‘DEATH STARE’

Kanye Sued by Photographer for Chucking Her Phone Into the Street: Report

In her lawsuit, Nichol Lechmanik said she feared the rapper had a weapon on him when he confronted her.

A paparazzo whose phone was snatched and thrown away by Kanye West in a heated confrontation earlier this year is suing the rapper for assault, battery, and negligence, according to a court filing obtained by TMZ. The plaintiff, Nichol Lechmanik, said in her suit that she feared West may have been armed during the January incident in Los Angeles, in which he reportedly turned around on a group of photographers following him. Lechmanik claimed she was left traumatized and humiliated after West hurled her phone into oncoming traffic, fixing on her and her business partner with an alleged “death stare.” She reported the incident to Ventura County authorities, who declined to file charges against West in March following an investigation. The county district attorney’s office said at the time that only the phone’s $30 case had been damaged in the altercation.