Lil Baby Responds To Arrest Rumors As His Legal Team Blasts Atlanta Police Department
Lil Baby dominated headlines on Wednesday after the Atlanta Police suggested that his video shoot in a rival gang neighborhood led to the deaths of two teenagers last summer.
However, the rapper's legal team responded to the Atlanta Police's statement, calling it a "complete and total nonsense."
On Wednesday, the Atlanta Police Department held a press conference where they announced that seven individuals had been arrested in connection to the deaths of two 13-year-olds, Jakody Davis and Lamon Freeman.
The teenagers died after being ambushed at a birthday party in July 2024. During the press conference, Atlanta Police's Homicide Commander, Major Ralph Woolfolk, linked Davis and Freeman's murders to a gang war, which was reportedly connected to the triple shooting that occurred during Lil Baby's music video shoot in Northwest Atlanta in May 2024.
Woolfolk said, "Gang violence that was by adults. And the cowardly acts of an Atlanta-based rapper that decided to a rival gang stronghold in a place he knew he should not have been."
Although Woolfolk didn't mention Lil Baby's name, reports confirmed that he was referring to the "WHAM" rapper.
Following the Atlanta Police Department's press conference, rumors began spreading on Thursday that Lil Baby had been arrested.
Some fans reported that the rapper was in federal custody, though no reason was given for his arrest, and no reliable source backed it up.
The arrest rumors soon became a hot topic, and many of Lil Baby's fans expressed concern over his well-being.
However, the rapper put their worries to rest when he posted a statement on his Instagram Stories about his rumored arrest.
Lil Baby thanked everyone for their concern and called the reports of his arrest "fake news." He wrote, "Thanks For All The Concerns, Please Don't Be Misinformed By Fake News!! I'm Overly Good."
In addition to Lil Baby responding to rumors of his arrest, his legal team also released a statement slamming Atlanta Police Department for linking him to the teenagers' deaths.
On Friday, Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, the attorneys for the "Freestyle" crooner, said, "The part of the press conference on Wednesday by the Atlanta Police Department that made an obvious reference to Dominique Jones was complete and total nonsense."
They added, "To say that he couldn't shoot a music video in his hometown, a place that he loves and has continued to uplift, is disgraceful."
The statement continued, "Even more, the location for a major music video shoot is a decision made by a professional team and is not a decision made by any individual."
Findling and Goldberg also said, "Bringing his name into a conversation regarding a terrible crime for which he had absolutely no involvement is unprofessional, unethical and shameful."
They concluded, "Dominique is devastated about the situation because those children came from the same neighborhood he did and he will continue to build up his community in any way he can."
The Shade Room reposted Lil Baby's statement on its Instagram page, and several fans took turns sharing their thoughts on the matter.
Many fans lauded the rapper's legal team for acting swiftly, calling on them to sue the Atlanta Police Department.
One fan said, "And the defamation of character lawsuit??? They need that too." Another fan added, "Yeah, placing blame on Lil Baby for shooting a video in his town is crazy. Also, it's not his job to keep the peace, that's the police job."
A third fan advised Lil Baby, saying, "Hopefully Baby use this is an example that they trying to tear him down so he can move accordingly."
However, a fourth person saw reason as to why the Atlanta Police called out Lil Baby over his music video. They said, "Their delivery may have been harsh, but the message still stands..."
The fan asked, "Why go to your opposition's neighborhood to shoot a video when you knew that a shooting would be a possibility? What was the intention behind doing that?"
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