Alleged Dolla shooter pleads not guilty
An Atlanta event promoter charged with fatally shooting rapper Dolla at the Beverly Center pleaded not guilty today to murder and two counts of assault.
Aubrey Louis Berry, 23, is accused of gunning down Roderick Anthony Burton II, known professionally as Dolla, and shooting at two other people in the Atlanta rapper’s entourage Monday in the valet area of the popular Westside mall.
Prosecutors today also amended the charges to include an extra firearms offense of personally and intentionally discharging a firearm, which caused great bodily injury and death.
Authorities allege that Berry, who had an altercation with Burton at an Atlanta strip club this month, fired at Burton, 21, and two people who were with him. Berry, who fled the scene hours after the shooting, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport with the purported murder weapon tucked in this waistband.
Berry’s attorney, Howard R. Price, said his client did shoot the rapper but in self-defense.
"At worst it's a manslaughter case, at best it's a case of self-defense," he told The Times this week.
Price said Berry and Burton clashed at the Platinum 21 Adult Entertainment club in Atlanta. The pair then ran into each other Monday in the restroom of P.F. Chang's China Bistro in the Beverly Center in what Price described as a chance encounter.
Price said the rapper threatened Berry, who decided to leave the restaurant. When Berry went to the mall's valet area for his car, Burton and two other people followed him, the attorney said. Berry thought Burton was reaching for his waistband and fired his weapon.
"He perceived that his life was in danger," Price said.
-- Richard Winton
Manslaughter Huh...
This is first degree murder with an intent to harm others. How did he happen to meet up with Dolla, at the Mall, after they got off the plain. Los Angeles is a big city, and what's odds of them meeting again with him having a loaded gun. See Ya, dude.
Posted by: Don | May 22, 2009 at 04:25 PM
He perceived that his life was in danger so he followed the rapper to LA and shot him in front of innocent bystanders?! Are you kidding me? How much is that slum lawyer getting paid for that big lie? Again, why does this mess come to California?
Posted by: Marie | May 22, 2009 at 04:29 PM
Still no pictures of Aubrey Louis Berry?
Can somebody at some news outlet please do their job?
Posted by: DollaGeneral | May 22, 2009 at 05:19 PM
NO NO NO NO!!! That Aubrey guy got mad because Dolla was pushing up on his girl and got punked out at the club so to save "face" he followed Dolla to LA and MURDERED him! Dolla would have a better chance of getting struck by lightning, hit by a car and falling off of a building all at the same time rather than this so called "chance" encounter. Aubrey is a frickin liar and is trying to stay off death row. If it was "self-defense" why run? If he felt so threatened, where was Dolla's gun? Oh yeah, he didn't have one. They call that MURDER. Any more questions?
I hope that fool burns in Hell for taking away this sweet young man.
Posted by: Tanya | May 23, 2009 at 02:00 PM
1st of all.. Everyone is speaking about this from the outside.. If you knew Aubrey you would know he traveled to LA all the time for business, so the thought of him being there and Dolla being there doesnt matter.. All we know is they both showed up there. 2nd of all Aubrey was at the restaurant before Dolla showed up.. So what AB tracks where Dolla eats?? I doubt it.. All that we know is what they( the media) tells us.. We dont know the full story or the WHOLE truth.. Yes this a very sad situation but lets not condemn this man for we have all done wrong.. If some threatened my life showed up where I was followed me in the bathroom, spoke words of fear in my heart and then followed me outside I might have reacted in the same manner.. Lets NOT cast the first stone...
Prayin for you AB.. <3
Posted by: Disgusted | May 25, 2009 at 08:01 AM
OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LET HIM GO!!!! HELLO PEOPLE HE SHOOT A RAPPER FOR NO REASON IT WASN'T IN NO SELF DEFENSE WHY WOULD DOLLA MESS UP HIS CAREER????? THAT AUBRET LOUIS BERRY FOLLOWED DOLLA TO L.A. HE WAS FOLLOWING HIM!!!!!! WHY CAN'Y THE JUDGE SEE THAT !!!! EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THAT MAN SHOOT DOLLA OUT OF JEALOUSY!!!!!!!
Posted by: arquel johnson | May 26, 2009 at 06:42 AM
Dat is so crazy for some1 to shoot someone over jealousy let alone a female com on there more fish in the see. Young dolla was just starting his carrer and it had to end like this. the guy that shot him should be sent to prsion for life. and no parole.
Posted by: sharidumoulin | May 26, 2009 at 10:34 AM
it was a senseless murder and it didnt need to happen. he just started and people missing him already. i was off to a great start in his career and it was stupid.
Posted by: boogiej from minnesota | May 26, 2009 at 10:38 AM
it was a senseless murder and it didnt need to happen like this or this way. he just started his career and was on his way up. and people missing him already. it was a stupid act that could have been prevented. But hey there is alot of jealousy out in the world. Being a rapper will always have that affect.
Posted by: boogiej from mpls minnesota | May 26, 2009 at 10:44 AM
THE TRUTH IS THIS IS HAPPENING EVERYDAY IN THE BLACK COMMUNIT. YOUNG BLACK GUYS BEING MORE SENSITIVE THAN WOMAN AND GETTING INTO FIGHTS $ KILLED OVER MEANINGLESS NONSENSE. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, WE USED TO FIGHT FIST ON FIST. OR OUR GROUP AGAINST YOUR GROUP IN A FREE FOR ALL RUMBLE. AND KNOW WHAT? THOSE SAME GUYS WE FOUGHT AGAINST BACK THEN, WE ARE FRIENDS WITH THEM TODAY AND LAUGH ABOUT IT AND THE FIGHTS WE HAD AS BOYS. WE SEE WE WERE FIGHTING OVER THINGS THAT MADE NO SENSE IN LIFE AND DIDNT KNOW ANY BETTER. THE YOUNG GUYS TODAY DONT EVEN GIVE EACH OTHER A CHANCE TO GET TO THAT POINT. IT WAS ODD AND UNUSUAL FOR A YOUNG GUY TO BE MURDERED IN MY DAY. NOW ITS THE NORM BECAUSE THE YOUNG GUYS TODAY ARE COWARDS. AND THEY ONLY REALIZE HOW STUPID THEIR ACT WAS WHEN THEYVE SPENT YEARS IN PRISON AND WILL NEVER SEE THE OUTSIDE AGAIN.
Posted by: REAL DEAL | May 29, 2009 at 11:24 PM
Man dollar rip...he ran with the mansfields crips and he wasn't no weenie..he might have banged on aubrey and pumped fear in his heart like my man said butwho knows..why would he choose to shoot in at the beverly center any real LA gangsta knows u don't shoot no where near beverly hills unless u in west la of pico and fairfax but it stops there lol u don't shoot in the safety zone..foxhills mall MAYBE but beverly center? Noo way bruh..but like I said who knows yall need to see both sides of the story and stop feelin sorry for a gangsta that's the life we choose..poor liquor and keep it moovin cuz
Posted by: concerned citizen | May 31, 2009 at 12:33 PM