Everyone’s favourite tough guy, Justin Bieber, is being sued for assault and battery stemming from the May 2012 incident in which he hit a paparazzo in the face. Jose Osmin Hernandez Duran filed the suit after police decided not to pursue the matter and also makes claims in of “intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence” on Bieber’s part.
From E! Online:
The suit alleges that Bieber was having trouble maneuvering his Mercedes Sprinter van out of a parking space and had yelled, “F–k off! Get out of my way!” at those gathered around to watch him, when, “a few seconds later,” he leaped out of the van, sprinted toward Duran and “delievered a martial-arts type kick” to the plaintiff’s lower-left rib cage.
Bieber then punched Duran “hard” on the right side of his face, the complaint states, and pushed him back against a parked car, while Duran was saying, “‘Justin, you don’t have to do this,'” and holding up his hand in “a submissive gesture.”
The suit further states that Gomez got out of the van and told her then-boyfriend, “‘Justin, stop! They’re taking your picture!'” and an unidentified woman who had been watching the altercation unfold also encouraged Bieber to stop.
They got back in the van and sped off, Duran’s suit continues, but returned to the lot a few minutes later to look for Gomez’s cell phone.
The plaintiff claims in the suit that Gomez then said to him, ‘”I’m sorry, I don’t know why he did that.'”
I mean, I’m of two minds about this. Paparazzi are scum, yes… but Justin Bieber is also scum. Who’s higher on the scum scale? Also, celebrities have the tendency of getting off without punishment when they break the law or do asshole-ish shit – unless, of course, they’re black/hispanic/some other minority – so I think I’m with my man Jose, here, and I hope Baby Elvis has to pay up.
Haha….the socks