Meek Mill freed from prison after 5-month battle

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Rapper Meek Mill is out of prison after being held behind bars for five months for probation violations.

It was just after 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when a helicopter belonging to the 76ers owner carried Meek Mill to freedom after his court ordered release from prison with a huge crowd of fans jamming the streets in Chester to watch.

"I'm so happy finally justice has been served in the City of Philadelphia," Fan Evelyn Samuels told FOX 29.

Meek Mill was released under heavy security to hold back fans. The state supreme court ordered the judge who put him there to release him on unsecured bail. A few hours later, Meek Mill was free and the fans were ecstatic.

"Look at the crowd. Look at the supporters in the crowd," Samuels said.

SkyFOX hovered overhead as Meek Mill was flown to Penns Landing after an in-flight clothing change. He headed for another waiting SUV and a ride to the 76ers, Miami Heat playoff game at the Wells Fargo Center.

"Freedom served," Samuels said.

The embattled rapper has been visited by politicians and celebrities while in prison. All criticizing his sentence, his conviction and demanding his release. Comedian and actor Kevin Hart weighed in Tuesday after visiting Meek Mill.

"It's jail—how good can it be? Ya know, when you're sitting in there once again for something you didn't do. It's frustrating," Actor Kevin Hart said.

Freedom for Meek Mill came quickly Tuesday and he thanked supporters saying he looked forward to fighting injustices for other inmates and resuming his career.

Meek Mill released the following statement:

“I’d like to thank God, my family, my friends, my attorneys, my team at Roc Nation including JAY-Z, Desiree Perez, my good friend Michael Rubin, my fans, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court and all my public advocates for their love, support and encouragement during this difficult time. While the past five months have been a nightmare, the prayers, visits, calls, letters and rallies have helped me stay positive. To the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, I’m grateful for your commitment to justice – not only for my case, but for others that have been wrongfully jailed due to police misconduct. Although I’m blessed to have the resources to fight this unjust situation, I understand that many people of color across the country don’t have that luxury and I plan to use my platform to shine a light on those issues. In the meantime, I plan to work closely with my legal team to overturn this unwarranted conviction and look forward to reuniting with my family and resuming my music career.”

Lawyer Joe Tacopina Statement released a statement as well:

“We are thrilled that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has directed Judge Brinkley to immediately issue an order releasing Meek on bail. As we have said all along, Meek was unjustly convicted and should not have spent a single day in jail. We are also pleased that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has noted that Judge Brinkley may opt to remove herself from presiding over any further proceedings in Meek’s case in the interests of justice. Meek is excited to be reunited with his family, and we, along with Meek, intend to continue to shine the light on a justice system in need of reform to prevent any other citizen from being put through what Meek has endured.”