Are Now Suing the Rapper Because They Were ‘Subjected to Ridicule’ and Exposed in Music Videos
THE THIN BLUE LINE
After Ohio Adams County Sheriff’s Office raided the home of Afroman and found nothing, Afroman turned footage of the raid into a music video. Now, the officers are suing over “emotional distress, embarrassment, ridicule, loss of reputation and humiliation.” The lawsuit also claims the music videos showed the plaintiff’s faces without their consent.
According to the search warrant authorized by Adams County Court Judge Roy E. Gabbert, the sheriff’s office claimed they had probable cause to believe they would find evidence of drug trafficking and kidnapping inside the rapper’s and his family’s home.
They came up empty.
No criminal charges were filed. After a sustained furor arose over the raid, Adams County Sheriff Kimmy Rogers, months later, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that charges could be filed pending lab results.
The lab results apparently did not vindicate those claims about the rapper either. The Adams County Prosecutor’s Office said the raid failed to turn up any probative criminal evidence, Afroman’s attorney Anna Castellini told Cincinnati-based Fox affiliate WXIX.
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Sheriff’s deputies acted on a warrant claiming probable cause existed that drugs and drug paraphernalia would be found on Foreman’s property and that trafficking and kidnapping had taken place there. “They come up here with AR-15, traumatize my kids, destroyed my property, kick in my door, rip up and destroy my camera system,” he said in August.
The suspicions turned out to be unfounded. The Adams County Prosecutor’s Office said the raid failed to turn up probative criminal evidence, according to attorney Anna Castellini. No charges were ever filed.
Among the items investigators confiscated during the search was $5,031 in cash, which they believed to be the proceeds of drug trafficking. Foreman said he made the money rapping, as some music venues pay in cash.
When he went to the sheriff’s office to get his money back … it came up $400 short.
Foreman says the missing cash is just icing on the cake. He says the raid and unfounded allegations have negatively impacted his life, including trouble booking shows at venues who cited the kidnapping suspicions contained in the warrant.
Now, the four deputies, two sergeants, and a detective who were involved in the raid want their cut – namely, all of the profits the rapper made from the songs, including live performances, copies of albums sold, other merchandise, and his “Afroman” branded products that include beer, marijuana, and T-shirts.
Watch the video
“Will You Help Me Repair My Door”
Will you help me repair my gate?
Will you help me repair my door?
Did you find what you was looking for?
Will you help me repair my gate and door?
[Verse 1]
Would you like a slice of lemon pound cake?
You can take as much as you want to take
There must be a big mistake
Would you like to have a slice of my lemon pound cake?
The warrant said “Narcotics and kidnapping”
The warrant said “Narcotics and kidnapping”
Are you kidding? I make my money rapping
Why does the warrant say “Narcotics?” (Well, I know narcotics)
But why kidnapping?
Let me ask you something, Officer
[Verse 2]
Any kidnapping victims inside my suit pockets?
Are therе any kidnapping victims inside my suit pockets?
You crooked cops need to stop it
Thеre are no kidnapping victims in my suit pockets
Let me ask you another question
Is there a thousand pounds of weed in my suit pockets?
Is there a thousand pounds of weed in my suit pockets?
You crooked cops need to stop it
There’s not a million pounds of weed in my suit pockets
Let me ask you something else
[Verse 3]
Any kidnapping victims inside my CDs?
Any kidnapping victims inside my CDs?
The Adams County Sheriff’s Department, you can get these
There are no kidnapping victims in my, in my CDs
How many pounds of weed are inside my CDs?
How many pounds of weed are inside my CDs?
Adams County Sheriff’s, you can get these
How many pounds of weed did you find in my CDs?
[Verse 4]
Why are you stealing my money?
Why are you stealing my money?
You represent the law and it’s funny
You’re stealing my legal-worked-hard-everyday-paid-taxes money
The sheriff disconnected my cameras
The sheriff disconnected my cameras
The sheriff should be locked up in slammers
The Adams County Sheriff’s Department disconnected my cameras
[Verse 5]
Did you have to traumatize my kids?
Did you have to traumatize my kids?
Did you have to traumatize my kids?
Did you have to traumatize my kids?
Will you pay me for doing me wrong?
Will you pay me for doing me wrong?
Will you pay me for doing me wrong?
Or will I have to get paid from this song?
