Why was Killer Mike arrested during the 2024 Grammy ceremony? Rapper sues security firms for battery and other charges

Rapper Killer Mike received three Grammy awards in 2024 for Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Album. Despite his win, he was escorted out of the venue in handcuffs after he allegedly engaged in an altercation with a security guard. The guard was treated for injuries by the paramedics. Mike denied the allegations.

As per reports, a female security guard alleged that the rapper pushed her to the ground while they were arguing, due to which she sustained injuries to her hands and fingers. It happened on February 4, 2024, when Mike had to go through a mandatory weapon check.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Killer Mike was booked for misdemeanor battery and released on zero bail on the day of the arrest. Almost a year after that incident, the rapper pursued legal action against the security companies working at the event.

He filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on February 3, 2025, against S&S Labor Force, Inc. and JRM Private Security on the grounds of battery, assault, and false arrest, besides other charges.

The lawsuit states that despite his efforts to explain his identity and reason for being in the secured area, Killer Mike was denied access to the red carpet for public statements and photography.

According to Variety, when he tried to leave, security allegedly restrained him by grabbing his arm and preventing his exit. The lawsuit also mentions that the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office chose not to press charges, confirming he had not committed any crime.

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Killer Mike claimed that the security personnel used excessive force against him

In the lawsuit, Killer Mike claimed that the security officials were not authorized to detain or suspect him of any criminal activity. They either knew or should have known they had no legal reason to detain or use excessive force against him at an event meant to honor his work.

Nevertheless, they still proceeded with a wrongful arrest and imprisonment. As per a statement from the lawsuit quoted in Rolling Stone,

“Even though plaintiff sought to explain the situation in a respectful way, defendants used physical force to invade plaintiff’s bodily autonomy, using hands to touch plaintiff’s person in a manner both offensive and harmful without any justification or provocation from plaintiff, and to restrain him against his will.”

During an interview with The View in 2024, Killer Mike emphasized maintaining dignity and urged people to focus on that rather than the negative aspects of the situation.

He recounted spending three hours in custody, during which officers mentioned receiving an overwhelming number of calls and even considered relocating him due to potential protests. Despite the situation, he remained calm and expressed gratitude for where he was in life.

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Render is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages to be determined at trial. In a previous statement to Rolling Stone, Killer Mike blamed the incident on the guard, explaining that there was confusion about the correct entrance and that security had been overly aggressive. He said he was confident of his innocence.