Mike Tyson - Videographer: 'I Did Not Provoke Tyson Attack'

The videographer involved in a brawl with MIKE TYSON was left with blood "gushing" from his head after the retired boxer allegedly punched him repeatedly for no reason.

Tyson was arrested on Wednesday (11Nov09) after becoming embroiled in a scuffle with Tony Echevarria after arriving at Los Angeles International airport for a flight with his wife and their 10-month-old child.

Both men made citizen's arrests on each other and were later hauled to a police station, where they were booked for identical misdemeanour battery charges.

Tyson's lawyer David Chesnoff claims the star acted in self-defence after being harassed by Echevarria, but the videographer insists he was nothing but respectful to him.

In video footage posted on TMZ.com, Echevarria explains how Tyson became agitated when he was questioned about his female companion, failing to recognise the woman was the star's wife, Lakiha Spicer.

He says, "At one point he's holding his lady's hand. She looked kinda (sic) young so I asked him, 'Is that your girlfriend?' He said, 'Don't say nothing (sic) to me anymore.' I said, 'No problem, no disrespect.' So then I didn't say anymore, I was just shooting the scene. They're walking, hugging..."

Echevarria alleges Tyson suddenly snapped and lost his temper without being provoked, punching him and smashing his video camera in the process.

The videographer required medical attention for his head injuries and he's convinced Tyson and his bodyguard were intent on destroying the taped evidence.

He continues, "I'm taping him from a distance, about 50 feet... He says, 'Stop following me, get out of the building.' And then he runs towards me. So I find myself on the street and he's hitting me with his fists on my head. I got five stitches in my head. There's blood everywhere, like a water fountain. I was trying to get away but he was holding my bag strap (around my neck). Then he grabbed my camera. (He hit me) four (times)... He took my camera and smashed it on the ground and then he tried to come at me again, and I ran inside the building and then he told his bodyguard to get the camera. The bodyguard basically told me to get out of there, blood was gushing everywhere..."

Echevarria is hopeful the video footage captured the whole incident on camera, so he can prove he wasn't at fault: "The tape was on the whole time, maybe it picked up the audio. If you see the tape, it says it all. I wasn't aggressive, I was shooting from a distance and I was respectful. (Tyson) says his kid's life was in danger, says that I hit him with my elbow. It's quite plain, the evidence was there. They had to get the videotape. The cops have the videotape now.

"It's traumatising. When you're being hit by Mike Tyson, it's the worst thing in the world that you can imagine."

Arizona court officials are reportedly investigating if Tyson violated terms of his three-year probation - on charges of felony cocaine possession and a misdemeanor DUI in 2007. The retired boxer could land in jail for a minimum of five years if he is found guilty of breaking any laws.