Three actresses -- one of whom is a personal friend of rapper T.I. -- were arrested for trespassing at an Atlanta area Houston's restaurant late Tuesday.
The women, Brittany Marie Lucio, Asia’h Sharrell Epperson (American Idol, Greenleaf) and Erica Walker reportedly entered the restaurant after it was closed and asked to use the restroom.
When they were told they couldn't use the restroom because the restaurant was closed, the women somehow ended up in the restroom -- and refused to leave.
Atlanta police officer Jay Guzman, who was moonlighting in full police uniform, ordered the women to leave the restroom.
When they failed to comply with the officer's orders, he called for backup and dragged the loudest of the three out of the restroom.
The women claimed Guzman threw them into the bushes outside the restaurant.
Lucio shared images on social media of what she claimed were cuts, bruises and abrasions inflicted by Officer Guzman during the arrest.
Lucio, who knows rapper T.I. personally, reached out to him, and the rapper -- who welcomed the distraction from his own recent arrest for drunken and disorderly behavior -- posted a video on Instagram, challenging Guzman a duel.
“I need you to do me, homes,” he said. “Come do me like that. Come drag me through the restaurant just like that.”
The 37-year-old record label owner called for a renewed boycott of Houston's restaurant -- which recently caved to his demands after he accused the restaurant chain of discriminating against black people following a dispute with his wife, Tameka, and rapper Waka Flocka's mom, Debra Antney.
“We are seriously concerned with the level of force that was used and we want answer to why they ended up in the bushes,” their attorney, Gerald Griggs, said in a statement.
When asked why his clients failed to comply with the officer's orders, Griggs had a ready response.
“You can’t just leave the restroom after you just finish using it. You have to wash your hands. Have to make sure that you have taking care of all of your needs,” he said.
Griggs said he was unsatisfied with the restaurant's response to the incident and he wants the trespassing charges dropped.
“(The) response from Houston’s is very disturbing. This is a very disturbing case and we hope to be able to come to a swift resolution with the charges being dropped.”
T.I., who served 2 years in federal prisons on weapons and drug charges in 2009 and 2011, was recently named to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' transition team.
According to an insider, the rapper promised to throw his weight around down at City Hall.
