Threatening a police officer carries grave repercussions — even if you do it via social media.
That’s the takeaway for 50 Cent, who is being investigated by the NYPD after posting a seemingly threatening comment to an officer on Instagram, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“There is a formal complaint on file for aggravated harassment and detectives are investigating,” an NYPD rep confirmed in a statement.
A report in Page Six noted that the rapper/actor/mogul (whose real name is Curtis Jackson) used the phrase “Get the Strap” in a now-deleted Instagram post (“strap” is often used to refer to a gun in rap lingo). While 50 Cent has reportedly used the phrase regularly on his social media, in this particular case the comment was aimed at NYPD deputy inspector Emmanuel Gonzalez, head of the 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park, after Gonzalez was accused of shaking down a popular Brooklyn hip-hop club.
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However, the rapper’s rep is firing back, releasing a statement insisting there was no threat involved, merely the use of 50 Cent’s signature phrase, which he’s actually in the process of trademarking.
“Months ago, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson filed to trademark the phrase ‘Get The Strap,’ a slogan he has been posting across all of his social media platforms,” reads the statement. “It is posted in connection with photographs and videos, including many featuring just him or things he is promoting.”
The statement continues: “Taken in its proper context, the specific post in question was neither intended as, nor could reasonably be interpreted as, a threat or call to violence against anyone. So the record is clear, Mr. Jackson does not condone or promote the use of violence against anyone. ‘Get The Strap’ is a playful phrase used by Mr. Jackson to punctuate absurd and outrageous situations.”
Despite being the target of a police investigation, 50 Cent doesn’t appear to be taking the matter all that seriously, judging by this recent Instagram post: