Police Video in Las Vegas Reveals First Arrest Ever in Tupac Shakur’s 1996 Homicide

According to footage from a police body camera released this past Friday, Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the man now facing murder charges in the 1996 assassination of rapper Tupac Shakur, was fully aware of the significance of his arrest last week near his residence on the outskirts of Las Vegas.

In a conversation captured on camera, an officer inquires, “What are you being charged for?”

Davis responds, “The most significant case in the history of Las Vegas,” subsequently mentioning the specific date Shakur was fatally shot — “September 7th, 1996.”

Law enforcement authorities, along with the prosecution, assert that Davis was the architect of the drive-by shooting that occurred close to the Las Vegas Strip, resulting in Shakur’s death at 25 years old.

Nearly three decades after the event, Davis was arrested and placed in both wrist and ankle restraints, seated in the rear of a Las Vegas police vehicle en route to a county jail where he is currently detained without the possibility of bail.

“I’m not concerned,” Davis told the arresting officer. “I haven’t done anything.”

Released police video, running over an hour in length, displays Davis being apprehended at dawn on September 29 while strolling in his otherwise tranquil neighborhood.

“Hey, Keffe. Metro Police,” an officer called out. “Come this way.”

Complying with the police, Davis was searched and handcuffed beside an unmarked police car. The 60-year-old has long been a suspect in the investigation and even openly confessed his involvement in interviews leading up to his 2019 autobiographical book, “Compton Street Legend.” His apprehension came two months following a police search of his residence, rekindling public interest in one of hip-hop’s most puzzling unsolved cases.

In the footage, Davis recounts the raid on July 17 and describes peeking over a fence simultaneously with a SWAT officer. He commented that his arrest on that particular morning was comparatively subdued.

While en route to the police station for questioning, Davis asked if he had been under surveillance the previous night, to which the officer replied in the negative.

“So why didn’t you bring along the media?” Davis queried.

When questioned by the officer about why the media would be involved, Davis responded, “That’s what you usually do.”

Davis, a self-proclaimed gangster from Compton, California, has not yet entered a plea. He declined an interview request from The Big Big News while in custody. His long-standing attorney in Los Angeles, Edi Faal, informed the Associated Press that he had no statement to make on behalf of Davis.

According to Davis, he relocated to the Las Vegas area in January due to his wife’s employment. The audio was subsequently redacted when police inquired about his activities since the move.

A recently unsealed indictment from Clark County District Court accuses Davis of masterminding Shakur’s murder and supplying his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, with the weapon used in the killing. Anderson, who refuted any involvement in the murder, passed away in 1998.

The grand jury has also recommended additional sentencing for the utilization of a lethal weapon and supposed gang-related activities. If Davis is found guilty, these could significantly extend his prison term.

In Nevada law, assisting another individual in committing murder is sufficient grounds for a murder conviction.

Davis’s initial court appearance this week was abruptly adjourned when he requested a delay to secure legal representation in Las Vegas. He is scheduled for another court appearance on October 19.

Investigators suggest that Shakur’s murder originated from a gang rivalry and a struggle for control within the music genre then known as “gangsta rap.” It involved the West Coast faction of a Crips gang, led by Davis, against the East Coast faction of a Bloods gang linked to Marion “Suge” Knight, the founder of Death Row Records, the music label Shakur was associated with at the time of his death.

Reported by Antczak from Los Angeles. Contributions were made by Big Big News writer Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona.

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More about Tupac Shakur 1996 Arrest

• Tupac Shakur Biography
• The History of Unsolved Celebrity Cases
• Drive-by Shootings: Crime and Legislation
• Las Vegas Police Department Official Website
• Gang Rivalries and Rap Music: An Overview
• The Legal Process in Clark County District Court
• Death Row Records: A Brief History
• Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ 2019 Book “Compton Street Legend”
• Nevada Murder Laws and Sentencing Guidelines
• Marion “Suge” Knight Biography