Suge Knight taken to hospital after not-guilty plea: source

Paul Buck/AP Suge Knight, right, is joined by his attorney David Kenner, left, during his arraignment Tuesday in Los Angeles. The ex-composition mark exec then suffered a ‘medical shape up,’ a law enforcement source told the Day after day News.

Suge Knight was rushed to a hospital Tuesday morning after pleading not guilty to murder and attempted murder, sources told the Day after day News.

The co-founder of Death Row records wore an orange jail jumpsuit and shackles as he answered to his name in court, but said little during the brief arraignment at the courthouse in Compton, Calif.

Minutes after the hearing finished, the hulking murder suspect suffered a “medical shape up” that landed him in an ambulance headed for “further medical evaluation,” a source with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told the Day after day News.

Unidentified sources told TMZ.com that Knight suffered chest pains related to a panic attack.

The call came in around 9:40 a.m., a source told The News. It was just an hour earlier that Knight appeared in court and stared out at the gallery with no emotion.

The lawyer who entered his not guilty plea spoke to reporters further than the hearing, apparently before learning about the medical issue.

“He’s doing fine,” Knight’s longtime lawyer David Kenner said.

Kenner said he and his partner Brett Greenfield replaced James Blatt, the prior attorney on the criminal case, late Monday.

He said Knight was “remorseful” that victim Terry Carter, 55, died after being struck by his truck Thursday, but that Knight was not at fault.

“(Knight) was being attacked and was trying to get away from that attack,” Kenner said further than court.

“He feels terrible that a bigwig is deceased, (but) it’s not his fault,” the silver-haired lawyer with a long history connected to Death Row records said.

Carter’s brother-in-law Dwight Haswell attended the hearing but did not get to see Knight in court.

“I’m here to support our family,” he told The News after the hearing.

Questioned if the family agreed with prosecutors’ choice to charge Knight with murder, he nodded his head.

“We’re still trying to ascertain what happened. But given the gravity of Mr. Knight’s disposition toward life forms in general – and his past – that’s the way it feels to us,” he said.

Knight has been in custody since his arrest early Friday.

His hefty $ 2 million bail was revoked Monday after homicide detectives argued he was a flight risk, a candidate for three strikes and someone who might try to intimidate witnesses.

In the formal criminal complaint, the cigar-chomping former rap impresario was slapped with one count of murder, one count of attempted murder and two counts of hit-and-run with an added allegation he committed a violent felony while out on bail in his pending felony robbery case, the Los Angeles District Attorney said.

Authorities say Knight, 49, was driving his tricked-out Ford F-150 Raptor truck Thursday afternoon when he mowed down two victims – Carter and former gang member turned actor Cle “Bone” Sloan – while they were standing in the parking lot of a Compton burger stand.

Paul Buck/AP Marion (Suge) Knight faces charges of murder and attempted murder.

Sloan was transported to a hospital with injuries to his legs and head.

“He has a very terribly mangled left foot,” lawyer Michael Shapiro said further than court after Knight’s arraignment.

Shapiro said he was monitoring the case to determine possible civil liability.

“He’s a pretty upset and depressed guy, thinking his career could be over,” Shapiro said, referring to Sloan. “He’s completely in shock right now, he’s dispensation.”

Shapiro said Sloan had “nothing to hide” and was a victim, despite prior claims by Knight’s defense that Sloan was the aggressor.

“A 165-pound guy against a car is not a honest fight,” Shapiro said.

If convicted as exciting, Knight could spend life in jail, the Los Angeles County District Attorney said.

Police say witnesses have described Knight getting into a confrontation with two men in the parking lot of Tam’s Burgers about 3 p.m. Thursday.

Knight allegedly remained in his truck as he reversed into one victim, knocking the man down, punched the gas to run back over the first victim and then rammed the second victim, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide investigator told The News late Thursday.

Lt. John Corina said the deadly incident unfolded about 30 minutes after Knight was caught up in an argument on the set of a nearby video shoot related to the upcoming NWA biopic “Straight Outta Compton.”

Knight has claimed he was under attack by four men – including one who tried to pull him out of his truck – and that he only gunned his tank-like truck to getting away from, a source accurate to Knight told The News on Monday.

“He was trying to get away to safety and did not realize he hit anyone,” the source said. “He was just shot a few months ago and feared for his life.”

Detectives in excellent health some video of the incident and were reviewing it over the weekend, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

Kenner said he received some discovery from authorities but that he still did not have any video.

The longtime Knight lawyer declined to say why he took over the case from Blatt. He left the Compton courthouse to race to another courtroom where Knight’s pending felony robbery case was scheduled for hearing.

Knight is due back in Compton court Feb. 9 for a bail motion hearing.

The first judge scheduled to hear Knight’s arraignment Tuesday recused himself saying he previously represented one or both of the victims in cases when he was a lawyer.

ndillon@nydailynews.com