Afroman Blames Police for Raid in Lawsuit Defense

Rapper Joseph Foreman, widely known as Afroman, is placing the blame squarely on Ohio police officers for his current legal troubles. Foreman is defending himself in a trial against Adams County Sheriff’s deputies who are suing him for using footage from a 2022 raid on his home in his music video “Lemon Pound Cake.”

Blaming the Officers for the Lawsuit

During his testimony on March 17, Afroman argued that the lawsuit would not exist if the officers had not “wrongly raided” his house in the first place. “All of this is their fault,” Foreman stated during the court hearing. “If they hadn’t wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit, I would not know their names, they wouldn’t be on my home surveillance system, and there would be no songs… my money would still be intact.”

The deputies claim that Afroman’s music and social media posts, particularly the “Lemon Pound Cake” video which went viral on Instagram showing the raid, have caused them “humiliation, ridicule, mental distress, embarrassment and loss of reputation.” They allege that the video depicts them breaking down his door, entering with rifles drawn, and potentially stealing money during the raid. The police raid itself reportedly failed to find any drugs or illegal paraphernalia.

Freedom of Speech Defense

Foreman is asserting his right to free speech, arguing that he has the right to create videos and posts using footage that captures the deputies’ actions. “Fact, they never should have came to my house in the first place. Fact, if they hadn’t came to my house, they wouldn’t have put themselves on the video camera and in my music career,” he testified. “Under the circumstance that I got freedom of speech after they run around my house with guns and kick down my door. I got the right to kick a can in my backyard, use my freedom of speech, turn my bad times into a good time. Yes, I do.”

The deputies’ testimony included Deputy Lisa Phillips, who reportedly broke down on the stand, claiming harassment and questioning about her gender and sexuality due to the video’s circulation. Prosecutors played the video during the trial, further highlighting the emotional impact on the officers involved. Despite Afroman’s defense and claims of police error, an internal police investigation reportedly found the deputies’ actions to be unfounded and cleared them.

• Rapper Afroman is being sued by Ohio police officers for using raid footage in his music video ‘Lemon Pound Cake’.
• Afroman blames the officers for the raid itself, stating the lawsuit wouldn’t exist if they hadn’t made a mistake.
• The deputies claim the video caused them humiliation, ridicule, and mental distress.
• Afroman is defending his actions under the principle of freedom of speech.
• The police raid reportedly found no illegal substances, and the officers involved were cleared internally.