Afroman has emerged victorious in a civil trial against seven Ohio sheriff’s deputies who had filed a lawsuit against him for featuring them in his music videos following a 2022 raid on his home.

According to a report by WCPO, a jury in Adams County, Ohio, ruled in favor of the “Because I Got High” rapper. The seven deputies had accused him of defamation, claiming the music videos — which used surveillance footage from his home — mocked them and caused damage to their reputations.

However, the jury determined that Afroman was not guilty of defaming the officers.

The rapper included footage from his home’s security cameras in multiple music videos, adding a humorous and mocking twist. In one such example, the doo-wop-styled video for “Lemon Pound Cake,” Afroman pokes fun at a deputy caught on camera appearing to glance at a lemon pound cake on his table during the raid.

These videos have since racked up millions of views on YouTube. The deputies argued that the widespread attention had adversely affected their professional and personal reputations.

Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom after the verdict, an emotional Afroman reflected on the significance of the outcome. The 51-year-old artist emphasized that his victory wasn’t just about himself but underscored the broader importance of protecting First Amendment rights.

“I didn’t win,” he declared. “America won. America still has freedom of speech. It’s still for the people by the people.”

In August 2022, the Adams County Sheriff’s Department in Ohio carried out a search warrant at Afroman’s home under suspicion of drug activity and kidnapping. Despite the search, no charges were filed against him.

Afroman subsequently shared surveillance footage of the raid on social media and featured it in his music videos, aiming to offset the costs of damages he alleged the officers caused while searching his residence.

During the legal proceedings, the rapper argued that the incident stemmed from what he considered an unjust raid by the police on his home.

“The sheriff was never supposed to raid my house in the first place,” he testified. “The whole raid was a mistake…All of this is their fault. 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.”