Kanye West Escapes Charges For Beat-Down Of Teen Who Used N-Word

Kanye West, the rap mega-star who has lately become better known as the future Mr. Kim Kardashian, dodged a legal bullet Friday when the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that it will not seek to prosecute the 21-time Grammy winner for assaulting an 18-year-old who allegedly used offensive racial and sexual terms toward both Kardashian and West.

Kanye West, the son of a former Black Panther, responded on January 13 to a phone call from Kim Kardashian as she was being verbally assaulted by the 18-year-old, whose name has never been made public, as she entered an office building in Beverly Hills.

The incident began with the youth aiding the reality TV star as she attempted to get around a throng of clamoring paparazzi while attempting to enter the building. The teen reportedly shouted a racial and anti-gay slur at the photographers as he held the door for Kim Kardashian.

When she reproached him for it, he turned on her.

The youth reportedly called Kardashian a “slut” and a “n***** lover” among other racial and sexual slurs. When she reached her fiancé Kanye West on her cell phone, the youth shouted the N-word at him as well.

West, who was nearby, tracked the racist teen to a chiropractor’s office in the building where he punched the 18-year-old.

Witness reports conflicted on how many times Kanye West punched the youth, but one report said it was as many as 30. But the district attorney’s office in its Friday announcement said that neither the teenager nor Kanye West suffered any injuries worth mentioning.

But when the D.A.’s office reached out to the alleged victim, it got nothing in return.

“Further inquiry by this office resulted in the victim, through his attorney, declining to speak with a member of the district attorney’s office,” authorities said in a statement. “Prosecution is accordingly declined due to victim unavailability.”

Kanye West was never arrested in connection with the incident, though he was named as a “suspect.” He has not commented publicly on the matter an Blair Berk, attorney for Kanye West, offered no comment on the prosecutor’s decision when reached by The Associated Press.

The alleged victim apparently had 250,000 reason to keep his mouth shut. The D.A.’s office said that Kanye West had reached a civil settlement with the youth and earlier reports put the amount of that hush-money agreement at $250,000.