30 Years Ago Today, Tupac Shakur Shot Two Off-Duty Police Officers

On the night of October 30, 1993, Tupac Shakur, one of the most renowned rappers and actors of his time, performed at Clark Atlanta University. Following the show, Tupac and his entourage were en route to the Sheridan Hotel to celebrate Halloween, with Tupac riding in the front car.

Meanwhile, Clayton County officer Mark Whitwell, 33, and his brother, Henry County officer Scott Whitwell, 32, and their two wives had just finished celebrating Scott’s wife passing the bar exam at the hotel. When they left and began to cross the street, they said an unrelated driver nearly struck them. An argument began that led to the two brothers fighting the Black driver.

When Tupac and his entourage arrived, they saw the two white men beating the Black driver in the middle of the road, blocking the hotel entrance. Tupac jumped out, and everyone in the caravan followed. Mark pointed a gun toward the group. Dressed in plain clothes, the Whitwell brothers were not immediately recognizable as police officers. The Whitwells were visibly intoxicated, and Tupac responded to the drawn gun by pulling out his own. Then, Mark Whitwell smashed Tupac’s car window with the butt of his pistol, and Tupac fired three shots from his 9mm Glock. Two of the bullets hit the Whitwells — Mark was shot in the abdomen and his brother in the buttocks.

Tupac and his entourage returned to his hotel room. He smoked weed and listened to “Dear Mama” with his friends. Later on, he was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault. The Whitwells, who were wounded in the incident, were treated at Grady Hospital and released the next day. Shakur pleaded not guilty and was released on a $55,059 bond.

The Charges Against Tupac Were Dropped

During a hearing on December 1, 1993, it was revealed that the two officers involved in a shooting incident were intoxicated at the time. The hearing was held to determine whether the case should be presented to a grand jury. Additionally, investigators found out that both officers had been carrying guns that were stolen from a Henry County police evidence locker. One of the officers, Scott Whitwell, admitted to the theft.

After looking at a preponderance of evidence, the prosecution discovered that the brothers had lied about who was the aggressor. It was revealed that Tupac had stopped to help as a good Samaritan and fired his gun in self-defense, which led to the charges against him being dropped.

Mark Whitwell was charged with providing false statements to investigators and firing at Tupac’s car, likely coming from conflicting accounts of the window breaking. The district attorney later dropped the charges against him, and Mark Whitwell resigned six months later.