Things almost took a turn for the worst for Mario in Miami. The singer is known for his love-laden R&B singles, not for being involved in gun-wielding incidents in the Sunshine State. In an interview with Page Six, Mario revealed that he was recently in Miami with a friend when an argument arose between his acquaintance and another man. Mario's friend has a license to carry a gun, and during the argument, both men presented their firearms.
“[My friend] pulled out a gun and so did the other guy, so I got out to defuse the situation,” said Mario, adding that his friend's young daughter was in the backseat of the vehicle they were riding in at the time. The singer said he was able to calm everyone down, but a witness called the police.
"My boy got in his car, he put his gun in the armrest, and then he went to this building to use the bathroom," Mario continued. "So I’m in the car; the gun’s right there." Then, two police officers responded to the scene with their gun drawn, shouting at Mario. "I forgot about the gun that was in the armrest, [so] when they asked me if there were any guns in the car, I said, ‘No there’s no guns in the car.’ ”
The singer was told not to move while the officers searched the vehicle. Of course, they found the firearm. “So the cops say, ‘There’s a gun right there — why did you lie to me?’ ” As he attempted to explain the situation to the police, a female officer approached the scene and recognized him. “Then this lady cop appeared and was like, ‘Wait, wait, wait. Aren’t you Mario?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ But I forgot about being Mario at this point. I’m just like, ‘Please don’t shoot me.’”
The woman explained to the other officers who the singer was and they put away their weapons. “So yes, I’ve experienced racism, but I’ve also experienced privilege as an artist... As an artist I will say we do have privilege... Whether it is sports, entertainment, we see power in all these different spaces, but with that also comes privilege.” Do you think this was an incident of racism?
[via]