Ontario police: Bieber charged with assault

By Rob Gilles

TORONTO — Canadian pop star Justin Bieber faces new charges after police said Tuesday he was arrested for dangerous driving and assault following a collision between a minivan and an ATV that led to a physical altercation in southwestern Ontario.

Ontario Provincial Police said the incident happened Friday afternoon near Bieber’s hometown of Stratford and that he was released on a promise to appear in court Sept. 29. They said the driver of the ATV and an occupant of the minivan “engaged in a physical altercation.”

Bieber, 20, went to a police station and was arrested, then released on a promise to appear in court Sept. 29, a spokesman for Perth County OPP said.

OPP Constable Kees Wijnands said there were no injuries as a result of the collision, but could not say whether there were any injuries from the altercation.

Bieber was photographed recently in southwestern Ontario riding on an ATV vehicle with actress and singer Selena Gomez.

“Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez’s peaceful retreat in Stratford this weekend was unfortunately disrupted by the unwelcome presence of the paparazzi,” Brian Greenspan, Bieber’s Toronto lawyer, said Tuesday.

“This has regrettably resulted in charges of dangerous driving and assault. Mr. Bieber and Ms. Gomez have fully cooperated in the police investigation. We are hopeful that this matter will be quickly resolved.”

Bieber tweeted about an incident with paparazzi last week. “There should be laws against what I just experienced. We should have learned from the death of Princess Diana,” Bieber tweeted. He also tweeted: “I don’t have a problem with Paparazzi but when they act recklessly they put us all in danger.”

Earlier this month, Bieber pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of careless driving and resisting arrest seven months after his arrest in Miami Beach following what police initially called an illegal street drag race.

Bieber is also charged in Toronto with assaulting a limousine driver in late December. Police allege Bieber hit a limousine driver several times in the back of the head after he and five others were picked up by a limo in the early hours of Dec. 30.

His lawyers have said he is not guilty in that case.

Also in Miami, Bieber faces a lawsuit by a photographer who alleges he was roughed up while shooting pictures of the singer outside a recording studio.

Bieber rocketed to fame at age 15. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards for his 2010 full-length album debut “My World 2.0,” but sales of his latest records have fallen off. — AP