Rapper T.I.’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, claimed the performer was “wrongfully arrested” this week outside a gated community in Atlanta, Georgia.
According to Billboard magazine Thursday, the 37-year-old rapper’s lawyer accused the guard at the community of being asleep when T.I — whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. — arrived in the early morning hours and it took his client “some time to wake up the sleeping guard.”
(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Sadow said the rapper was never given the opportunity to tell police what happened before being taken into custody after attempting to get into the gated community.
“The guard continued to refuse entry without justification,” Sadow said. “Words were exchanged and apparently the guard and/or a supervisor called the police. When the police arrived, they were not interested in hearing [T.I.] Tip’s side of the story and wrongfully chose to end the situation by arresting Tip.”
Henry County Deputy Police Chief Mike Ireland said T.I. was arrested after he reportedly got into a fight with the guard.
According to reports. Harris had displaced his keys and was just trying to get in the community to go home when the guard refused to let him in. The rapper said he explained to the guard who he was, but was refused entry.
Police said the rapper was taken into custody and charged with public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and simple assault, before being released on bail.
On 911 audio shared by TMZ, the security guard said he had been “threatened by a resident.”
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The rapper can also be heard describing that the guard was asleep and getting upset as he explained that he lives there.