Atlanta rapper Young Scooter died after cutting leg on wood fence, medical examiner says

The Atlanta Police Department also revealed Tuesday that it had arrested and charged a woman for making the 911 call that sent officers to the house on William Nye Drive on Friday afternoon, saying the call itself was false.

The grieving family of the rapper, whose real name was Kenneth Bailey, had been searching for answers. Bailey died on his 39th birthday.

Bailey’s publicist, Abesi Manyando, said Monday his family and friends are “completely devastated” by his loss and are waiting for “more information to understand the circumstances.”

Investigators say Demetria Spence, 31, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with transmitting a false public alarm. Earlier, police released audio from a 911 call that reported a woman being dragged from a home and assaulted, prompting officers to be dispatched to the home, according to Lt. Andrew Smith, commander of the APD homicide unit.

The caller, a woman who said she was part of a neighborhood watch group, told the dispatcher a naked woman was being “beaten bloody” by a man outside a home. The caller also said she heard three gunshots.

“He’s really hitting her and there’s a child involved,” the woman said. “There are seven guys in the house, and they all have guns.”

But after the police released audio of that 911 call, investigators asked for help in finding the caller, who might not have been nearby watching the events unfold after all.

It turns out the call was placed from DeKalb County and transferred to a Fulton County operator, according to the conversation during the call. The caller used an “SOS” phone, or a cellphone no longer on a cellular network, a police spokesperson said. Investigators were initially unable to reach the woman on the phone number she gave to the 911 operator.

Because “SOS” phones are not on a network, police couldn’t just call the person back to identify them. The phones can make emergency calls, but they can’t make other connections or receive calls.

Officers who arrived at the home Friday knocked on the door, Smith said at a news conference Friday night. A man opened the door and then immediately shut it, and two men were then seen running out of the back of the house, according to police.

One of the men, who has not been identified, returned to the house, police said. But the other man, later identified as Bailey, ran until he fell, Smith said.

Bailey apparently injured his leg after jumping two fences while running from officers, police said. A tourniquet was applied and Bailey was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 6:41 p.m., according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office.

An autopsy was performed Saturday. Investigators said it could take up to 90 days for the final report to be completed, but released details about Bailey’s leg injury in response to several reports on social media, including by fellow rapper Young Thug, alleging Bailey had died of a gunshot wound.

No officers fired at Bailey, Smith said. The GBI, which is also looking into the incident, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the case was not an officer-involved shooting.

“The injury that was sustained was not via the officers on scene,” Smith said. “It was when the male was fleeing.”

The APD requested the GBI investigate the case because Bailey was in police custody at the time of his death.

There was no indication anyone was shot at the home, despite the 911 caller’s claims about gunfire, Smith said. Officers were also unable to locate an injured woman as described by the 911 caller.

Bailey, raised in Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood, was one of the first artists to sign with Future’s Freebandz label. In the 2010s, he became a fan favorite in the mixtape circuit, most notably for his 2013 project “Street Lottery.” His last official project was a 2024 rerelease of 2015’s “Fast Lane Juugin.”

“Young Scooter was more than just a hip-hop artist. He was a phenomenal father and mentor to a lot of Atlanta youth pursuing sports and music,” Manyando shared with the AJC via text. “Scooter was their advocate and support system. He always encouraged youth to pursue their dreams no matter what.”

Funeral arrangements for Bailey have not been finalized.

“The family is grateful for the outpouring of support and love from the city and all over the country,” Manyando wrote. “At this time, they are requesting privacy and prayers as they grieve.”