In Instagram post from inside car, house music pioneer says police confronted him in his own backyard

In a video posted to his Instagram, the Detroit DJ Moodymann captured what appears to be a confrontation with aggressive police. The clip begins with Moodymann, whose real name is Kenny Dixon Jr, filming from inside his car as police surrounded the vehicle, rifles pointed at him.

“Unlock the door now,” one of the officers screams in the video posted on Tuesday, which has since been removed. It’s unclear which department they are from but in a caption, Dixon describes them as “HP police”, probably a reference to Highland Park, a city within metro Detroit. A representative from the Detroit police department denied having knowledge of the arrest and calls to the Highland Park police remained unanswered Tuesday evening.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A screen shot from the encounter, which is no longer on Instagram. Photograph: Instagram

Continuing to film with the weapons trained on him, Dixon tries to explain to the increasingly aggressive officers that he’s trying to unlock the door.

“Let me unlock it. Let me unlock it,” he says. The video ends as he exits the vehicle.

Dixon, a beloved figure in the pioneering Detroit techno and house music scene, has released a dozen records under the name Moodymann since the 90s and has been sampled by Drake and other artists.

In the Instagram caption, Dixon says the arrest took place on his own property in his own backyard, despite the fact that he was holding the keys to the vehicle.

“HP police came n (MY BACKYARD)demanding proof of ownership and this is how they reacted,” he wrote. “(Went 2 jail again)charged me 4 Breaking and entering on my own property even though I had keys.what u can’t c is 9 other officers pointing there AR15 directly at my head ...next time just pull the MF trigger let’s get this shit over with (I’m tired) I’m so tired.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Another screen shot from the confrontation. Photograph: Instagram

Dixon’s audible exasperation in the footage comes amid the epidemic of violence perpetrated against people of color by police in the US. Cellphone footage of high-profile examples of police brutality, including the killing of Sterling Brown in Baton Rouge and of Philando Castile in Minnesota in 2016, has exposed much wider audiences to the reality of the situation. Filming police in such arrests, particularly in live-streaming videos, has served as a last line of defense for victims.

The Black Madonna, a fellow producer and DJ who has shared the stage with Moodymann, was among many colleagues to express thanks that the encounter with police hadn’t been deadly.

“Kenny is a great man. He’s a man of peace. We have to stop terrorizing black men. The sound of his voice is something that will haunt. I’m so glad they didn’t shoot. Thank god they didn’t, but fuck this. Again, black lives matter. Black lives matter,” she tweeted.