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Seven law enforcement officers have sued rap artist Afroman, accusing him of improperly using footage from a police raid on his Ohio home last year in a music video.
Four deputies, two sergeants and a detective with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office brought the suit earlier this month, alleging invasion of privacy. The other law enforcement officers involved in the attack were not named as plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs say the rapper, who goes by the name Joseph Foreman, took footage of his face obtained during the August 2022 attack and used it in music videos and social media posts without his consent. They say that it has caused them “emotional pain, shame, ridicule, loss of reputation and humiliation.”
The plaintiffs sought all of Foreman’s profits from using the personas. This includes proceeds from songs, music videos and live event tickets, as well as promoting Foreman’s Afroman brand, where he sells beer, marijuana, T-shirts and other merchandise. He also sought a court order to remove all videos and posts containing the personas.
The suit names Foreman, his record company and a Texas-based media distribution company as defendants. In an Instagram post made Wednesday, Foreman vowed to fight “for the undeniable damage this has done to clients, families, careers and property.”
Law enforcement officers acted on a warrant stating probable cause that drugs and drug paraphernalia were to be found on Foreman’s property and that trafficking and kidnapping had occurred there, authorities said. The allegations were unfounded, and the raids failed to produce any criminal evidence. No charges were filed.
When the cash seized during the raid returned to Foreman, it appeared hundreds of dollars were missing. A subsequent review by the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined that deputies had miscalculated the number of arrests made during the raid.
Foreman is famous for his songs Because I’m Above and Crazy rapboth of which are featured in his album The Good Times. He is also known for his political activism and announced last December that he would run for president.
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