Last year, a group of Ohio police officers wrongfully raided rapper Afroman‘s home. Afterward, Afroman decided to take matters into his own hands and use the footage of the raid for one of his music videos. Now, the aforementioned cops have reportedly filed a lawsuit against the “Colt 45” rapper, according to court documents obtained by The Guardian.
In the reported lawsuit, which was evidently filed by police officers Shawn D Cooley, Justin Cooley, Michael D Estep, Shawn D, Grooms, Brian Newland, Lisa Phillips, and Randolph L Walters, Jr, the plaintiffs allege that Afroman used their persona for commercial purposes.
“These music videos clearly portray the images, likenesses, and distinctive appearances (‘personas’), of many of the officers involved in the search, including those of all Plaintiffs,” reads part of the lawsuit.
Another part of the lawsuit called Afroman’s use of the footage “willful, wanton, malicious, and done with conscious or reckless disregard,” claiming that as a result, they’ve been subject to ridicule and death threats.
In addition to using clips from the raid for a music video, Afroman also posted clips and images on TikTok and Instagram.
In one of the since-deleted Instagram posts, Afroman allegedly captioned a photo of Judge Roy Gabbert, saying, “This is the judge that signed the warrant that said kidnapping. His name is Roy Droopy Gabbert. Vote him out before he signs a fictitious warrant then send some over reacting paranoid KKKops to your House jeopardizing the lives of you and your family, Stealing your money and disconnecting your home video security surveillance system…”
At the time of the raid, Gabbert had issued a warrant as part of an investigation into drug possession, trafficking, and kidnapping.
Each plaintiff is reportedly seeking damages of $25,000 per four counts.
