Posted on 06/03/2011 3:14:06 PM PDT by grundle
Never come between the "Godmother of Soul" and her luggage. That's the lesson a West Point cadet says he learned at Houston airport when he charges Patti LaBelle's security guards roughed him up.
Richard King, 23, is suing LaBelle over the incident, captured on surveillance video last March 11 at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
King, a Houston resident who is a senior at the military academy, had come home for spring break when he wandered close to LaBelle's limousine. He was talking to his brother on his cellphone when her bodyguards "sprang into action," according to the civil suit he filed this week against the singer and her entourage.
"Apparently defendant LaBelle believed King was standing too close to her (no doubt expensive) luggage, even though he was oblivious to her presence," the lawsuit says. "LaBelle lowered the window of her limousine and gave a command to a trio of bodyguards. " The suit says LaBelle "watched the vicious assault, with approval, from her limousine."
The video shows King being punched and falling against a concrete pillar. He tries three times to get up and finally moves away from the scene. After an ambulance takes him away, the video shows Houston cops posing with LaBelle for a photo. Blood is seen on the ground nearby.
King, who suffered a concussion, has no memory of the incident. "I remember waking up the next morning with staples in my head," he said. He is "shocked" when he watches the video. "I've never been in a fight in my life," he says.
West Point has taken disciplinary action against King after they were notified of the incident by Houston cops, Raley says. He is being busted to private and deployed to active duty. He had been scheduled to graduate in December with the rank of second lieutenant.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Consider the possiblity that Cadet King was ORDERED not to proceed with this lawsuit, and proceeded anyway.
This is the only way I see them “getting” the cadet this quickly. West Point could not possibly have done a thorough investigation.
Didn’t hear he was cashiered. Heard he was undedr diciplinary action for “Conduct Unbecomining”......
While I’m not a fan of “ring bangers”, and suspect its possible he was “tippling”, luggage is luggage and it associates with a lot of unwashed/unsightly/honkey luggage in its sojourn in the belly or on carousles. I somehow find it hard to believe Cadet King could be mistaken for the ubiquitous hispanic baggage boosters common to that airport even a couple of decades’ back.
I suspect the “Kaydet” was a victim of “diva ego” - possibly enhanced by publicity needs - of a waning “star”.... >PS
My hat’s off to the man wearing the Stetson who stepped in to help while eveyone else whistled pass the graveyard.
From the article:
“King is “outprocessing under an administrative action,” according to academy spokesman Joe Tombrello. He said he was unable to discuss the specifics of King’s situation, but explained that cadets who leave the academy after the beginning of their junior year may be eligible for a program under which they serve active duty for three years and then have the option to return and complete their degree. The option is only offered to those who have “the potential to return,” he said.”
“Outprocessing” is administrative jargon for “expelled”.
Wth.
Does WP not care about facts. Do all WP Cadets if attacked get “demoted” or is it just white guys that get attacked by thugs of Famous Black people. Come on. West Point has lost a lot of credibility over this one.
I guess if you enter West Point or the Naval Academy, you don’t have the freedom to pursue with a lawsuit (?) He now has something else to ask for compensation, doesn’t he? I personally (with the facts presented) wish the best for him and a big, fat check (equal to the size of Ms. Diva’s butt).
“WP has lost a lot of credibility over this one”.
If WP doesn’t explain its actions, then they certainly have lost a great deal of respect. I always leave a tad of doubt that there is more to the story. I’m not sure that we aren’t getting the full story with this one. It is ugly.
“WP has lost a lot of credibility over this one”.
If WP doesn’t explain its actions, then they certainly have lost a great deal of respect. I always leave a tad of doubt that there is more to the story. I’m not sure that we aren’t getting the full story with this one. It is ugly.
Y.U.T.’s ..... Young urban thugs.. Strike again. The Obama affect.
My opinion of West Point is in the toilet. Who is the idiot at West Point who decided it’s OK to punish the victim?
This cadet should sue West Point and the Houston cops while he’s at it.
I think so too. And I think that the staff who did so absolutely need to be disciplined, and are quite possibly unfit for command.
Now that King has a lawyer, I hope they are looking at a way to appeal West Point's decision.
Putting this video before the public is a damned good first step. In the end the drone video is what thwarted John Murtha's muslim psych opps initiated prosecutions.
Show them the video and then have them read the limo driver's complaint again. The two don't match up.
And show them the public reaction to the video they had a responsibility to have already seen, and subject them to unrelenting public scrutiny over their competence and their integrity.
me,too
I'm going to guess that somebody in the police dept was irate that Ms LaBelle was likely to be inconvenienced. Somebody high up who didn't want that to happen.
Perhaps questions should be asked of Houston's
Chief of Police Charles A. McClelland, Jr.
I would really like to find out what allegations were made, and WHO in the police dept made them.
He got a beat down over that fat heifers luggage and he is the one being punished? That ain’t right. Since when do celebritys luggage get special protection anyway?
It’s obviously been too long since Patti LaBelle has performed this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWfZ5SZZ4xE
And eric, my people, holder will sue the cadet for being a racist.
And she stands there grinning like a moron.
The cadet was expelled from West Point over this incident. Just amazing that this can happen over a cop’s say-so without criminal or civil charges.
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He is white. White boys don’t have rights.
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