Los Angeles

Chris Brown's Attorney Addresses Assault Investigation

Brown was arrested Tuesday afternoon following a standoff with police at his Southern California mansion

The attorney for Chris Brown talked Friday about the assault with a deadly weapon investigation that led to the singer's arrest and witness accounts that he said do not corroborate the accusations against his client.

The 15-minute news conference with attorney Mark Geragos marked the first time he spoke publicly about the accusations. 

Brown was arrested Tuesday afternoon following a standoff with police at his Southern California mansion that began when officers responded to a 911 call for help from the woman. Officers first responded to Brown's property around 3 a.m.

The "Deuces" and "Look At Me Now" singer was released from jail after posting $250,000 bail.

Police did not identify the woman who called, provide details on the assistance she needed or say whether she was injured. Model Baylee Curran told "Extra" that she called 911 after Brown pulled a gun on her when she was visiting his Tarzana home. 

Curran told "Extra" she was admiring some jewelry when Brown confronted her and brandished the gun. She then left the home, hid under a nearby vehicle and called police, Curran told "Extra."

Several people were at the home during the night of the 911 report, police said. Geragos said none of the witnesses his team has interviewed supported the account of the accuser. 

"I know that some people find it hard to believe, that in this day and age people may lie for certain ulterior motives," Geragos said. "But it is interesting to me that when somebody has a incident that supposedly you are frightened to death and you're scared, that the first place you go is to TMZ, as opposed to the hospital, your psychiatrist or maybe even your lawyer. So I think that speaks volumes."

He said Los Angeles police made a thorough search of Brown's home, and no guns or drugs were found. He also said police did not find any jewelry matching the description of a bauble that Curran claimed she was admiring when she was ordered out of the house.

"She described with great detail what this piece of jewelry was," he said. "... Nothing was found that corroborated her statement."

Local

Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.

Watch for a SpaceX rocket set for Thursday evening launch from the California coast

Dodgers home opener overshadowed by Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal

Geragos also said he is working to authenticate a purported text message the woman allegedly sent, in which she admits she wanted to set the singer up.

Before Geragos arrived at the Tarzana home, Brown stayed inside his house as police waited outside for a search warrant. He posted messages on social media proclaiming his innocence and denying he barricaded himself in his "palace."

"Y'all gonna stop playing with me like I'm the villain out here, like I'm going crazy," he said in one Instagram video, waving a cigarette and looking at the camera. "When you get the warrant or whatever you need to do, you're going to walk right up in here and you're going to see nothing. You idiots."

Geragos, who has represented other famous clients, including pop star Michael Jackson and actress Winona Ryder, arrived before police served the warrant and stayed on the property until Brown was transported for booking.

"Thanks to everyone for their support and well wishes. Chris is out and well. The allegations against him are demonstrably false," Geragos posted on Twitter after the singer posted bail.

The standoff and media attention it received produced a chaotic scene in a typically quiet neighborhood as police closed off streets and rerouted traffic.

His arraignment was tentatively set for Sept. 20.

It was the latest run-in with the law for the Grammy-winning Brown, who has been in repeated legal trouble since his felony conviction in the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, ahead of the Grammys. He completed his probation last year in that case.

Besides the assault case involving Rihanna, Brown was charged with misdemeanor assault for striking a man outside a Washington, D.C., hotel in 2013. The singer was ordered into rehab then dismissed from the facility for violating its rules.

Brown spent 2 1/2 months in custody, with U.S. marshals shuttling him between Los Angeles and the nation's capital for court hearings.

The entertainer also was accused of throwing a brick at his mother's car following a counseling session. It came after Brown completed court-ordered anger management classes.

Brown's first single "Run It!" topped the charts in 2005. Since then, the singer and rapper has had a number of hit songs, including "Loyal" and "Kiss Kiss." He has also been a featured performer on several hits, such as Jordin Sparks' "No Air."

Brown released a new song a day after he was arrested called "What Would You Do?" on his Soundcloud page. It was not clear when Brown recorded the song. It includes the lyrics, "What do you do, fighting for your life when no one's on your side? I can't stand to lose you, see you're in too deep with nowhere to hide."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us