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Profanity laced video allowed in Trey Songz's police assault trial

Posted at 6:57 PM, Jun 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-20 18:58:13-04

A Wayne County judge ruled against Trey Songz's defense, allowing video that shows the rapper saying "F*** the police" into evidence. Some of the video was taken 5 days before the Detroit incident that lead to Songz's arrest.

The rapper was performing at Joe Louis Arena in December when one of his microphones was cutoff. Video from fans in the crowd shows the rapper become agitated before throwing equipment from the stage.

A Detroit police officer was allegedly hit by a microphone stand. Songz, whose real name is Jermaine Neverson, allegedly resisted arrest by an officer in his dressing room following the show. A city curfew forbids performances to go beyond a certain time.  Songz did not want his show to be over when that curfew hit.

Songz was charged with assault and battery of a police officer.

Prosecutors successfully argued that the video allowed into evidence Tuesday demonstrates Songz's disrespect for police authority.

"Amit those statements for the jury to use as relevance as it goes to show that its more likely than not that the defendant was the one who assaulted the officers in the incident that occurred," said the prosecuting attorney.

Songz's attorney argued that video taken before the incident shows nothing more than Songz reciting a popular lyric from an NWA song.

"The issue isn't whether he said 'f*** the police,' recited an NWA rap song or anything else. The question is whether he resisted arrest and obstructed a police officer causing an injury. In the particular video he's not even resisting," said Songz's defense attorney.

Judge Lawrence Talon also admitted into evidence Songz's booking image where the rapper allegedly held up his middle finger during its capture.

A trial date is set for September.