On April 20, ASAP Rocky was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport, law enforcement confirmed to TMZ. He was reportedly returning home from Barbados where he was enjoying vacation time with his pregnant girlfriend Rihanna.
According to early reports, the arrest was made in connection to a November 2021 shooting in Los Angeles that resulted in one injury, but there is still a great deal of information that’s still unclear in this case. Below is a breakdown of everything we know so far, which will be updated as information surfaces.
On April 20, ASAP Rocky was arrested at the LAX airport in Los Angeles, TMZ reports. He had landed in the city on a private jet after flying in from Barbados, where he had been vacationing with his girlfriend Rihanna. Police reportedly met him at the airport terminal, where he was taken away in handcuffs. The LAPD made the arrest, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, according to NBC News. He was reportedly arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, and taken to the LAPD headquarters for questioning, where he called for the assistance of a lawyer and prepared to be booked. Bond was set at $550,000, TMZ reports.
A source told Entertainment Tonight, “This drama is the last thing Rihanna needs right now. She wants to be mellow, relaxed, and focused 100 percent on the arrival of her baby – not stressing out!” They added, “This arrest was not something they saw coming.”
According to the LAPD, Rocky’s arrest stems from a shooting that occurred on November 6, 2021 around 10:15 p.m. in the Hollywood area of Selma Avenue and Argyle Avenue. Law enforcement claims Rocky and the alleged victim were acquaintances and the shooting occurred after an argument escalated between the two. The shooting victim told police that Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was walking with two others when they approached him on the street. After an argument ensued, the victim alleges that Rocky fired the gun at him three to four times. NBC reports that the victim “believed one of the bullets grazed his left hand.”
The incident was not immediately reported in the media, but the LAPD released a statement on Twitter following Rocky’s arrest. “The argument escalated and resulted in the suspect firing a handgun at the victim,” the statement says. “The victim sustained a minor injury from the incident and later sought his medical treatment. Following the shooting, the suspect and two additional males fled the area on foot. Detectives worked diligently to investigate and corroborate the reporting information which helped identify the suspect(s) involved.”
New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli shared on Twitter that one of Rocky’s neighbors told him the usage of a SWAT team was “so excessive.” They explained, “[I]t was like they came for Capone…I’m frankly offended by it…seems so inappropriate...he’s a great neighbor.”
After his arrest, LAPD officials executed a search warrant at Rocky’s Los Angeles home. TMZ reports that they used a battering ram to get through the gate. Photos obtained by TMZ also show law enforcement leaving with a box of potential evidence.
Rocky’s case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration, although a time or date has not yet been indicated.
This article will be updated as more details surface.
