Police are suing rapper Afroman for using raid footage in his music video.Ohio

Police officers who failed to raid rapper Afroman’s home last year filed a lawsuit against him for invasion of privacy and emotional distress after he used the footage in a music video. .

Earlier this month, police officers Sean D. Cooley, Justin Cooley, Michael D. Estep, Sean D. Grooms, Brian Newland, Lisa Phillips, and Randolph L. Walters Jr. filed a lawsuit in Adams County. caused Ohioclaimed against Afroman that others, including the rapper and his record label, used the policeman’s likeness for commercial purposes.

according to court documents, Officers searched Afroman’s residence last August “in accordance with a legally issued search warrant.”according to warrant, The raid was part of a drug possession and trafficking and kidnapping investigation.

After the raid, the Adams County Attorney’s Office said officers found no corroborating criminal evidence and no charges were filed against Afroman.

Afroman, whose real name is Joseph Edgar Foreman, was not home at the time of the attack, but his wife was.

Afroman’s wife recorded part of the raid on her phone, and part of the search was captured by a security video camera installed in the home.

The rapper went on to use footage recorded by his wife and home cameras as part of several music videos released online. The lawsuit states that he posted content of the raid on his account.

According to the complaint, “These music videos clearly depict the images, likenesses and distinctive appearances (“personas”) of many of the officers involved in the search, including all plaintiffs.

One of the images posted to Instagram is of Afroman wearing a T-shirt with a picture of police officer Sean D. Cooley next to a picture of Family Guy character Peter Griffin. said the complaint.

Another Instagram post showed a photo of Judge Roy Gabbert signing the search warrant. According to the lawsuit, the caption read: His name is Roy Droopy Gabbert. Vote for him before he signs a fictitious warrant, then endanger your and your family’s lives, steal your money, disconnect your home video security surveillance system, and overreact. Send his delusional KKKops to your home…”

Officers allege Afroman’s actions were “deliberate, capricious, malicious and carried out with conscious or reckless disregard” and have been the object of ridicule by the public. .

They also received death threats and claimed they were not performing their duties properly.

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“As a result of Defendant’s actions, Plaintiff suffered harm, including all benefits, resulting from Defendant’s unauthorized use of Plaintiff’s persona, and suffered humiliation, ridicule, emotional distress, embarrassment, and loss of reputation. The lawsuit said.

Each officer is seeking $25,000 in damages in each of the four incidents.

Afroman told Vice earlier this year that he had lost gig opportunities due to kidnapping charges written into the warrant and expressed his anger through music.

“I am a commoner. Worse, I am a black citizen of America. The police department was not designed to serve and protect me. I felt helpless and angry.” These guys could destroy my property and I literally couldn’t do anything.The only thing I could do was take my pen and sing about injustice. To, it’s going well!” he Said.