Wyclef Jean speaks out on GMA after being mistaken for robbery suspect in Hollywood

Sandy Kenyon Image
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Wyclef Jean speaks out on GMA after being mistaken for robbery suspect in Hollywood
Sandy Kenyon has the latest

WEST HOLLYWOOD, California (WABC) -- Grammy-winning performer Wyclef Jean is speaking out about how he was handcuffed and detained by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department in a case of mistaken identity.

He's now calling for an investigation into racial profiling.

His reaction came overnight on Instagram. Wyclef Jean said no father wants his sons or daughters to see him in handcuffs, especially if he is innocent.

But the star went much further during an exclusive interview on ABC's Good Morning America Wednesday.

Jean claims he was a victim of racial injustice.

Deputies responded to what was described as a violent crime: pedestrians complaining they were pistol whipped in West Hollywood.

The rapper was found nearby in a dark hoodie and bandana matching the suspect's outfit, riding in a vehicle police claim fit the description of the suspect's car.

"Basically I feel I was targeted as a black man," Jean told Robin Roberts on GMA, saying he was handcuffed and detained for six minutes.

"When I was pulled over and when I got outta the car, I was not told why. So, if I'm not told why and gun are drawn on me, how am I supposed to react?", he said. "I got a chance to see what happens with a citizen versus a police first hand, and I have to tell you I was scared for my life."

Jean says the most dramatic part of the incident came before the video began right after he was stopped.

"I'm automatically rushed. When I'm rushed, guns are drawn which is the part you don't see. After the guns are drawn, I'm pulled over," he said.

Authorities told ABC News as cops approached the vehicle, the driver and the star began to exit the vehicle and did not follow instructions.

"As soon as we found out that he was not the suspect, not the person we were looking for, he was just dressed similarly, he was released," said Lt. Bill Nash of the L.A. Sheriff's Department.

The Sheriff's Department apprehended the actual suspects, later found just four blocks away. A 26-year-old man and 30-year-old woman are now being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Wyclef Jean claims cops did not tell him why he was stopped or why they had to approach him with guns drawn. A statement by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department disputes his account.

Jean told Robin on GMA, he does believe law enforcement should be able to do their job, but he does believe citizens should be treated rightly.