L.A. Guns Singer Phil Lewis Reportedly Wanted by Police After Fan Phone Incident
L.A. Guns singer Phil Lewis is reportedly wanted by police in Nashville, Tennessee after allegedly damaging a fan's phone during one of the band's concerts last summer.
A woman named Corissa Heindl was in attendance at one of L.A. Guns' shows last July at Nashville venue The Basement East. She recorded a video of the performance from right at the front of the stage and, toward the end of the clip, Lewis visibly hit her phone with his hand and then motioned for security to kick her out of the show.
Heindl made a series of posts documenting the event and filed a police report on July 15, 2023 [via Metal Sludge].
Lewis has since allegedly assaulted another fan for using their fan during one of the band's shows in Florida, and bandmate Tracii Guns commented on it.
Below, we break down what happened in chronologically order.
Lewis Hits Heindl's Phone During L.A. Guns' Performance
According to Heindl's first two Facebook posts regarding the situation, Guns started the debacle by pointing out to Lewis that she was recording the show on her phone. Then, during the show opener "Cannonball," Lewis swatted at her phone and seemingly damaged it.
After the show, Heindl recorded a video of the damaged phone with a different device to show the damage on the one that Lewis hit. The screen was black and flashing.
Once Heindl got the damaged phone to start up, she shared another video of the moment Lewis hit it.
"Knocked my phone right out of my hand, and it went sliding across the damn bar, ended up with Ace Von Johnson's guitars. Bullshit!" she said during the recording.
Heindl then shared another video from the night, which also showed Lewis grabbing for the cell phone. It's unclear if this happened earlier in the night or after the first time he hit it out of her hand.
"Nice try L.A. Guns. But I didn't do anything wrong and the doormen saw these videos and I wasn't tossed out. I stayed for two more songs after this, and decided not to waste anymore of my time," she wrote. "Why the stink eye, dude? Jeez. I guess they didn't like my Cinderella shirt."
Lewis Comments on Heindl's Post
Lewis caught wind of Heindl's posts and commented on the third video, which is depicted just above.
"Oops my hand slipped," he wrote. "Apologies."
"Obviously. That was uncalled for. Truly. And you broke my phone. Apologies don't pay for property damage," Heindl replied.
Heindl Allegedly Asks for L.A. Guns to Make Amends for the Damaged Phone
In a series of posts Heindl shared after the phone incident took place, she explained that she reached out to L.A. Guns in attempt to settle the dispute privately, but hadn't received a response.
"Just wanted to say that I'd be in jail if I'd have smacked Philip Lewis' microphone out of his hands. Tell me I'm wrong. Simple assault is simple assault and microphones are as expensive as phones, sometimes even more so," she remarked.
"I reached out for a private solution, to no avail. I have seen this band SOOOOOO many times over several decades and I am honestly hurt, embarrassed and definitely confused as to WTF. I rearranged my schedule for this show."
Heindl Files a Police Report
After unsuccessfully trying to communicate with L.A. Guns, Heindl filed a Citizen's Information Notice on July 15 with Officer J. Warren, which was obtained by Metal Sludge.
The notice stated "a Body Warn Camera (BWC) or In-Car Camera (ICC) video may exist related to this incident."
Heindl Claims a Warrant Is Out for Lewis' Arrest in Nashville
Heindl replied back to Lewis' apology comment on her Facebook on March 11, claiming that a warrant is out for his arrest in Davidson County, Tennessee as a result of the incident.
READ MORE: Maynard James Keenan Blasts 'D--khead' Fan for Using Phone During Tool Show
"There is a simple assault warrant in Davidson County... just waiting for your next appearance in Nashville.... I will call Nashville Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and have them execute the warrant. It's been too long now for you to have made this right. You didn't succeed in having me tossed out of the Basement East, because you aren't as known there as I am. And YOU WERE SO WRONG."
Lewis Reportedly Hits Another Fans Phone in Florida
On March 19, Metal Sludge reported that a fan in Fort Lauderdale, Florida filed a police report against Lewis after the vocalist grabbed their fan and kicked their fan from the stage. The report alleged the incident was a simple battery or simple assault.
Tracii Guns Comments on Phone Use During L.A. Guns Shows
Guns shared a post on social media on March 19, the same day the police report was filed in Florida, saying, "We really love that you guys film us with your phones etc. but, please do it from afar because no one needs to see what’s up our nostrils. Also, it can be very distracting to us. Thank you."
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Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner