OPP busts Bieber over ATV collision

(Updated) One of the most influential stars on the planet is facing new charges tonight after an altercation near his home town of Stratford.

Justin Bieber and his girlfriend Selena Gomez were near Stratford visiting his family over the weekend. There have been photos posted on some celebrity websites of the two of them riding around on an ATV.

According to Perth County OPP, Bieber was driving the ATV dangerously on Friday afternoon when he collided with a Dodge minivan, then got into a fight with one of the occupants.

A black SUV with tinted windows pulled quickly out of Bieber’s father’s home, on a country road north of Shakespeare, Ontario, and northeast of Stratford. Several OPP cruisers were guarding the drive, after the homeowners complained about people approaching the door. It was on that road that OPP were called at about 3 pm Friday, to investigate a collision between an ATV and a van.

Perth OPP Constable Kees Wijnans: “It appeared one of the occupants of the van and the operator of the ATV exchanged words, and there was an altercation that took place. As a result of that we ended up arresting Justin Bieber for the offences committed.”

Monday, Bieber turned himself in and was charged with dangerous driving and assault.

Bieber was tweeting pictures of his family activities over the weekend, and in a statement his lawyer says the pop star and Gomez were enjoying a peaceful retreat when “the weekend was unfortunately disrupted by the unwelcome presence of paparazzi.”

Police would not confirm the occupations of the two people in the van. Two people were also on the ATV. “No issues with us whatsoever, he was polite and spoke to our officers and there were no issues.”

Bieber was released with a promise to appear in court September 29th. It is the latest in a string of arrests, including an assault charge in Toronto in January, a vandalism charge related to eggs thrown at a neighbour’s house, and a street racing incident he resolved last month by pleading to lesser charges.

Bieber and his family are well-known in the Stratford area where he grew up, but until now he’s never been arrested there. But constable Wijnans told CHCH News he did happen to pull Bieber over during a RIDE program once several years ago — he recognized bieber right away — and told him he wasn’t old enough to drink.

Bieber is now 20 years old.

Additional video: News Now coverage of OPP scrum on arrest: