 |
| (FILES) In this file photo taken on January 23, 2017 US rapper ASAP Rocky poses before the Christian Dior 2017 spring/summer Haute Couture collection on January 23, 2017 in Paris. American rapper ASAP Rocky was arrested in Stockholm this week, suspected of aggravated assault, after a street brawl part of which was caught on video, Swedish prosecutors said on July 4, 2019. (Photo by Patrick KOVARIK / AFP) |
Swedish prosecutors Thursday requested to keep American rapper ASAP Rocky in custody after he was arrested over a street brawl in Stockholm caught on video.
The artist was detained earlier this week along with three other people following Sunday’s incident, which was partly captured in a video published by US celebrity news outlet TMZ.
In the video, the rapper, who was in Stockholm for a concert, can be seen throwing a young man into the street then aiming several punches at him while the man is on the ground.
ASAP Rocky — whose real name is Rakim Mayers — on Tuesday posted his own videos on Instagram, which he said showed the lead up to the clash.
In those, the musician repeatedly asks the young man and his friend to walk the other way.
One of the four people originally arrested, a bodyguard who was suspected of assault, was released on Wednesday, and the investigation against him was dropped.
Swedish prosecutors on Thursday filed a detention request with the Stockholm District Court to keep the artist and two others in custody because there was “a flight risk and a risk that if released, they could sabotage the investigation”.
A detention hearing will likely be held on Friday.
Henrik Olsson Lilja, the lawyer representing Asap Rocky, told AFP the artist denies the crime.
Asap Rocky, who was on a European tour and is scheduled to perform in Dublin and London this weekend, has already had to cancel shows in Norway and Poland.
“It could jeopardise the entire tour if he is detained,” Olsson Lilja said.
ASAP Rocky was born in New York and had his breakthrough in 2011 with the release of the mixtape “Live. Love. ASAP”. He followed that up in 2013 with the debut album “Long. Live. ASAP”.
The artist was detained earlier this week along with three other people following Sunday’s incident, which was partly captured in a video published by US celebrity news outlet TMZ.
In the video, the rapper, who was in Stockholm for a concert, can be seen throwing a young man into the street then aiming several punches at him while the man is on the ground.
ASAP Rocky — whose real name is Rakim Mayers — on Tuesday posted his own videos on Instagram, which he said showed the lead up to the clash.
In those, the musician repeatedly asks the young man and his friend to walk the other way.
One of the four people originally arrested, a bodyguard who was suspected of assault, was released on Wednesday, and the investigation against him was dropped.
Swedish prosecutors on Thursday filed a detention request with the Stockholm District Court to keep the artist and two others in custody because there was “a flight risk and a risk that if released, they could sabotage the investigation”.
A detention hearing will likely be held on Friday.
Henrik Olsson Lilja, the lawyer representing Asap Rocky, told AFP the artist denies the crime.
Asap Rocky, who was on a European tour and is scheduled to perform in Dublin and London this weekend, has already had to cancel shows in Norway and Poland.
“It could jeopardise the entire tour if he is detained,” Olsson Lilja said.
ASAP Rocky was born in New York and had his breakthrough in 2011 with the release of the mixtape “Live. Love. ASAP”. He followed that up in 2013 with the debut album “Long. Live. ASAP”.
By AFP
In this article: