Confused about the A$AP Rocky arrest in Sweden? You’re not alone.
As I write this, American rapper A$AP Rocky is still in a Swedish jail, awaiting trial on assault charges following a brawl that happened on a street in Stockholm on June 30. Meanwhile, back in the US, everyone from Donald Trump to Kim Kardashian to Justin Bieber is demanding that he be released. Trump has even gone as far to say that he’s “very disappointed” in the Swedish prime minister over the whole thing.
This whole thing screams for some kind of clarity. What really happened? What’s the controversy?
Rocky says he and his two companions were acting in self-defense and was responding to some fightin’ words. Swedish prosecutors aren’t buying that, saying “the events in question constitute a crime despite claims of being self-defense and provocation.”
Naturally, though, there’s video. Take a look at draw your own conclusions.
The first clip shows a verbal and then physical confrontation between Roxy, his bodyguard and a couple of guys in white shirts. One of them seems intent on being a bit of a dick.
And then things escalated.
Swedish authorities say there’s way more to the story than what we see in these clips. I quote from a statement from one of the prosecutors: “It is worth noting that I have had access to a greater amount of material than that which has previously been available on the internet. In addition to video material, the injured party’s statements have been supported by witness statements.”
The accuser–the dude in the white shirt that was following Rocky and his bodyguard–claims to have suffered (via TMZ) “a bloody arm, a bloody finger, blood on the back of an arm, and a streak of blood on a bicep. There’s also a gash on another body part and various cuts.” (Here’s more on that. From this story, it looks like he might have some kind of case. But who knows?)
Meanwhile, Rocky’s bodyguard has a counterclaim. He says that one of the Swedish dudes smashed a pair of headphones over his head.
TMZ has this report.
Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt fired this back at Trump, basically telling him to butt out.
The rule of the law applies to everyone equally and is exercised by an independent judiciary. That’s the way it is in the US, and that’s certainly the way it is in Sweden. Political interference in the process is distinctly off limits! Clear? https://t.co/8iTc9Y0df3
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) July 26, 2019
And it probably didn’t help Rocky’s case when he gave his name to police as “pretty mother f*cker.”
Four judges will hear this case in the next week. The maximum jail time is two years, but no one expects prosecutors to go for that.
Oh, and someone has threatened to blow up the Swedish embassy in DC.
More details here. And just for fun, there’s this:
Fascinant pic.twitter.com/Yq1Qw5nvg4
— Luc de Barochez (@lucdebarochez) July 24, 2019
Dear Alan and your readers here, the only thing that might come across as “confusing” is why so many people in the U.S. are so ignorant to believe that their President — or that of ANY president in any country for the matter — has the RIGHT to intervene in an independent judicial case of another sovereign nation, and even LESS somehow feel entitled to “demand” that a person indicted with a crime should be released. As a Danish-Swedish national it is LAUGHABLE and actually out right disgusting and blatantly disrespectful to see how Trump and other U.S. celebrities are trying to manipulate the Swedish justice system. Who the HECK do they think they are? It is clear from the multiple words, tweets and other political statements from Trump during the years that he is a complete racist when it comes to a variety of topics, and the ONLY reason he is involved is because he hopes he can swing a few black votes with the Kardashians ahead of 2020 — just review Trump’s latest attack on Cummings, that goes to confirm this once again. As for the case in question it is pretty straight forward; Yes, the celebrity rapper is annoyed that two tiny-sized men are following them — but “feeling provoked” does NOT merit self defense, and even less a 2-minutes hugely violent beating by THREE on one physically much smaller person. If your beloved rapper REALLY felt provoked he should have called the local police, who would have arrived promptly and either told the buys to bugger off of taken them aside for on-street questioning, which would have given A$AP Rocky and his bodies PLENTY of time to get away peacefully. There is ZERO argument for self defense and even less for attacking and brutally assaulting another person with such extreme violence. There IS however a case that shows your rapper in need for some serious anger management therapy, maybe he will be ordered to do just that during the remainder of his prison stay 😉