Tyson was defending daughter, wife during LAX altercation with paparazzo, spokeswoman says [Updated]

Mike Tyson was defending his wife and 10-month-old child from an aggressive photographer when the former boxer got into an altercation at LAX on Wednesday, his spokeswoman said.

Tyson and the photographer were arrested on suspicion of battery, and police said they were interviewing witnesses to determine what happened.

Tyson, 43, told investigators that the photographer struck him in an apparent attempt to provoke him, according to a police source who asked not to be named because the matter involved an open investigation.

The photographer told investigators that Tyson punched him in the face and tried to take his camera, the source told The Times.

"Mike acted in self-defense as a father protecting his child," said Tyson's spokeswoman Tammy Brook.

A fellow paparazzo interviewed by KABC-TV Channel 7 said the photographer regularly photographed celebrities at LAX but said the man would not provoke a physical altercation.

[Updated at 8:50 a.m.: The photographer, Tony Echeverria, told infdaily.com that he got a tip that Tyson and his family were arriving at LAX on Wednesday. He found Tyson and followed him for several minutes around the airport, at one point exchanging words. Tyson eventually hit him four times, Echeverria said.]

The incident occurred at Terminal 7 in front of numerous witnesses at about 4:30 p.m., according to Los Angeles Airport Police. The photographer suffered a minor cut to his forehead. Witnesses said there was blood on the floor of the terminal.

Both men wanted to press charges of battery against each other, said Sgt. Jim Holcomb of the airport police.

 “There’s a lot of different versions to the story,” Holcomb said.

Tyson was initially held in the airport station’s lockup, but he was later transferred to the LAPD’s 77th Street Station, where he was booked and released on his own recognizance at 8:10 p.m.

“He was very cooperative,” said LAPD Lt. Aaron McCraney. “There were no issues.”

Today's episode was the latest clash between celebrities and paparazzi at LAX.

On Sept. 12, 2008, rapper Kanye West was arrested on suspicion of vandalism, and his road manager, Don Crowley, was arrested on suspicion of vandalism and battery, after they reportedly confronted a photographer and smashed his camera.

An L.A. court commissioner dismissed all charges against both men last month.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Photo: KTLA

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

Times/USC poll discussed on KCRW (in case you missed it)

Two die in Mid-City stabbing and officer-involved shooting

Superintendent works to preserve historic Mt. Wilson Observatory

Orange County unveils ambitious brush-fire warning system, a year after devastating blaze

Woman killed in Mid-City domestic violence incident

Comments

[What is wrong]

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MIKE TYSON??? Three punches and all he got was a cut on the forehead??? He should have been knock out you getting soft mike

[silinda]

I been a big fan but mike u have to stop .And learn to control that temper

[Craig]

think about it. if tyson really wanted to hurt this guy, he'd be in lah-lah land instead of LA. he restrained himself for going further on this punk.

go tyson! i wish someone would do that to me and my family - i'd make a permanent mark, immediately.

[ry]

It is a free country last time I checked. And yet all the comments on this board seem to indicate that everyone is for a photographer getting punched out by a convicted rapist? Seriously? If it wasn't for the celebrity culture that the photographer works for Mike Tyson would have been irrelevant years ago. And as far as you have the right to not be photographed, cameras are everywhere. I can't go to the bank or the store without being photographed. In Mike Tyson's case, without the paparazzi he would be bankrupt. And as far as Rick's comments go, no one cares about your family enough to see the pictures. Get a face tattoo, bite an ear, and have a cameo in a hit comedy movie and maybe we would care.

[Terry]

Why are these idiots allowed to 'follow' people at all?

He should be locked up with Tyson for a week and pay him for 'the experience'.

[10x10 mile district of columbia is a scam]

Let's see. You have a fella who has threatened everything but Allah to date; beat the hell out of everything else; tells other boxers he would make love to them until they love him back; tattooed his head; and you want to go an stir him up as he is at an airport with his family?
It only seems in a normal thinking society that you would leave such a fella alone and have respect for the general peace rather than involve yourself in negligence that endangers and disrupts everyones unalienable right to a peaceful day that we, for the most part, all try to enjoy. And,by the way, that was supposed to be protected by the constitution/contract with the people- Incase some of you forgot.
I say leave Tyson alone and let him smack that guy for all of us one more time for all to see on an internet video. Heck let him go to CONgress and smack all of them once too.

[Portitas]

i've seen these "photographers" operate around LA. they are NOT meek arty-farty types. at best, they are hyper-aggressive, insulting and rude - and they do create confrontations for the photo/lawsuit opportunity. at worst, they are just outright nuts. i've seen celebrity photogs in action at my santa monica grocery that genuinely smelled bad and acted crazy - take away the camera and you'd swear some were mentally ill homeless people.
these people operate WAY beyond what is appropriate or decent. there needs to be a law curtailing their behavior.

[RENE RODRIGUEZ]

GO TYSON!!!!!!!!!!!! GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RENE RODRIGUEZ]

GO TYSON!!!!!!!!!!!! GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mark]

To silinda...

