Kanye West may face a felony attempted robbery charge stemming from his airport altercation on Friday with a photographer, it has been claimed. The 36-year-old singer, who recently welcomed his first child with reality star Kim Kardashian, charged a paparazzo who was peppering him with questions upon the singer’s arrival at Los Angeles International Airport Friday. The photographer was taken to a hospital following the assault and told authorities that he wants to press charges against West, TMZ reports.
Police officers will refer the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office as a felony attempted robbery rather than the lesser charge of battery, according to the website.
The case has been transferred to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division for investigation as police suspect West committed an attempted robbery when he struck the photographer and tried to take his camera. Prosecutors will ultimately decide which charges will be filed, if any.
Kanye was surrounded by about five paparazzi who captured the incident and the singer left with his bodyguard in their car.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Airport Police said in a statement to X17online: ‘Today at approximately 2:00 p.m., at the Tom Bradley International Terminal (on the arrival level curbside), Los Angeles Airport Police officers were flagged down by a citizen (photographer) who alleged that he was taking pictures of an individual when he was battered by the subject.’ ‘The alleged subject was not at the location nor was he observed by officers at the scene.’
Adding: ‘LAFD was notified, responded to the location and transported the victim to a local hospital for medical attention. A police report was taken by the Los Angeles Police Department and the investigation is ongoing.’
The rapper has made no secret of his contempt for photographers and just last week he went on a furious rant while at the same airport after a snapper complimented his music.
‘Don’t talk, don’t talk to me,’ he said in the outburst while grabbing the camera.
However, Kanye, appears to be completely oblivious to the fact that his girlfriend and mother of his child, Kim Kardashian, 32, is a reality star who has made her name through constantly being photographed and followed by cameras. Kim and her family have allowed camera crews into their homes since their show Keeping Up With The Kardashians became a hit in 2007 following Kim’s sex tape scandal.
Since then, all members of the family have relied on reality television to acquire fame, actively seeking out press and publicity to enhance their careers. But it seems that Kanye has had trouble adjusting to the lifestyle.
Sadly for the Kardashians, Kanye’s violent outburst took place on the same day that Kim’s mother Kris Jenner insisted that the rapper does not have a temper.
The 57-year-old made the comments whilst appearing on The Talk on Friday, although now seem completely redundant in light of Kanye’s recent attack. ‘Knowing Kanye and I do know him very, very well and I am very close to him…he doesn’t have a short temper like everybody thinks.’ she said.
Talking about the first incident which took place last month, she added: ‘So we don’t know, I don’t know. I am just only seeing this for the first time.
So I don’t know what happened before that so I don’t want to comment or judge on something when I wasn’t there.’
‘None of us know the fifteen minutes that happened before that and how crazy they could have gotten. ‘I think what happens with anybody who gets upset over something with paparazzi-related issues is that they are obviously provoked to an extent that we don’t see nothing about,’ she
said.
