Afroman Wins Lawsuit Over Police Raid Music Videos
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On March 18, 2026, a jury ruled in favor of Joseph ‘Afroman’ Foreman, finding him not liable for defamation and invasion of privacy.
On August 21, 2022, Foreman’s home was raided by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio under a warrant for suspected drug trafficking and kidnapping. Officers forced entry by kicking in the front door, but found no victims or illegal substances. As a result, no charges were filed.
Both home security cameras and Foreman’s wife recorded the search. The footage showed Foreman's front door being smashed in and officers rummaging through his possessions with their weapons drawn.
In 2022 Foreman used the footage to create three music videos about the ordeal.
One titled “Will You Help Me Repair My Door.”
According to Foreman, the raid caused approximately $20,000 in property damage.
The lyrics include:
“Will you help me repair my gate? Will you help me repair my door? Did you find what you was looking for? Will you help me repair my gate and door?”
And “Any kidnapping victims inside my suit pockets? Are there any kidnapping victims inside my suit pockets? You crooked cops need to stop it There are no kidnapping victims in my suit pockets Let me ask you another question.”
Another song, “Lemon Pound Cake,” went viral, racking up millions of views, mocking a moment in which an officer, with a gun drawn, appeared briefly distracted by a lemon pound cake on the kitchen counter.
Another song, was is titled "Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera?”
According to Foreman, he made the music videos to raise funds to fix damages made to his property by the officers and to share his experience.
Officers from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, named in reports as Shawn Cooley, Justin Cooley, Michael Estep, Shawn Grooms, Brian Newland, Randolph Walters Jr. and Lisa Phillips, filed a civil lawsuit against Mr. Foreman in March 2023 for using their images in his music video, accusing him of profiting from their likeness and claiming defamation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy and use of likeness for profit. The officers demanded around $4 million dollars.
Foreman later released another song titled ‘Batterram Hymn (Police Whistle Blower),’ sung to the tune of the patriotic ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic.’
In the song, Afroman references $5,000 of cash that was seized from his home, and later returned, allegedly $400 short. Authorities later stated the amount may have been miscounted.
The case eventually went to trial in March 2026. The videos had gained traction and spread across social media, and the case became an issue of free speech vs police accountability.
Throughout the trial Foreman dressed head to toe in a suit and sunglasses adorned with American flags.
On March 18, 2026, Foreman won the case, all claims against him were rejected by the jury and he was not made to pay any damages.
The court ultimately considered the songs to be protected artistic expression.
Foreman posted a clip from the trial on his Instagram, featuring the deputy Justin Cooley. In the clip Cooley states:
"The lies continued, they wouldn't stop, and we started receiving death threats at work. It got to the point that my family felt unsafe," adding that he got threatening calls to his home. He accused Foreman of "enraging the community" and putting his family in danger, to which Afroman responded: "Shouldn't have thrown a fake raid."
Foreman posted trial clips to his Instagram account, including a clip of Lisa Phillips crying as his song, "Lick ‘Em Low Lisa" played out in court. He stated that if the officers had never raided his home there would be no surveillance footage, no songs, and no damage to his property.
The trial lasted three days and focused heavily on free speech and artistic expression. Social media users reshared clips of the officers at trial, with Afroman donning his American flag suit and sunglasses. Many users wrote that they had not heard anything from Afroman since his 2000 hit "Because I Got High.” However, the case brought him back into the public consciousness.
In a video posted to Instagram, Foreman celebrated to the camera backed by supporters, shouting:
"Yeah! We did it America! Freedom of speech! God bless America! Power to the people!"