SAO PAULO, Brazil Nov 10, 2005 — Mike Tyson was questioned by police early Thursday after a television cameraman accused the former heavyweight champion of assaulting him outside a nightclub.
Tyson was scheduled to appear in court Friday, where he could face charges of assault and destruction of property, police spokeswoman Kelly Pinheiro said.
The 39-year-old Tyson held a news conference Wednesday asking the Brazilian media not to approach him at night.
Carlos Eduardo da Silva, a cameraman with the Brazilian television network SBT ingnored those wishes and insistently tried filming him.
Carlos Eduardo da Silva told the police Tyson pushed him and threw his camera to the ground outside the club, then removed a videotape and put it in his pocket.
Later the cameraman changed his story and told he was hit on the head, but the police said he needed a medical test to prove it.
"We doubt he was hit because everyone knows Mike Tyson's punch and the reporter didn't seem to have a wound," district police chief Roberto Calassa said.
Police said Tyson acknowledged damaging the camera but denied pushing Silva. He was later released.
"He asked him to stop filming and he didn't stop. He got up, took the camera, destroyed the tape and damaged the equipment," district police chief Roberto Calassa said.
In august this year Mike Tyson was also accussed by a woman in Italy claiming she was assaulted.
After police investigation Mike Tyson turned out to be innocent and the accusation was proven slander.
Tyson came to Sao Paulo following a trip to Argentina, where he was interviewed by soccer great Diego Maradona on his late-night show.
For the first time Mike Tyson has reacted on the weeks of rude trashtalk and call-outs directed to him by undisputed light-heavyweight champion Antionio Tarver.
In an exclusive interview by boxingtalk.com Mike told that if Tarver really is so eager to face him he would be prepared to accept Tarvers challenge to set things straight.
