Killer Mike was taken away in handcuffs Sunday at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles after winning three GRAMMYs. Hours later, the Los Angeles Police Department took to X (formerly Twitter) to share more information surrounding the incident.
“On Sunday February 4th just after 4pm a male adult was detained & handcuffed for a physical altercation that occurred at the 700 block of Chick Hearn Court,” the account wrote. “The suspect was placed under arrest and was transported to LAPD Central Division.”
The department went on to identify the suspect as “48-year-old Michael Render,” adding that the performer was “booked for Misdemeanor Battery 243(A) PC, and is in the process of being released.”
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
Mike has not publicly commented on the arrest. Chick Hearn Court is located directly next to the Crypto.com Arena where the GRAMMY Awards took place on Sunday.
The incident initially garnered attention after a video taken by a reporter from The Hollywood Reporter showed the rapper being escorted away by two officers from the Los Angeles Police Department. At one point in the video, someone appears to shout “Free Mike.”
Following the ordeal, GRAMMY chief Harvey Mason Jr. was seen on the phone while huddled around Killer Mike’s team.
ET has reached out to the LAPD for comment.
The bizarre situation came not long after Killer Mike won three GRAMMYs for Best Rap Album for MICHAEL, Best Rap Performance for “Scientists & Engineers” and Best Rap Song for “Scientists & Engineers.”
Killer Mike, an activist who champions social equality and who is no stranger to speaking out against police brutality, won his first GRAMMY in 2003 with Outkast for “The Whole World” in the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group category.
This is a developing story.
The 2024 GRAMMY Awards was on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and being broadcast and streamed live on CBS and Paramount+ from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Follow along at ETonline.com for full coverage from music’s biggest night, including performances, GRAMMY winners and more.
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