Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer says homes raids were 'excessive' use of 'military-level' force
Federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement officers raided the rapper's homes on Monday, ITV News Entertainment Reporter Rishi Davda reports
Sean “Diddy Combs' lawyer said the police raids on his the music mogul's homes were ”a gross use of military-level force".
He added that Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight" to clear his name, in a statement on Tuesday - the first made by his team since the incident.
Two properties belonging to the rapper in Los Angeles and Miami were searched on Monday by US police forces as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation.
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences," said the statement from attorney Aaron Dyer.
He added: "There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”
Federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement officers said the searches were connected to a sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York.
It is not clear whether hip-hop producer Combs was the target of the investigation.
The officials were not authorised to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.
In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners."
There have been several sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs in recent months, including a lawsuit from the R&B singer Cassie that was settled last year.
Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer allegedly raped her two decades ago when she was 17.
Combs released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, in December last year, denying the allegations against him, without making reference to any particular court filings.
"Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth," he wrote.
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