The Game charged with hitting cop

The Game has officially been charged for hitting a police officer.

The 35-year-old rapper, real name Jayceon Terrell Taylor, was arrested earlier this month after he was accused of throwing a punch at an off-duty cop during an informal basketball game that took place in March.

According to PageSix, The Game pled not guilty in court on Monday to one felony count of making criminal threats and one misdemeanor count of assault and battery.

Apparently the musician was playing basketball in North Hollywood, California a few months ago when the incident occurred. It's claimed he and the unidentified off-duty officer were playing on opposite teams. And when a foul call was called against The Game, he is accused of flipping out and throwing a punch at the cop.

If convicted for these offences, The Game could see himself locked up in prison for three years. He is currently out on a $50,000 bail bond and the star is next due in court over the matter on July 30.

Within the past decade, The Game has been arrested several times for various crimes. In October 2005 he was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in Greensboro, North Carolina. Mall security officers claimed The Game was wearing a full Halloween mask while cursing at shoppers loudly and when asked to leave, he refused to exit the premises. This behaviour supposedly led to his arrest, but the saga didn't end there. Before he was taken into custody, The Game was pepper sprayed, and the hip hop musician later claimed authorities overreacted and that he did nothing to cause this response from mall security. The five officers involved in this incident sued him for defamation and they won the case, as they were awarded $5 million in compensatory damages.

In May 2007 he was arrested for threatening a person with a gun while attending a basketball game in Los Angeles. In February 2008 he pled no contest to a felony weapons charge, resulting in a 60 day jail sentence, 150 hours of community service and three years probation.