Soulja Boy Arrested For Suspected Firearm Possession In LA

Key Takeaways:

• Soulja Boy was taken into custody in Los Angeles on suspicion of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
• The incident follows a recent civil case where he was found liable for sexual assault and abuse.
• Authorities have not released any further details, and no official statement has been made.

Soulja Boy was arrested over the weekend in Los Angeles. Early Sunday (Aug. 3) morning, the “Turn My Swag On” rapper was taken into custody on suspicion of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

He was stopped during a traffic stop around 2:35 a.m. PT near the intersection of Melrose and Genesee avenues. According to AP News, the LA Police Department booked him into jail a few hours later, around 6 a.m. While Soulja Boy was named a passenger in the vehicle, no additional information about who was driving or the reason for the stop was “immediately available,” according to police.

At the time of writing, the Chicago artist hasn’t issued a statement. Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon is considered a felony offense.

This hasn’t been a great year for the “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” hitmaker, legally speaking. In April, he was found liable for sexually assaulting, as well as physically and emotionally abusing, a former assistant. The court awarded her $4 million in “compensatory damages” and another $250,000 in “punitive damages.”

“I believe this entire process has been tainted by a system that is not designed to protect the rights of the accused,” Soulja Boy said at the time, per The New York Times. “I want to make it clear that I am innocent.”

The rapper’s lead defense attorney, Rickey Ivie, added, “We maintain that the evidence does not support the verdict. It is unfortunate that aspersions and misperceptions of a culture were allowed to influence the trial. Mr. Way (Soulja Boy) fully intends to pursue his post-trial remedies and to fight for a just result in this case.”

Aside from his ongoing legal troubles, Soulja Boy is expected serve as a supporting act on Druski’s “The Coulda Fest Tour.” The trek is scheduled to begin at Toronto’s Scotia Bank Arena on Sept. 26.