'we Did It, America!': Afroman Triumphs In Lawsuit Filed By Law Enforcement Who Raided His Home

Afroman has emerged victorious from an penetration of privateness and defamation lawsuit revenge against him by 7 members of Ohio’s Adams County Sheriff’s Office complete mocking videos and societal media posts nan rapper put retired aft a grounded 2022 ambush connected his home.

“We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on! Right on! Yeah! God bless America!” nan 51-year-old rapper, calved Joseph Foreman, shouted extracurricular nan courthouse aft nan Wednesday evening verdict arsenic supporters rallied down him. In nan clip, nether a achromatic fur coat, he was rocking nan aforesaid American emblem shades and red, achromatic and bluish suit and necktie he had worn connected nan guidelines Tuesday.

Four deputies, 2 sergeants and a detective pinch nan Adams County sheriff revenge nan suit successful March 2023, seeking to reclaim immoderate money nan rapper made from what they said was unauthorized usage of their likenesses. The group wanted astir $4 cardinal successful damages. Foreman utilized footage from nan ambush successful videos for songs including “Lemon Pound Cake” to make money to salary for nan harm done to his location during nan raid, erstwhile his beforehand gross was surgery down and his beforehand doorway smashed in.

The plaintiffs said successful their suit that nan posts and videos caused them “humiliation, ridicule, intelligence distress, embarrassment and nonaccomplishment of reputation” and made it difficult to do their rule enforcement work.

At trial, each 7 plaintiffs testified astir nan harassment they had suffered because of nan rapper’s euphony and videos. One, Deputy Lisa Phillips, had her gender personality called into mobility successful Foreman’s videos and societal media posts. She cried connected nan stand arsenic a video suggesting she enjoyed activity pinch different women was played for nan court.

The assemblage apparently agreed pinch nan statement that nan sheriff’s officers were acting successful a nationalist capacity during nan ambush and truthful were not shielded from disapproval of their behavior.

“No reasonable personification would expect a constabulary serviceman not to beryllium criticized. They’ve been called names before,” defense lawyer David Osborne said successful closing arguments for nan rapper and comedian, known for his breakout 2000 hit, “Because I Got High.”

In 2022, nan sheriff’s squad was acting connected a warrant showing probable origin that narcotics and supplier paraphernalia would beryllium recovered connected nan spot and alleging that trafficking and kidnapping had happened there. No grounds of a crime was found, and nary charges were filed.

Foreman wasn’t location during nan ambush but was capable to spot astatine slightest portion of it via a video recorded by his ex-wife and footage captured connected his location information strategy earlier rule enforcement turned disconnected those cameras. He said connected nan guidelines that nan ambush traumatized his children, who were 10 and 12 astatine nan time.

“The full ambush was a mistake. All of this is their fault,” Foreman testified Tuesday. “If they hadn’t wrongly raided my house, location would beryllium nary lawsuit, I would not cognize their names, they wouldn’t beryllium connected my location surveillance system, and location would beryllium nary songs, nothing.”

Foreman besides defended his correct to usage nan ambush footage arsenic fodder for his work.

“After they left, I had nan correct to footwear nan tin and to do what I had to do to repair nan harm they brought to my house. Yes, I did,” he testified. “I person state of speech. I’m a rapper. I entertain.”

Foreman discussed his guidance to nan suit pinch section position WCPO Channel 9 successful 2023. “From nan first 10 seconds, I was offended. I was appalled. I was for illustration ‘What?’ Then I started laughing,” he said. “These guys pinch their rifles are crying astir my drama songs.”

Meanwhile, arsenic nan assemblage deliberated Wednesday, an wholly different Adams County Sheriff’s Office was emotion online power linked to nan trial: nan agency successful Colorado’s Adams County.

“The Adams County Sheriff’s Office has received a flood of societal media comments, DMs, and telephone calls astir nan #Afroman defamation trial,” nan Colorado section said on X. “It’s clear this is important to a batch of people. There’s conscionable 1 mini issue: that’s nan ACSO successful Ohio. We are nan ACSO successful #Colorado. Different states, aforesaid name.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.