After spending three weeks in a Swedish jail cell without knowing his fate, a prosecutor has charged A$AP Rocky with assault causing actual bodily harm. The charges stem from a street fight Rocky had with some locals in Stockholm earlier this month.
Two people in the rapper’s entourage, who were also involved in the brawl, were charged as well. All of them face two years in prison if convicted, and they’ll remain behind bars until their trial.
The prosecutor told TMZ that he’ll recommend the trial be set for Tuesday, July 30, and it’ll probably last until Friday at the latest. The Swedish prosecutor also said he won’t be recommending the full two-year sentence if Rocky is found guilty, but that’ll be up to a 4-judge panel.
In early July, a video surfaced that showed Rocky and his team dragging a man, then punching him. Rocky posted another video shortly after that showed him playing peacemaker and the alleged victims harassing him.
But the prosecutor said he has access to more information, like witness accounts and a statement from the alleged victim, that contradicts the rapper’s claim that he was acting in self-defense.
Photos of the other man fighting with Rocky also surfaced, and they depict him with deep bloody cuts on his arm and bruises on his leg, finger, as well as upper body. The injuries are said to have played a major part in the prosecutor’s decision to charge Rocky and his associates.
The prosecutor decided not to charge the men with the more serious crime of aggravated assault, however, which comes with a 6-year prison sentence.
The new charge comes after many in the U.S. called for Rocky’s release, like the Congressional Black Caucus, as well as Adriano Espaillat, the representative for New York’s 13th Congressional District. And many said racism is behind the arrest since Rocky is Black.
Donald Trump also has said he’d help free the Harlem artist, but obviously to little effect. Additionally, several rappers now say they will boycott Sweden due to the arrest, people like Tyler, the Creator, T.I. and Schoolboy Q.
