Kid Rock arrested after fight in a restaurant

Police in Atlanta arrested U.S. recording artist Kid Rock early hours of Sunday on a misdemeanor charge of simple battery, after the rapper along with his crew members got into a brawl with a man at a Waffle House restaurant in DeKalb County. The singer spent 12 hours behind bars, and was later released on bond.

According to the DeKalb County police, the rocker and five members of his entourage were arrested at 5:15 a.m. after an argument with a man, identified as Harlen Akins. Rock and his entourage allegedly beat up Akins and left the scene on his tour bus after the fight.

"He (Rock) and five members of his entourage were involved in a fight with a male customer inside the Waffle House," media reports cited Mekka Parish, a spokeswoman for DeKalb County Police Department, as saying.

The rapper was stopped and arrested by the police about a mile from the restaurant and then, along with his crew members, was taken to the custody. He was charged with simple battery. Rock walked out of the DeKalb County jail after putting up a $1,000 bond.

The fight took place after the singer made a halt at the restaurant shortly after his show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia. The 36-year-old star was having his meal at the restaurant when Akins, 39, recognized a woman, who was accompanying Rock's entourage, and started exchanging words with her.

"It escalated to a physical altercation between Kid Rock and that male customer and moved outside to the parking lot," said Parish.

The spokeswoman said that Akins suffered minor cuts and bruises after punching and breaking a window at the Waffle House in a fit of rage. Akins, who was treated at a hospital for cuts and bruises, has been charged with one felony count of second degree criminal damage to property. The window damage was estimated at more than $500.

Born on 17 January 1971, in Michigan, Kid Rock, real name Robert James Ritchie, is an American rapper, singer and rock musician most notable for his albums “Devil Without a Cause”, which sold 11 million copies, and “Cocky” and his hit singles "Bawitdaba" and "Picture." In 2000, his album “The History of Rock” hit a Billboard peak No. 3.

On the personal front, Rock paired up with Canadian-American actress Pam Anderson in 2003, finally marrying her in 2006. That marriage lasted just four months. Pamela and Kid Rock began dating in fall 2001. In April 2002, the couple announced their engagement which did not see the walk down the aisle and they split in the fall of 2003. After the split Rock briefly dated Conchita Leeflang. However, in July 2006 Pamela announced that the couple was together again and they married on July 29, 2006 aboard a yacht.

This is not the first time Rock is arrested on such charges. He was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault after a fight in a strip club DJ in February 2005. Rock was also involved in a fight with Pam’s former husband Tommy Lee. In September this year, Lee of the rock band Motley Crue and Kid Rock, the two men formerly married to Pamela Anderson got involved in an unscripted physical clash at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.