Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault charges following a fight with another man outside a Washington, D.C. hotel on Sunday morning.
The R&B star was arrested and booked for felony assault but local prosecutors opted to reduce the count to a misdemeanor just before Brown appeared in court on Monday.
Brown was released without bail, but he was ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from the victim he allegedly punched.
The unidentified other party was taken to hospital for a medical evaluation after the fracas and told TMZ.com the singer broke his nose. Police reports suggest the alleged victim was treated for a fractured nasal bone.
Brown maintains he never threw a punch and was on his tour bus when the fight broke out between the man and his bodyguard, who was also arrested. The alleged victim claims Brown threw the first punch but it was the singer’s minder who hit him in the face.
Some witnesses are suggesting the victim was attempting to board the star’s tour bus when the fight broke out.
The drama could still lead to big problems for Brown, who is on probation for his 2009 assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna. If a court rules his latest arrest violates his probation, the singer faces a four-year prison spell.
Officials at the Los Angeles County Probation Department have launched an investigation into the arrest.
