The reason why Eminem was arrested in 2000
Eminem was, in many people’s eyes, public enemy number one around the year 2000. That image, born out of the content of his music, was only solidified when he was actually arrested that year.
Em, who was 27 at the time, had apparently gotten into a brawl in a car park outside of a Hot Rocks Café in Michigan. Some fans of his had recognised him and approached him to speak with him. It did not go well.
According to the manager of the café, who was a witness to the incident, a fight broke out between the fans and Em. A few security guards from the venue were duly dispatched to break it up.
The security guards managed to detain someone during the kerfuffle. This person was armed, so the cops were called. Four people were then taken into custody, one of whom was Eminem. His album, The Marshall Mathers LP, was literally top of the charts at the time.
The reporting in the wake of the incident was quite thin. It was publicised that two men had been arrested on suspicion of carrying a firearm, while a man and a woman were held for disorderly conduct. Which of these categories Eminem fell into was initially unclear, though.
Em was released not long after being taken into custody, and, over the coming months, it became clear that he had been one of those accused of carrying a weapon – he later pleaded guilty to it as part of a plea-bargain agreement.
Prosecutors had been seeking jail time for Em, but he avoided such an outcome – he was instead sentenced to two years’ probation, during which time he was obliged to avoid “excessive” drink and drug use, as well as “assaultive behaviour.” He wasn’t allowed to possess firearms, and he was obliged to have counselling, too.
Em expressed gratitude for the outcome. “I’m glad the judge and the courts treated me fair and as a human being,” he said to reporters after the verdict had been reached. “I just want to get it behind me and get back to spending time with my little girl and making music.”
But Em’s legal issues didn’t stop there. The following year, in June 2001, Em received another year’s probation, community service and a fine of about $2,000. That was for another weapons charge.