Shia LaBeouf Faces Additional Battery Charge Following New Orleans Incident
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In a recent development, actor Shia LaBeouf has been charged with an extra misdemeanor count of simple battery. This follows an initial arrest earlier this month when LaBeouf allegedly assaulted multiple individuals outside a bar in New Orleans, as per court records.
LaBeouf’s legal representative, Sarah Chervinsky, confirmed that this charge is linked to a February 17 altercation outside the Royal Street Inn & R Bar, located near the French Quarter. The incident reportedly took place during the Mardi Gras festivities, where LaBeouf is accused of using homophobic slurs and assaulting several people.
Upon discovering the new arrest warrant issued by the New Orleans police, LaBeouf voluntarily reported to the Orleans Parish jail on Friday. “No regular person would be required to post over $100,000 in bonds, and be jailed two separate times for one misdemeanor incident,” stated Chervinsky. She further mentioned that LaBeouf, despite his celebrity status, should be treated neither preferentially nor more harshly by the judicial system.
Efforts to reach New Orleans police for comments on Saturday have not been immediately successful.
Video footage from the February 17 incident shows LaBeouf, shirtless, pushing one individual to the ground and striking another in the face, potentially dislocating his nose, according to the police report from New Orleans.
Jeffrey Damnit, a prominent local performer identified as Jeffrey Klein in the police documentation, claims to be one of LaBeouf’s victims during the incident. “He hit me, he connected a few times with punches, he pushed me a few times,” Damnit conveyed to The Associated Press. He described LaBeouf as becoming aggressive and attempting to instigate altercations, while allegedly shouting homophobic slurs and making threats.
According to both Damnit and the police report, LaBeouf refused to leave the scene, escalating his aggression. Police arrived at approximately 12:45 a.m. on the morning of Fat Tuesday and apprehended LaBeouf.
Currently, LaBeouf has not submitted a plea and refrained from speaking to the press after a New Orleans judge mandated his return to drug and alcohol treatment. During the court session, Chervinsky mentioned, “Frankly, being drunk on Mardi Gras is not a crime.”
