Police are looking for Suge Knight after a man was killed and another injured in Los Angeles.
He’s suspected of running the men over after an argument on a film set.
“So far we have not confirmed it was him, driving the truck. So we’re not saying Suge Knight was driving the truck at this time,” said Lt John Corina, from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Although we want to talk to him, since the truck supposedly belongs to him.”
A lawyer for the Death Row Records founder seemed to confirm Knight had been driving at the time but claimed it was an accident and he was running away from attackers.
“He was in the process of being physically assaulted by two men and in an effort to escape he unfortunately hit two (other) individuals,” lawyer James Blatt said.
“He was in his car trying to escape.
“We are confident that once the investigation is completed, he will be totally exonerated,” Mr Blatt added.
Knight, 49, planned to turn himself in to authorities, he said.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt John Corina said: “From the people we’ve talked to so far, and we still have more witnesses to talk to, so far the people we’ve talked to say it looked like it was an intentional act.
“So we’re handling it as a homicide.”
Police say a red pickup truck hit the men while they were in the car park of a fast-food restaurant and then drove away.
A 55-year-old man died at a hospital and a 51-year-old man was injured but Corina did not have any more information about his condition.
The empty truck was found on Thursday night in a West Los Angeles car park.
It’s been claimed that Marion “Suge” Knight drove to the fast-food restaurant car park after an argument on the set of a film about rap pioneers NWA.
Witnesses said another argument then occurred before the accident.
Mr Blatt said he had not yet spoken to Knight but that he planned to negotiate to surrender. There is no word yet on when that will happen.
Knight founded Death Row Records with Dr Dre in the 1990s but later declared bankruptcy and the company was auctioned off.
Last August he was shot six times at a nightclub in Los Angeles. No arrests have been made relating to that incident.
In November, he pleaded not guilty to a robbery charge filed after a celebrity photographer accused him of stealing her camera in Beverly Hills.
He could face up to 30 years in prison because of prior convictions.
The music boss has previously been convicted of armed robbery and assault with a gun.
He has also served time for violating probation.
