Diddy's lawyer accuses federal agents of using "excessive" force against rapper's children during home raids

New court documents obtained by All HipHop have claimed that Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for how they handled the rapper's home raids in March 2024.

The DHS raided Diddy's Miami and LA mansions earlier this year, where they allegedly found evidence of suspected "freak offs," guns, drugs, and 1000 bottles of baby oil. In the recent court documents obtained by All HipHop, the rapper's legal team alleged the raids were "brutal" and could have been avoided altogether.

"Prosecutors ignored defense counsel’s invitation to discuss the case so that they could engage in one of the more brutal and public searches in recent memory,” the rappers' legal team argued.

According to the court documents, over 100 armed officers appeared at the rapper's mansions. It claimed over 30 agents were prepared to stop and search his private plane meant to be taking him and his children to their spring break vacation.

The attorney reportedly said the "show of force" owing to the presence of Diddy's children was "particularly egregious."

“The agents used excessive force against Mr. Combs’ children,” the documents said, adding, "One agent held a semi-automatic rifle to the head of Christian Combs.”

Per the documents, another agent held a semi-automatic rifle with the laser pointing at Justin Combs' chest despite both brothers “complying with agents’ demands.”

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Diddy's lawyers claim the raids were to "sensationalize the case"

According to the court documents filed on October 9 and obtained by All HipHop, Marc Agnifilo said the "show of force" used by the Department of Homeland Security during the raids in Diddy's homes had "no legitimate purpose."

“Agents arrived in military-style armored vehicles, with scores of heavily armed agents in full combat gear. One would think they were attempting to retake Donbas rather than seize some phones and computers. The show of force had no legitimate purpose—it was merely an attempt to garner further press attention, sensationalize the case, and portray Mr. Combs as dangerous,” he said.

Agnifilo also claimed the purpose of the raids was to create a public spectacle rather than find potential evidence. He claimed the searches were carried in broad daylight to ensure proper media coverage, alleging the DHS alerted the press about the raid beforehand to "maximize exposure."

This new filing came a day after the rapper was denied bail a third time after appealing for pre-trial release. Combs was arrested for s*x trafficking charges last month.

In addition to his federal charges, the rapper also faced numerous lawsuits accusing him of abuse and assault. On October 1, 120 new accusers represented by Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee also leveled various abuse accusations against the rapper.

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Diddy's legal team accused the DHS of leaking the Cassie Ventura tape

Diddy's lawyers alleged that the DHS engaged in "misconduct" by leaking the 2016 CCTV tape of the rapper physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura to CNN. They also claimed the US Attorney's office may have known about the alleged leak.

In a new filing on October 9, they claimed the DHS violated "grand jury secrecy" by unlawfully releasing the tape to the media to start a smear campaign against their client.

“The videotape was leaked to CNN for one reason alone: to mortally wound the reputation and the prospect of Sean Combs successfully defending himself against these allegations. Rather than using the videotape as trial evidence, alongside other evidence that gives it context and meaning, the agents misused it in the most prejudicial and damaging way possible," the document stated.

However, the prosecutors denied this claim, adding the video was not obtained through a "grand jury process." The footnote added to the recently filed document also mentioned the DHS was unaware the video existed till CNN exclusively released it.

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On October 10, Diddy will reportedly appear before Judge Arun Subramanian, who is predicted to oversee his trial. His legal team is looking to expedite the process, hoping to have the trial in April or May 2025.