Employee of rapper 50 Cent faces

An employee of 50 Cent was arrested on assault and gun charges after he allegedly pistol-whipped a nightclub promoter who refused to announce an after-party at the rapper's Farmington mansion, police said.

Dwayne "Hove" McKenzie, 26, who police said lives at the mansion, allegedly assaulted the Hartford promoter last week and was found four days later with a 9 mm Glock and another handgun.

McKenzie lost his right to carry a gun last August, when police said he fired shots after he was robbed of a $100,000 necklace outside a Hartford nightclub.

His attorney, Gerald M. Klein, said he was in the process of trying to get McKenzie's pistol permit back when he was arrested Sunday.

Klein said Tuesday that McKenzie had no criminal record.

"He's got some college. He's a well-spoken young man, I was surprised he was locked up," Klein said.

McKenzie is accused of pistol-whipping nightclub promoter Howard Allison last Wednesday night after they reportedly argued over Allison's refusal to announce an after-party at 50 Cent's mansion during a nightclub reopening.

Klein said police arrested McKenzie over the weekend based on a warrant. He was pulled over in Hartford.

"They take my client out of a vehicle and according to my client, they claimed there were some guns in the vehicle that he was not aware of their presence," Klein said.

Klein said police claimed they found the guns on McKenzie, but he said he was not carrying any weapons.

McKenzie was arraigned Monday on two counts of carrying a pistol without a permit, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of weapons in a motor vehicle. He was released after posting $700,000 bond.

50 Cent purchased the 48,500-square foot mansion in Farmington from boxer Mike Tyson. It's now on the market for $18.5 million.

An e-mail seeking comment was sent to 50 Cent's publicist.

Employee of rapper 50 Cent faces assault, gun charges