2 roadies from Spears tour arrested in Pittsburgh
Two employees of a contractor working for Britney Spears' concert tour were arrested early Thursday morning after police said they assaulted officers who tried to break up a fight.
Rockey Lee Dickey Jr., 34, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., was hitting another man on a city sidewalk when a patrol car drove by at around 1 a.m., police said. Dickey swung at one of the officers who intervened, knocking off his hat, and had to be subdued with a Taser, police said.
Police said Alex Montes, 23, of Valencia, Calif., put one of the officers in a headlock.
The officers were not hurt.
Both men were being held in the Allegheny County Jail on assault and public drunkenness charges. It was not immediately known if they had attorneys.
The alleged victim, identified only as a 30-year-old Pittsburgh man, was taken to a hospital for facial injuries.
Spears' Web site posted a statement saying the two men worked for a company that was contracted to provide road crew service, not for Spears or her tour.
"The two individuals have since been dismissed by their employer. The ... tour does not support or tolerate this type of behavior," the statement said.
Britney Spears "Does Not Support" Roadies' Rowdy Behavior
Britney Spears might be seeking a bit more than just Amy right now. She could be looking for a new contractor.
Early Thursday morning, Rockey Lee Dickey Jr. and Alex Montes, two employees of one of the companies contracted to provide equipment for the Circus Starring Britney Spears tour, were picked up by Pittsburgh police for aggravated assault, E! News confirms. Spears is set to perform in the Pennsylvania city Friday evening.
According to a statement from the police, officers saw Dickey, 34, in a physical altercation with a 30-year-old male, reportedly named Matthew Boyle. When they approached, Dickey allegedly swung at the officer and Montes, 23, attempted to intervene, placing another officer in a headlock.
The cops had to use a Taser to subdue Dickey. Montes made a run for it but was picked up shortly thereafter.
"Both actors had very strong odors of alcohol, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes," the police statement said. Both "will be charged with aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, simple assault, public drunkenness and possible additional charges."
The two men were transported to the Allegheny County Jail. E! News has learned they were released a few hours later on $100,000 bail.
Dickey's mother, Dorothy Dickey, confirms to E! News exclusively that her son is traveling with the Spears road show doing lighting and rigging, a job he's done on various top tours, including those of Chris Brown and Snoop Dogg, since 1999. According to his mother, the single father of a 7-year-old boy has been arrested before, but not for assault.
"He is not violent," she says. "When someone has a problem, he lets them deal with it and doesn't get involved."
The victim was treated for injuries to his forehead and nose and was released. Neither officer was hurt.
By late Thursday, Spears' camp looked to distance itself from the fray.
"Neither of the men involved are employees of the tour or Ms. Spears," read a statement posted on the popster's website blog. "The two individuals have since been dismissed by their employer. The Circus Starring Britney Spears tour does not support or tolerate this type of behavior."
Britney's Ex Adnan Turns in His Gun
This paparazzo is no longer packing heat.
Britney Spear's shutterbug ex-beau Adnan Ghalib has turned in his handgun to comply with a restraining order her lawyers took out against him, E! News has learned.
Ghalib had a license to carry a Hi-Point C-9mm, but per court papers filed Wednesday, he sold it to a gun shop after a Los Angeles judge signed off on an order barring him him from having any contact with Spears. The order, which is in effect for the next three years, also prohibits Ghalib from possessing weapons.
Britney Considers Taking the Circus Down Under
Britney Spears' tour may be heading south. Way south.
In court today, attorneys representing the popster and father Jamie's conservatorship discussed the possibility of taking Spears' supremely successful Circus tour to Australia.
Nothing was decided at what was otherwise a largely uneventful hearing pertaining to the conservatorship, which has been in place since Feb. 1, 2008, and was extended indefinitely in December.
Another court date has been set for April 14.
The Circus Starring Britney Spears unfolds in Edmonton tonight, after which the song-and-dance extravaganza hits Vancouver before heading southward along the West Coast. As the schedule stands, Spears' troupe touches down June 3 in London, where they'll do eight shows (all sold out), and then wraps up June 17 in Manchester.
Spears' Vancouver concert halted for 30 minutes
The new and improved Britney Spears apparently isn't a fan of cigarette smoke — or any other kind of smoke, for that matter — while she's performing.
The 27-year-old pop star left the stage for about 30 minutes during a concert in Vancouver on Wednesday night, apparently because of smoke in the audience.
According to The Vancouver Sun, Spears' concert was halted about 15 minutes into her performance, and an announcer told concertgoers to put out their cigarettes. Some audience members grew impatient while waiting for Spears and her troupe to return to the stage, the Sun reported.
After she returned and ended the show, Spears — who has been to rehab and is on the comeback trail after a long stretch of troubles — told the crowd, "Don't smoke weed."
Spears' publicist, Holly Shakoor, issued a statement apologizing to fans about the delay. The statement said "crew members above the stage became ill due to a ventilation issue."
Spears began her "Circus" tour of the United States, Canada and England on March 3 in New Orleans. Her father and attorneys are exploring the possibility of expanding the tour to include more shows in Europe and Australia.
Reporting by Ashley Fultz
