More details of 21 Savage’s arrest have begun to emerge, including claims by police that he was carrying a loaded gun at the time.
The rapper was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents this weekend (February 3) for violating the terms of his non-immigrant visa. Savage, whose real name is She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was born in the UK but has been living in Atlanta since 2006.
According to three police reports obtained by TMZ, the star was pulled over in Atlanta on Sunday after he drove across the pavement to get onto another street. Upon being stopped, Abraham-Joseph is said to have dumped a bottle containing an unknown substance, which led to him being immediately handcuffed.
After the vehicle was searched, the authorities allegedly found a loaded Block pistol in the glove compartment and a styrofoam cup containing an unknown substance in the console. In a statement given to TMZ, the rapper’s lawyer, Brian Steel, said the gun and the car did not belong to him.
Alex Spiro, who also provides legal representation for 21 Savage, told the publication: “ICE has confirmed he was targeted for immigration enforcement and nothing more. He was never arrested by the police, and some other individual’s firearm and vehicle is not our concern here.”
Since his arrest, the star has received the support of a number of celebrities, including Cardi B, Pusha T, and Offset. Jay-Z hired Spiro to assist with the case after calling the arrest “an absolute travesty.” “In addition to being a successful recording artist, 21 deserves to be reunited with his children immediately #Free21Savage,” he wrote in a statement released by his label RocNation.