Cops Investigate Alleged Pap Beat-Down
Jan. 22 2009, Published 6:12 a.m. ET
The Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills has only been open for several months, and it has quickly become one of Britney Spears favorite spots. Last night, the pop star arrived at the hotel and chaos ensued, and when the dust cleared, a photographer from X17 claims that he was taken in a room by hotel security and beaten up.
The photographer says, "I was attacked by hotel security and kept in a little room for over an hour and my phone was taken away from me when I tried to dial 911. They beat me up and refused to call the paramedics, saying that I was okay. One hour later I heard that there was a cop outside and I screamed to him for help."
In an exclusive statement, the Beverly Hills Department tells us, "Last night about 6:30 PM, Beverly Hills police officers responded to an assault call at the Montage Hotel located in the 200 block of Canon Dr. Once they arrived, their investigation revealed that numerous members of the paparazzi were following celebrity Britney Spears into the sub-garage of the hotel. Since they were on private property, security asked them to leave and most complied.
"However, one of the photographers/paparazzi leaving the property was detained by security personnel and sustained injuries as a result of the physical contact. There were no arrests and all parties were released at the scene. Officers did not see or contact Ms. Spears."
There was no comment from the Beverly Hills Department when asked if an investigation was opened.