Mike Tyson Arrested, Allegedly Hit Photographer At Airport

UPDATE: TMZ speaks with Tony Echevarria, the photographer Tyson allegedly hit. Echevarria claims blood was "everywhere, like a water fountain." Watch the video here.

EARLIER:

(AP) LOS ANGELES — Police are investigating conflicting accounts of an airport scuffle between Mike Tyson and photographer that resulted in both men being booked and released on suspicion of misdemeanor battery.

The former heavyweight boxing champion and photographer Tony Echevarria, 50, want to press charges of misdemeanor battery against each other, police said.

The photographer told police that Tyson struck him once, airport police spokesman Sgt. Jim Holcomb said. The photographer fell to the ground and was treated for a cut to his forehead at a hospital.

Tyson's spokeswoman Tammy Brook said the boxer was traveling with his wife and 10-month-old child when he was attacked by an overly aggressive paparazzo. "Mike acted in self defense as a father protecting his child," she said.

"There's a lot of different versions to this story and that's all going to come out later," Holcomb said. "Some witness statements support Tyson's version, others support the photographer's."

Police also were checking if there was any surveillance video of the incident.

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Tyson was cooperative as he waited in a holding cell at the airport police station, Holcomb said. Echevarria was booked and released after he was treated at a hospital, police said.

Holcomb said both men were released without any restrictions and free to go wherever they want. It wasn't immediately clear if Tyson had continued his trip.

Paparazzi often camp out at Los Angeles' largest airport to get shots of celebrities in transit.

"I've heard people were following him into the men's room and trying to take his picture there," said Tyson's defense attorney, David Chesnoff. "My advice to him is going to be to vigorously press charges against what everyone agrees are ridiculously aggressive photographers."

Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion ever in 1986 when he won his title as a 20-year-old. But his life since then has been marred by accusations of domestic violence, rape and cocaine use.

Tyson was convicted of rape in Indiana in 1992 and served three years in prison. He was disqualified from a 1997 heavyweight title fight when he bit off part of Evander Holyfield's right ear, and in 1999 he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault charges in Maryland.

In 2003, Tyson filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. He served 24 hours in an Arizona jail in 2007 after pleading guilty to cocaine possession and driving under the influence.

Comments

[sv90066]

As a father and husband, all civility is off if you come near me or them and I perceive you as a threat. Any fool understands that you never, ever remotely threaten any father/husband when he is with his family. That's a natural law.

And to do that with Tyson...

Pure idiocy.

[euthman]

Any paparazzo who would get within an arm's length of Mike Tyson deserves a Darwin Award with double oak-leaf clusters.

[argentino]

"People don't have the slightest idea of just how hard it is to break somebody's jaw or eye socket. They think it's just the power. But it's the accuracy of the power. Every punch is thrown with bad intention and the speed of the devil.'

Mike Tyson

[emmasvoice]

Echevarria got exactly what he deserved. He got off light in my opinion. Tyson should have punched him out! When an individual says that they do not want their family of their personal privacy and freedom invaded by a greedy photographer, the law says that the person has the right to say no to invasion of personal space. This sleezy reporter was looking for a dollar and created this incident to make a buck off Tyson and his family. I dispise the vulture.

[CPR]

Really Mike? Really!

[ronnie423]

I would rather take a punch to the forehead than a bite to the ear from tyson.

[GO-BAMA]

Good decision. You'd survive the bite, but the punch would probably kill you.

[D Right One]

Wow, one punch to the forehead! Ha! I wish they'd release the video.

[GO-BAMA]

I feel for the guy. He's been frank in acknowledging his wrongdoing, and genuinely seems to want to get his life together. I support him. If you ever want to see the work of a surgeon and an artist performed by one man simultaneously, watch Mike's greatest hits reel. Lb for lb the greatest KO fighter in the history of the sport. Go Mike!

[Strywever]

I've never been a Tyson fan and I tend to be pretty skeptical of "rehabilitation" interviews. But as I watched Tyson on the Oprah show several weeks ago, I was struck by the sincerity of his remarks (he could barely speak at various points - seemed to be literally choking on his emotions) and found him unusually believable as he related his struggle to reconcile the survival techniques he learned as an emotionally unsupported child and young boxer with the requirements of being a productive adult and loving parent. He appears to be trying hard to learn new ways to "be" in the world, and I commend him for it.

This is a very unfortunate development, and when the highly unprincipled paparazzi are involved, my sympathies automatically lean toward their stalking victims -- especially those who have children in tow.

[emmasvoice]

Well said. I agree. I also saw the interview.

[dmsdzinr]

HP, THIS is your lead SPORTS story???! I think some Fine Tuning for this section is in order.

[GO-BAMA]

You come to this site for sports news? Are you serious?

[Altruth]

Mike keep your head up - A man protects his family and that is what you did.

[RusStyles]

Let's see how many days this remains a top headline feature story...Unlike the soccer player who yanked the opposing player's ponytail so hard she crashed to the ground, she never made top-of-the-page status....for some reason...

[-0013]

Perhaps it's because people actually know who Mike Tyson is.

[willtij]

Someone may have mentioned it already but didn't we just see a couple of days ago James Gandolfini punching someone. Why wasn't he arrested?

[Altruth]

Why didn't Bush get all of the h a t e President Obama is getting - and as we all know Bush started TWO WARS, took away our right, and ran the economy into the ground (yet! people said nothing)!

American double standards!

[willtij]

True that!!!!

[BullhornJournal]

How quickly you all throw your Press freedoms away.

No restrictions! Let a paparazzi take a punch now and then, I say.

[sojtruth]

I don't condone violence, but paparazzi are basically stalkers who are paid money to harass with their cameras and taunting questions. And sometimes people get killed - re: Princess Diana. There really need to be new laws in this digital age about where someone can be photographed - its a basic problem of the invasion of privacy. And this time someone invaded the wrong privacy ( a baby no less) and got punched. I'd call it a draw, let Tyson off the hook.