Rapper Offset was briefly detained by police in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday while driving through a rally in support of President Donald Trump, officials said.
In a statement, Beverly Hills police said the incident also resulted in the arrest of 20-year-old Marcelo Almanzar, who shares a last name with Offset’s wife, Cardi B, née Belcalis Almanzar.
The police interaction, which the Migos rapper and metro Atlanta native filmed and posted on Instagram, has been viewed and shared online thousands of times. Offset is not facing charges in the incident, according to Beverly Hills police.
“There have been media reports that entertainer Offset was arrested,” the statement said. “Those reports are inaccurate.”
BHPD Statement on 10/24/2020 Arrest: pic.twitter.com/MQS7B6Rvav
— Beverly Hills Police (@BeverlyHillsPD) October 25, 2020
The detainment happened near an area where a large group was gathered in support of Trump, according to tweets from the Beverly Hills Police Department. Protesters took to the streets about 5 p.m. and marched from Beverly Gardens Park, officials said.
Investigators said the incident began when a passerby said someone in a car had pointed a gun at him in the area of South Santa Monica Boulevard and North Beverly Drive. The passerby gave police a license plate number, and the car matching the description provided was found a “short distance away,” police said.
Offset, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was reportedly behind the wheel.
Video footage posted by the rapper captures part of the interaction between him and a group of police officers who pulled him over, TMZ reported.
In the video, Offset can be heard telling the officers that he does not want to get out of the car or remove his hands from his steering wheel because they have their guns drawn.
In the video, Offset denies pulling out a gun and pointing it at anyone. The rapper claims that someone at the rally had attacked his car with a flag, according to the video. At some point, Offset is removed from the car and put into handcuffs.
Almanzar, who according to TMZ is Cardi B’s cousin, was arrested on a count of carrying a concealed weapon and carrying a loaded firearm in public. His bond was set at $35,000.
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