LINK (and video): http://abclocal.go.com/kt...id=8166451

Patti LaBelle sued over alleged attack

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Singing legend Patti LaBelle -- the so-called godmother of soul -- is now the target of a lawsuit after a violent confrontation involving her security guards was caught on camera at a Houston airport.

The man who filed the lawsuit says he was the victim of an unprovoked attack and he accuses Patti LaBelle of sending her guards after him. Much of it was caught on surveillance video.

The case was filed in a civil lawsuit because the Houston Police Department didn't file any criminal charges in this case. The lawsuit alleges it was Patti LaBelle who told her bodyguards to remove someone who was standing too close to her luggage.

The entire incident was recorded by a security camera at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Richard King, wearing a yellow shirt, was involved in a physical confrontation. King was the victim of an unprovoked attack, says his lawyer.

"He was completely taken by surprise," said John Raley, King's attorney. "No one would have seen this coming. Even watching the video tape now for the, I don't know how many times we've watched it, it still is surprising the violence and the suddenness and the brutality of this attack."

The incident happened on March 11. King, who is 23 years old and a senior at West Point Military Academy, told us by phone on Wednesday that on March 11 he was on spring break and came to Houston to visit his family. King says he was on the phone with his brother, unaware he was standing next to LaBelle's luggage. King says at the time, he'd never heard of Patti LaBelle.

"I pretty much got jumped," King said. "I really don't even know why, and on top of that, it's causing a lot of trouble up here because of the false police report that they had reported."

According to Houston police, King is described as a suspect who was harassing the occupants of the limo. HPD also reports it was King who appeared to be intoxicated and punched the limo driver. King denies being drunk.

Robert Bowick, an attorney for King, said, "It doesn't matter if Cadet King was impaired from a drink or two. He was minding his own business. He was not harming anybody. He was not a harm to himself."

Equally disturbing, says King's lawyer, are the actions of LaBelle after the incident. The superstar emerges from her limo and takes pictures with fans, including a Houston police officer. Raley says LaBelle was standing over King's spilled blood on the ground.

Repeated attempts to contact LaBelle or her representatives were unsuccessful.

[Edited 6/2/11 19:52pm]

[Edited 6/2/11 19:52pm]

[Edited 6/2/11 20:11pm]

^

Apparently, the dude assaulted the limo driver, who was the limo driver you might ask? Patti's son Zuri!

Cadet sues R&B singer LaBelle over airport beating

Houston athlete, 23, contends guards for Patti LaBelle attacked him

By ALLAN TURNER
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

June 2, 2011, 7:46PM

Lawyers for a West Point cadet who says bodyguards for soul singer Patti LaBelle beat him while he was waiting for a ride at a Houston airport released security video Thursday showing the student being pushed and punched by two men and a woman.

Richard King, 23, a U.S. Military Academy senior from Houston, filed a lawsuit this week against the 67-year-old vocalist, three of her entourage, a Bush Intercontinental Airport taxi dispatcher and the airport, seeking unspecified actual and punitive damages in connection with the March 11 incident.

King's attorney, John Raley, said Thursday that his client had been suspended from West Point as a result of the episode and placed in a "mentorship" program which will require active-duty status of at least a year.

Police smelled alcohol

West Point spokesman Francis DeMaro declined to discuss specifics of King's case, but said cadets can be placed under mentorship for violations of the academy's code of honor. Inappropriate use of alcohol, he said, may result in such action.

Houston police responding to the late-night incident outside the airport's Terminal C said King smelled of alcohol.

Raley said the cadet had consumed two alcoholic drinks on his flight to Houston but was not intoxicated.

Raley said his client, who had come to Houston for spring break, was talking to his brother on a cell phone when he wandered toward LaBelle's limousine in the passenger pickup area.

"Apparently, defendant LaBelle believed King was standing too close to her (no doubt expensive) luggage, even though he was oblivious to her presence and the danger he was in," the lawsuit asserts. "LaBelle lowered the window of her limousine and gave a command to her bodyguards. They sprang into action."

The lawsuit contends King never struck members of LaBelle's group.

In the video, King is seen wandering near the auto while talking on his cellphone. Then he is pushed and punched before falling against a concrete pillar. Apparently stunned, King attempts to rise three times, but falls. He finally stumbles away from the scene.

