34 year old Raymond Velázquez’s rap tantrum caused Times Square to shut down on Tuesday morning.
According to NYPD officials, Velázquez was asked to leave the premises of the MTV Network Headquarters, after loitering about trying to promote his CD.
Velázquez then climbed up a lighting post and performed a few rap songs, while throwing copies of his CD to passersby.
Police shut down surrounding streets in New York’s Times Square for about two hours, inflated a giant yellow airbag below the pole and extended a NYPD emergency vehicle ladder, from which officers tried to persuade Velázquez to climb down.
Vélazquez, whose stage name is “C.I. Joe” was led in handcuffs to an ambulance that took him to a healthcare facility for a psychological assessment.
