Gene Hackman slaps homeless man in self-defense, police say

Gene Hackman slapped a homeless man Tuesday afternoon in Santa Fe, N.M., in what police are calling an act of self-defense.

Hackman, 82 and a longtime Santa Fe resident, admitted slapping 63-year-old Bruce Becker across the face after the latter called his wife a dirty name and approached the couple in a threatening manner as they left a restaurant, police told E! News.

Becker called 911 to report the incident, according to the Albuquerque Journal. He was not injured, police said, and Hackman and his wife remained in the area to make a statement.

Police told E! the slap appeared to be “purely out of self-defense,” and nobody was arrested.

Becker’s court record includes a couple of battery charges, the Journal said.

The two-time Oscar winner — “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven” — was last seen in 2004’s “Welcome to Mooseport.” He married Betsy Arakawa in 1991.

ALSO:

Justin Timberlake apologizes for ‘unsavory’ video

Gene Hackman hit by car, suffers ‘bumps and bruises’

‘Happy Days’ sweetheart Erin Moran reportedly homeless

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs and on Facebook facebook.com/ministryofgossip.

PHOTOS AND MORE:

PHOTOS: Celebrity portraits by The Times