Hurricane Chris was found not guilty on all counts in his murder trial.
Following a seven-day trial, a grand jury found the Louisiana rapper not guilty in the shooting death of Danzeria Farris Jr. in 2020.
“Tonight I was found not guilty of second-degree murder and illegal possession of stolen things,” the 32-year-old, real name Christopher Dooley, told The Shade Room in a statement. “I want to thank God, my attorneys at Washington & Wells, and my family for sticking by me when my life was on the line.”
Dooley, best known for his 2007 hit “A Bay Bay,” was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the June 2020 slaying in October 2020.
Farris, 32, was fatally shot at a Texaco gas station in Shreveport after a fight with Dooley over Dooley’s car. He passed away after being taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.
Dooley initially told cops that he was acting in self-defense because Farris was attempting to steal his car. Surveillance video, however, “showed that Dooley did not act in self-defense,” according to investigators. Dooley was charged with illegal possession of a stolen vehicle after the 2016 Mercedes-Benz was reported stolen out of Texas.
According to KLFY-TV, during closing arguments, the prosecution speculated that Dooley shot Farris because he was too close to the $10,000 he had in his car.
The jury of four men and eight women deliberated on Tuesday and returned a not-guilty verdict by 9 p.m. that day.
“We’re thrilled,” Hurricane Chris’ attorney, Alex Washington, told reporters, according to XXL. “We are pleased with the jury. Finally, a jury had the courage to find him not guilty. Nobody in Shreveport is guilty. This system has flaws from time to time. He conducted a poor investigation. Mr. Dooley’s life has been impacted by a poor investigation since 2020. So, I appreciate the courage of the community to say, ‘No. ‘Say you’re not guilty.'”
