It seems not even Akon is allowed to go around throwing children into the air.
The Autotune-toting singer has been ordered to stand trial following an incident last summer when he threw a teenage fan off the stage at a small-town gig. Yesterday, Fishkill Town Justice Harold Epstein ordered Akon, who was present for the hearing, to return to the court on December 1 for the start of a jury trial.
In June of 2008, Akon was performing at the annual KFEST concert in New York state. According to eyewitness accounts, someone threw something at the Senegalese-born singer mid-way through the show. Akon asked the crowd to help him identify the heckler – and a 15-year-old boy was eventually escorted to the stage. Rather than giving the lad a stern Autotuned talking-to, Akon lifted him into the air and hurled him into the crowd.
In Fishkill, NY, this is not acceptable.
Akon now faces a maximum one year and 15 days in jail if convicted on charges of second-degree harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. His attorneys seem eager to reach a settlement deal, saying in a statement that "Akon looks forward to putting this incident behind him, and in the meantime, he will continue to meet every requirement set forth by the court."
Even if a deal is reached, however, Akon will still have some trouble on his hands. Adding insult – or rather litigation - to injury, a civil lawsuit has been filed against him by the woman upon whom the 15-year-old landed. Next time, Akon will have to be more careful where he aims.
