Early Tuesday morning, Wyclef Jean was detained and handcuffed near his recording studio by LAPD officers looking for an armed robbery suspect. Two videos of the former Fugee in handcuffs were recorded and posted to his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
“Ya’ll see the police have handcuffs on me,” Jean says in one. ”They just took off my Haitian bandana. That’s what’s going on with Wyclef in L.A. right now.”
LAPD another case of mistaken identity. Black man with red bandana robbed a gas station as I was in the studio working but im in handcuffs? pic.twitter.com/vjRfJUkooA
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
In the second clip, Jean can be heard explaining to police that he’s a “recording artist.”
“Just so y’all know, I am going to sue the LAPD,” he adds. “Because you took off my hat, you put cuffs on me.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR5jBHBBVLQ/
A spokesperson for the LAPD told NBC News that officers were searching for “an armed black male wearing a gray- or dark-colored hoodie with a red bandana” following a robbery at a nearby gas station. Police said Jean was wearing a red bandana at the time of his detainment. CBS Los Angeles reports a suspect was later arrested with the gun used in the robbery.
Later this morning, Jean described the incident in more detail on Twitter.
I was asked by the police to Put my hands up. Then I was told do not move. I was instantly hand cuffed before being asked to identify myself
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
Nor was I told why I was being cuffed. In the process I said my name and told them they have wrong person.
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
They proceeded to ignore me and I was treated like a criminal until other police showed up and pointed out they had wrong person.
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
As some one who has law enforcers in my family, I was appalled by this behavior of the LAPD.
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
Update, March 22: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which says its deputies were the ones who detained Jean, has issued an apology. The LAPD says its officers were not involved.
