ADAMS COUNTY, Ohio — After two days of testimony on the plaintiff's side, the civil trial of rapper Afroman will now turn to the defense.
Joseph Foreman, known professionally as Afroman, is on trial this week after a lawsuit claimed he used Adams County sheriff's deputies' likenesses without permission after they executed a search warrant at his home in August 2022. Foreman's defense says the case is about freedom of speech.
You can watch the trial live in the player below:
You can read the summary of the first half of the trial here.
Following the search warrant, Foreman used surveillance footage from inside his home in several music videos, which have garnered hundreds of thousands of views. The sheriff's deputies are claiming those videos have damaged their reputation and made it difficult for them to effectively be law enforcement officers.
So far, each of the Adams County sheriff's deputies suing Foreman have taken the stand to tell their side.
Tuesday's testimony ended with Foreman himself on the stand, though, where he said that it was his right to make videos and posts using his own cameras after he alleged they broke down his door, caused damage and shorted him his money over wrong allegations.
"All of this is their fault," Foreman said on Tuesday. "If they hadn't wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit, I would not know their names, they wouldn't be on my home surveillance system, and there would be no songs ... my money would still be intact."
Watch Afroman on the stand here:
The first day of the trial focused on some of Foreman's music and social media posts following the Aug. 21, 2022, raid. He used the video captured by his security cameras in a music video for his song "Lemon Pound Cake," which went viral. Footage he posted on his Instagram page showed multiple officers breaking down his door and entering with long rifles drawn.
Foreman said the warrant that prompted the search was for drug trafficking and kidnapping. He did not face any charges afterwards. However, the artist said the raid caused "significant damage" at his home. He also said the deputies disconnected his surveillance footage and stole some of his money, noting $400 was missing when the sheriff's office returned the cash they took from his property.
In their lawsuit, deputies claim that Foreman's music and posts have caused "humiliation, ridicule, mental distress, embarrassment and loss of reputation." Videos played in court on Monday showed the rapper mocking several of the deputies, calling out their names and using actors to represent them.
WATCH: Here's what happened on the second day of the trial
