Bodyguards for Rihanna and Chris Brown assault tbt* photographer

Our very own paparazzo Luis Santana, 25 (right), was beaten and robbed early Tuesday morning near Vintage Ultra Lounge in downtown St. Pete while trying to take pictures of Chris Brown celebrating his 19th birthday.

Luis got word that Brown and Rihanna (who may or may not be Brown's girlfriend, since they refuse to confirm it to celebrity rags) were at a private party at the club, so he headed on over to help us provide your daily dose of dish. He talked to Vintage security and was told he could take photographs outside, Santana said.

After the club closed at 2 a.m., he waited outside for another half-hour or so, catching sight of Brown as he left. He said bodyguards told the hip-hopper to get in the black Excursion or Expedition limousine waiting outside the club, where Luis managed to take a couple pics of the performer.

Bodyguards chased him into the street, ripping his shirt and forcing him to the ground, breaking his camera flash and lens, Santana said. One guard put his knee on Santana's jaw and when he tried to push it away, the guards took the camera, worth about $3,000.

"I was yelling, 'Call the police! Call the police!' " Santana said. "Then one of the guys said, 'I am the police.' "

Santana said he has abrasions and bruises on his chest, back and arms. Police said there could be four male suspects who are bodyguards, but their names are unknown. The suspects left the scene in the limousine.

"I’ve shot many many celebrities and this was just another notch on my belt," Santana said. "Then it just turned sour."

James Guttridge, manager of Vintage Ultra Lounge, said the club instructs security personnel not to get involved in altercations that happen outside the club. Guttridge said guards do not have the authority to prohibit photographers from shooting pictures outside the club, on the public right-of-way.

"Our only concern is what happens inside here," Guttridge said.

Guttridge called the incident "unfortunate" and said he hopes celebrities will feel welcome in St. Petersburg, but also doesn't want residents to be turned off.

Santana says he believed the incident was retaliatory after he took photos of Rihanna at International Plaza on Monday afternoon (like this photo shown here). He said Rihanna's bodyguard pushed him at the mall, and the same bodyguard attacked him outside Vintage. Rihanna opened for Kanye West at the Ford Amphitheatre earlier that night.

And as an aside, a lot of you know Luis from working the clubs eevry weekend to get you in tbt* and our online photo gallery at tbtpics.tampabay.com. Drop him a line to wish him well.

[Photo: Luis Santana/tbt*; reporting by Stephanie Garry, St. Pete Times; and yours truly]

Comments

[Neve]

Just heard about this on the radio and searched to read more about it, since Rihanna's name was in it.

I think there is more to the story than what we really know. It's easy to believe the victim with the "bruises," but I think he is hiding something. Trying to cash in maybe.

He asked the club and they said yes. But maybe he did not ask Chris for his consent. Maybe he got jumped because Chris said stop and he continued flashing. Oh please don't tell me anything about "it's a part of being famous" or "it's a public place(blah blah blah)."

It was wrong to assault to him. But again I believe there is more to the story. The guards probably tried to erase what he had on his camera and in doing so, he just got in the way, as in he was being arrogant.

What was in that picture? Who knows, maybe he got a naughty picture of Rihanna or something and didn't want that to be on TMZ or Egotastic or something.

What if it was your "18" year old daughter or girlfriend, happens to be wearing a skirt and I came down to her for a photo. What would you do? Completely irrelevant, but whatever.

[chanel]

I think that is wrong because he is trying to celebated his b-day....so leave
him alone.

[marla]

Photographers have a job to do, don't beat them up because of it or sick your bodyguards on 'em...we are all just working for the weekend.

[Rob]

i just wanted to comment to Stephanie or Joshua (who wrote the article in tbt) that Chris Brown is not a HIP HOP star he is a R&B artist. he has hip hop artist on his album but in the music world he sings. reading the tbt i didn't see anywhere about opening doors to a vehicle so to get a beat down for opening the doors and getting pics that's another story.

[Josh Gillin]

Actually, Luis did not open any doors, according to the police report. Imagine that, TMZ getting facts wrong.

