Sylvie Claire / November 6, 2021
American rapper Kanye West was briefly stopped by a police officer who drew his gun near the Albert Canal in Wijnegem (Antwerp province) in early September. This was stated by the artist himself during an interview for the podcast Drink Champs. The local police area confirmed the information, adding that it was a misunderstanding. The rapper and his bodyguard were wearing a mask that completely covered their faces.
Kanye West reportedly recently bought an apartment in Wijnegem within a building complex of interior designer Axel Vervoordt, a personal acquaintance of Kanye West. Of course, we didn't know that yet at the beginning of September, said Commissioner Johan Wonnink of the Minos police zone. It was a mild summer day and we received a report that two completely masked men were walking around. A colleague found them, but they refused to remove their masks - in retrospect, probably because they didn't understand Dutch and therefore didn't understand the question.
The police detective then pulled his gun from his holster. According to Kanye West, he was even held at gunpoint, but according to the police, this is not quite accurate. Our colleague held his gun in the so-called 'low ready' position: at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground, to show that it is ready for possible use, according to the commissioner. The misunderstanding was then resolved very quickly. Our colleague also did not immediately recognize Mr. West when he removed his mask.
Kanye West laughed off the incident during the interview, though he was pretty shocked at the time. When the cop pulled his gun, I thought, 'Okay, I think this is it.