Joseph Edgar Foreman, better known as the musician Afroman, has been sued by law enforcement officers who raided his home last year. The officers allege that Foreman has invaded their privacy by using footage of their faces obtained during the raid in music videos and social media posts without their consent. The officers, who include four deputies, two sergeants, and a detective, are requesting all of Foreman’s profits from his use of their personas, including proceeds from songs, music videos, tickets, and merchandise.
The raid of Foreman’s Adams County home was conducted on a warrant, but the suspicions turned out to be unfounded. No criminal evidence was found and no charges were ever filed. After the raid, Foreman wrote two songs, “Lemon Pound Cake” and “Will You Help Me Repair My Door”, and created accompanying music videos with footage of the raid from his home surveillance cameras and his wife’s cell phone.
The officers say they have been subjected to ridicule, death threats, and have endured a loss of reputation and humiliation. They claim that Foreman’s use of their personas in the videos and social media posts resulted in their emotional distress, embarrassment, and humiliation.
The officers are suing Foreman under Ohio Revised Code, which states that a use of an aspect of an individual’s persona without their prior consent could be a misdemeanor. However, the code does not apply to literary, dramatic, fictional, historical, audio visual, or musical works, or any material that has political or newsworthy value.
Foreman is promising to countersue for the undeniable damage this has had on him and his family. Foreman argues that he is not using the officers’ personas for commercial gain, and that he is merely displaying footage of a legal raid that took place in his home. He also claims that the officers are trying to suppress people who are filming them doing their job.
This case will be an interesting one to follow as it has the potential to set a precedent in Ohio law and determine the extent to which individuals can use footage of law enforcement officers in the public eye.
This article was written by Jurno. Also read Afroman a 90s Rapper Made a Video After His Home Was Raided in Southern Ohio.