Read it here: http://blogs.tampabay.com/juice/2008/05/police-report-d.html

[Reality]

Yes Brandie, I think you are a thug. I don't care what color you are, what you described is a thug. Any human who would beat the crap out of a guy taking a picture is a thug. You guys need to start listening to Bill Cosby and less Chris Brown.

[cynthia]

these people are not "thugs", i agree with brandie's comments earlier, if this was justin timberlake's bodyguard or another white male celebrity they would not be mention of "thugs". at the end of the day Chris Brown went out to celebrate his 19th birthday with those closest to him, and the photographer clearly provided a threatening gesture for them to act in this way because they've never reacted so extremely before, so i think this is maybe not what you deserve because i don't believe in violence, but you sure were asking for trouble. i find it interesting how you failed mention here that the photographer actually opened the doors to the car that Chris and Rihanna had already entered, talk about invasion of privacy, imagine if that happened to you, i know i would definitely call the police if a complete stranger opened the door to my vehicle! but you just want to be the victim when in fact u are the perpetrator! get off your high horses media, you dont make these celebrities, they make it with their talent and support of their fans, and you just leach off them until there's nothing left. It disgusts me!!

[Russ]

You have a right to protect yourself. Carry mace and use it. Heck a taser might work well too. Too bad your employer frowns on concealed carry...

[Mike]

Perhaps Brandi should spend a little less time listening to music and learn to spell and write in coherrent sentences, then people might actually take her seriously.

[Aquaserpent]

Chris Brown sounds like John Smith, not very original and if he really is a rapper then we know he doesn’t have talent. Why couldn't he come up with something original like Poop-Puppy, or Enema did?

[Pascoite]

This is just another in the growing list of reasons why The St. Petersburg Times should distance itself from tbt. It's like as if The Wall Street Journal and Mad Magazine joined forces and produced a website called tampabay.com...

[Willie]

Stay Strong Luis. You were doing your job.
You're going to be a wealthy man after this....!!!!!!

Stoopid Thugs.

[brandie]

i see what all of you are saying. but to call chris brown a thug.. lol. u all must be bunch of racist white people or older people who think all blacks in the music industry are
thugs. the truth is, its the world of being famous.. there's always 3 sides to a story. yours, theres and thr truth. regardless, yes what chris brown;s bodyguards did was wrong.. but to be so poltically incorrect to say they are "thugs".. would u call them that if they were white r and b singers? it is what it is..you dont like him, you dont... i have tattoos and listen to his music and I am of asian decent, does that make me a thug? LOL...

[Ben]

Luis Santana, you are getting what you deserved whey you are trying so hard to make stars out of those punks. The rest of us don't care about those idiots.

[DoYaThink]

Do ya think that "rapper" Chris Brown was just trying to finally get some street cred all at the expense of this photographer?

I hope the photographer sues the pants off of Chris Brown and his people and whoever took the camera faces felony grand theft charges as well as assault and battery!

[Donnie]

I know him personally and have been with him on a number of celebrity spottings and he does not force a picture, so everyone can judge him as being like the paparazi in Hollywood or on TMZ that is not how he works. This just shows that these thugs are not in it for the fans and they STOLE his camera worth over $3,000 that is a felony theft charge there. Luis take care and rise above the hatters

[Lauren]

It's not like these two "celebrities" are really anything anyway. They'll be the "big" thing for the next year or so, and then no one will know who Chris Brown and Rihanna are (I don't even know who they are now). If you want to photograph true famous people, why not exhert your efforts on someone like Madonna, Bono, or Paul McCartney? At least if they beat the crud out of you, it will be worth it!!!

Stalkers...errrr...paparazi get what's coming to them sometimes...

[Reality]

When you make these thugs into stars, this is what happens.

[captn obvious]

just one more reason why that type of music is so lame. beating someone up for a picture? unreal. dont worry these "ultra" lounges will all be closed soon anyway since they lack originality and drawing any decent talent. good riddance!

[Tom]

Serves him right.

[keisha]

dang!!dats krazee!!

[Rich]

Was it really worth it to get assaulted just to get pictures of a couple of thugs?

[Dave]

I guess Kanye West's douchiness rubs off on everyone around him.