A fight between a
patron and a security guard ended a Kanye West autograph signing session in Fresno,
California yesterday.
West’s autograph signing attracted thousands of people,
who showed up at the launch of FTK, a new clothing store that recently launched
in the area.
According to the Fresno Bee, witnesses said a man attempted
to better his position in line, arousing the anger of other fans and security
guards.
After arguing, the man left while three security guards followed.
Witnesses said security guards punched the man numerous times, while store employees
said they restrained the man after he threw a punch at a security guard.
West, who was in town for a performance later in the evening,
was whisked away by his handlers and was not harmed in the fracas.
Police arrived and cleared roughly 1,000 people from the parking
lot of the store, while a helicopter monitored the situation.
"Once that happened, we couldn’t control it anymore,"
Aron Hekimian, an employee of FTK, told the Bee. "Once security couldn’t
control it, we had to shut it down."
Sam Hensen, the owner of the store, appeased many disappointed
fans by handing out gift bags and other free items.
In related news, West will play golf with a host of celebrities
at the Terrell Buckley Celebrity Golf Weekend in Jamaica, which takes place
April 15-17th.
Michael Jordan,
Vivica Fox, Shaquille O’Neal, Malik Yoba, Angela Bassett, Tanika Ray,
Robert Townsend and others will tee off at the Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort
to raise funds for the Mustard Seed Communities, a non-profit organization that
cares for babies and children with disabilities.
