Kanye West Charged in Paparazzi War

In the latest development in an escalating war between celebrities and paparazzi, rap artist and producer Kanye West and his road manager have been criminally charged over an incident at Los Angeles International Airport last year in which they allegedly smashed cameras.

West, 31, is charged with vandalism, grand theft and battery; Don Crawley, 33, is charged with two counts of each of these misdemeanor charges. If convicted, they could face jail time, reports the Los Angeles Times' L.A. Now blog.

The alleged Sept. 11, 2008 confrontation between the two men and those apparently photographing them reportedly was captured on videotape by TMZ.

Although the Los Angeles district attorney declined to file felony charges, Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo opted to pursue the misdemeanor case against the two men, reports CNN.

West is represented by celebrity lawyer Blair Berk, who declined to comment, the newspaper blog reports.

Related coverage:

ABAJournal.com: "Victims or Whiners? L.A. Celebrities Seek Protection Against Paparazzi"