Louis Tomlinson Arrested for Attacking a Paparazzo
Louis Tomlinson was arrested for battery on Friday night at the Los Angeles International Airport.
The "Just Hold On" singer was cuffed at 11:45 p.m. and sent to jail, according to booking information from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. His bail was set at $20,000, but after agreeing in writing that he would appear in court on March 29, he was released on his own recognisance.
The 25-year-old member of One Direction was at baggage claim with his girlfriend, Eleanor Calder, and a paparazzo wouldn't leave him alone, which resulted in an altercation. Tomlinson allegedly pulled the photographer to the floor by his legs and smashed his head on the floor.
"The paparazzi provoked and caused the altercation that occurred with Louis," Tomlinson's lawyer, Martin Singer, told ET on Saturday. "It's not the first time that a paparazzi has created an altercation with a celebrity. While the altercation was going on with the paparazzi, three other individuals were attacking his girlfriend during this incident and he came to her defense."
While this was happening, a female witness started recording Calder as she tried to exit the airport, a source tells ET. The two women allegedly got into a feud as well. The source also told ET that Calder was not arrested.
Police officials tell ET that "it was a private persons arrest."
"He was at the baggage claim area of terminal 4 at LAX when apparently he was surrounded by paparazzi," they added. "He was there with his girlfriend and there was some altercation, pushing shoving that happened. One of the paparazzi fell down and that paparazzi signed a private person arrest for battery misdemeanor. Tomlinson was released within an hour of arriving to the station on his own recognizance."
-Reporting by Steven Wilks and Joe Siyam
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