Gary Coleman Sued Over Bowling Alley Brawl

Diff'rent Strokes star accused of roughing up Utah man following late-night photo op

Gary Coleman's in some serious doo-doo for a few diff'rent pokes. And jabs. And a mean front fender.

A (presumably former) fan has made the requisite trip to the courthouse to file the inevitable lawsuit against the onetime sitcom star over a photo op allegedly gone way wrong.

Colt Rushton, 24, claims that he was roughed up and then run over by the diminutive actor following a late-night confrotation at a Utah bowling alley 10 days ago.

There was no immediate comment from the Coleman camp.

In an assault suit filed today and originally obtained by The Insider, Rushton says he spotted Coleman and his entourage at the Payson Bowling Alley and used a cell phone to snap a couple of photos of the erstwhile Arnold Jackson and his 22-year-old on-off wife, Shannon Price.

That's when one of Coleman's bodyguards, identified in court papers as Paul Rohbock, confronted Rushton, telling him he wasn't allowed to take shots of the 40-year-old actor-kegler—unless Rushton coughed up $20 per picture.

On his way out of the pin palace, Rushton says he observed Coleman and company at their car. The Beehive State native decided to take another photo when—POW!—he was "attacked, without warning, from behind by Price and/or Rohbock, who clawed his arm and grabbed his cell phone away from him," per the lawsuit.

Rushton claims Coleman joined the fray and "attacked without warning," delivering several punches to the besieged shutterbug.

At that point, the plaintiff says he had enough and offered to delete the offending images from his cell phone, but Price refused to return it.

When Rushton attempted to retrieve his phone, Coleman, at this point behind the wheel of his vehicle, "slammed the truck into reverse, swerved and swung the front of the truck into [Rushton[, hitting him, throwing him to the ground and possibly running him over," according to the court documents.

Rushton says he was briefly hospitalized and is seeking damages for minor injuries that he claims is still forcing him to seek medical treatment.

Police are investigating the incident and have suggested alcohol may have played a role in the spat, but so far none of the principals has been charged with any crime.