Patti LaBelle's entourage assaults a West Point Cadet...

[DefConGun]

Cadet sues R&B singer LaBelle over airport beating

Read more: Cadet accuses Patti LaBelle's guards of airport attack (w/video) | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

If you click on the link, there is a video showing the incident in question. The presentation, however, is hindered and we are left without full context of what happened due to there being no audio.

From the video alone, it looks like that one of the body guards approaches King and he (King) pushes him back in response. The bodyguard's approach, however was not a simple approach but more in the manner like a bulldozer plowing through. When King pushes back in response to the bodyguard's advancement, this triggers the bodyguards to respond with in an increase in force.

Automatically, it is my opinion, that King's case is damaged by him having consumed alcohol earlier. I know a lot of people may be offended by what I have said. I suspect that LaBelle's team, however, will play this up to its fullest extent. Although I wouldn't encourage anyone to consume a large amount alcohol and go around in public causing trouble, at the same time, I don't really have a problem with someone having a drink and standing on a curbside while waiting for his/her ride. I don't think having a drink and being in public is a big deal but I'm sure LaBelle's team will make this out to be more than that. I'm sure that they will make it out that King was loaded and was being verbally offensive. This is one reason why I would caution anyone for going out to have a drink in public. If you were to get into an altercation and you were not at fault - trouble came and found you - automatically there are going to be doubts as to the level of your innocence, etc.

King claims that LaBelle's entourage is lying on him. Who knows?

There's several things that we can discuss about this article of news that I can think of and I'm sure there are probably a lot of other issues that may arise that I didn't anticipate.

Right now we are dealing with little information and more may come to light when the case goes to court.

Some of the things I would like to ask is;

LaBelle's entourage claims that King was verbally harassing them. If we play devil's advocate and assume for a moment that they are telling the truth, does that give them the right to physically respond to him? I realize that they are bodyguards and that it is their duty to protect LaBelle but at the same time does this give them more rights than you or I? I'm sure if a man was verbally assaulting me on the street that the reasonable man assumption would dictate for me to alert authorities and allow them to handle it. It is only if things progressed and the man physically put me in danger, would I be allowed to respond physically?

Another thing I'd like to ask is what would your response be if a big guy aggressively approached you and started demanding for you to back off? I realize they have a duty to protect their client but at the same time, there is such a thing as tact and you can alert someone that they may need to back off.

Also, from the video, it doesn't appear that King was even in LaBelle's immediate presence (she was in the car). Even if LaBelle or her bodyguard felt that he was too close to her expensive luggage, does that give them the right to tell King to back off? Is LaBelle afforded more "personal space" because she is a celebrity? What would happen if you or I acted in the same manner as LaBelle and her entourage did in this incident?

DCG

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Bubbiesdad]

Cadet sues R&B singer LaBelle over airport beating

Read more: Cadet accuses Patti LaBelle's guards of airport attack (w/video) | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

If you click on the link, there is a video showing the incident in question. The presentation, however, is hindered and we are left without full context of what happened due to there being no audio.

From the video alone, it looks like that one of the body guards approaches King and he (King) pushes him back in response. The bodyguard's approach, however was not a simple approach but more in the manner like a bulldozer plowing through. When King pushes back in response to the bodyguard's advancement, this triggers the bodyguards to respond with in an increase in force.

Automatically, it is my opinion, that King's case is damaged by him having consumed alcohol earlier. I know a lot of people may be offended by what I have said. I suspect that LaBelle's team, however, will play this up to its fullest extent. Although I wouldn't encourage anyone to consume a large amount alcohol and go around in public causing trouble, at the same time, I don't really have a problem with someone having a drink and standing on a curbside while waiting for his/her ride. I don't think having a drink and being in public is a big deal but I'm sure LaBelle's team will make this out to be more than that. I'm sure that they will make it out that King was loaded and was being verbally offensive. This is one reason why I would caution anyone for going out to have a drink in public. If you were to get into an altercation and you were not at fault - trouble came and found you - automatically there are going to be doubts as to the level of your innocence, etc.

King claims that LaBelle's entourage is lying on him. Who knows?

There's several things that we can discuss about this article of news that I can think of and I'm sure there are probably a lot of other issues that may arise that I didn't anticipate.

Right now we are dealing with little information and more may come to light when the case goes to court.

Some of the things I would like to ask is;

LaBelle's entourage claims that King was verbally harassing them. If we play devil's advocate and assume for a moment that they are telling the truth, does that give them the right to physically respond to him? I realize that they are bodyguards and that it is their duty to protect LaBelle but at the same time does this give them more rights than you or I? I'm sure if a man was verbally assaulting me on the street that the reasonable man assumption would dictate for me to alert authorities and allow them to handle it. It is only if things progressed and the man physically put me in danger, would I be allowed to respond physically?

