US Rapper Kanye West arrest at LAX for smashing paparazzo's camera

US rapper Kanye West has been arrested after grabbing a photographer's camera and smashing it on the ground at Los Angeles Airport.

LAPD police say the nine-time Grammy Award winner was arrested on suspicion of vandalism after the commercial photographer's camera valued at over $12,500 was broken.

Associated Press reports an airport spokesman, Marshall Lowe, as saying West and his bodyguard, Don Crowley, were arrested shortly before 8am yesterday local time.

After the incident, West, 31, tried to board his American Airlines flight at terminal four but was stopped by police before reaching security, reports entertainment website TMZ.com.

"A photographer was taking several pictures of Kanye West. West rushed the photographer and grabbed his camera. A struggle ensued and the guy was screaming, 'Police, help'," TMZ.com's cameraman, Erik, who witnessed the scuffle, said on their website.

"Kanye then took the still camera and threw it on the ground, breaking it into pieces," he said.

The TMZ cameraman, who recorded the altercation, claims that once West saw him filming he told him to hand over the video camera.

The video shows West wearing a grey hooded jumper throwing the flash part of the photographer's camera on the ground and it breaking into pieces.

It also shows his bodyguard, Crowley, throwing the body of the photographer's camera at the ground before surging at the TMZ cameraman.

In the video, airport officials ask West and his bodyguard to stop the scuffle, while others are heard calling for police, to which West's bodyguard replies, "there ain't no police man".

After explaining he had a press pass and a right to film inside the airport, West's bodyguard allegedly grabbed his camera, ripped off the microphone and viewfinder and smashed it to the ground also.

The airport spokesman said police are continuing to interview witnesses and West may be booked later this morning.

West and his bodyguard were held in police custody until posting $25,000 bail.