, according to Councilman Marqueece Harris Dawson, a friend of Hussle's. At that same meeting, Harris-Dawson is also expected to introduce a motion to rename the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard as "Ermias `Nipsey Hussle' Asghedom Square."
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)