Another thing I'd like to ask is what would your response be if a big guy aggressively approached you and started demanding for you to back off? I realize they have a duty to protect their client but at the same time, there is such a thing as tact and you can alert someone that they may need to back off.

Also, from the video, it doesn't appear that King was even in LaBelle's immediate presence (she was in the car). Even if LaBelle or her bodyguard felt that he was too close to her expensive luggage, does that give them the right to tell King to back off? Is LaBelle afforded more "personal space" because she is a celebrity? What would happen if you or I acted in the same manner as LaBelle and her entourage did in this incident?

DCG

If he is aggressively approaching me, and I am standing there minding my own business, he needs to back off.

[paaiyan]

Assuming I was just standing around minding my own business, if a guy like that approached me I'd probably whip out some pepper spray and tell him to back off. I'm not letting him touch me.

[Old School]

I see three thugs in the beginning of the video assaulting one subject then at the end of the video I see cops posing for photos with LaBelle after the incident indicating to me they have taken sides as to who was in the right.

This belief about celebrities being special and getting special treatment over the average citizen and seeing cops climbing on the bandwagon is a sad commentary on the social values of this nation in general.

My rant. My $.02.

[KralBlbec]

First, who the heck is Patty LaBelle? Second, she should pay through the nose. From the article, he did nothing wrong.

[zacii]

Oh yeah? Well my bodyguards can beat up your bodyguards

[sigs]

I see three thugs in the beginning of the video assaulting one subject then at the end of the video I see cops posing for photos with LaBelle after the incident indicating to me they have taken sides as to who was in the right.

This belief about celebrities being special and getting special treatment over the average citizen and seeing cops climbing on the bandwagon is a sad commentary on the social values of this nation in general.

My rant. My $.02.

Yep

[Secret Spuk]

Patty Labell is sooo over. Whay n heck do she need bodyguards?

[Secret Spuk]

OK now after looking at the video... I have formed an uneducated opinion.

First off I agree that Patti Labell in probably not an "A" list celeberity, or even "B" list celeb. I have no Idea why she would need a personal protection detail. In fact most of her fan base have age to the point they are incapable of doing anything without the assistance of that lil blue pill.

Having done personal protection details myself I am partially critical of her detail, and their professionalism. Their first mistake was focusing on the one antagonist. They both engaged on one threat. Anyone involved with personal protection understands the concept of a decoy, drawing the detail off the principle leaving her open to the real attack. They not only left their principle totally vulnerable they seem to have allowed their personal emotions to become their driver as opposed to what they are being paid for. Personal protection agents to not get revenge, they do not teah anyone any lessons, they do not settle beef's, they do not get into fisticuffs with drunks. They get their principle from point A to point B with as little fanfare as possible, and in the same condition they found her.

Now that having been said... Based on my observation of the incident... I'm of the mind that the guy in the yellow jacket antagonized the other party. Sometimes you get what your hand calls for. Sorry if I dont agree with everyone. But thats how I see it.

SPUK!

[Old School]

Spuk you are absolutely correct with the security detail forgetting about the principal. You get what you pay for .

This in my humble opinion was an example of the victim not doing what the personal protection agent said when he said it and paying the price.

"Get him away from my luggage"......... "Hey yo back off from the luggage"......... " I'm standing on a public sidewalk man"......... Contempt of large bodyguard dressed in black...... Beatdown !

I call em as I see em !

[DefConGun]

Wow. Great comments. It looks like LaBelle, being a "B" list celebrity now, probably didn't have the money to hire the real deal so instead she hired some rent-a-thugs.

Please don't steal my "rent-a-thugs" idea, I may form my own protection agency specifically for "B" list celebs....lol.

[GunGeezer]

I see three thugs in the beginning of the video assaulting one subject then at the end of the video I see cops posing for photos with LaBelle after the incident indicating to me they have taken sides as to who was in the right.

This belief about celebrities being special and getting special treatment over the average citizen and seeing cops climbing on the bandwagon is a sad commentary on the social values of this nation in general.

My rant. My $.02.

Like politicians, celebrities and sports figures have bought themselves a place above the law. The social values of this nation scream "money corrupts" and we have nobody to blame but ourselves.

[ksholder]

Looks like King, the beaten guy is sueing LaBelle. Also looks like the HPD assessed the situation with him as the victim.

Ex-Army CB sues Patti LaBelle in wake of beating, demotion, deployment - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF*Blog - Yahoo! Sports

[Herknav]

If this were an AF incident, this would immediately be classified as an Alcohol-Related Incident (ARI), and the cadet would be starting out on defense.

It looks like West Point already dismissed him.

[ksholder]

I don't drink, but it is pretty irritating when your employer can tell you you can't enjoy a drink or two on your own free time.