HIP HOP ARTIST’S ARREST ‘WRONG’
Alawyer for T.I. said the Grammy-winning rapper never got to tell his side of the story to police before they arrested him after a pre-dawn attempt this week to enter his gated community near Atlanta.
T.I. was arrested early Wednesday after getting in an argument with a security guard, said Henry
County Deputy
Police Chief
Mike Ireland.
Media reports say the hip-hop artist, whose real name is Clifford
Harris, had lost his key and the guard wouldn’t let him into the complex.
Police said the 38-year-old artist was charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and simple assault and then released on bail.
The rapper’s attorney, Steve Sadow, issued a statement that his client had been “wrongfully arrested.” Sadow said the community guard was asleep when his client arrived at the guardhouse and it took “some time to wake up the sleeping guard.” Sadow said T.I. identified himself and sought entry, but the guard refused. The rapper contacted his wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, who confirmed that her husband should be allowed inside the community, according to his lawyer.
“The guard continued to refuse entry without justification,” Sadow said in a statement, referring to T.I. as Tip. “Words were exchanged and apparently the guard and/or a supervisor called the police. When the police arrived, they were not interested in hearing Tip’s side of the story and wrongfully chose to end the situation by arresting Tip.”
Ireland said T.I. was arrested along with a friend.
T.I. is one of the biggest names in hip-hop, with multiple platinum-selling albums and singles, production credits and roles in films like “ATL” and “American Gangster.”