If you were him you would probably do the same thing. They are totally invading his privacy... come on now... his 10 month old daughter was wtih him... those flashes can get the kid blind dont ya think...

[Richard]

Wonder why this so called paparazzi s cannot be curbed by the law.
What right has anyone got to be taking unsolicited pictures of others for profit anyway?
I think we need a law that should ban or keep paparazzi s at least 20 feet away.
Paparazzi s ought to be made criminally liable for invoking anybody's anger.
They need to be fully licensed and carry substantial liability insurance. May be then they'll show better intelligence. They doggedly chase people into extreme intolerance. They have successfully chased people to their death all in the name of freelance photography and monetary greed.
We all know Mike Tyson is extremely temperamental, but would he have gotten provoked into this mess if Mr. Stupid paparazzi didn't show up with his lousy gadgets? Can't the poor guy ever be allowed to live his own life?
It is obvious most humans’ not just celebrities don't want their patronage; why is there no protection against them? Maybe until they start getting killed in high numbers before the society wakes up to the reality of their menace.

[Reginald Arsenya]

Mike should have the right to protect himself and his family, the paparazzi need to be kept at a distant.......and if the system will not do it them we have to take the matter into our own hands.........For one of the few times I say..."Right on Mike"....and the next Joe Fraizer or Sugar Ray should to the same thing.....

[Maggie May]

Leave Mike Tyson alone!!! He is a genuinely nice guy whose had a tough life and is trying his best to get it right!
If he punched you out you probably deserved it!!!! How would you like someone in YOUR face all of the time?

[Michael]

The constitutional freedom of the press does not protect a photographers right to go shoving things in peoples faces. How on earth do paparazzi get a license to stalk, assault and harrass? Maybe I should become one. There is this guy I really don't like...

[Lee B.]

I've met Mike Tyson on four occasions. He is very different in middle age than he was when younger - he is ashamed of his past and is determined to do better, even though it's an uphill climb. I respect that. I do not respect stalkerazzi, whose IQs seem to have sunk into low double digits. And harrassing a heavyweight champ? Single digit IQ.

[TheBigPicture]

I wonder if he bit the photographer on the ear during the altercation...Thats a good tactic to stop unauthorized shutter bugging...

[Decent]

Mike Tyson is in the the right. I've been around these sort of things so I know first hand what went down. You aren't dealing with normal logical people. I've seen a friend get in a car accident with a pap and I've been in the car when they chase you (in teams of 4 and 5 people.) They are dangerous and inconsiderate and are paid alot of money so they will go thru any obstacle to accomplish their mission. Tyson punching some fool, made my thursday.

[David n]

Defending his daughter from what or whom. Like anyone in there
right mind is thinking : Theres Mike Tyson, I think I'll go mess
with his infant. BS He's a frigin nut case. Just put this guy in a
cage and charge addmission.

[FREE]

mIKE tYSON AND pappARAZZO NEED TO settlE thiS in THe RINg not iN coUrt.... MIKE TYSON IS BACK!!!!!!ONCE A FIGHTER ALWAYS A FIGHTER..YOU MAH BOY TYSON

[Mel]

It's unfortunate that back in the 80s, when the they really started to get bold, nothing was done about the paparazzi. I remember the early incidents, like when they called Lisa Bonet that ugly name because she said no to getting her picture taken, and then everyone acted like Lenny Kravitz was wrong for going after them. It was a mess back then; but now, regular folks can't have a life. I was coming out of a restaurant, and it fifteen minutes to walk to the valet because some ding dong was waiting outside with a camera, trying to look in the window to see what someone was doing, and preventing folks from walking past. Enough, already - jeez!

[Jake]

Paparazzo are scumbags. They do nothing but follow and harass people. I bet those punches in the face woke that scumbag up. Go Mike!

[Russell Gibson]

The Government lets this take place with these jerks with there cameras. Because they make probably 50% in tax on
millions of dollars.They shouldn't be closer than 400 feet
taking photos of people violating there space .Bravo Mike next time do it at night when know one is around What is the Government waiting for another Princess Diane episode.
These guys and girls must be stopped from this infringement
of peoples privacy

[RM]

"a free country" - that's pretty vague. You can almost use that excuse to do almost anything you want, even if it breaks laws.

The stores and banks that you go too usually will have signs or monitors showing that you are being photographed or video'd. You have the option of not going entering and have your picture taken.

I guarantee that if I followed you and your family around everywhere and tried to provoke you so I can take a picture that would make more money, you wouldn't be able to handle it for long.

[RM]

"a free country" - that's pretty vague. You can almost use that excuse to do almost anything you want, even if it breaks laws.

The stores and banks that you go too usually will have signs or monitors showing that you are being photographed or video'd. You have the option of not going entering and have your picture taken.

I guarantee that if I followed you and your family around everywhere and tried to provoke you so I can take a picture that would make more money, you wouldn't be able to handle it for long.

[AMOS ADAMS]

MIKE YOUR BECOMMING A BETTER MAN STAND UP FOR YOUR FAMILY AND WHAT YOU BELIVE IN.....STAY STRONG THIS TIME YOU WERE IN THE RIGHT.