For some seconds before the blows, King is not visible on the screen. The video has no audio. The security tape also shows two Houston police officers posing for photographs with LaBelle after the confrontation, King's blood on the ground a few feet away.King was taken to a hospital by ambulance. The lawsuit says he suffered a concussion.

"There can never be any justification for the savage battery of King..." the lawsuit states. "Defendant LaBelle is hot-tempered herself ... She was a full participant in the cruel attack on King. She ordered it, and never tried to stop it."

Calls to LaBelle's management company were not returned Thursday.

Driver says he was struck

A police incident report confirms that an altercation occurred involving King and LaBelle's limousine driver, Zuri Edwards, 37. Edwards told police that a verbally abusive King hit him after he was asked to move as staffers approached with luggage carts.

Police said Edwards suffered a bruise on his face but did not want to press charges against King, who told officers he could not remember what happened before or during the attack.

Raley said his client — who was a defensive player for the Army football team - may undergo medical testing to determine the extent of his injuries this summer. "With head injuries," he said, "the full seriousness may not immediately be apparent."

On Thursday, Raley said King had told him a doctor had advised him to give up football for at least a year.

King, a Klein Forest High School graduate, is the grandson of J.T. King, famed Texas Tech University football coach. The elder King was inducted to the University of Texas' Men's Athletics Hall of Honor in 1981.

Although Bush Intercontinental also was named as a defendant, City Attorney David Feldman on Thursday said the city likely would be immune to prosecution under state law.

[Edited 6/2/11 20:08pm]

Fury said:

" isn't it a shame..."

:falloff:
[Edited 6/2/11 20:04pm]

I bet she'll blame this on the menopause lol

silverchild said:

Fury said:

" isn't it a shame..."

That's a good one. Dang Patti...

Timmy84 said:

Patti LaBelle sued over alleged attack

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Singing legend Patti LaBelle -- the so-called godmother of soul -- is now the target of a lawsuit after a violent confrontation involving her security guards was caught on camera at a Houston airport.

Now wait a minute, since when is Patti LaBelle the Godmother of Soul and what does Aretha think of this?

I don't have strong feelings about Patti one way or the other but I do not believe that she has earned that title. I dig some of her music from the '60s and '70s but since the '80s she's been more adult contemporary than soul.

Timmy84 said:

Police smelled alcohol

West Point spokesman Francis DeMaro declined to discuss specifics of King's case, but said cadets can be placed under mentorship for violations of the academy's code of honor. Inappropriate use of alcohol, he said, may result in such action.

Houston police responding to the late-night incident outside the airport's Terminal C said King smelled of alcohol.

Raley said the cadet had consumed two alcoholic drinks on his flight to Houston but was not intoxicated.

From what i can see in the video below, it appears that he was. You can see him around 0:02-0:03 appearing

from behind the bus, with the yellow shirt and somewhat stumbling at moments when he approaches :

after seeing that video,I don't know what to think.

rialb said:

Timmy84 said:

Patti LaBelle sued over alleged attack

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Singing legend Patti LaBelle -- the so-called godmother of soul -- is now the target of a lawsuit after a violent confrontation involving her security guards was caught on camera at a Houston airport.

Now wait a minute, since when is Patti LaBelle the Godmother of Soul and what does Aretha think of this?

I don't have strong feelings about Patti one way or the other but I do not believe that she has earned that title. I dig some of her music from the '60s and '70s but since the '80s she's been more adult contemporary than soul.

That's because Aretha has the title of "Queen of Soul" so Patti can get a pass on that title.

SMH at this drag queen looking singer ordering her henchmen to do her dirty work. I hope the victim cleans her bank account, He did nothing to be attacked like that.

RnBAmbassador said:

Godmother of what?????? LOL what a joke, same as she is, overrated and and excessive in everything and phoney as a $3 bill.

Oh hell no.

1) Folks who go to Westpoint (for the most part) are not fools.

2) If you watch the video, you see the kid talking on his phone and he turns away from the luggage, still talking on his phone, and the goons confront him.

Ms. LuLaBelle just lost her lawsuit.

sosgemini said:

Oh hell no.

1) Folks who go to Westpoint (for the most part) are not fools.

2) If you watch the video, you see the kid talking on his phone and he turns away from the luggage, still talking on his phone, and the goons confront him.

