Wyclef Jean Handcuffed by Police in L.A.: ‘Another Case of Mistaken Identity’
Wyclef Jean says he was improperly detained by police in Los Angeles.
The Haitian-born singer and songwriter, who rose to fame with the Fugees, shared video to Twitter on Tuesday morning in which he’s in handcuffs next to a police car. “LAPD another case of mistaken identity,” he captioned it. “Black man with red bandana robbed a gas station as I was in the studio working but im in handcuffs?”
LAPD another case of mistaken identity. Black man with red bandana robbed a gas station as I was in the studio working but im in handcuffs? pic.twitter.com/vjRfJUkooA
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
In the video, there’s an officer on each side of him as he faces a police car that has its lights flashing. The three-time Grammy winner, 47, says, “In L.A. right now. Coming from the studio. … Y’all see the police have handcuffs on me. They just took off my Haitian bandana. That’s what’s going on right now with Wyclef. … The LAPD have me in cuffs for absolutely nothing.”
He posted a second video of the incident on Instagram, captioning it, “Why am I in Handcuffs!!!!!????? This is what I said to the LAPD after they put me in Handcuffs for mistaken identity !!!!!!!”
A post shared by Wyclef Jean (@wyclefjean) on Mar 21, 2017 at 4:52am PDT
In that clip, he’s still cuffed and is asking someone off camera to provide the studio address — presumably so officers could corroborate his story. He then tells them in no uncertain terms, “Just so y’all know, I’m going to sue the LAPD. … You took off my hat. You put cuffs on me.”
While Jean blamed LAPD for the incident, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was actually behind the stop. A spokesperson told ABC Los Angeles that the department’s officers were responding to criminal activity at a gas station, where suspects allegedly pistol-whipped two pedestrians and then drove off in a car that looked like the one Jean was driving. One of the suspects was sporting a red bandanna.
“At approximately 1:25 a.m., deputies stopped Wycef Jean, who was driving a car with similar description of suspect’s vehicle … per deputies, Wyclef cooperated,” the sheriff’s department said. Jean was released after the officers figured out he wasn’t the suspect, and the real suspects were later caught.
Update: The sheriff’s department later issued an apology that included details of the crime. “It is unfortunate that Mr. Jean was detained for six minutes during this investigation, as he had no involvement whatsoever in this violent crime,” the lengthy statement said. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is apologetic for any inconvenience this process caused Mr. Jean.”
After news of his detainment made headlines on Tuesday, Jean shared more details about the incident on Twitter, including how he was told by police to “put my hands up” and “do not move” prior to being asked to identify himself.
I was asked by the police to Put my hands up. Then I was told do not move. I was instantly hand cuffed before being asked to identify myself
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
Nor was I told why I was being cuffed. In the process I said my name and told them they have wrong person.
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
He said when he informed police of their mistake, he was ignored and “treated like a criminal.”
They proceeded to ignore me and I was treated like a criminal until other police showed up and pointed out they had wrong person.
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
I am sure no father wants his sons or daughters to see him in Handcuffs especially if he is innocent.
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
He ended by saying he was “appalled” by the mistreatment.
As some one who has law enforcers in my family, I was appalled by this behavior of the LAPD.
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) March 21, 2017
On Sunday, Wyclef posted a photo of him in the studio with songwriter Diane Warren. In it, he is wearing a bandana — perhaps the same one — around his head. Warren called Wyclef’s new album “amazing,” adding that she wrote “the first song he’s ever recorded that he didn’t write or co-write. Can’t wait till everyone hears it — it’s so special!!”
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