Trey Songz dropped a lawsuit this week, and Kansas City police are scrambling to find answers.
The R&B heavyweight filed documents in Jackson County Circuit Court against the Kansas City Police Department over a wild incident that occurred five years ago. Trey wants justice for what he calls a direct attack disguised as an arrest.
Here are the real-life events that took place at Arrowhead Stadium on January 24, 2021.
When Trey Songz got chills during the AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, nearby fans started acting out. The drunken attendees harshly heckled him because of his celebrity status, the lawsuit alleges.
Security was called three times before police showed up. That’s when everything took a turn for the worse.
The lawsuit paints a completely different picture than what police claimed at the time. Trey said he was the victim, not the aggressor. Fans threatened him and became aggressive, but when security and Kansas City officials arrived, they completely ignored the real issue.
The lawsuit alleges that instead of protecting him from the unruly crowd, police and security physically assaulted the singer, falsely arrested him, handcuffed him and detained him in jail.
This is a complete U-turn from the official police story, which is that Trey Songz punched first.
Video footage from that night shows chaotic scenes. Surveillance video released by police shows Trey Songz punching an officer and putting him in a headlock. But the singer’s legal team tells a different story about who initiated what.
The charges tell their own story.
Prosecutors hit the singer with trespassing, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. But here’s the thing…each and every charge was later dismissed. This usually indicates something went wrong with the jump arrest.
Nevelson’s lawsuit names three defendants: the Kansas City Police Department, GEHA (which operates the stadium) and Whelan Event Services. The security company was supposed to be responsible for crowd control that night but allegedly failed to do so.
Legal documents say the three entities “acted carelessly, negligently and in bad faith.” This is what the lawyers say, and they totally screwed up on their responsibilities.
The lawsuit accuses Kansas City police of using excessive force and violating Songz’s rights. It also claims the defendants have a legal duty to protect invitees like him from aggressive fans, but instead they chose to target him.
Nevelson said the incident damaged more than just his body. The lawsuit claims he suffered “serious, permanent and progressive harm” to his personal and professional reputation.
He is seeking compensation for medical bills, loss of work, damage to his reputation and lost income.
The timing of this lawsuit is interesting. Five years is a long time to wait, but civil cases have different deadlines than criminal cases. His legal team likely spent years building the case and gathering evidence.
The lawsuit calls for a jury trial, which means the drama could play out in front of Kansas City residents. That may not be what police departments want, especially with the intense scrutiny law enforcement is under these days.
