The Manhattan DA’s Office committed an act of “public corruption” when it let actor Sam Worthington off with a slap on the wrist for belting a paparazzo, the fotog’s lawyer charged in a federal court filing obtained by The Post.
Mark Jay Heller filed a complaint with the Manhattan US Attorney over the way the “Avatar” star was treated by the DA’s Office after his arrest for pummeling freelance photographer Sheng Li in Greenwich Village this year.
In a civilian crime report, Heller demands a federal investigation of the DA’s Office and Prosecutor Atalanta Mihas, who he says “failed and refused” to charge Worthington with felony assault, attempted robbery and filing a false report in the Feb. 23 scrap.
Heller says the charges should also have been filed against the 37-year-old star’s girlfriend, model Lara Bingle, 26.
Videos “clearly depict a brutal assault by Sam Worthington and Lara Bingle upon the victim Sheng Li, as well as an attempted robbery by them of the victim’s cameras,” the filing says.
Heller alleges that Worthington made it known to authorities that he was the star of the 2009 film “Avatar” and says that it “may have impacted what appears to be a grave miscarriage of justice.”
Worthington scored a no-jail, conditional discharge of a misdemeanor assault charge last month during a court hearing which he didn’t even attend and which Li was never told about, according to Heller’s April 10 complaint.
Prosecutors say Li followed the couple around for nearly four hours before he tussled with Bingle on Jane Street.
Li, who claims she attacked first, kicked the model in the shins, prompting Worthington to punch him several times in the face, court papers allege.
Li was arrested and charged with harassment, assault and reckless endangerment. He’s fighting the charges and is due in court Thursday.
Heller told The Post Monday that Li suffered tears to his rotator cuff and tendons, as well as injuries to his head, face and jaw and may need up to $50,000 worth of surgery.
A spokeswoman for US Attorney Preet Bharara declined to comment.
A spokeswoman for DA Cyrus Vance also declined to comment, but a source in his office said: “We’re not worried. This was a standard disposition.”
Prosecutors offered both defendants the same disposition, but only Worthington accepted it, the DA source added.
Reps for Worthington and Bingle didn’t return requests for comment.