Rapper Feezy Lebron files $10M claim against L.A. county, alleges deputy threatened to kill him
Attorneys for Lebron argue in the claim that he experienced fear and anguish over the life-threatening incident and "continues to suffer panic attacks."
Rapper Feezy Lebron has filed a $10 million complaint against Los Angeles County, alleging a sheriff’s deputy threatened to kill him during an altercation on New Year’s Eve that was recorded on body camera.
According to ABC7 News, the Los Angeles-based rapper — born Darral Scott — and his lawyers contend that he did not pose a threat to deputies, who threatened to shoot and kill him while he sat in his car alone.
Lebron’s attorney Morgan Ricketts called the incident “absolutely discriminatory and racist.”
“When you got a gun pointed in your face and someone is threatening you, that’s criminal,” Ricketts said, according to ABC7. “That’s gangster behavior. It’s thuggery.”
According to the rapper’s claim, on Dec. 31, 2022, at around 5:45 p.m. he was waiting to meet a friend in a Gardena parking lot, listening to music and live-streaming to his fans on Instagram, when deputies pulled up and shined a flashlight at his vehicle.
A deputy entered the driver’s side door, grabbed Lebron by the arm and attempted to drag him out, per the complaint. A second deputy allegedly approached shortly after, threatening to pepper spray the rapper.
He was allegedly sitting with his hands raised when the same deputy pulled out a gun, pointed it at his chest, and threatened to shoot him several times.
According to the complaint, the deputy allegedly told Lebron, “Move your hands from right there, and you’re done.” In the bodycam footage, the deputy also warned Lebron he would shoot him if he tried to take off or put the vehicle in drive.
In response to Lebron asking the deputy whether he was going to shoot him, the officer allegedly replied, “Absolutely.”
According to the claim, after deputies searched the vehicle, Lebron was dragged out of it and handcuffed. He was released after receiving a ticket for a front license plate that was missing.
The deputy’s behavior and remarks are under investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
As reported by The Los Angeles Times, attorneys for Lebron argue in the claim — typically filed before a lawsuit — that he experienced pain and bruising from the handcuffs and anguish and fear over the life-threatening incident.
“[Scott] continues to suffer panic attacks, is unable to sleep, and is afraid to drive,” the claim reads, according to the L.A. Times.
The claim also states that when he attempted to make a report about the incident days after it occurred, deputies made him wait more than four hours at a sheriff’s office. That circumstance Lebron and his attorneys consider retaliation.
According to ABC7, the rapper asserts that sheriff’s deputies violated his civil rights. His legal counsel said the Sheriff’s Department must be held accountable and expressed confidence in the strength of their case.
According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy’s behavior and remarks are under investigation.
“I was scared to death,” Lebron recalled at a press conference Wednesday, ABC7 reported. “I didn’t think I was going to make it home to see my kids.”
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