LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Compton gang detective testified Tuesday that Duane “Keffe D” Davis was a high-ranking “shot caller” whose authority meant younger gang members would not have opened fire on Tupac Shakur with Davis present unless he allowed it.
Robert Ladd, a former Compton police officer who spent years investigating gang homicides, described Davis as a leader of the South Side Compton Crips who could order younger members to act.
Prosecutors have not accused Davis of firing the shots that killed Shakur in Las Vegas nearly 30 years ago. Instead, they allege Davis orchestrated the shooting in retaliation for a casino brawl hours earlier involving Shakur and Davis’ nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson. Under Nevada law, someone who helps another person commit murder can be convicted of the crime.
Ladd testified that Shakur's shooting triggered a 10-day war in Compton between the South Side Crips and Mob Piru, resulting in three killings and 10 attempted murders.
Davis has said in past interviews that he was riding in a white Cadillac with Anderson and two other men when they pulled alongside Shakur and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight in a black BMW. In a 2008 police interview played for jurors last week, Davis said he provided the gun and Anderson opened fire.
Asked Tuesday who would have been the leader among the four men in the Cadillac, Ladd answered, “Mr. Davis.”
Ladd said that Anderson, a younger-ranking gang member, could not have opened fire with Davis in the car without Davis' permission. If Davis had told the others to handle the dispute later, Ladd testified, “there wouldn’t have been a shooting.”
Defense attorney Michael Sanft emphasized the lack of physical evidence supporting that theory. Ladd acknowledged that, aside from Davis’ own admissions, he had no physical evidence placing Davis in Las Vegas that night and no phone records showing Davis ordered the shooting.
Law enforcement experts said they collected bills and letters from Las Vegas hotels in Anderson’s and Davis’ residences, but they didn’t know when they were dated, or the current location of that evidence.
Prosecutors have argued that Davis’ own words are central to their case, while Sanft has characterized his client’s accounts as fabricated bravado and accused investigators of failing to corroborate them.
Ladd was the 23rd witness called by prosecutors. The state is expected to rest its case Wednesday, with the defense expected to finish Friday and closing arguments anticipated Monday.
Associated Press Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. reported from Los Angeles.
Robert Ladd, a former Compton, Calif., police officer who was part of the department's gang unit, testifies as Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal listens, during the trial for Duane Davis, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher, Pool)
Duane Davis in court for his trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher, Pool)
Robert Ladd, a former Compton, Calif., police officer who was part of the department's gang unit, testifies during the trial for Duane Davis, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher, Pool)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday awarded Elon Musk Ukraine's Order of Freedom, one of its highest state honors, for his “outstanding personal merits” in protecting human life and freedom and strengthening ties with the United States.
Musk, the founder of the aerospace company SpaceX, has become one of the most influential, and contentious, private sector figures in Ukraine’s war effort. His decision to provide access to Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet network, was a lifeline for Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and remains critically important.
Starlink has become deeply embedded in Ukraine’s military operations, with commanders and soldiers relying on satellite connectivity to communicate and coordinate operations.
Musk’s decision-making could shape Ukraine’s future military capabilities. Starlink doesn't currently operate over Russian territory, but Zelenskyy wants Musk to reconsider the policy. That would allow Ukrainian forces to maintain satellite connectivity for longer-range drone attacks targeting Russia's military and economic infrastructure.
Musk made no immediate comment on the award, which was announced by presidential decree.
The technology has been integrated into Ukraine’s drone operations, helping operators maintain links with drones and navigate them over longer distances. Ukraine's access to Starlink is the main reason for the early successes of its middle-strike drone campaign, which caught Russian forces off guard and undermined their logistics lines earlier this year.
The campaign has put pressure on Russian logistics in Crimea, giving Ukrainian forces a degree of battlefield momentum that Kyiv has not enjoyed since its successful counteroffensives around Kherson and Kharkiv in late 2022.
Musk has allowed the Ukrainians to use Starlink inside their own territory, including in Russian-occupied regions, but has restricted use of the satellite system inside Russia.
Earlier this year, SpaceX blocked unauthorized Starlink terminals being used by Russian forces in occupied territory, strengthening Ukraine’s position.
Musk is both a crucial partner for Kyiv and a potential source of vulnerability. As Starlink has become embedded in its wartime communications, Musk and SpaceX have significant influence over how the technology can be used, making it important for Kyiv to preserve a positive relationship.
Zelenskyy has sought U.S. help in persuading Musk to permit Ukraine to expand its ability to use Starlink beyond its borders. Musk has said he believes that would be a significant and dangerous escalation, Zelenskyy told reporters last week.
A reported mix-up over whether SpaceX had approved Ukraine’s use of Starlink for operations inside Russia contributed to tensions between Zelenskyy and then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was the government's main interlocutor with Musk.
Fedorov was dismissed in July as part of a broader government shake-up.
Zelenskyy said inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry that SpaceX had approved the bid had contributed to an awkward exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the Ukrainian president of deceiving him. He did not say when that occurred.
That contributed to “some of the steps” taken against Fedorov, Zelenskyy told reporters last week, without explicitly accusing him of deliberately providing false information.
Federov's dismissal also highlights the political element of Musk’s role in Ukraine’s war effort.
FILE - Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks with Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Horodetskyi House during their bilateral meeting in Kyiv, Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. (Henry Nicholls/Pool Photo via AP)
