(WatchDogReport.org) – Following his three Grammy wins — including his first in over twenty years — Killer Mike was apprehended at the Grammys. Video shows Mike being led away by Los Angeles police officers while handcuffed during a euphoric Sunday at the Grammys’ Premiere Ceremony, where he won three times in rapid succession.
According to a widely circulated video, Mike was taken into custody by Los Angeles police at the Crypto.com arena. Officer Mike Lopez, a police spokeswoman, said an argument inside the arena at about 4 p.m. led to Mike’s detention. A misdemeanor charge was filed against him.
Specifics on the arrest were sketchy at best. The rapper has a court hearing set at the end of February; the Los Angeles Police Department would not provide details but said he was detained on a charge of misdemeanor violence and released.
Michael Render’s (the rapper’s actual name) representative did not release any statements. The Grammys sent inquiries to law enforcement, but no information has been released.
In a text message sent out while in custody on Sunday night, Killer Mike allegedly blamed “overzealous security” for the confrontation.
In the past, the musician has rapped against police brutality and called for systemic reforms to the police force, demonstrating his complex connection with law enforcement. At a news conference in 2020, he stood with the Atlanta mayor and police chief, identified himself as the son of an Atlanta police officer, and urged protesters not to burn “your own house” down as demonstrations escalated following the murder of George Floyd. This was an instance of his occasional defense of the police.
Killer Mike was onstage celebrating the success of his first solo album in over a decade, “Michael,” when the dramatic moment of his handcuffing and subsequent march out of the arena was recorded on film.
Mike took home the hardware for best rap song and performance with “Scientists & Engineers.” Eryn Allen Kane, Andre 3000, and Future are all featured on the tune. His album “Michael” was named best rap album.
Outside of music, he is known as a social-political activist. He has spoken out against racial inequity, the state of race relations, and the 2016 presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders.
In 2019, the Grammy winner presided over a documentary series on Black community concerns called “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike” on Netflix.
Copyright 2024, WatchDogReport.org
