
Former heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson has been arrested for punching a photographer.
The incident happened at the Los Angeles International Airport when, according to witnesses, a photographer hit the 43-year-old Tyson to provoke a dramatic camera shot. Big mistake.
The famous boxer dropped the man with one punch, sending him to the hospital with a cut on his forehead. Police say both men wanted to press charges, so they were each charged with battery.
A spokeswoman for Tyson says at the time of the incident Tyson was traveling with his wife and 10-month-old baby when he was attacked by the photographer. She said Tyson was simply acting out of self-defense for him and his family.
Tyson was booked and released. Police say he cooperated fully in the investigation of the incident.
The incident comes during a difficult year for Tyson whose 4-year-old daughter accidentally died after getting strangled by a loose cord on a treadmill.
Over the years Tyson has had his share of run-ins with the law. Most notably he was convicted in 1992 of raping Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America Pageant contestant. Tyson, who has vehemently denied the rape, served three years of a six-year sentence.