Diddy's ex Misa Hylton threatens legal action over 'excessive' force against son in raid
Misa Hylton is speaking out against federal law enforcement officials' raid of ex Sean "Diddy" Combs' Los Angeles home last week, which involved Justin and Christian "King" Combs.
The stylist and fashion designer shared an edited video of home surveillance footage showing officials executing their search warrant on March 25 in an Instagram post.
In the clips shared Tuesday, law enforcement can be seen entering the West LA property with guns drawn and fanning out across the home searching for evidence.
Two men, presumably Justin and Christian Combs, were detained in a hallway inside the house, per the footage. In the footage, 30-year-old Justin Combs approaches law enforcement personnel with his hands above his head at one point as Christian Combs, 25, is being handcuffed with his chest pressed against a wall.
"The over zealous and overtly militarized force used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable. If these were the sons of a non-Black celebrity, they would not have been handled with the same aggression. The attempt to humiliate and terrorize these innocent young BLACK MEN is despicable!" Hylton wrote in the post's caption.
"Enough is Enough! Did Justin need several laser beams from firearms pointed at his chest?? Did Christian need a gun pointed at the back of his head while he was handcuffed??" she added. "How many times have we seen young UNARMED BLACK MEN not make it out of these types of situations alive??"
She claimed her son, Justin Combs, hired an attorney who is investigating "the excessive use of force which was unnecessary and certainly not required by this search warrant." She also vowed to "fight for justice utilizing every imaginable resource."
USA TODAY has reached out to Justin Combs' attorney for comment.
According to a three-year investigation led by the Associated Press that published recently, 1,036 people died over the course of a decade following encounters with law enforcement involving force not intended to be lethal. A third of these fatalities were Black people, who only represent about 12% of the U.S. population.
In addition, a study by the University of Michigan, Rutgers University and Washington University that published in 2019 found Black men are around 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police in the U.S. than white men. This meant police use-of-force was the sixth leading cause of death for young Black men, according to the study.
We spoke with experts:What do the home raids this mean for music mogul Diddy?
What we know so far about the raids at Diddy's homes
On the afternoon of March 25, a helicopter for local Los Angeles news station Fox 11 captured footage overhead as dozens of law enforcement personnel fanned out on the grounds of what was purportedly Combs' Holmby Hills mansion.
Videos showed Homeland Security Investigations agents entering the home with their weapons drawn and removing several people who were inside while executing the search warrant.
When reached for comment regarding a case on Combs, a Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY that "Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners."
According to several outlets – including the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press – the bicoastal searches were part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation out of New York.
Diddy investigated for sex trafficking:A timeline of allegations and the rapper's life, career
Rebecca Lonergan, a professor of lawyering skills at USC Gould School of Law and associate director of the Legal Writing and Advocacy Program, told USA TODAY that HSI likely had "evidence of criminality" and was "looking for corroboration of that evidence."
"The fact that they went in fairly heavily armed means that when they went in, they were expecting to find weapons," she said. "It also means that they thought there was some risk of violence when they're executing the warrants."
Sean Combs' lawyer has also decried officials' "overuse of military-level force" during their search. In a statement shared with USA TODAY last week, Aaron Dyer maintained the music mogul's innocence criticized the raids.
"There was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences," Dyer said. "There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated."
Combs "was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities," Dyer said, and none of the rapper's family members were arrested.
"This unprecedented ambush – paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence – leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits," Dyer continued.
"There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name."