Patti LaBelle [ordered bodyguards to assault innocent person] Sued By West Pointer Over Guard Attack

ABC News ^

[grundle]

Never come between the "Godmother of Soul" and her luggage. That's the lesson a West Point cadet says he learned at Houston airport when he charges Patti LaBelle's security guards roughed him up.

Richard King, 23, is suing LaBelle over the incident, captured on surveillance video last March 11 at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

King, a Houston resident who is a senior at the military academy, had come home for spring break when he wandered close to LaBelle's limousine. He was talking to his brother on his cellphone when her bodyguards "sprang into action," according to the civil suit he filed this week against the singer and her entourage.

"Apparently defendant LaBelle believed King was standing too close to her (no doubt expensive) luggage, even though he was oblivious to her presence," the lawsuit says. "LaBelle lowered the window of her limousine and gave a command to a trio of bodyguards. " The suit says LaBelle "watched the vicious assault, with approval, from her limousine."

The video shows King being punched and falling against a concrete pillar. He tries three times to get up and finally moves away from the scene. After an ambulance takes him away, the video shows Houston cops posing with LaBelle for a photo. Blood is seen on the ground nearby.

King, who suffered a concussion, has no memory of the incident. "I remember waking up the next morning with staples in my head," he said. He is "shocked" when he watches the video. "I've never been in a fight in my life," he says.

West Point has taken disciplinary action against King after they were notified of the incident by Houston cops, Raley says. He is being busted to private and deployed to active duty. He had been scheduled to graduate in December with the rank of second lieutenant.

[Tallguy]

This goes way beyond race in my book. If that cadet had been black & the “bodyguards” had been white I’d feel exactly the same way. The cadet flat-out got assaulted.

[Fred Hayek]

HPD was improving under Chief Sam Nuchia. Apparently it has been going down the sewer since his departure. This crap is approaching the level of Minneapolis PD (and Houston does not have a dummy like McManus, currently in San Antonio, from Minnie).

[YHAOS]

"Think 1970s."

Nope. Sorry. Still never heard of her.

[LibertyLA]

Just watching the video of what happened to the cadet nauseates me. And then the cop gets his picture taken with that grinning pig, labelle, feet from the west point cadet’s blood, pooled on the sidewalk.

What country are we in?

[Marty62]

We had the tape played over and over last night on the news. From what I could see the thug came over to him.

The way the airport is set up. People have to go to that spot to meet their ride. Parking is non existent there (a real pain)
He had every right to be standing there. If she was so worried about her lugage why did she have the thug put it in the trunk.

And then the cops taking pictures. Not cool.

[newzjunkey]

King does stiff arm the someone to the chest before he's ganged up on.

West Point didn't take action lightly, they may have seen the video themselves.

As for the lawsuit, I'm sure he sees a "payday" here.

[momtothree]

The whole thing stinks to me. What is very offensive is this young man wakes up with staples in his head and law enforcement (uh, the ones who are suppose to protect and serve) got their photos taken with the diva. The whole thing is disgusting. I don’t think that if an elderly man, a pregnant woman, a teenager etc... would have been treated any differently either. All of this for luggage? Disgusting.

[rlmorel]

Did you see what happened before he stuck out his arm to ward the guy off?

The thug "bodyguard" came up, thumped his chest against the victim and "got in his face". Gee, where have we heard THAT before?

Then after the three of him caused the injury and the other two walked away, here is the guy lying on the pavement in a concussed state while the guy straddles him. What do your eyes tell you the "bodyguard" is doing here?

This wasn't a snapshot in a second, the guy stood there for at least ten seconds in skip action video on the surveillance video (which means it was even longer) jawing at him.

[Guenevere]

And you know this how?????

Is this just your opinion....or did you talk to West Point or are your suppositions more important than the video?

[PapaBear3625]

Just watching the video of what happened to the cadet nauseates me. And then the cop gets his picture taken with that grinning pig, labelle, feet from the west point cadet’s blood, pooled on the sidewalk. What country are we in?

In any city where the middle class has become a minority, do no be surprised when the place takes on Third World aspects. In the Third World, the police exist only to protect the power structure and those people who the power structure deems "important". Ms LaBelle was "important". Some West Point cadet passing through was not important.

Houston is a Democrat town, just like Detroit and LA. The best thing that the Texas State Legislature could do is abolish welfare entirely, while they still can. As soon as the Third World grows to a voting majority in Texas, it will be far too late, much as it's too late for California.

[SeeSac]

These the same guys who wrote the police report and will testify at trial?

Unfortunately for the HPD, there was a video and at LEAST two airport security guys that saw it and were NOT questioned but were told to leave the scene when the HPD got there.

[SeeSac]

Consider the possiblity that Cadet King was ORDERED not to proceed with this lawsuit, and proceeded anyway. This is the only way I see them “getting” the cadet this quickly. West Point could not possibly have done a thorough investigation.

Some high-up dude in the HPD personally called West Point and sent them the doctored police report.

[catfish1957]

That is one fugly wench.

[catfish1957]

I see where the SEIU thugs moonlight. Pretty lucrative gig.

[Katya]

her people claim he was verbally abusive... you can tell from the video he was on the phone and completely distracted. Whatever he said was probably regarding being on the phone...
He was walking perfectly well and did not look intoxicated at all.... until his concussion.

[pnz1]

Exactly, she stands there smiling for photos with the kids blood on the ground in front of her..

[TankerKC]

The video is choppy, but the cadet appears to be staggering prior. You can’t see what is going on for part of the video, but the one shown on tv is edited to look as if he was immediately attacked. He wasn’t.

[CodeToad]

“West Point has taken disciplinary action against King after they were notified of the incident by Houston cops, Raley says.”

Huh?

[PiperShade]

Yeah, I dig “Mil-speak”.....

Still, I think the kid got a raw deal.

We got an aging diva of dubious remaining talent, a “body guard” (whose paychecks depend upon stroking her ego) going “way over the top” protecting her worthless kitchkies left at curbside in a public place, supported by a couple of Houston PD/airport cops with stardust in their eyes. Not much reason to trash a young man’s career.

But then we’re in the era of the “new racism” where blatently criminal acts can be “excused at the highest levels of law” (if the offenders are black/minority) as “equalization” for past offenses per our current USAG.... >PS

[IbJensen]

Repulsive, fatso, liberal so-called singer!