Ice-T's Police Run-In Turns Heated, Body Cam Footage Shows

Rapper and actor Ice-T found himself in a fiery roadside confrontation with a New Jersey police officer, and the recently released body cam footage is shedding light on the intense encounter.

The incident occurred back in May, but the video of Ice-T and the police have only now been made public.

It begins with Ice-T being pulled over for driving with expired plates — plates that, according to the officer, had been expired since 2021. Ice-T explained he was on his way to the DMV to resolve the issue, but the officer was skeptical, asking, “Do you have an appointment?”

Unfazed, Ice-T replied confidently, “I don’t need one. They know me.”

The situation quickly escalated when the officer indicated that Ice-T’s Porsche would need to be towed. At this point, Ice-T’s frustration boiled over. Exiting the car, he snapped, “If I’m not under arrest, I’m getting out of the car. Give me my paperwork, you f-cking a--hole. Give me my f-cking paperwork!”

Now standing outside the vehicle, Ice-T made sure the camera caught his side of the story, pointing directly at the body cam and declaring, “Get this on camera. This muthaf-cker... I’m a foot away from the DMV. You’re an a--hole!”

The tension eased slightly when a sergeant arrived on the scene. Unlike the patrol officer, the sergeant was noticeably friendlier, even expressing regret over how the situation had unfolded. He admitted he tried to convince the officer to issue only two tickets instead of four, but ultimately had no authority over the final decision.

In the end, Ice-T received four citations, but the encounter didn’t conclude without one final exchange. As the officer handed Ice-T his keys back, he advised, “Just show some respect.”

Unapologetic, Ice-T shot back, “I don’t have to.”

The video footage was obtained by TMZ.

This isn't the first time the "SVU" actor has found himself in the midst of controversy.

In 1992, Ice-T and his heavy metal band Body Count became the center of one of the most explosive music controversies in history with their song "Cop Killer." The track, featured on the band’s self-titled debut album, was a raw and unflinching response to police brutality and systemic violence against minority communities. However, its confrontational lyrics sparked a firestorm of outrage across the United States, igniting debates about free speech, artistic expression, and the role of musicians in social movements.

"Cop Killer" was written from the perspective of a fictional character who had reached a breaking point after enduring repeated abuse from law enforcement. Ice-T made it clear that the song was not a literal call to violence, but rather a character-driven narrative meant to express frustration and anger felt by marginalized communities. One lyric goes:

"I'm a cop killer, better you than me / Cop killer, f-ck police brutality!"

The outrage over "Cop Killer" escalated quickly. Police unions and advocacy organizations demanded the song be removed from the album, arguing that it encouraged violence against officers.

Ice-T remained firm in defending the song’s artistic integrity and message. He repeatedly emphasized that the song was not a literal threat against police officers, but rather a protest anthem against systemic injustice.

"This song is about somebody who is fed up with police brutality," he said at the time. "It's not a call to arms. It's a cry of frustration from a character in a song. If you believe that I'm promoting violence, then you haven't been listening."

The controversy became so intense that Warner Bros. Records faced boycotts, protests, and even death threats. As the situation escalated, Ice-T voluntarily pulled the song from future pressings of the album to prevent further harm to the label and its employees.

"I didn't want to put Warner Bros. in a position where they were being attacked unfairly," Ice-T said at the time. "I stand by my song, but sometimes you have to be the bigger person."

Additionally, in July 2010, Ice-T was pulled over in New York City for allegedly driving without a seatbelt. During the stop, the officer claimed Ice-T’s car was unregistered and impounded the vehicle.

Ice-T disputed both allegations on Twitter, calling the officer a "punk b-tch rookie cop" and insisting he had done nothing wrong. "Some punk b-tch rookie cop named Fisher made the arrest of his career today for pulling me over for not wearing a seatbelt. He said my car was unregistered," he said at the time.