Killer Mike, the hip-hop artist, activist and founding member of Run the Jewels, was detained by the Los Angeles police yesterday, shortly after winning three Grammy awards.

According to a statement by the police, Killer Mike was booked on a misdemeanor charge after an altercation inside the Crypto.com Arena, where the ceremony was held. A video taken at the scene appeared to show him being led from the scene in handcuffs, as someone shouts “Free Mike!” in the background. According to his attorneys, he was released later the same day. It’s still not clear what exactly happened: while gossip site TMZ has reported that the altercation involved a security guard, this is yet to be confirmed.

The incident marred what was otherwise a triumphant night for Killer Mike. His sixth solo LP, Michael, won Best Rap Album, and his song ‘Scientists and Engineers’ – which features Andre 3000, Future and  Eryn Allen Kane – was awarded ‘Best Rap Song’ and ‘Best Rap Performance.’  During his acceptance speech, he said, “This is for all the people who think you’re too old to rap... we keep hip-hop alive. Never ever stop doing what you do."

UPDATE (6/02/2024): Killer Mike has released a statemen via Pitchfork commenting on the incident. He said: "I do want to note that last night, my team and I fielded a number of calls from concerned fans and colleagues wanting to know if I was OK. I greatly appreciate the concern and support, but I am better than OK.”

The statement continued: "As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an over-zealous security guard, but my team and I have the upmost confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing. Until that time, keep listening to ‘Michael’, and keep going after your dreams."