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

Cadet got there first.... the cadet was on the phone so I find it hard to believe that he was harrassing anyone.

 

Hmmm... watching the video again, it appears that he did walk off the screen for a few seconds and you can see multiple people running towards the limo making hand gestures.

I'm rethinking my stance of him getting kicked out of West Point (I'm not sure I want a guy that isn't aware of his surroundings at all times being an officer and in charge of the lives of other young men). With that being said, the bodyguards used excessive force in doing their job... which in this case was getting an unarmed, drunk man away from her limo in a public place. I hope he wins some money in the civil case.

 

This video is pretty damning evidence against the LaBelle camp. It sounds like they fed HPD some bogus story, which was immediately forwarded to the military academy. Without the video, there's no doubt this kid would have gotten completely ramrodded by HPD and West Point.

 

It looks to me like the bodyguard pushes first. His hands are below the frame, so I'm judging from the way King's body jerks and the way the bodyguard moves. It's open to debate, but it looks to me like he got pushed and the bodyguard continued to advance so he reacted by pushing back. Probably, if he didn't push back, they wouldn't have punched him, but you can't expect to push somebody and have them not push you back.

 

Patti LaBelle better have a damn good attorney, because that video shows me nothing to believe their side of the story. Maybe she'll stop being such a diva after this, and not act like a stick is up her ass. If she hadn't given the bodyguards the command to tell King to back away, none of this would have happened.

 

funny, when i first saw this reported on the news thursday, it was pretty apparent the cadet started it

 

Maybe he was just talking on the phone looking for his ride? Not aware of his surroundings?

It seems there is much more to the confrontation than we can really discern, but I don't know that what happened shows a man who "isn't aware of his surroundings at all times."

And did I miss the part that states definitively that he was drunk, or was that LaBelle's unbiased son/ driver's statement?

 

HPD doesn't sound very professional at all if they really were posing for pictures and getting autographs afterwards. That is ridiculous...especially after a crime was committed. There should be a review of those officers' actions on the scene. If I'm a city police chief looking on, there is no way in hell I'm happy with those officers' behavior. I don't care if it was all over with. I expect better from HPD.

 

I was referring to this video:

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

He's wobbling all over the place.

 

Yeah, saw that too, thanks. So, no, then. Not saying you're wrong, just wondered if it was official.

 

anyway this thread is really dissappointing, no patti labelle song references

like the was "own his own" against bodyguards.

I know some of you at least know that one

 

Can't say as we do. Sorry.

 

Pretty sure they would have pulled some blood at the hospital. Someone knows.

 

I will never ever support LaBelle, and will boo her if I ever see her in public.

That is disgraceful behavior.

DD

 

If I had to guess, then I would say being a celebrity went to her head a long, long, long time ago. That said...I would be guessing. Incidents like this one do not help her image regardless of outcome imo. It's easy to assume this is just another stuck-up celebrity trying to push ordinary people around...even if that isn't the true character of the involved celebrity.

From watching the video, the bodyguards appear to be the ones who initiated contact...who appear to have given him a push from behind. That alone could seal the deal for this person winning the lawsuit...as that could be construed as the initial assault.

 

So, the cops reported the incident to West Point?

Why exactly?

 

She really needs a new attitude or she's just going to end up on her own with no one to kiss away the pain..

 

Because they were all too fricken stupid to even sniff west point.

DD

 

From http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/docs/PE/htm/PE.49.htm In order to be charged with public intoxication:

(e) A peace officer charging a person with an offense under this section, instead of taking the person before a magistrate, shall issue to the person a written citation and notice to appear that contains the time and place the person must appear before a magistrate, the name and address of the person charged, and the offense charged. If the person makes a written promise to appear before the magistrate by signing in duplicate the citation and notice to appear issued by the officer, the officer shall release the person.

No charges were filed. So I'm assuming that no blood alcohol test was given. As far as the blood evidence on the scene, that was mopped up, walked on and made a nice background for photos by a few members of HPD. What if the kid later died from the hit he took?

I still think he should get money from this. But as far as having the suspension reversed by his military superiors (with or without blood evidence), I will let them determine if he's fit to lead.