One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Justin Bieber Hits Paparazzo With His Huge Truck After Leaving Church
Justin Bieber at the 2016 102.7 KIIS FM Jingle Ball (Getty Images)
Days after announcing he was cancelingthe remainder of his world tour, possibly to focus on his "faith," pop star Justin Bieber struck a photographer with his truck in Beverly Hills on Wednesday night.
TMZ has footage of the incident. "Justin was leaving the Saban Theater, where he'd been worshipping at a City Church event. He climbed into his monster pickup truck as photogs scrambled around the vehicle, and when he gunned it to pull away ... hit the man."
Bieber got out and checked on the photographer. Looking at the crowd of other paparazzi, Bieber appeared to say "you guys are in front of me," referring to how they surrounded his truck as he was trying to leave, and then asked the injured 57-year-old photographer how he was.
It's believed that Bieber was attending City Church, which has 8 p.m. Wednesday service at the Saban Theater, before the 9:30 p.m. incident.
Bieber "fully cooperated" with the police investigation, according to the LA Times. The photographer, who apparently suffered non-life-threatening injuries, posted a video about the incident, saying, "[Bieber is] a good kid... I think the truck was a little too big for him though cause there was no way he could see over the front":
KTLA added, "Sky5 aerial footage shows Bieber leaving the scene in a 2017 Aston Martin that is leased to Kourtney Kardashian, according to California Department of Motor Vehicle records."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
