Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Apologizes to Wyclef Jean for Any Inconvenience His Detainment Caused
Recently, members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department made a colossal mistake as they were searching for a red bandana-wearing Black male who had just robbed a gas station. Unfortunately, Wyclef Jean happened to be wearing his red Haitian bandana that day, and he ended up wrongfully handcuffed by the LASD.
Wyclef rightfully spoke out about the incident in a video and a series of tweets, and now, the LASD has offered up a public apology to the J’ouvert artist, while maintaining that, in the interest of public safety, the procedure needed to be conducted.
"It is unfortunate that Mr. Jean was detained for six minutes during this investigation, as he had no involvement whatsoever in this violent crime," reads the department's statement, which was posted onto the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Facebook account.
The statement continues, "However, Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs are frequently required to make lawful detentions, under the strict parameters provided by law, in the interest of catching often dangerous and armed suspects in our communities and keeping the public safe. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is apologetic for any inconvenience this process caused Mr. Jean. We are grateful we were able to apprehend the robbery suspects and that no one was seriously injured."
While it's good that the LASD made an apology, it's still sad that Wyclef had to go through such an ordeal. Yesterday, XXL requested a comment from Wyclef's representative, and they offered up this statement:
“I was asked by the police to put my hands up. Then I was told, ‘Do not move.’ I was instantly handcuffed before being asked to identify myself and before being told why. In the process I said my name and told them they have wrong person. They proceeded to ignore me and I was treated like a criminal. I am sure no father wants his sons or daughters to see him in Handcuffs especially if he is innocent. As someone who has law enforcers in my family, I was appalled by the behavior of the LAPD.”
However, it wasn't the LAPD that detained 'Clef as he incorrectly reported.
You can read the LASD's official apology in the Facebook post below as well as LAPD clearing up the incident.
40 Hip-Hop Albums Turning 20 in 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtrRooFKTKY