Britney Spears Accused of Assaulting And Threatening Photographer

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Britney Spears has been accused of throwing a baby bottle and threatening two photographers in Las Vegas.  Photographers Kyle Henderson, 23, and Andrew Deetz, 24, are preparing to sue Spears and claim she yelled, “I am going to kill you! I am going to f---ing kill you!” and threw a baby bottle at them, according to a statement released by their lawyers.  They work for celebrity photography agency Flynet Pictures, who lists US Weekly and People as clients.

The alleged incident occurred as Henderson and Deetz attempted to photograph Spears, who was accompanied by her two children and two bodyguards as they were leaving the Wynn Las Vegas casino-hotel spa around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.  Reports say that one of the photographers bumped into bodyguard Julio Camera, who was holding Spears’ son Sean Preston, then Camera handed Sean to Spears and punched the photographer. Camera is also accused of attacking Deetz from behind, throwing him on the ground, and punching and kicking him until he was pulled off by Wynn security.  Spears is accused of running towards Henderson until she was stopped by security, then throwing a baby bottle at him.  In front of several other people, she threatened to kill Deetz and said he should get a restraining order against her because either she would kill him or she would hire someone that would

According to a police statement, “It was alleged that during the altercation the photographer was battered by Mr. Camera,” adding that the photographer “received minor abrasions.” The statement also noted that Spears also filed a report, alleging that Camera and Sean were “battered” by one of the photographers.

Las Vegas Police charged Camera with misdemeanor battery.  No one else was charged. If convicted, he could face up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine.  Las Vegas police Sergeant John Loretto said the incident remains under investigation.  He declined to give other details except to say that neither Spears or her children were injured.

This incident occurred just days after Spears made headlines with reports of erratic behavior during a photo shoot for OK! Magazine which she arranged in an attempt to relaunch her career after negative publicity surrounding her bouts in rehab and shaving her head.  Reports also claim that her trip to Las Vegas may have consequences on her divorce and child custody case, as the law does not permit her to take the children out of the State of California without written permission from the children’s father, Kevin Federline.