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Justin Bieber, the young man who thinks going out in public is a pain in the ass, was named Sunday afternoon in a criminal report filed on scene following what a photographer claims was an incident of misdemeanor battery.
The action went down at the The Commons at Calabasas Shopping Center, where Bieber was out and about with his ladyfriend, Selena Gomez. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says in a release that their deputies from the Malibu-Lost Hills Station were dispatched to the outdoor mall "after receiving a call from man who alleged he was in a physical altercation" with the teen sensation singer.
The accuser is a photographer--well, okay, a paparazzo--who told deputies when he tried to take photos of the famous couple, Bieber physically battered him.
Bieber and Gomez left before the LASD showed up, though.
The photog insisted on filing a criminal report, to which the LASD obliged. He said he was in pain and needed medical help. "The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and later released," add the LASD.
It could be, though, that the idea to file came as a suggestion from someone at the scene. TMZ has some follow-up from the melee at the mall:
We're told several witnesses at the scene say after the altercation, a lawyer walked up to the photog and said he could get a lot of money out of the incident and advised the dude to call for an ambulance and file a police report.
Additionally, the paparazzo's role as pure "victim" may have been just at eensy weensy bit exaggerated, according to TMZ's sources:
Witnesses also say the photog had been blocking Justin's car as the singer was trying to leave. Justin got out of the car and asked the guy to move away but he wouldn't, and a scuffle ensued.
Still, the LASD are taking this seriously:
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Malibu-Lost Hills Station detectives are investigating the incident. Any with information about this incident is urged, contact detctives at (818-878-1808). Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
So the biggest pain in the ass here is, what, now? Bieber going out? Or litigious paparazzi? Hmmm.
