LOWER EAST SIDE — A rapper in a hockey mask who was caught on camera shoving a reporter to the ground surrendered to police Monday night after insisting he was not guilty of assault.
Keyjonta Foster, 23, was sporting a mask to mimic "Friday the 13th" villain Jason when he crept up behind ABC 7's CeFaan Kim during a live broadcast in the Lower East Side and draped his arm around the reporter's neck, then announced his stage name as "Majesty Da Rebel." Foster told reporters it was a publicity stunt to promote his music career.
Footage shows Foster shoving Kim to the ground moments later, and then accusing Kim of attacking him instead of the other way around.
This is the man who attacked me last night during a live broadcast. If anyone has seen him around please give the 7th precinct a call. pic.twitter.com/enkqQe0mxC
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) March 4, 2017
Kim filed a police report and police announced they wanted to arrest Foster for assault.
Foster turned himself in and was arrested at 10:50 p.m. Monday night, police said, and is facing one misdemeanor assault charge. He had not been arraigned as of Tuesday morning, records show.
The masked rapper had insisted the incident was a misunderstanding, telling DNAinfo New York on Monday that Kim had "overreacted" to his stunt and had grabbed him during the minutes the camera panned away from the action.
He also took to social media Monday to defend his innocence, claiming in a series of tweets — several of which tagged Kim's Twitter account — that Kim had attacked him and his actions had been in "self defense."
@R8erfan86 @CeFaanKim HE TRIED AND GOT TOSSED LIKE A FOOTBALL ONCE AGAIN CAUSE AN AFFECT YOU ATTACKED ME AND GOT TOSSED FAM VICTIM MY ASS
— MajestyDaRebel (@Majestydarebel) March 6, 2017
Kim took to Twitter Monday night to thank the NYPD for the arrest.
Thank you @NYPDnews for professionalism beginning to end, responding officers to top brass. And to countless who provided flood of tips.
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) March 7, 2017
