By JEFF MARTIN, Related Press
A performer at Kendrick Lamar’s Tremendous Bowl halftime efficiency in February has been arrested after holding up a Sudanese flag with the message “Sudan and Free Gaza,” Louisiana State Police introduced Thursday.
The performer, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, 41, of New Orleans surrendered to authorities after an arrest warrant was obtained, state police mentioned. He was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Middle on prices of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful meeting.
State police say troopers started investigating shortly after the Feb. 9 recreation on the Caesars Superdome and located that Nantambu “deviated from his assigned function” and disrupted the halftime present by working throughout the sector with the flag. Safety and regulation enforcement personnel ran after him, and he refused to adjust to their instructions to cease, state police mentioned in an announcement Thursday.
“In coordination with the Nationwide Soccer League, troopers discovered that Nantambu had permission to be on the sector in the course of the efficiency, however didn’t have permission to show as he did,” state police mentioned.
Neither jail data nor on-line courtroom data record a lawyer for Nantambu who might be reached for remark.
The arrest comes after New Orleans police mentioned shortly after the soccer recreation at Caesars Superdome that the solid member wouldn’t face prices. However it was Louisiana State Police who introduced the costs Thursday.
New Orleans police initially responded to the disturbance, however Louisiana State Police then took over the investigation, partly as a result of performer’s entry to a extremely secured space, Louisiana State Police Sgt. Katharine Stegall mentioned in an e mail to The Related Press.
The NFL on Thursday mentioned it commends the Louisiana State Police for “its diligence and professionalism.”
“We take any try to disrupt any a part of an NFL recreation, together with the halftime present, very significantly and are happy this particular person might be held accountable to the fullest extent of the regulation,” the NFL mentioned. “Along with the continued felony case, the NFL banned the person from attending any NFL video games or occasions.”
The solid member was amongst dozens of dancers carrying black outfits. He held the flag within the air whereas standing on the roof of a automobile that was a fundamental function of the hip-hop artist’s efficiency. He then jumped off stage and ran throughout the sector earlier than being tackled by a number of males in fits.
President Donald Trump was within the stadium for the sport, but it surely wasn’t clear if he noticed the protest.
In a separate case, Nantambu is listed because the sufferer of a Might 17 capturing outdoors a celeb boxing occasion in Miami.
Former NFL participant Antonio Brown is dealing with an tried homicide cost after authorities say he grabbed a handgun from a safety employee on the boxing occasion and fired two pictures at Nantambu. Nantambu informed investigators that one of many bullets grazed his neck.
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