Reason for Killer Mike's arrest at 2024 Grammys revealed

Here’s why rapper Killer Mike was arrested for alleged battery at the 2024 Grammys

Killer Mike, clad in a black tuxedo and black shirt, smiles and cradles three Grammy Awards statues

Published Feb. 4, 2024 Updated Feb. 5, 2024 4:02 PM PT

Rapper Killer Mike has been released from police custody, hours after he was detained at the 2024 Grammy Awards and escorted out by Los Angeles police on Sunday.

An LAPD spokesperson confirmed to The Times that the entertainer, half of rap duo Run the Jewels, was handcuffed and placed under arrest at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles shortly after 4 p.m. He was booked for misdemeanor battery.

An altercation allegedly broke out after a security guard tried to keep the rapper and his entourage from passing through an area in the venue, a source close to the investigation told The Times on Monday. It’s unclear why the guard prevented access.

The musician, 48, allegedly engaged in an altercation with the security guard, who was knocked down to the ground. The guard injured her hand in the fall and requested a citizen’s arrest. Police were called to the scene. The investigation is ongoing.

A representative for Killer Mike did not respond to The Times’ multiple requests for comment.

On Sunday, the Atlanta musician (real name Michael Santiago Render), was seen in handcuffs and escorted by at least two LAPD officers in Crypto.com Arena, in videos shared by the Hollywood Reporter’s Chris Gardner.

Less than an hour earlier, he won three Grammy categories at the pre-show ceremony, including rap album for his 2023 release “Michael.” He also took home rap performance and rap song wins, which he shared with André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane.

“I’m a Black man in America and as a kid, I had a dream to become a part of music and that 9-year-old ... is excited in me right now,” he said upon accepting the rap performance Grammy.

The “Down by Law” musician also acknowledged his rap category sweep on social media, posting several tweets featuring the broom emoji to his X account.

“He’s out and will be celebrating his sweep tonight,” the rapper-activist’s lawyer said in a statement shared with Variety.

Appearing on V103’s “Big Tigger Morning Show” the morning after the Grammys, Killer Mike seemingly sidestepped and downplayed his arrest. The rapper, who said he had been up all night celebrating his wins, simply said, “We hit a speed bump then we [got] back to the party.”

As the show’s team attempted to gather more information about the arrest, Killer Mike urged them to get “back to the real question.”

“How did he do it? Three Grammys?,” the rapper prompted, referring to his wins. “48 years old, beat out everybody. He beat the best of the best.”

Times staff writer Libor Jany contributed to this report.