O'Neal assault charges dismissed

Ryan O'Neal was arrested following the incident in Malibu

Prosecutors have decided not to file charges against veteran actor Ryan O'Neal following a row with his son and allegations of assault on 3 February.

The Love Story star, 66, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Griffin O'Neal, 42, with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a firearm.

They blamed each other for starting the brawl which left the son's pregnant girlfriend, Joanna Berry, injured.

Los Angeles prosecutors dismissed the case, citing "insufficient evidence".

"There were conflicting witness statements," said Jane Robison, spokeswoman for Los Angeles County district attorney.

"We believe there was insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."

'Self-defence'

Ryan O'Neal was held for five hours over the incident in Malibu, California in February, before being released on bail.

Following the row, Gloria Allred, lawyer for Griffin O'Neal, rejected the actor's claims that he was acting in self-defence.

O'Neal, who found fame in 1960s US soap Peyton Place, said he fired a warning shot into the air when his son attacked him with a poker.

He claimed Griffin struck his girlfriend by accident when he swung a fireplace poker at his father.

Ms Berry needed eight stitches over her eye and suffered a broken sinus amongst other injuries, none of which were gun-related.

Griffin is Ryan O'Neal's son from his first marriage, with Joanna Moore. His sister is actress Tatum O'Neal.

In 1986 he was found guilty of reckless boating after an accident killed Gian-Carlo Coppola, son of legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola.