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Cadet in LaBelle guard tussle back at West Point
Associated Press ^ | 18 Aug 2011 | Unlnown

Posted on 08/18/2011 10:37:40 AM PDT by CharlyFord

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) -- The U.S. Military Academy at West Point says it has reinstated a cadet involved in an airport scuffle with bodyguards for R&B diva Patti LaBelle.

Richard King, a member of the Class of 2011, was on already suspended separation for previous conduct when the March 11 scrape happened at an airport in his hometown of Houston.

In a lawsuit against the Grammy Award-winning LaBelle, he says three of her bodyguards attacked him for no reason. The singer has countersued, saying King was drunk and hurling racial slurs.

Video shows King on the phone and a shoving match ensuing.

A lawyer for King didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

West Point says the 23-year-old King will start classes Monday. If he meets academic standards, he will graduate in December.

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cadet; labelle; westpoint
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Patti LaBelle Securty Assault West Point Cadet - Raw Video
1 posted on 08/18/2011 10:37:43 AM PDT by CharlyFord
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To: CharlyFord

Hooray for WP doing the right thing!


2 posted on 08/18/2011 10:39:58 AM PDT by OldCorps
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To: CharlyFord

Excellent.
And now “racial slurs” is a convenient excuse for any robbery, rape, assault or murder.


3 posted on 08/18/2011 10:41:31 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
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To: CharlyFord
...a member of the Class of 2011

Um, if he was a member of the Class of 2011, shouldn't he have graduated in May?

I thought the academies only graduate classes in the Spring...or is there a provision for fall graduations?

4 posted on 08/18/2011 10:47:56 AM PDT by NorCoGOP (Obama's approval ratings: so low that Kenyans now accuse him of being born in the USA)
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To: CharlyFord

Stir It Up, Patti. Stir It Up.

Maybe LaBelle will develop a New Attitude.

Doubt it, though. From what I saw on the video, the cadet looks blameless. West Point belatedly seems to agree. If a jury agrees too, then Patti’s home in Wynnewood, PA soon may belong to the cadet.


5 posted on 08/18/2011 10:52:26 AM PDT by pogo101
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To: CharlyFord

I knew something stunk about this story when first reported. I’m guessing the video tells us the opposite of what Ms LaBelle or her bodyguards claimed.


6 posted on 08/18/2011 10:52:45 AM PDT by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
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To: NorCoGOP
Most likely late grduation because was on already suspended separation, poor grades possibly.
7 posted on 08/18/2011 10:53:44 AM PDT by Ratman83
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To: Liberty Valance

Apparently, the guards have been charged with assault, and the cops that posed for pics have been reassigned.


8 posted on 08/18/2011 10:57:41 AM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: OldCorps

It’s always possible to do the right thing as a last resort.


9 posted on 08/18/2011 10:58:03 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy (New gets old. Steampunk is always cool)
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To: AFreeBird
I understand he will be graduating in Dec.

Sad really, they robbed him of all the end of year activities with his classmates of his plebe year.

10 posted on 08/18/2011 11:00:57 AM PDT by mware (By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the Wes)
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To: Ratman83

Or he may have been on an accelerated program, or had advanced placement courses in high school. That’s how I took care of my freshman college chemistry. College saw my AP score, got a job as a chemistry tutor.


11 posted on 08/18/2011 11:03:09 AM PDT by Fred Hayek (FUBO, the No Talent Pop Star pResident.)
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To: Ratman83

I think the seperation(suspension) was because of this incident.


12 posted on 08/18/2011 11:03:27 AM PDT by mware (By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the Wes)
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To: CharlyFord

“hurling racial slurs”

So, he was a flash mob of one?


13 posted on 08/18/2011 11:05:01 AM PDT by Kay Syrah
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To: mware

The article said previous conduct when this incident happened, so it would be something else.


14 posted on 08/18/2011 11:07:03 AM PDT by Ratman83
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To: CharlyFord

Didn’t they make him enlisted, so does he get credit for active duty time served?


15 posted on 08/18/2011 11:12:58 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: CodeToad

It’s not like a prison sentence where credit for time served gets one an early release. Many of the Cadets are former enlisted soldiers, but they still have to complete the entire four-year term.


16 posted on 08/18/2011 11:15:53 AM PDT by DPMD (~)
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To: NorCoGOP

This is just a guess, but it sounds as though he missed an entire semester of school, so is getting a chance to complete the one semester, then graduate. This way, he doesn’t have to turn back and become a member of the Class of 2012 and do an entire year, including the repeat of a semester.

Again, just a guess. It’s not a normal situation.


17 posted on 08/18/2011 11:18:14 AM PDT by DPMD (~)
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To: NorCoGOP

There are fall graduations, for members of the class who have fallen behind for one reason or another. Several of my sons’ 2011 ‘classmates’ will be graduating in December. Most of them are varsity jocks, FWIW. As King was .....


18 posted on 08/18/2011 11:26:41 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: NorCoGOP

There are fall graduations, for members of the class who have fallen behind for one reason or another. Several of my sons’ 2011 ‘classmates’ will be graduating in December. Most of them are varsity jocks, FWIW. As King was .....


19 posted on 08/18/2011 11:26:41 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: CharlyFord
This is great news, clearly the right thing to do.

She should be ashamed of herself, trying to ruin that young man's education and career.

20 posted on 08/18/2011 12:20:49 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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