HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A well-known paparazzi was the 911 caller who reported seeing Heather Locklear driving erratically last weekend, ultimately leading to the star's arrest for alleged DUI, The Associated Press reports.
Photographer Jill Ishkanian documented the arrest by taking photos, which were later sold to celebrity gossip site TMZ for $27,000, AP says.
"The fact she witnessed Ms. Locklear's erratic driving and reported it to the police did not mean she was disqualified from reporting the story, which she in fact did," said Ishkanian's attorney, Nicholas Tepper, who added his client acted out of "civic duty" and a concern for Locklear's well-being.
Locklear was arrested near Santa Barbara, Calif. last Saturday. At the time of her arrest, the former "Melrose Place" star was parked on the state highway and blocking a lane.
According to AP, Ishkanian sold the photos to TMZ through a third party, KM Press Group. She did so because she is currently engaged in a $55 million lawsuit against her former employer Us Weekly, in which she claims employees of the magazine damaged her career with accusations of stealing information from company computers.
Following her departure from Us Weekly, Ishkanian helped launch the celebrity agency Sunset Photo and News.
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