Killer Mike is clarifying what happened the Grammys that landed him in cuffs — and he says it can all be chalked up to confusion … and someone trying too hard to play police officer.

The rapper tells 360aproko … “As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an over-zealous security guard but my team and I have the upmost confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing.”

A source close to KM tells us he and his team ran into a little mishap while trying to enter the venue — although it’s unclear if they were re-entering, or coming in for the first time.

In any case, we’re told there was considerable confusion about where to go and how to get in — and as Mike and co. were trying to figure this out, they encountered a security guard who apparently started giving them a hard time … with Mike choosing to keep it pushin’.

Namely, he blew past the guard … and that seems to have resulted in them chasing him down after the fact — something 360aproko got video of in the immediate aftermath of this alleged incident. In the end, we know what happened … Mike was detained and ultimately arrested.

Our sources tell us the whole situation was completely overblown and Mike’s team is confident — as is he — that his name will be cleared when the facts are laid bare.

As we reported … Mike is facing a misdemeanor battery charge after a citizen’s arrest was conducted — and whole thing kinda put a damper on his big Grammy wins. He’s still happy about the accolades, for ‘MICHAEL,’ not to mention a successful surgery for his son.

All’s well that ends well, we suppose.