ATLANTA (AP) - The Latest on rapper T.I.’s arrest outside his gated community. (all times local):
3:15 p.m.
Police say rapper T.I. used a loud voice with an officer before being arrested outside his gated community near Atlanta.
A Henry County Police report states that an officer smelled an “overwhelming” amount of alcohol on T.I.’s breath. The report says the rapper’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and that he appeared aggravated when the officer spoke to him.
Henry County Deputy Police Chief Mike Ireland says the 38-year-old T.I. was arrested early Wednesday and charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and simple assault. He was released on bail. The rapper’s real name is Clifford Harris.
The police report states the officer retrieved surveillance footage showing T.I. telling the security guard, Euwan James, that “there was no way around him.” The rapper is also shown yelling and saying James reports to him because he owns property in the neighborhood.
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12:45 p.m.
A security guard says he felt threatened during an argument with rapper T.I. that led to the Grammy-winning hip-hop artist’s arrest outside his gated community near Atlanta.
In a 10-minute phone call, the security guard at the Eagles Landing Country Club told a 911 dispatcher early Wednesday that a resident kept asking for his name and knocking on the guard shack door. The security guard acknowledged during the call he did not recognize the resident, who was identified as Clifford Harris, better known as T.I.
Henry County Deputy Police Chief Mike Ireland says the 38-year-old T.I. was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and simple assault and then released on bail.
A police report says the dispatcher heard T.I. yelling through the phone at guard Euwan James. The security guard claims he eventually let T.I. inside the neighborhood.
James says the rapper drove home, then returned and said “Come outside so we can deal with this man to man.”
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11:30 p.m.
A lawyer for T.I. says the Grammy-winning rapper never got to tell his side of the story to police before they arrested him after a pre-dawn attempt this week to enter his gated community near Atlanta.
T.I. was arrested early Wednesday after getting in an argument with a security guard, said Henry County Deputy Police Chief Mike Ireland. Media reports say the hip-hop artist, whose real name is Clifford Harris, had lost his key and the guard wouldn’t let him into the complex.
Police said the 38-year-old artist was charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and simple assault and then released on bail.
The rapper’s attorney, Steve Sadow, issued a statement that his client had been “wrongfully arrested.” Sadow said the community guard was asleep when his client arrived at the guardhouse and it took “some time to wake up the sleeping guard.”
Sadow said T.I. identified himself and sought entry, but the guard refused. The rapper contacted his wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, who confirmed that her husband should be allowed inside the community, according to his lawyer.
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