LAS VEGAS — Kid Rock was cited for misdemeanor battery after a tussle with Tommy Lee in the audience at the MTV Video Music Awards, police said.

The rock-rapper received the citation after police reported to the Palms Hotel and Casino shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday and interviewed people at the scene, Officer Bill Cassell said.

Kid Rock was not taken into custody, he said.

MTV VJ Sway said during the post-show that he saw Kid Rock walk up to the Motley Crue drummer, who was sitting next to Sean “Diddy” Combs, and “deck him.”

Both Lee and Kid Rock are ex-husbands of Pamela Anderson, who was a presenter at the show.

Another eyewitness, rap producer Rich Nice, said although Kid Rock threw the only blows that landed — a backhand slap and a punch — Tommy Lee was the instigator.

“It looked like Tommy Lee initiated it because Kid Rock was ignoring him,” said Nice, who was two tables away. “And Tommy Lee kind of antagonized him. And then when Tommy Lee stood up, it looked a little weird, like ‘Yo, what?'”

“When Tommy stands up is when Kid hit him the first time with a backhand,” Nice continued. “And then Tommy Lee looked like he was trying to get at him to aggressively retaliate and then Kid Rock hits Tommy Lee again — bong. And then security grabs Tommy Lee in a headlock and pulls him off.”

Security guards let Kid Rock stay for the rest of the show while Lee was dragged out.

Cassell said Kid Rock could face up to six months in jail, but that it would be uncommon for someone facing similar charges to receive such a lengthy sentence.

From MTV: LAS VEGAS — From Rihanna getting her hair touched up before she hit the red carpet to porn star Ron Jeremy trying to talk to 50 Cent to what has to be the awkward moment of the night, hands-down — Kid Rock and Pam Anderson coming face to face, possibly a prequel to the scuffle between Kid and Tommy Lee later — there was plenty of action that went down prior to the big VMA main show.

There’s an area called the holding pit where the artists can take a peek in the mirror or just cool down from the heat before they take the long, navigational trip through the Palms Casino Resort to make their way to their seats via the red carpet.

As Pam made her way into that area from outside, Kid Rock was entering the same space, which is only like 5’ by 10″, but through the casino side entry. They didn’t notice each other — Pam chatted with Hans Klok, with whom she’s starring in a Vegas show, and Kid Rock sipped his Bud Light. But a minute or so later, Rock turned around and he and Pam were looking right at each other. “Hey,” Pam said to her ex-beau softly, with a cordial smile. It was one of those, “Oh, wow, you, yeah, OK,” moments. Very awkward. And everyone in that room picked up on it.