Polo G was arrested in Miami earlier this morning (June 12), as the Miami Herald reports and Pitchfork can confirm via Miami-Dade County records. The Chicago artist was booked on several charges, including battery of a police officer, threatening a public servant, resisting arrest, and criminal mischief. According to jail records, the rapper posted bond totaling $19,500.
Late last night, Polo G’s mother and manager Stacia Mac took to Instagram to address the situation, saying that she received a call from Polo G after he and his younger brother (a minor who is also a rapper known as Trench Baby) left a release party for Polo G’s new album Hall of Fame. Stasia Mac said her elder son told her that multiple squad cars were tailing them. “They stopped them because they were driving while Black,” she said.
Stasia Mac also tweeted, “None of these charges would be possible if the POLICE did not make contact with my son Polo G!!! He was NOT the driver. He was a PASSENGER in a professionally licensed vehicle with security. He was moving smart and correctly. What more could he have done.”
The Miami Police Department tweeted this morning that it is “is aware of the incident involving Mr. Taurus Bartlett, also known as Polo G, and another male juvenile.”
Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for Polo G and the Miami-Dade Police Department for comment and more information.