The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is suing Afroman for using video footage of their January raid on his home in his music video.
Several deputies have sued the artist claiming he was profiting from the sale of merchandise that included their images, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The lawsuit, obtained by The Daily Caller, indicates Afroman was not at his residence at the time of the raid, but his wife was inside the home and managed to record the police in action. Residential surveillance footage also recorded the raid as it unfolded. Members of Adams County Sheriff’s Office insist they didn’t provide consent for their images to be used or profited from.
The officers claim the artist proceeded to release music videos, social media posts and physical merchandise products without their approval, and are calling this an invasion of privacy and misappropriation of their likenesses.
They said Afroman’s actions were “willful, wanton, malicious, and done with conscious or reckless,” according to the legal documents provided to Daily Caller.
They also claimed to have suffered emotional distress and said they fell victim to ridicule, humiliation and irreparable loss of reputation. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office cites feelings of embarrassment over the matter, according to the legal documents.
The sheriffs allege they were “subjected to threats, including death threats, by anonymous members of the public” that viewed social media posts” made by Afroman.
Afroman said deputies raided his home to search for narcotics, but made it clear the sheriff’s office did not locate any such narcotics following the raid.
The artist claims the officers made off with $400 in cash, which has not yet been returned to him, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. (RELATED: Afroman Releases Official Statement For His 2024 Presidential Run)
The lawsuit filed by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office seeks profits and earnings from any of Afroman’s sale transactions that incorporated the use of their images. They are seeking a court ruling to prevent further use of their images for sale and commercial purposes, and have demanded a jury by trial, according to the legal documents obtained by Daily Caller.