South Florida

Singer Chris Brown Arrested After South Florida Show for Felony Battery Warrant

Tampa police say he punched a photographer following an April 2017 show

What to Know

  • The 29-year-old was taken into custody by Palm Beach Sheriff’s deputies, according to NBC affiliate WPTV, after playing a show.
  • Tampa Police say Brown allegedly punched a photographer following an April 2017 show.

Singer Chris Brown was arrested in Florida Thursday night on an outstanding warrant stemming from a year-old felony battery charge.

The 29-year-old was taken into custody by Palm Beach Sheriff’s deputies, according to NBC affiliate WPTV, after playing a show at the Coral Sky Amphitheater. Brown was released on $2,000 bond.

Tampa police issued the warrant after they say Brown allegedly punched a photographer, Bennie Vines Jr., following an April 2017 show.

Vines Jr. was hired by a club to take photos during an event hosted by Brown and told officers that while he was snapping photos, Brown punched him. Brown was gone by the time officers arrived that night.

Vines refused medical treatment, but told officers he wanted to prosecute because of a minor lip cut.

Emails to Brown's agents weren't immediately.

Brown is in the middle of his Heartbreak On A Full Moon Tour and was scheduled to perform in Tampa Friday night. 

Brown has been in repeated legal trouble since pleading guilty to the felony assault in 2009 of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, ahead of the Grammys. He completed his probation in that case in 2015. 

In 2013, Brown was charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly striking a man outside a Washington, D.C., hotel. He was ordered into rehab but was dismissed from the facility for violating its rules. 

Brown spent 2½ months in custody, with U.S. marshals shuttling him between Los Angeles and the nation's capital for court hearings. 

After he completed court-ordered anger management classes, Brown was accused of throwing a brick at his mother's car following a counseling session. 

After Brown posted a picture to his 44 million Instagram followers in January showing his 3-year-old daughter, Royalty, cuddling with a pet monkey, California fish and wildlife agents seized the capuchin monkey named Fiji from his home in Los Angeles. Agents said then that Brown could face a misdemeanor charge carrying up to six months in jail for lacking a permit for the primate.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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