Wyclef Jean Calls for Racial Profiling Investigation, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Apologizes

Wyclef Jean is calling for a full investigation of the Los Angels Police Department and L.A. Sheriff’s Department for racial profiling after being pulled over by authorities and wrongfully detained because of the color of his skin.

I was asked by the police to Put my hands up. Then I was told do not move. I was instantly hand cuffed before being asked to identify myself and before being told why. In the process I said my name and told them they have wrong person. They proceeded to ignore me and I was treated like a criminal. I am sure no father wants his sons or daughters to see him in Handcuffs especially if he is innocent. As some one who has law enforcers in my family, I was appalled by the bahavior of the LAPD.

A post shared by Wyclef Jean (@wyclefjean) on Mar 21, 2017 at 6:23am PDT

The Haitian-born rapper appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America today (March 22) to tell about his horrifying experience of having guns drawn at him and being handcuffed by police in West Hollywood, Calif. after he and his driver left the studio Monday night.

“The minute that I got out the car, I’m automatically rushed. When I’m rushed, guns are drawn (which is the part that you don’t see),”  the former Fugee told ABC’s Robin Roberts. “Then I’m taken to the back of the police car with handcuffs…The racial profile point I want to make is basically that I was targeted as a Black man. The way that the cops rushed me [and] the conversation I was having with them, it was a silent and a deaf conversation…I got a chance to see what happens when a citizen verses a police firsthand. And I was scared for my life.”

FULL INTERVIEW: Hip-hop artist @wyclef saying he was wrongfully detained by police, mistaken for a suspect: https://t.co/cpi1ZyFbSa pic.twitter.com/IZTwT8i1wl

— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 22, 2017

As it turns out, the cops were looking for a Black male wearing a red bandanna. Unfortunately for Clef, he just happened to be wearing his red Haitian bandanna and mistaken for a robbery suspect.

After a series of tweets speaking out against his ordeal, the LASD made a public apology.

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Jean was detained for six minutes during this investigation, as he had no involvement whatsoever in this violent crime,” reads the statement posted onto the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Facebook account.

The statement continues, “However, Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs are frequently required to make lawful detentions, under the strict parameters provided by law, in the interest of catching often dangerous and armed suspects in our communities and keeping the public safe. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is apologetic for any inconvenience this process caused Mr. Jean. We are grateful we were able to apprehend the robbery suspects and that no one was seriously injured.”

They just may be a day late and a dollar short, however, as Mr. Jean is requesting a formal investigation into racial profiling by L.A.’s mayor

The musician’s representative released a statement saying: “Mr. Jean is requesting a formal investigation into racial profiling by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and the LA Sheriff’s Department while calling upon the ACLU and Black Lives Matter to join him in defense of civil liberties and racial bias.”