Patti LaBelle's bodyguards beat up a West Point cadet at IAH, HPD poses for pictures

I'm not sure why you would though.

 

The giant lawsuit and criminal charges? I agree.

EDIT: Kudos to Chron for putting up this video.

 

I'll torrent it, and then throw it away. That'll show her!

 

How are the bodyguards NOT being charged with assault? Or LaBelle with accessory to a crime?

Despite whatever the kid may have done, the tapes don't lie. Assault and battery was committed. The kid may be guilty of it too but violent crime were clearly committed by the bodyguards.

 

Jesus, that's just insane esp the cops taking pictures right after the whole thing.

 

I don't see the hate for the police in the thread. None of their actions lead to the guy getting beat up. Their job is to control the situation, then take a report.

Once their job is done, why not pose for pictures? If they stop Charlie Sheen on the highway and he has a car full of hookers and blow would you guys have a problem with them posing for pictures with him before they put him in the back of the police car?

I am pretty sure if the DA wanted her to go to jail they would have arrested her.

 

The cadet's story seems to check out exactly with the video.

1. The cadet on the phone waiting for his mom and dad to pick him up.
2. Bodyguard/driver pushes the cadet in a public area.
3. The cadet pushes the guy back in self defense and backs up.
4. Bigger bodyguard charges and punches the cadet in the face.
5. All 3 men charge the cadet and shove him head first into the pillar.

If you watch the KHOU report, the driver claims the cadet was trying to get into the limo. Why would the cadet get in the limo if he was waiting for his parents to pick him up?

Why are the freaking officers posing for pictures? Some heads need to roll here. This thuggery and blatant favortism towards celebrities is disgusting. I have a feeling the cadet will have the suspension reversed following the release of this video.

 

How is it that a faulty police report led to the kid being suspended? Somebody in the department had connections.

 

That seems like a much more valid reason to hate on the cops than posing for pics. Posing for pics hurts no one. what you alleged has actual consequences.

 

a) their job wasn't done and b) **** yes i'd have a huge problem with that. if these cops want pictures with celebrities after a criminal act has occurred, they should find a new profession.

 

Posing for pictures with one side does raise questions of if they were biased towards one of the groups.

 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footba...i-LaBelle-in-wake-of-injurie?urn=ncaaf-wp2191

LaBelle's limo driver — her 37-year-old son — declined to press charges, but did file an initial complaint against King with Houston police, whose report of the incident (based on the driver's account) described King as drunk, belligerent and harassing the occupants of the limo. It also suggests King swung first at the driver when asked to step away, and that both the driver and an officer who arrived later "smelled the odor of alcohol on the suspect," which is the better explanation for why the person lying half-conscious on the pavement has to have charges dropped against him. (King and his lawyer said he had "a few drinks" on the plane but wasn't drunk, and only shoved a bodyguard to protect himself.) The less flattering explanation is that starstruck officers — one of whom was later caught on camera posing for a picture with LaBelle with King's spilled blood still on the pavement a few feet away — sided with celebrity.

Either way, King's immediate fate appears to be sealed. After the incident, the report filed by the driver was forwarded by Houston police to West Point, which subsequently decided to "outprocess" King "under an administrative action" — in civilian terms, to suspend him, drop his rank and ship him out under a program that enlists cadets who leave the academy after the beginning of their junior year for three years of active duty with an option to return to complete their degree at the end of the tour.

It's not clear what King's service will entail, but he told local news in Houston that he expects to be deployed in the next few months and hopes to return to the academy in 2013. "I'm going to do whatever my country tells me to do," he said. "I'm going to give it my all."

If his West Point career isn't over, though, his football career almost certainly is: According to the lawsuit, King suffered a concussion, has continued to experience lingering headaches and dizziness and — in light of a series of concussions that sidelined him for the entire 2009 season — has been told by doctors that he'll never play again. Last year, King returned to play in every game and intercept four passes as an occasional starter for the first decent Army outfit in 15 years. Here's hoping to even more success on his next team.

 

How was their job not done? Kid was being taken care of by medical professionals. Reports taken.

Have a problem with the accuracy of the reports? Great. Have a problem with the "bodyguards" not arrested? Cannot argue. Pictures after the fact, when no one is in danger or needed attention is ridiculous.

 

^ Agreed. Not exactly sure why it should be all a-ok for cops to pose with celebrities when on duty? There is a huge conflict of interest there, as this story seems to clearly point out.

 

yeah, anyone should be able to see that. and it seems like any defense attorney worth his salt would use the pictures in trial (if it gets that far) to show that the officers weren't exactly objective. not saying they weren't, but it certainly opens it up for questioning.

 

What I did see in the video is at 40 seconds the bodyguards go towards him and the kid puts his hands on one and pushes him off and the beating starts.

Regardless, hopefully the kid wins the lawsuit.

 

Obviously, getting and reviewing the video of the assault from the airport security cameras before deciding photos with the perp was a good PR move would probably have been wise in retrospect.

Of course he pushes the guy off. That's exactly what most anyone would have done if they were minding their own business and some guy comes out of nowhere yelling at you and pushing you. He should have no trouble at all winning his suit against Patti Labelle. He probably has a case against West Point as well if they don't reverse themselves in a hurry, and perhaps HPD for not fact-checking their report before faxing it to West Point.

 

It doesn't "hurt" anyone but it does strongly call into question their objectivity and professionalism.

If the cop had changed out of his clothes and got a picture taken as a private citizen, fine. But to do so in his uniform is a crock of ****. He was representing the HPD and police officers are supposed to be objective.

This incident only furthers cops' reputation for catering to rich/powerful and crapping on the young/poor/etc...

The depressing commentary on society here is that the police, supposedly a pillar of the community, is siding with a celebrity over an honorable young man serving his country. That's just deplorable. Really tells you where our values have gone.

 

Here is a more complete video:

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xb5GwsDoyQA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It appears that Cadet King is pretty drunk (he's definitely not walking straight). However, I don't see any thing that looks like he's threatening anybody in LaBelle's party.

 

Once again maybe yelling was involded but it never got physical till the kid puts his hands on the bodyguard(40 seconds on the video) and that's not saying it would have never got physical regardless.. Just pointing out the facts on the video.

If 2 big ass bouncers yelled at me telling me to back up off the luggage, I would immedietly back up and say "My Bad and to relax" now if the countined to get in my face after that then yes I would push em off but damn well knowing I was gonna get my ass whooped, right?


Anyways the kiddo wins!