Singer and rapper Rodarius Marcell Green, known as Rod Wave, was apprehended in Manatee County, Florida, on Wednesday morning for suspected unlawful possession of a weapon or ammunition.
During a press briefing, authorities revealed Rod’s arrest in connection with a shooting incident involving gangs in Florida, resulting in four injuries on March 31.
According to Petersburg police, gunfire erupted following a verbal altercation among a group of men, leaving three men and one woman wounded, as reported by Variety magazine.
Following the discovery of sixty shell casings at the shooting site on March 31, St. Petersburg Police Chief Mike Kovacsev stated that three of the individuals involved, Christopher Atkins, Keith Westby, and Kevontre Wesby, were allegedly affiliated with the ‘Young Gangsters’ gang.
Kovacsev claimed that Rod was the registered owner of the getaway car used in the shooting and the Palm Avenue residence where the group sought refuge.
Upon learning that Rod was renting another residence in Palm Meadow, investigators focused their probe there, executing a search warrant. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and investigators detained individuals leaving the residence at the time on weapons charges.
Rod was transported to Manatee County Jail and listed as a convicted felon. His legal representatives contested the allegations on social media, denying Rod’s possession of ammunition.
In an Instagram post, attorneys Bradford Cohen and Mark Rankin stated: “Rod was arrested and detained with absolutely no evidence of wrongdoing.”
“Police alleged he was a felon in possession of ammunition. However, he was not in possession of any ammunition, and a simple public records check would have shown he was not a convicted felon. The prosecutor and judge promptly agreed that the evidence did not support the charge and released him the same day.”
A police spokesperson confirmed that Rod was released from custody a few hours later as charges were found to be unfounded.
While Rod remains under investigation, three more individuals were arrested.
In May 2022, Rod faced a felony charge of battery by strangulation in St. Petersburg. According to the arrest warrant, Wave’s ex-girlfriend accused the singer of breaking into her home and choking her in April 2022.