Ms. LuLaBelle just lost her lawsuit.

That's how I see it too. It's hard to prove anything on Patti's point of view. Sorry Patti but you lost this time.

Yeah. I like Patti and all but who dubbed her the Godmother of Soul? The queens who do her hair???

kitbradley said:

Yeah. I like Patti and all but who dubbed her the Godmother of Soul? The queens who do her hair???

But yeah she's been singing pop and urban AC since 1986. She hasn't sung anything that I could say is "soul music" since, like, 1986... and I'm being real with it.

Questions surround investigation involving Patti LaBelle

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We're learning new information about a shocking confrontation between a West Point cadet and famed singer Patti LaBelle's entourage at a Houston airport, as questions linger over how police handled the situation.

A man was punched and pushed to the ground, then taken to the hospital bleeding. In the end, no charges were filed, and at least one officer got a picture with LaBelle. We've learned police are now reviewing how officers handled themselves that night.

Sources close to the investigation say that right now there is not an official internal affairs investigation. Rather, supervisors over the airport division of Houston police are looking carefully at everything that went on that night. They're looking at the video, which, apparently a lot of other people may not have done until recently.

The surveillance video showing West Point Cadet Richard King, wearing a yellow shirt, being beaten up by Patti LaBelle's bodyguards has sparked a lot of questions as to why no criminal charges were ever filed in the case.

KTRK Legal Analyst Joel Androphy said, "He didn't have any type of weapons, he's waiting at the luggage area -- it's shocking to see what happened there. What's even more shocking that police didn't do anything about it."

Now that the video has been made public, HPD says it is conducting an internal review. Police sources tell us they are evaluating why the initial report listed King as the suspect, and why, after he was carted off in an ambulance with blood everywhere, that Houston police officers were seen taking photos with LaBelle.

"If they're taking a picture with Patti LaBelle, who is a witness to this case, along with her three bodyguards, that is improper behavior," Androphy said.

What happened outside the airport terminal will have a lifetime of implications for this young man.

On Friday West Point told Eyewitness News that King will be leaving the academy without graduating. His only option is to go through a mentorship program where he will have to spend at least a year serving as an enlisted member of the military, before he can reapply for admission.

"It was vicious. It was brutal," said King's attorney John Raley. "It was one of the worst things I've ever seen."

LaBelle's representatives are aware of the lawsuit, but so far they have issued no comments.

Houston police won't say whether their officers even looked at the video before making the report -- a report that may have derailed a young military career.

Androphy said, "It's hard to believe the officers picked up the phone to call West Point. There's no reason to do that at the time."

It's uncertain who actually notified West Point. The lawyers say it was someone within the Houston Police Department. HPD says they don't believe that is the case.

It does, however, appear that the initial officer who made the report ever looked at the video, and that is something that is being scrutinized.

[Edited 6/3/11 21:05pm]

That is a damn shame. There have been instinces of intimidation by cops who have outed military officers in the past for no reason other than to be an ass and I wouldn't be surpised if this was the case here.

Sadly, the military takes police reports at face value and react on that (via military review) even prior to a court's decision. So in a sense, you end up being judged by the military before being tried by the judicial system. It happened to a friend of mine and while there is an appeals process, it's a pain.

sosgemini said:

That is a damn shame. There have been instinces of intimidation by cops who have outed military officers in the past for no reason other than to be an ass and I wouldn't be surpised if this was the case here.

Sadly, the military takes police reports at face value and react on that (via military review) even prior to a court's decision. So in a sense, you end up being judged by the military before being tried by the judicial system. It happened to a friend of mine and while there is an appeals process, it's a pain.

Yeah it's real despicable. I'm real disappointed in Patti...

I think that the "victim" needs to share in the blame. It's hard to tell from the video and it looks likely that the bodyguards overreacted but it also seems likely that there was some drunken bufoonery that contributed to this incident. If you are going to get drunk and act like an ass in public you need to be prepared to accept whatever consequences may come your way.

rialb said:

I think that the "victim" needs to share in the blame. It's hard to tell from the video and it looks likely that the bodyguards overreacted but it also seems likely that there was some drunken bufoonery that contributed to this incident. If you are going to get drunk and act like an ass in public you need to be prepared to accept whatever consequences may come your way.

