‘Black Ink Crew’ Alum Ceaser Emanuel Charged With Animal Cruelty Following Leaked Video
Black Ink Crew star Ceaser Emanuel was fired from the franchise after a video depicted him hitting his dog. The clip also resulted in the reality TV personality getting charged with animal cruelty.
Ceaser Emanuel charged with animal cruelty
In late June 2022, a video went viral on Twitter depicting Black Ink Crew star Ceaser Emanuel appearing to hit a dog. The clip quickly made its way around social media, resulting in backlash.
VH1 responded to the outcry a day later by publicly announcing its decision to part ways with the tattoo artist. After the reality star responded to the clip, TMZ reported that Georgia’s Fulton County Animal Services and the South Fulton Police Department saw the video and have begun looking into the situation.
According to Emanuel’s lawyer Walter Mosley, the incident reportedly occurred during the 2020 pandemic. However, the department said it can still charge the New York native. Additionally, his team previously claimed the Fulton County Police have already looked into the situation and cleared Emanuel of any wrongdoing.
In July, People reported he was charged with two counts of animal cruelty and one count of aggravated cruelty to animals. Emanuel was incarcerated and released the same day. According to his team, the tattoo artist “willingly turned himself in” and maintains that he is “fully cooperating” with the police “to bring him justice for this incident.”
Emanuel depicted hitting a dog in a viral clip
In the two-minute clip taken from a Ring camera attached to his house, the reality star chased his dog out of the garage into the driveway.
Emanuel kicked the dog at one point and struck the animal twice with a folded chair. The New York-based tattoo shop owner also put the dog into a cage and rolled it down a hill.
After the video’s release, Emanuel’s lawyer responded in a statement in which he referred to his client as an “avid dog lover.” Mosley maintained the situation happened after the dog attacked other dogs and admitted Emanuel had a “lapse of judgment” when handling the animals.
VH1 also quickly reacted to the issue by announcing their decision to fire him after nearly a decade with the franchise. As the filming for upcoming season 10 is close to complete, the network noted his departure wouldn’t affect it. However, the future of the flagship series is still in the air.
The ex-‘Black Ink Crew’ tattoo artist accused someone of leaking the footage
Following his firing, Emanuel spoke out about the situation in an interview with TMZ.
He admitted the clip “looked crazy” and noted he regretted his actions but insisted he acted in defense of the smaller animals. Additionally, the reality star explained he only tried to scare the dog, not harm it.
Emanuel revealed he gave one of the dogs away and attended dog school with the other to learn techniques when handling similar situations.
The tattoo artist also admitted he felt “set up in some way” as the footage came from a personal Ring camera. He later accused an ex-girlfriend, presumably Suzette Samuel, whom he dated during the time, of leaking the video for revenge.
Black Ink Crew airs on VH1.
