Mistrial Declared in Biggie Death Lawsuit, Tupac's Former Bodyguard Had Testified

In June 2005, a civil trial began in Los Angeles that also touched on Tupac’s circle. The family of The Notorious B.I.G., his mother Voletta Wallace and his widow Faith Evans, had sued the City of Los Angeles and its police department. The allegation: the department had covered up the involvement of a police officer in Biggie’s death in March 1997. According to the family, several officers had ties to gangs and worked at times as security for Death Row Records, Tupac’s record label.

The Testimony of Kevin Hackie

One of the first witnesses was Kevin Hackie, Tupac’s former bodyguard and, according to Rolling Stone, also an FBI informant during the three years with Tupac. In court, he backed away from statements that had been attributed to him in June 2004 and had described police officer David Mack as a covert helper for Death Row. However, he said that he had seen Mack at several Death Row events, occasionally in conversation with label boss Suge Knight. In addition, Hackie stated that the head of security for Death Row at the time had wanted to avenge Tupac’s death in Las Vegas in 1996 because he held Biggie responsible for it.

Mistrial After an Anonymous Tip

On July 6, 2005, the court declared a mistrial. An anonymous tip had led to documents about Biggie’s death that the police had withheld. The family’s attorney, Perry Sanders Jr., announced that he would continue to pursue the case. There was no verdict; the statements remained allegations by witnesses.