Rapper faces weapon charge

Rap singer and actor Snoop Dogg was charged Thursday with knowingly possessing a deadly weapon at John Wayne Airport in September, when a collapsible police baton was found in his computer bag.

The artist, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, denied the charge. He has agreed to surrender at a time to be determined, said his attorney, Donald Etra. At that time, Broadus will post bail and an arraignment date will be set, Etra said.

Broadus, 35, of Sherman Oaks, would face up to three years in prison if found guilty of the felony charge, prosecutors said.

He was at the Orange County airport Sept. 27, accompanied by two bodyguards, for a flight to San Francisco. Security screeners noticed a cylindrical object in his computer bag that they could not identify on the X-ray scanner, authorities said. A baton that can extend from 8 to 21 inches was found, said Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jim Amormino. It is illegal to possess the police-style baton, he said.

The rapper told authorities the baton was to be used as a prop in a video, a portion of which was going to be filmed in San Francisco, Amormino said.

“This is a bogus case,” Etra said. “The D.A. knows that. Snoop knows that, and we’re convinced a jury will come to the same conclusion.”

Susan Kang Schroeder, a spokeswoman for the district attorney, said the case was filed based on “the available evidence and his criminal background and his violent behavior at airports, including an incident that occurred in Burbank a month after our incident.”

The rapper was arrested last week at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a gun and of transporting marijuana.

He is free on $35,000 bond in that case and is to be arraigned Dec. 12.

His attorney maintained Thursday that there was no basis for the Burbank arrest.

“I think like most celebrities, there’s extra focus on him,” Etra said. “We’re going to fight both of these cases very, very hard.”

This year Broadus was given a “caution” by British authorities after accepting responsibility for using “threatening words or behavior” in a brawl at Heathrow Airport in London.

He and five other men were arrested on charges of violent disorder and starting a brawl after members of the rapper’s party were denied entry to British Airways’ first-class lounge, according to reports. Seven officers suffered minor injuries, and one sustained a fracture to a hand. British Airways has banned Broadus from traveling on the airline, the reports said.

christine.hanley@latimes.com