LAPD begins searching home of singer Chris Brown
Following a bizarre, hours-long standoff, LAPD officers began searching the Tarzana home of singer Chris Brown on Tuesday as they hunted for a weapon the performer is said to have used to threaten a woman.
Shortly before 1 p.m., officers entered Brown’s sprawling home after taking much of the morning to obtain a search warrant. Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, was on the scene as LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division detectives searched the property.
Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Bob Green had described the standoff between Brown and officers as “long and protracted.”
The search was sparked by a call for help from a woman who said she had been threatened by the performer, police sources said, with officers first arriving at Brown’s home in the 5000 block of Corbin Avenue about 3 a.m. Tuesday. said LAPD Officer Liliana Preciado.
The woman said Brown, who has had several previous run-ins with the law, pointed a gun at her during a violent rage before she ran outside to call police, according to the police sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the case.
Officers attempted to enter the home and were told to get a search warrant, the police sources said. Detectives then waited for a warrant to search Brown's home for the weapon.
Meanwhile, Brown took to his Instagram account Tuesday morning, sharing videos in which he railed against police and media and said he was being unfairly portrayed as a villain.
In the videos, he said he woke up to helicopters overhead and officers at his gate, and maintained that he was not guilty of the accusations.
“Good luck. When you get the warrant or whatever you need to do, you’re going to walk right up in here and you’re going to see nothing, you idiots,” he said in one video. “I’m tired of ... dealing with y’all.”
Because of the high-profile nature of the case, the investigation is being handled by the Robbery-Homicide Division.
Prior incidents at the residence include a home-invasion robbery and multiple complaints about Brown and his friends riding all-terrain vehicles loudly up and down the street.
Brown spent six years on probation after pleading guilty to attacking his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. His probation was lifted in March 2015.
The Grammy Award-winning singer completed about 1,000 hours of community service. He was also ordered to attend anti-domestic-violence classes.
Brown also faced charges in connection with driving without a license and accusations of a hit-and-run. In May 2014, he admitted to violating his probation after committing an assault outside a Washington hotel.
More recently, in June, Brown’s former manager, Michael Guirguis, known as “Mike G,” filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging he was attacked by the singer.
Brown punched Guirguis four times in the face and neck in an incident on May 10, according to the complaint.
“The assault was unprovoked and, regrettably, just another attack in Brown’s long history of violent and abusive behavior,” the complaint states.
“Clearly, thus far, such extreme consequences, such as the loss of his career, court-mandated rehabilitation, and even jail time, have not deterred Brown’s conduct,” the complaint states. “Perhaps, this time, the imposition of punitive damages for his despicable and unforgivable conduct will.”
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-chris-brown-gun-20160830-snap-story.html
