Sir Rod Stewart has been charged by police following an alleged altercation at a hotel in Florida on New Year’s Eve.
A police document released in the US accuses the veteran rock star of punching a security guard after he and his companions, including his son Sean, attempted to get into a private party in a children’s area at the Breakers Palm Beach Hotel.
The hotel’s security guard, named as Jessie Dixon in the police document, told officers that he saw a group of people near the check-in table of the private event trying to enter the area without authorisation.
The affidavit claimed that Sir Rod, 74, and his group “began to get loud and cause a scene, and refused to follow (Mr Dixon’s) instructions to leave”.
Mr Dixon alleged that Sean, 39, had got “about nose to nose” with him when he told him to step back and create some space.
The security guard claimed that Sean shoved him backwards after he put the back of his right hand on his chest, and that Sir Rod then stepped towards him and punched him in the ribs.
The arresting officer wrote in the police report that Sir Rod stated that he and his family approached the check-in table at the event in a bid to have the children in their group gain access, and that Mr Dixon then became argumentative with their family.
According to the report, Sir Rod “apologised for his behaviour in the incident”.
The affidavit also refers to accounts by two witnesses, both of whom are employed by the hotel, who claimed that they saw Sean push Mr Dixon and Sir Rod punch him in the chest.
Sir Rod and Sean are described as “primary aggressors” in the document by the arresting officer, who claims he assessed footage taken from video cameras at the hotel.
Both Sir Rod and Sean were arrested, and the music star was charged with simple battery.
Sir Rod has been issued a notice to appear at the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Complex for a court date on 5 February.
