After winning three gongs at this year’s Grammy awards, rapper Killer Mike suffered the ignominy of walking out of the Crypto.com Arena in LA in handcuffs, as he was accused of misdemeanour battery.
The Los Angeles police department said he had been taken into custody in relation to a physical altercation inside the event venue on Sunday. The rapper was later released.
An unnamed “senior law enforcement source” told Rolling Stone that a security guard claimed that Killer Mike allegedly pushed her to the floor after he tried to make his way around her at a venue entrance.
The arrest threatened to overshadow the rapper’s crowning glory, as he edged out major stars such as Travis Scott, Nas, Drake and 21 Savage to win best rap album, while his track Scientists & Engineers earned him two awards: best rap song and best rap performance.
In an interview with Rolling Stone after his arrest, Killer Mike said he was confident he would be cleared of all wrongdoing.
“As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an overzealous security guard, but my team and I have the utmost confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing.”
A member of the rapper’s team added: “We hit a speed bump in that Mike was detained and charged with a misdemeanour after collecting his awards.
“On the way into the venue, there was considerable confusion around where to go. He encountered an overzealous security guard and continued moving towards his destination.
“The situation has been overblown but we are confident that the facts of the case, when laid bare, will show that Mike did not commit the alleged offence and he will be exonerated.”
