Entertainment

Busta Rhymes Out On Bail

January 4, 2007 / 11:10 AM EST / CBS/AP

Rapper Busta Rhymes posted bail Thursday and was freed after being arraigned on assault charges of beating his former driver last month.

The judge also signed an order for Rhymes to stay away from his accuser, Edward Hatchett, the rapper's former driver.

The assault complaint against Rhymes claims the rapper beat Hatchett on the head and neck, knocked him to the ground and kicked him in the ribs and torso after a dispute over money.

The complaint says the attack occurred on Dec. 26 outside Rhymes' office on West Broadway in lower Manhattan.

Rhymes' lawyer, Robert Kalina said his client is innocent.

Rhymes' exit from a Manhattan courthouse Thursday was not without controversy, reports WCBS-TV's Pablo Guzman. It appeared that Rhymes was given an unauthorized ride on a city corrections bus to avoid the media.

A spokesman for the city corrections department said an investigation was under way.

He added that policy was clear that city corrections buses are to be used for prisoners only. Rhymes, who had just posted bail, was no longer considered a prisoner.

Video: Busta Rhymes Makes Unauthorized Getaway
WCBS-TV's Pablo Guzman reports

Rhymes, 34, turned himself in at a Manhattan police station Wednesday night and was booked on a misdemeanor assault charge, police Lt. John Grimpel said.

Wearing a red, long-sleeved shirt and jeans, Rhymes was led out of the station late Wednesday.

The arrest marks the latest in a string of legal tangles for Rhymes, who was born Trevor Smith. He was charged with assault after an Aug. 12 performance at the AmsterJam Music Festival on Randalls Island. He also was ticketed in November after police said he was seen talking on his cell phone while driving past a Manhattan police station.

Police have also sought to question Rhymes as a potential witness in the shooting death of his bodyguard Israel Ramirez last February.

Rhymes' hits include "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," "Dangerous" and "Touch It." He has also appeared in films, including 2000's "Shaft" and "Finding Forrester."