By Ibn Safir, The Root
Kerry Lathan, 56, was on parole when he was shot alongside Los Angeles rapper and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, on March 31.
Lathan was with Hussle when he was slain in front of his Marathon Clothing store in Hyde Park. Because he was on parole, and because Hussle maintained a well-known affiliation with the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips, Lathan was in violation of his agreement not to be around known gang members.
Lathan, who spent 25 years in prison for murder, went to Marathon Clothing to get a leg up from Hussle, who was known to support local businesses and individuals alike, was arrested despite the gunshot wound to the back. He was transported to jail for his parole violation.
Though a Sheriff’s Department spokesperson declined to tell the Los Angeles Times how Lathan violated his parole, Lathan can be heard telling local interventionist Big U that authorities were “trying to send me back for life for just being there — gang association.”
Lathan’s family pleaded with Governor Gavin Newsom as he faced a potential parole violation ‘simply for being at the wrong place at the wrong time,” said attorney Lauren Noriega at the time of his arrest.
Much like Nipsey Hussle, Mr. Lathan was a reformed gang member who was determined to make a change in his community,” she told the Huffington Post. “Unfortunately, Mr. Lathan is facing a potential parole violation because his arrest was made without complete knowledge of the underlying facts.
CBSLA reports that a Secretary of the Department of Corrections had his arrest dismissed in court. Lathan was released at 3 A.M. Saturday morning, his stay prolonged due to liability concerning his treatment for the gunshot wound in his back.
This article originally appeared on The Root.
