Louis Tomlinson escapes criminal charges in airport clash - report

Pop star Louis Tomlinson has reportedly escaped prosecution over an alleged assault of a paparazzo at Los Angeles International airport last month (Mar17).

The One Direction star was facing battery charges after clashing with photographer Karl Larsen in the baggage claim area of LAX on 3 March (17). He was also accused of scuffling with three women, who had become involved in an altercation with his girlfriend, Eleanor Calder, and the alleged victims made a citizen's arrest until police arrived on the scene.

Prosecutors recently delayed a hearing scheduled for Wednesday (12Apr17) to allow them extra time to review the case, and now they have decided not to move forward with the criminal charges, according to TMZ.com.

Sources claim a number of airport employees, who witnessed the altercation, spoke to authorities and sided with Louis, insisting he didn't intentionally hit Larsen or any of the females who had been harassing his girlfriend.

Louis will now be summoned to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office for an informal hearing later this month (Apr17), when he will receive a word of warning from an official on how to conduct himself in the future, should he find himself in a similar situation.

It's good news for the 25-year-old, whose attorney, Martin Singer, previously maintained his client acted in self-defense.

"The paparazzi provoked and caused the altercation that occurred with Louis," he stated following the Brit's arrest. "It's not the first time that a paparazzi has created an altercation with a celebrity.

"While the altercation was going on with the paparazzi, three other individuals were attacking his girlfriend during this incident and he came to her defense."