Kimora Lee Simmons,
wife of mogul Russell Simmons was arrested in New Jersey and charged with a
series of drug and traffic violations, after she was stopped and marijuana was
allegedly found in her vehicle on Sunday (July 25).
According to reports,
Kimora was driving near her home in Saddle Brook, New Jersey when officers attempted
to pull her over.
Police allege Kimora
made no attempt to stop and did not pull over until she reached her home.
Kimora was charged
with eluding a police officer, possessing marijuana, careless driving, operating
a vehicle while possessing a controlled substance, tail-gating and having a
taillight out.
She and her clique
charge that she was a victim of excessive force as well, as she claims to have
bruises on her wrists.
Hip-Hop tycoon Russell Simmons,
Kimora’s spouse, said the arrest and subsequent “abuse” shocked
him. Simmons said that his wife may have also been the victim of racial profiling.
“When my wife noticed
the police were behind her, she put on her hazard lights and drove a short distance
because there was no shoulder on the road,” Russell told AllHipHop.com.
“She drove to her home where the entire illegal search and abuse was filmed
by our home security cameras. The first question they asked was ‘is Russell
home?’”
Similarly, Kimora’s
attorney accused the police of illegally searching the car and also stated that
any unlawful drugs in the automobile belonged to an unidentified passenger.
Furthermore, her
attorney also said that her arrest was another example of police targeting prominent
members of the Hip-Hop community.
“We’ve
had a great relationship with the police chief and most of the Saddle River
Police Department,” Russell told AllHipHop.com. “The arresting officer
was one we don’t know. I guess we enjoy a privileged life in that community,
but my guess is that other people of color who drive through are not afforded
the luxury we have. I am always looking for new material for my new show on
Court TV, but I didn’t think my family would be candidates to be featured
on it.”
In related news,
Baby Phat Fashions, the company headed by Kimora, recently dropped a new extravagant
shoe called the Diva Sneakers, which is designed to motivate inspire young women.
