Infamous celebrity photographer Steve Sands was arrested yesterday afternoon in Times Square while trying to take photos of the television show Smash. Sands, 56, is notorious for the disturbances that arise when he's attempting to photograph celebrities and film sets, and he's been forcibly removed from countless parties and red carpet events. The NY Press included him on their list of the 50 most loathsome New Yorkers in 2004, and as you can see here, time hasn't softened Sands:
It appears from the video that Sands had infiltrated the film set and was arrested after he refused to leave the area. The NYPD tells us Sands was charged with disorderly conduct, harassment, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer. But judging by Sands's broken camera, his relentless howling, and his apparent attempt to take video of the arrest with his iPhone, it's probably safe to say there's a lawsuit in the near future.
In a 2004 profile on Sands in the Times, it was reported that his behavior had become so abrasive that a group of photographers sent a petition to various movie studios begging them to ban Sands from events. But one photographer who refused to sign asked the Times, "Would I like Steve Sands to disappear off the face of the earth? Yes. He causes fights wherever he goes. He's knocked me off ladders. But I think this sets a dangerous precedent. It's depriving someone of their livelihood.''
For more on Sands, here's a classic mid-'80s video profile on the paparazzo as he prowls the streets of NYC:
