Rapper Claims Cops Falsely Imprisoned Him

PHILADELPHIA (CN) - Hip-hop artist Meek Mill claims in court that Philadelphia police jailed him for 9 hours without cause and that the arresting officers posted pictures of him in police custody through Instagram.

Robert Williams pka Meek Mill sued Philadelphia and its police Officers Andre Boyer and Michael Vargas, in Federal Court.

"On October 31, 2012, at approximately 7:30 p.m., plaintiff was driving a Range Rover SUV when Philadelphia Police Officers Andre Boyer and Michael Vargas, without cause or justification, conducted a motor vehicle stop in the area of 11th Street and Girard Avenue in Philadelphia," the complaint states.

"Following the vehicle stop, police officers Boyer and Vargas handcuffed plaintiff at the scene, transported him in custody to the 22nd Police District, took photographs of plaintiff which the officers posted and published, or caused to be posted and published, on Instagram and other social media websites, depicting plaintiff in police custody, held plaintiff in custody against his will in a jail cell for approximately nine (9) hours, after which time plaintiff was released on November 1, 2012, at 4:30 a.m., without being charged with any criminal activity and having caused plaintiff to miss a scheduled promotional appearance in Atlanta, Georgia."

Williams claims his unlawful detention forced him to refund "his deposit for the private jet that was booked to fly plaintiff in the evening of October 31, 2012 to a promotional appearance in Atlanta," and cost him "the loss of numerous sponsorships and endorsements; the loss of plaintiff's solitude, seclusion and privacy; the anxiety and embarrassment associated with plaintiff being placed in a false light; and the anxiety and embarrassment of being seized, detained, confined and imprisoned against plaintiff's will."

He seeks compensatory and punitive damages for civil rights violations, false imprisonment, invasion of privacy and civil conspiracy.

The complaint claims that Meek Mill's most recent album "debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 Chart."

He is represented by Anthony Petrone, with Dennis J. Cogan and Associates.

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