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Chris Brown Could Dodge Assault Conviction Over Police Typo

chris brown, arrested, police report typo

Chris Brown was arrested for felony assault in Washington, D.C. over the weekend, but a police error could help the R&B singer dodge any serious punishment. As TMZ reports, an initial version of the report filed for the October 27 incident — in which Brown reportedly scuffled with a man outside the W Hotel — mistakenly stated that the star did not throw the first punch.

Sources connected to the case tell the tabloid that the first draft indicated it was Brown’s bodyguard who allegedly landed the punch that broke the other man’s nose. The now supposedly false account claimed that the 24-year-old artist only got involved with the fight after it had already started, which could work in Brown’s favor.

According to TMZ, the typo has since been corrected so the report reflects that Brown set off the altercation, but the misunderstanding could be a gift to his attorney. Law enforcement sources also say that after reviewing videotaped accounts of the incident from Brown, his bodyguard, the alleged victim, and witnesses, it seems some of the people on tape are lying or misrepresenting the truth, only adding further confusion.

The possible victim claims Brown attacked him after he photo-bombed a picture the Hall of Shamer was taking with two female fans at 4:30 a.m. this past Sunday morning. In a development that echoes Brown’s parking lot brawl with Frank Ocean back in January, the victim and police insist that Brown made a homophobic remark before the violence broke out, allegedly saying, “I’m not down with that gay shit, I feel like boxing.”

Sources on Brown’s side maintain that this version of events isn’t true, and that the man was actually trying to get onto Brown’s tour bus. Thus, the Fortune-maker would simply have been handling a trespassing issue.

Even if Brown does get away without a conviction, MTV points out that this arrest has kept the singer behind bars more than any other. A spokesperson for the D.C. U.S. Marshall’s Service confirmed that as of 11:30 a.m. on Monday, October 28, the man was still incarcerated. Back in August, Brown spent roughly 45 minutes in jail in connection to a hit-and-run case that has since been dismissed. 

MTV notes Brown was scheduled to appear in front of a D.C. superior court today.