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Diddy's lawyer responds to home raids
An Attorney for Sean 'Diddy' Combs has responded to raids at the entertainer's Los Angeles and Miami homes, complaining of excessive force by police.
LOS ANGELES - A day after the Los Angeles and Miami homes of Sean "Diddy" Combs were raided amid an alleged sex abuse investigation, the rapper is criticizing the "excessive force" used on his sons and employees during those raids.
A statement released Tuesday by Diddy's lawyer called out the "gross overuse of military-level force" displayed by federal officials during the execution of the search warrants at Combs' two homes.
"There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities," the statement read.
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The search is on for music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs as his house in Los Angeles was raided Monday night by feds riding in BearCats.
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Diddy was not arrested and neither were any of his family members, his lawyer said, adding that their ability to travel has not been restricted.
The statement went on to call the raids an "unprecedented ambush… nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations."
"Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name," the statement read.
FOX 11's crews were the first on scene as federal agents went in and out of the lavish Holmby Hills mansion.
There have been allegations that Combs had been drugging young women and the agency is likely looking into the alleged crimes committed in multiple states.
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Diddy's home raided by feds
Sean "Diddy" Combs' LA-area mansion was raided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in connection to a sex trafficking investigation.
Homeland Security expert Hal Kempferm said some evidence they’re looking for includes laptops, flash drives, and anything that would connect Combs with the allegations. In addition, he said obtaining a search warrant of this magnitude requires a lengthy process and that working with state and local attorneys was likely required.
There have been several sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs in recent months.
In February a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley has said of those allegations that "we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies."
Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.
Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.
Combs had said in a December statement, "I did not do any of the awful things being alleged."
The Associated Press contributed to this report