Busta Rhymes has been arrested and charged with third-degree assault after allegedly punching a man “in the face numerous times”, US authorities said.
The US rapper and actor, real name Trevor Smith Jr, allegedly became involved in a “verbal dispute” with a 50-year-old man on January 10 in the Dumbo neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Responding to a 911 call of harassment just after 10am, officers were told the altercation resulted in the Grammy-nominated musician allegedly “punching the victim in the face numerous times”.
“The victim sustained swelling to the left side of the face,” a spokesperson for the New York Police Department told the PA news agency.
The man was taken to a local hospital in a “stable condition”.
Following an investigation, Rhymes, 52, was arrested and charged on January 14 with third-degree assault.
The offence is classed as a misdemeanour and carries a possible prison sentence of up to one year in New York if found guilty.
A representative for Rhymes has been contacted for comment.