T.I. has been arrested for drunkenly attempting to enter his Atlanta home and getting into an altercation with a security guard, TMZ reports. According to local news affiliates, the incident occurred around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, when T.I. arrived at his Henry County gated community appearing to be intoxicated and did not have his key to enter the premises. T.I. and a security guard reportedly got into an argument, during which T.I. asked the guard, “Don’t you know who I am?†T.I. then called a friend who arrived on the scene and also argued with the guard, prompting police to be called. T.I. was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, and “simple assault,†while his unnamed friend already had a warrant out for their arrest; T.I. is now out on bond. No word on whether “BBQ Becky†was the one working security at the gate.
Update, 3:45 p.m. ET: T.I. has responded to reports of his arrest, telling the Blast that the incident was racially motivated and involved “white cops in a very white area.†He claims he returned to his gated community after a recording session and found the guard asleep on the job. T.I. says he was then refused entry and a “very heated debate†ensued, during which T.I. says the guard “antagonized†him. He claims he did not assault the guard but that the guard “may have been hurt by my words.†T.I.’s attorney also released the following statement: