Briefly in the news

-- Deepa Bharath

Dennis Rodman could be in trouble again -- this time with the police,

yet again, and with the county’s Health Care Agency for allegedly

“fooling around with a fire extinguisher,” officials say.

Newport Beach police responded to a call about 5:45 p.m. Sunday at

Hooters on Newport Boulevard in Newport Beach after a customer called to

complain that the former NBA star walked into the restaurant and randomly

hosed off a patron, Lt. Doug Fletcher said.

“We believe an argument then ensued between [Rodman] and the patron,”

he said.

Fletcher said the incident was inappropriate at many levels.

“Discharging a fire extinguisher on someone else amounts to battery,”

Fletcher said. “And discharging it inside a restaurant is a clear health

code violation.”

Officers took the empty fire extinguisher from Rodman and kept it as

evidence, he said. No arrest was made.

Fletcher said police are investigating the case.