Clifford Harris Jr. – better known as rapper T.I. – was arrested outside the entryway into his gated community in the early hours of May 16, 2018. The musician was arrested for an altercation with the neighborhood security guard. T.I. claims the arrest was unlawful and based on racial animus.

According to law enforcement, T.I. was inebriated when he entered into a loud argument with the neighborhood security guard after being denied entry to his own neighborhood. The security guard claims that T.I. was barred entry from the neighborhood because he didn't have his key. The argument eventually became heated, with T.I. reportedly asking the security guard, “Don't you know who I am?” After the guard refused T.I. entry, he called the police for assistance when T.I. persisted banging on the door of the guard shack.

According to T.I., the rapper was heading home from his recording studio at approximately 4:00 a.m. when he arrived at the guard hut at the entrance of his neighborhood. There, he reportedly found the security guard asleep on the job. After having some difficulty waking the man up, the situation escalated when the guard allegedly became hostile with T.I. in barring him from entering the neighborhood. T.I. also claims that when his wife called from inside the neighborhood to OK his entry, the guard shouted profanities at her and refused to comply. When the police arrived, they arrested the rapper at the request of the security guard, according to a statement made by T.I.'s attorney. After transport to the police station, T.I. was charged with public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and simple assault before being released on bond.

This isn't the first time T.I. has been in handcuffs. On October 13, 2007, T.I. was taken into custody by federal agents and charged with two serious charges: possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The rapper was arrested in a drug store parking lot while attempting to purchase weapons from his bodyguard who had recently become a cooperating witness for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A plea agreement on the firearms charges led to a seven-month prison stay and a lengthy house arrest.

In 2010, both T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris were arrested for drug charges. His probation was revoked based on this arrest and other grounds, including a positive test for opiates and associating with a known felon. Another plea agreement led the rapper to serve an 11-month sentence in federal prison before he was again released to a halfway house.

Misunderstandings happen. Unfortunately, sometimes those misunderstandings lead to the police being called. If you find yourself in a situation where you have been charged arrested despite being innocent of any wrongdoing, you should discuss your case with an experienced defense attorney immediately. An attorney can work with you to develop a trial strategy and may be able to even convince the prosecuting attorney that the charges were unwarranted. If you have been arrested in the Seattle area contact the Law Offices of Steve Karimi to discuss your case today.