Actor’s launch cut short after arrest by bounty hunters
LOS ANGELES: Every party has a pooper, but in this star’s world he has four – and they had handcuffs.
Columbus Short found himself under arrest yet again in Studio City, California, on Tuesday night.
The 32-year-old was due to perform tracks off his new album at the Infusion Lounge when four bail bondsman crashed the party.
The star was emotional as a large man wearing a bulletproof vest with lots of tattoos tried to explain the situation to the actor.
TMZ reports the citizen’s arrest by the bail bondsmen occurred during a soundcheck.
Initially the website reported that Short was arrested because he failed to appear in one of his assault cases and the judge had issued a Bench warrant.
TMZ said: “The bounty hunters were there because they’ll get a cut of his $500 000 (R6.4 million) bail.
“We’re told the bounty hunters swooped in because they believed Short was about to flee the county.”
In a video, the large arresting bondsman can be heard telling the star he had to post the bond and said they couldn’t let him go because “you’re a flight risk”.
A representative for the actor said the citizen’s arrest had nothing to do with his domestic violence or battery case.
The representative told TMZ: “(Short’s) arrest was not due to an outstanding warrant. It appears that this is a citizen’s arrest as a result of an issue between Mr Short and his bail bondsman.”
Short, who hasn’t had the most auspicious last few years, left the popular show Scandal in April.
His resignation came after he was arrested in February for alleged domestic violence assault against his estranged wife Tanee McCall. She had filed for divorce in September 2013 and renewed her petition after the alleged domestic violence incident.
The actor was arrested in March for allegedly assaulting a man during a barroom brawl in Los Angeles.
Short went on to reveal he was struggling with drugs and alcohol during this time.
He told Access Hollywood in December: “I’ll be candid: I was struggling with drugs. I had a lot on my plate. I was using unhealthy ways to kind of self-medicate and deal with a lot of heavy-duty stuff in my life.” – Daily Mail