Canadian R&B artist the Weeknd was arrested in Las Vegas after he was accused of hitting an officer in the head.
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan police department information office Laura Meltzer, Abel Tesfaye was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanour battery of a protected person on 10 January in a Las Vegas Strip hotel.
Meltzer said police were trying to break up a fight when Tesfaye hit an officer on the side of the head with a closed fist. The officer was not seriously injured. Tesfaye was taken to the Clark County detention centre, but his name did not appear on the prison roster as of 12 January.
The Weeknd has contributed music to the forthcoming Fifty Shades of Gray soundtrack and is scheduled to perform on 16 January at Drai’s nightclub in Las Vegas.
The Guardian contacted the singer’s spokesperson for a statement, but was told any response would most likely be released via social media. On 11 January, the Weeknd posted a message on Instagram, saying he had “escaped las vegas”.
