Brown sought in man’s beating during pickup game at Palms

Hip-hop artist Chris Brown is a suspect in a beating that Las Vegas police say happened early Monday during a pickup basketball game at the Palms.

Just before 3:45 a.m., police went to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center after calls about a man there who had been beaten.

The man, who has not been identified, was playing basketball with Brown at the Palms when the two got into an argument, police said. The argument escalated into a fight.

Brown and another man, who also has not been identified, punched the man who ended up at the hospital, police said. He was treated and released.

Officers went to the hotel, but Brown “was not available to speak to them,” police said. They could not issue Brown a misdemeanor citation as planned. The singer faces one count of battery. Brown has the option of signing the citation, which means he would agree to appear in court and would not be an admission of guilt. Or the case could be submitted to the Clark County District Attorney, who could issue a summons or arrest warrant.

The department said that as of 1:30 p.m. Monday it had not heard from Brown or his attorney.

Besides singing and dancing, Brown, who turns 26 today, is known for his violent criminal record.

He was convicted June 2009 in Los Angeles of assaulting his thengirlfriend, fellow hip-hop artist Rihanna. He was sentenced in August of that year