<P> Section 187 (often referenced in slang simply as 187) of the California Penal Code defines the crime of murder . The number is commonly pronounced by reading the digits separately as "one - eight - seven", or "one - eighty - seven", rather than "one hundred and eighty - seven ." </P> <P> The number "187" has been used by gangs throughout the United States as a synonym for murder; this usage was recorded in Florida, Wisconsin, the United Kingdom, and Germany . It also features widely in hip - hop culture, for example in Dr. Dre's "Deep Cover ." </P>

What crime is defined at california penal code section 187