The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has revealed details to AllHipHop.com about the arrest warrant for rapper/actor Mos Def.
According to Public Information Officer Ramon Denby, two warrants were issued for the rapper’s arrest on Tuesday (November 4) in regards to an August incident.
The warrants were issued by the Clark County District Attorney’s office, which seeks to prosecute Mos, born Dante Smith, on one count of felony robbery and one count of malicious destruction of private property.
As previously reported, the charges stem from an August 26 altercation between Mos Def and Volker Corell, a credentialed photographer hired by the Men’s Apparel and Garment Industry Convention, better known as MAGIC.
“The initial report was taken by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority,” Officer Denby told AllHipHop.com. “By the time we arrived, the property, which in this case was a Nikon camera, had been returned. Detectives then took statements from witnesses and spoke to the victim and proceeded to gather the necessary evidence to turn the case over to the District Attorney’s office.”
As for the apparent delay between the date of the alleged incident and the issuance of the warrants, Denby stated that the process was routine in investigations.
“We have to have a certain amount of evidence to present a case to the D.A.’s office, who then makes the determination to move forward,” Denby explained. “This was just a standard investigating time.”
The LVMPD is currently awaiting contact from Mos and his attorneys to arrange a self surrender.
Mos Def currently has five films scheduled for release between now and 2010, including December’s Cadillac Records in which he will appear as Chuck Berry alongside Beyonce’s portrayal of Etta James.
The Brooklyn rapper, who is as equally an accomplished actor as he is an artist and musician, is also slated to appear in the film adaptation of Iceberg Slim’s Mama Black Widow.
He will join an all-star cast including Rihanna, Macy Gray, Kerry Washington, Angela Bassett, and Anthony Anderson.