A rapper’s Friday afternoon detainment outside a Buckhead bank was the product of a witness’ “limited and conflicting” description of a forgery suspect, Atlanta police said.
According to posts on his social media accounts, Blac Youngsta — birth name Sam Benson — went to the Wells Fargo bank at 3235 Peachtree Road NE on Friday afternoon and withdrew $200,000 cash. Police swarmed as he walked through the parking lot.
“I come out the bank, I see the police, I’m walking to my car, I see one of them point to my bag like ‘him,’” Benson told WXIA-TV. “They come bumrushing me at the car, put me on the ground.”
Benson posted a photo of himself being handcuffed on social media, writing “look how they treat a young rich [expletive].”
Atlanta police admitted Benson and his entourage were detained “briefly” — but added that it was all a misunderstanding.
Sgt. Warren Pickard said someone from the bank called 911 to report a man was attempting to cash a forged check for $24,000. The caller’s description was “limited and conflicting,” but information about a possible suspect vehicle was relayed to officers.
That car — Benson’s — was stopped.
“It was quickly discovered that the person providing the description to police had provided the wrong description of the suspect,” Pickard wrote in an emailed statement. “It was determined that the occupants of the vehicle were not involved. They were immediately released.”
Pickard said the witness later identified another man, 39-year-old Charles Darnell Edward, as the alleged check forger. He was arrested and charged with first-degree forgery.
“This incident did not directly involved Blac Youngsta, nor was he accused of committing a crime,” Pickard said.
Benson, a Memphis, Tenn., native, was signed last year to the Collective Music Group label founded by rapper Yo Gotti. He told WXIA-TV he withdrew the money in question to buy a new Mercedes.
“Where I come from,” he said, “we don’t believe in taking checks to the car lot. We take cash money.”
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