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Wrongful Death Suit Details Suge-Dre Rift

LOS ANGELES (CN) - Murder charges against Suge Knight stem from a disagreement with Dr. Dre over Knight's financial interest in the movie "Straight Outta Compton," according to a wrongful death lawsuit against them and others.

The late Terry Carter's mother Lillian Carter and his daughters sued Knight, Cle "Bone" Sloan, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Universal Studios in Superior Court on Wednesday.

Knight faces criminal charges of killing Carter by running him over with a truck after a dispute erupted at a burger restaurant near the set of a "Straight Outta Compton" commercial.

Prosecutors also claim the former rap mogul ran over Sloan, a film technician and actor, critically injuring him.

Sloan in April was granted immunity to testify and told the court the dispute has roots in a disagreement between Knight and the rapper, producer and entrepreneur.

He declined to go into much detail, saying of Knight: "I think him and Dre had a problem."

The lawsuit claims that Dr. Dre made it known to Universal Studios that he did not want Suge Knight anywhere near the set of "Straight Outta Compton."

Bone's long-running beef with Knight was also a "source of concern" for Dr. Dre, a producer of the movie, and the other filmmakers, the family says.

Bad feelings between Knight and Dr. Dre stem from when the latter left the label they had founded together, Death Row Records, according to the lawsuit. It notes that Dr. Dre won a restraining order against Knight.

Knight, whose name is Marion Hugh Knight Jr., allegedly showed up uninvited to the production base camp for a "Straight Outta Compton" commercial, featuring Dr. Dre and co-defendant Ice Cube.

The two former N.W.A. members were scheduled to appear in a moving car scene on Parmalee Street in Compton.

The family says Knight was upset by the "violent depiction" of his fictional counterpart in the film, and his level of financial participation.

Prosecutors say Knight, 50, ran over the two men with his pickup in the parking lot of Tam's Burgers on Jan. 29, after an argument with Sloan at base camp.

The lawsuit blames Universal for hiring Sloan to handle security on the shoot and for filming in "areas that were considered dangerous due to gang related criminal activity."

As alleged in the lawsuit and revealed by Sloan during testimony, he hired gang members to handle security during the shoot.

The complaint claims that Universal through the "exercise of reasonable diligence should have known that Bone recruited gang members to work as cast members and provide security."

Carter's family seeks funeral and burial expenses, lost earnings and punitive damages for wrongful death, negligence, negligent entrustment, assault and battery, negligent hiring and supervision and premises liability.

Defendant Toi Lin Kelly allegedly loaned his truck to Knight. Also named as defendants are Tam's Burgers and Prettybird Pictures.

The Carter family is represented by Carl Douglas with Douglas Hicks Law of Beverly Hills.

Knight has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges, claiming self-defense.

His trial is scheduled to begin on July 7.

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