Police say music executive Chaka Zulu fatally shot a 23-year-old man in the chest, grazed another man with a bullet in the leg and assaulted a third man, choking him and slamming his head against a window, outside a Buckhead restaurant in June, arrest warrants show.
The warrants were sworn out Sept. 2 in the June 26 shooting at the APT 4B restaurant on Peachtree Road. Zulu, 52, turned himself in Sept. 13 and bonded out the same day after posting $200,000, records show. The Atlanta Police Department released information, including the 911 call recordings, late Sept. 18, more than two months after the high-profile incident. The warrants were released Monday.
The warrants and 911 calls depict a chaotic scene outside the restaurant. Zulu, whose full name is Ahmed Chaka Zulu Obafemi, acted in self-defense and is still recovering from the “nearly fatal” injuries he suffered that night, his attorney has said in a statement. Police reports indicate Zulu, the longtime manager of hip-hop artist and actor Ludacris, was shot in the back.
Police released audio from three 911 calls. In one, a person said they heard at least six shots fired outside the restaurant.
“We need an ambulance quick!” another told a 911 operator.
The frantic caller told the operator a man who’d been shot was on the ground, not moving.
“He’s not responsive right now!” the caller said.
Artez Benton, 23, was shot to death.
“Obafemi pointed a firearm at Benton and fired upon his person striking Benton in the chest, killing him,” Zulu’s warrant states.
Zulu and another man were both shot in the back, warrants say.
“Listen to me, can you hear me, Chaka?” one of the 911 callers is heard saying.
Zulu faces charges of murder, aggravated assault, simple battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the warrants state. Zulu’s is the only arrest made in the case.
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Zulu’s lawyer, Gabe Banks, has said the music executive was forced to act in self-defense.
“A close review of all the evidence, including the surveillance footage and eyewitness interviews, reveals that Mr. Zulu was attacked and jumped from behind by a gang of at least four individuals (sadly including the decedent) and was forced to defend himself after this gang repeatedly stomped, punched and kicked him while he was on the ground in a defenseless posture,” Banks said in a statement. “Mr. Zulu was shot in the back during the shooting and nearly lost his life, and is still recovering from the nearly fatal injuries he sustained that evening.
“It is not lost on Mr. Zulu that someone lost his life, but had Mr. Zulu not lawfully defended himself, Mr. Zulu would have been killed that night.”
In the days after the shooting, celebrities were among those who turned to social media to wish Zulu a quick recovery. Many offered their support via social media posts after the arrest as well.
“We are with you and standing with you 100% believe it,” wrote actor Tyrese Gibson, who appeared with Ludacris in several of the “Fast & Furious” movies, some filmed in Atlanta. “Stay strong Chaka whatever you need bro you know I got you 100%.”
Lil Jon, who appeared with Ludacris on Usher’s hit “Yeah,” lent his support with several praying-hands emojis, as did Ludacris’ wife, Eudoxie Bridges.
“The truth takes time,” wrote former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who also served as a spokesman for Zulu’s family after the shooting, while he remained hospitalized. “Looking forward to your vindication.”
Video purporting to show the incident is making the rounds on social media but hasn’t been confirmed by authorities.
Benton’s father, Artis Benton, declined to discuss the specifics of the case Sunday.
“I’m sure that once we get to the bottom of this, justice will be served,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Benton spoke about his son in the days after his death.
“He did everything right,” Benton told the AJC after the shooting. “I never thought that this would be the end for him.”
His son graduated with honors from Druid Hills High School, then attended Young Harris College, where he was recruited as a baseball player and also received a partial academic scholarship. After graduating last year with his business degree, Benton started an apprenticeship at Mayberry Electric, an Atlanta-based electrical contractor, working through a five-year program to become a licensed electrician. He and a group of friends had also recently launched a clothing line, Cash Life Global, his father said.
