Darian "Big Tigger" Morgan, the veteran V-103 morning host and former BET "Rap City" face, was arrested in Atlanta on Saturday on allegations of aggravated battery and third-degree cruelty to children. He was booked into the Fulton County Jail and released after posting surety bonds totaling $10,000, according to published reports. The arrest comes after weeks of online chatter and neighborhood media coverage about an earlier incident involving his wife.
TMZ reported that Morgan was taken into custody at the Fulton County Jail on Saturday morning and later released after posting surety bonds totaling $10,000, including $9,000 tied to an aggravated battery count and $1,000 connected to a cruelty-to-children charge, citing jail officials. According to the outlet, the jail booking listed the counts as aggravated battery and third-degree cruelty to children.
FOX 5 Atlanta aired a brief segment on the case that picked up on TMZ's report and posted the clip online on June 23. The station essentially recapped TMZ's account of the arrest and directed viewers to the original celebrity-news write-up.
Background and On-Air Response
Police records obtained and published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution detail a May incident in which Morgan's wife, Alicia Brown, sought medical treatment and authorities documented a domestic dispute. After a brief absence, Morgan returned to his V-103 morning slot in mid-June and told listeners that "these allegations and accusations that have been circulating are false," while Audacy, which owns the station, acknowledged it was aware of the situation but declined further comment.
What the Charges Mean
Under Georgia law, cruelty to children in the third degree can apply when someone is identified as a primary aggressor or commits a battery while a child is present; it is often treated as a misdemeanor, although repeat convictions can elevate the offense to a felony. Aggravated battery is classified as a felony in Georgia and carries a potential prison sentence that can range from one to 20 years. See O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70 and O.C.G.A. § 16-5-24 for the statute language and penalty ranges.
It was not immediately clear from the booking documents whether the new arrest is directly tied to the May incident described in the earlier police report. TMZ noted that the arrest record did not spell out any connection between the jail booking and the previously reported dispatch records, and formal court filings in Fulton County are expected to lay out the specific charges, arraignment schedule, and whether prosecutors intend to pursue the aggravated counts.
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}