Rhymefest Robbed, Films Police Mistreatment While Reporting Crime

In this photo taken Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011 Chicago rapper and alderman candidate Che "Rhymefest" Smith, talks about the problems in the 20th Ward and his decision to seek political office, during an interview in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) — AP

This weekend, Chicago rapper/songwriter Rhymefest used his Twitter page to recount not only his feelings after being robbed at gunpoint, but to show mistreatment by police when he tried to report the crime. The latter has resulted in an apology by the Chicago Police Department.

Rhymefest said he was robbed at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. An armed man got into his parked car, pointed a gun at him and demanded his wallet.

Hours later, Rhymefest tweeted about the experience. The Chicagoan is known for his writing and collaborating with Kanye West, but he has an extensive history of activism as well: he does creative writing and civic engagement classes with children, runs similar programs with Kanye's organization Donda's House, and he ran for city council in 2011.

His tweets showed forgiveness, but also frustration and hurt: he said that the person who robbed him is the same type of person who he does his constant community work to help.

"You just put a gun to my face for $3 in my wallet. I defend you against police brutality. I work on your behalf you robbed me," he said. "You don't know what you did! And who you did it to. I lived here on the southside because I thought it mattered. I'm reconsidering. ... You were gonna shoot me in the face for a wallet, I had the power to give you a job!"

He asked for the assailant to find reach out to him, apologize and "talk to me like a brother. Give me faith that it's our desperation & not our hearts that are dark."

When he went to the police station to report the crime, he said he was treated "disgustingly." In a video he posted on his Twitter account, officers can be seen telling him to turn off his phone's camera and to leave the police station while refusing to hear him out for a report.

"You wonder [why] we don't report crimes? The police treated me disgustingly," he tweeted.

The Chicago Police's communication director said the video was "disappointing to say the least," and that he apologized on behalf of the department. Rhymefest responded by asking for a meeting "help you find solutions to help better police our communities."

See Rhymefest's tweets, and video of the police station encounter, below.