Killer Mike no longer detained after being handcuffed at the Grammys

Shortly after sweeping the Grammy Awards with wins in each nominated category, rapper Killer Mike was seen escorted out by LAPD officers in a viral video.

Killer Mike was released Sunday night after being arrested following his win of three Grammy Awards during the pre-televised portion of the event.

The Run The Jewels half was “detained & handcuffed for a physical altercation that occurred at the 700 block of Chick Hearn Court,” according to an X message from the Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations Division.

Chick Hearn Court is located adjacent to Crypto.com Arena, site of the 2024 Grammy Awards.

Killer Mike at the 66th annual Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images)

A now-viral video showed Killer Mike being escorted in handcuffs from the event by LAPD officers.

According to the Associated Press, Michael “Killer Mike” Render was released on his own recognizance at 8:37 p.m. He is scheduled to appear in court in Los Angeles on Feb. 29. 

In a series of tweets, journalist Chris Gardner from The Hollywood Reporter detailed the artist-activist’s arrest and the events that followed until his release. 

At Sunday night’s Grammys, Killer Mike was nominated for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for his track “Scientists & Engineers” (which features Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane), along with Best Rap Album for “Michael” — and he won in each category.

Render’s lawyer confirmed his release to Variety, saying, “He’s out and will be celebrating his sweep tonight.”

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Moments before his arrest, he gave an acceptance speech touching on his journey from youth to adulthood.

“At 20 years old, I thought it was cool to be a drug dealer,” Render said backstage. “At 40, I started to live with the regrets and the things I’ve done. At 45, I started to rap about it. At 48, I stand here as a man full of empathy and sympathy for the things I’ve done.”

The last time the Atlanta rapper took home a Grammy was in 2003 for his feature on OutKast’s “The Whole World,” winning in Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. His last nomination was in 2018 via Run The Jewels when “Chase Me,” his song aside producer/rhymer El-P, was up for Best Rap Song.

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