A$AP Rocky Charged With Assault in Sweden

A$AP Rocky was charged with assault for allegedly throwing a man across a street during an altercation in Stockholm, Sweden late last month, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced Thursday. The rapper has been charged along with two other individuals.

“I have today commenced criminal proceedings against the three individuals suspected of assault causing actual bodily harm, having come to the conclusion that the events in question constitute a crime and despite claims of self defence and provocation,” said public prosecutor Daniel Suneson of the City Public Prosecution Office. “In reaching this conclusion, I have studied the videos made available to the inquiry. 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.”

A$AP Rocky, along with his associates, will remain in custody in Stockholm awaiting trial following this announcement. The date of the trial has not yet been set.

Since the beginning of July, A$AP Rocky and his two associates have been held in a Swedish jail after turning themselves in for suspected “gross assault.” In a video of the incident, which occurred June 30, first posted by TMZ, the Harlem rapper can be seen throwing a man across the street as a fight breaks out. A$AP Rocky and his lawyer have repeatedly claimed the rapper was acting in self-defense, and in two separate videos on Rocky’s Instagram, two men can be seen following A$AP and his associates through the streets, despite being repeatedly told to stop and turn around. The videos also show one of the men hitting Rocky’s security with what appear to be a pair of headphones.

Along with investigating A$AP Rocky, Swedish authorities briefly launched a preliminary investigation into the two men involved in the altercation, but on Monday prosecutors declined to press charges. They claimed one of the men was acting in self-defense when he allegedly hit Rocky’s security guard with the headphones, and that the bodyguard accosted him first. The videos on Rocky’s Instagram, however, do not offer a clear view of how the altercation started, including whether or not the bodyguard pushed the man or lifted him up by the throat, as was stated in the statement from Swedish authorities. And, curiously, Swedish authorities already decided not to detain or charge Rocky’s bodyguard after he was first arrested.

As A$AP Rocky’s initial detainment dragged on, the rapper’s story became a rallying cry for fans, as well as his peers and collaborators, including Tyler, the Creator, Diddy, Justin Bieber and more. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Meek Mill — who’s had his own well-documented struggles with the U.S. criminal justice system — said, “I hope he gets out of the situation eventually as soon as possible. In this world of unfairness, this can happen to anyone tomorrow. It’s even more sensitive for our race in America because we’ve been through so much.”

Rocky’s case ultimately garnered the attention of President Donald Trump, after Kim Kardashian and Kanye West reached out to the White House on the rapper’s behalf. Five Democratic representatives, including Adriano Espaillant, Hakeem Jeffries, André Carson and Joaquin Castro, were also previously in touch with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to provide more assistance.