Gerard Butler has been charged with criminal battery.
01/10/2009 - Gerard Butler - The Scottish actor is accused of punching a paparazzo in the face as he was getting into his limo outside Crown Bar in Los Angeles at 2am on October 7, 2008. © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
The Scottish actor is accused of punching a paparazzo in the face as he was getting into his limo outside Crown Bar in Los Angeles at 2am on October 7, 2008.
Butler had been celebrating the premiere of Guy Ritchie's film 'RocknRolla', in which he starred.
Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan confirmed the charges related to an "altercation with a photographer".
Butler's manager Alan Siegel said the actor asked his driver to stop the car after the photographer repeatedly sped through red lights and almost hit two pedestrians while pursuing them.
When his chauffeur pulled over, Butler allegedly got out of the car and confronted the photographer.
Butler will be arraigned on June 10 but his lawyer says the actor will not appear in court. If he is found guilty, he could spend up to six months in jail and be forced to pay a $2,000 fine.
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