KINGSTON, Jamaica – Dancehall artiste Lisa Hyper was arrested by police Tuesday night at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston after allegedly assaulting an employee. She is being detained in a cell at the international airport.

“Lisa’s unfortunate arrest is actually a stroke of good fortune for the family because we have been worried about Lisa for weeks and now she is in a safe, secure environment,” Tasha Gooden, Lisa Hyper’s sister, told Observer Online.

“We faced significant difficulties in getting Lisa the help she needed in terms of tracking her down and getting her into the hands of the UHWI mental health authorities.”

The family is now moving quickly to expedite the entertainer’s release into the custody of the mental health authorities.

“My father is on the way to UHWI to get proof of Lisa’s medical condition and then secure the documents to deal with her bail. We have been in contact with the team at UHWI who have been very helpful. There is a due process for her to be released, and we want her to be released to the proper mental health practitioners,” said Gooden.

According to preliminary reports, the entertainer allegedly assaulted an employee inside the airport during an argument.

She reportedly used abusive language, and cursed at police officers and airport staff.

The Soul Cry singer was live on her TikTok account when the incident took place.

“We want the public to know that Lisa is not well. We are asking the public for their understanding and her social media rants are a direct result of the progression of her illness. We want to applaud the Instagram account @virtualtvjm who actually prayed for Lisa when everyone else had been bashing her, big thanks to Dr Longmore as well. We also appreciate all the people who have been reaching out with their concerns. Please keep Lisa in your prayers,” Gooden added.

Lisa Hyper is known as the ‘First Lady of Gaza’, and a major figure in Vybz Kartel’s Portmore Empire. She is known for songs such as Amazing, Money Don’t Sleep, Sculpture and Nuh Frighten.

Her most recent songs include Soul Cry where she addressed her mental health issues, and her brash collaboration, Altitude, featuring Shawn Storm.

– Claude Mills