Mike Tyson arrested in airport scuffle with paparazzo
Nov 12th, 2009 by Bilal Ali
Former boxing champ Mike Tyson was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge after a scuffle with a celebrity photographer who was following him at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Tyson, 43, allegedly landed one punch to the head of the paparazzo, sending him to the floor at the United Airlines ticket counter, airport police Sgt. Jim Holcomb said.
The photographer was taken to a hospital for treatment of a cut suffered when he hit the floor, Holcomb said.
The photographer and Tyson were placed under citizen’s arrest on misdemeanor battery complaints filed by each against the other, he said.
Holcomb did not know which — if any — media organization the photographer worked for.
Tyson was calm and cooperative when he was taken to an airport police station holding cell, Holcomb said.
A crowd of photographers lined the driveway as a patrol car — with Tyson sitting handcuffed in the back — left the airport police station for a south Los Angeles police station for booking.
Tyson was released on a signature bond, according to LAX spokesman Albert Rodriguez.
The injured photographer also was to be booked after his treatment at the hospital’s emergency room, Holcomb said.
The boxer told police he changing planes at LAX, on his way to Las Vegas from Europe, Holcomb said.
Tyson, former holder of the three major heavyweight world titles, retired from competitive professional boxing in 2005.