LOS ANGELES— Louis Tomlinson, a member of the boy band One Direction was arrested over an alleged altercation with a paparazzo at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, March 3.
Tomlinson and his girlfriend Eleanor Calder were near the baggage claim area after arriving back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas when the incident occurred.
According to reports, witnesses indicated Tomlinson took down a photographer with his legs causing the victim to fall and hit his back and head on the floor. The photographer claimed Tomlinson hit him during the altercation.
The photographer was taken to a local hospital, where his condition was not immediately released. After the scuffle, Tomlinson assisted his girlfriend who was in a separate altercation with three others.
According to reports, a female witness, identified as Ana Becerra, began recording his girlfriend as she attempted to leave. Tomlinson allegedly grabbed her wrist and tried to take Becerra’s phone causing her to fall in the process. She was struck in the eye during the altercation.
Becerra plans on pressing charges and claims she narrowly avoided a brain hemorrhage, according to her now-protected Twitter account.
Tomlinson’s lawyer, Martin Singer released the following response to the incident:
“The paparazzi provoked and caused the altercation that occurred with Louis. It’s not the first time that a paparazzi has created an altercation with a celebrity. While the altercation was going on with the paparazzi, three other individuals were attacking his girlfriend during this incident and he came to her defense.”
LAX police arrived at the scene at 8:25 p.m. on Friday and Tomlinson was arrested on suspicion of simple battery. He was booked at LAPD’s Pacific Division, where he posted a $20,000 bail and was released at 1:32 a.m. Saturday, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Tomlinson has a court date scheduled for Wednesday, March 29 in Dept. W90 of the LAX Superior Court, located at 11701 S. La Cienega Blvd.
