Jason Mitchell, who you may know from his roles in Kong: Skull Island and Straight Outta Compton, was arrested in Mississippi on Wednesday on four felony drug and weapons charges, according to law enforcement. Mitchell portrayed Eazy-E in the 2015 N.W.A. biopic and showed up as Mills in Skull Island.
After being stopped by Harrison County police, the officers found an AK-47 semi-automatic and a Glock 19 pistol. In addition to the weapons, they found two pounds of marijuana and 1,300 doses of MDMA. The official charges are possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and two counts of possession of a weapon by a felon.
“The weed and ecstasy were packaged in a manner consistent with a mid-level distribution operation,” said police.
Meanwhile, a representative for Mitchell released a statement on the matter, explaining:
“Jason is at home with his family right now, working on an amazing new project. News stories move fast and oftentimes without all of the facts. This misunderstanding will be resolved shortly. We trust that the court systems blind justice will protect Jason’s rights and allow him to tell his story.”
Mitchell was arrested Wednesday morning and later released the same day after posting a $150,000 surety bond. If convicted, the actor could face up to a year in jail for each weapon charge on top of hefty fines. The drug charges carry a much harsher penalty if convicted though, as Mitchell could face up to 10 years in jail along with fines of up to $50,000 for each charge.
As fans will know, the actor received serious Oscar buzz for his performance in Straight Outta Compton. The movie was a juggernaut in the summer of 2015, prompting talks of a sequel that never came to fruition. FX snatched up the rights to the film though and Mitchell enjoyed a good run for the next few years.
Following the hit movie, he appeared in a number of high profile roles including Mudbound, Detroit and the aforementioned Kong: Skull Island. He was also a regular on the Showtime series The Chi. However, he was eventually fired over allegations of misconduct. This led to his removal from the Netflix film Desperados even before production began. After that, his agent, manager and attorney all cut ties with him as well.
It’s safe to say Mitchell isn’t in a good place right now. Possessing multiple guns and a heavy amount of drugs and saying it’s a “misunderstanding” is a bit of a reach. Movies like Kong: Skull Island and Straight Outta Compton put him on the map and if he isn’t careful, his career may be over before it really even has any chance of taking off.