How was he acting a fool? By walking across the street?

http://www.youtube.com/wa...fbQdxi43J4

They are letting this drag queen looking screamin minnie have it on You Tube over this incident.

People have always thought she was so innocent - she has had tiffs with Dionne and Aretha, both no saints in their own right, but she has a big mouth and sometimes big mouths write checks that their asses can't cash.

Cadet get this woman and drain her account.

sosgemini said:

rialb said:

I think that the "victim" needs to share in the blame. It's hard to tell from the video and it looks likely that the bodyguards overreacted but it also seems likely that there was some drunken bufoonery that contributed to this incident. If you are going to get drunk and act like an ass in public you need to be prepared to accept whatever consequences may come your way.

How was he acting a fool? By walking across the street?

I'm just saying that if he was drunk, and it looks like he may have been, that may have been a contributing factor. From the video it wasn't clear what happened to set the incident off. If he was being a typical abrasive drunk I have no sympathy for him.

rialb said:

sosgemini said:

How was he acting a fool? By walking across the street?

I'm just saying that if he was drunk, and it looks like he may have been, that may have been a contributing factor. From the video it wasn't clear what happened to set the incident off. If he was being a typical abrasive drunk I have no sympathy for him.

Being drunk don't excuse getting some beatdown for standing around someone's personal luggage.

Timmy84 said:

rialb said:

I'm just saying that if he was drunk, and it looks like he may have been, that may have been a contributing factor. From the video it wasn't clear what happened to set the incident off. If he was being a typical abrasive drunk I have no sympathy for him.

Being drunk don't excuse getting some beatdown for standing around someone's personal luggage.

I agree and it really doesn't appear that the guy was acting crazy in any way.

SoulAlive said:

Timmy84 said:

Being drunk don't excuse getting some beatdown for standing around someone's personal luggage.

I agree and it really doesn't appear that the guy was acting crazy in any way.

Exactly. Even if it was hard to tell from the camera's angle, it seems like the entire time he was on his phone minding his business having no clue he was in front of some "diva's" luggage. I think what really made my blood boil was seeing the so-called "Miss Thang" come out of the limo like everything was cool. Maybe she was doing some PR damage. I'm not gonna excuse her behavior just because she's the legendary Patti LaBelle. There's two sides to this woman, there's Patti LaBelle the entertainer and Patricia Louise Edwards (according to court documents, Patti's still using her married surname rather than her maiden name Holt), the woman, and right now both sides have disappointed me. Patti LaBelle now eats chicken in concert and talks all the time and when she does sing, she caterwauls it. Patricia Edwards has menopausal episodes and diabetic problems and instead of really seeking help, she acts as if she's invincible. This video will definitely harm her reputation if only slightly.

I originally wasn't gonna post this, but now, idgaf lol:

Patti LaBelle's Greatest Hits

1. If Only You Knew (How Much You Made Me Mad For Standing In Front of My Luggage)
2. Lady Marmalade (Voulez Vous Me Baittre, Ce Soir?!)
3. On My Own Suitcases
4. Kiss Away The Bruise
5. If You Asked Me To (One More Time)
6. Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Of Flying Stars Around Your Head)
7. Isn't It A Shame (Upside Your Head Remix ft. Charlie Wilson)
8. All Drunk Man (He Is An All Drunk Man)
9. Morning Much Better (Than Tonight's Ass Whupping)
10. You'll Never Walk Alone (And You Won't After Tonight)
11. Down The Airport Luggage Aisle
12. He's The Right Kinda Punchbag
13. When You Talk About Blood
14. Hey Mister (Get The Fuck Out Of My Face)
15. ITUNES BONUS TRACK: When You Talk About Menopause

Timmy84 said:

rialb said:

I'm just saying that if he was drunk, and it looks like he may have been, that may have been a contributing factor. From the video it wasn't clear what happened to set the incident off. If he was being a typical abrasive drunk I have no sympathy for him.

Being drunk don't excuse getting some beatdown for standing around someone's personal luggage.

Fair enough. I still think that there is too much in that video that we can't see to draw any conclusions one way or another.

Oh, and I am the farthest thing from an apologist for Patti LaBelle. I've got no strong feelings about her either way. I am slightly prejudiced against obnoxious drunks.

I keep reading it could ruin the guy's carreer, doesn't anybody know why?