Justin Bieber Cleared In Dave & Buster’s Alleged Cell Phone Snatching Case
Justin Bieber will not be charged in an alleged cell phone snatching incident, after he was accused of attempting to grab a male individual’s cell phone at a Dave & Buster’s eatery in Hollywood earlier this year.
The singer was accused of lunging at the male during his date with actress-singer, Selena Gomez, at a Dave & Buster’s in the Hollywood and Highland Center in L.A on August 25.
According to TMZ, following an investigation by the Hollywood division of the Los Angeles Police Department, the police will not be pressing charges against Bieber.
Law enforcement sources reportedly told the website, that after police reviewed Dave & Buster’s security camera footage and the video from the male accuser’s cell phone, they allegedly showed Justin lunged at the guy but no contact was made because bodyguards held him back.
The issue of provocation may also have been in play.
On the night of the alleged incident, NBC Los Angeles reporter Gadi Schwartz went to the Dave & Busters after initially relaying reports online. He arrived while Bieber was still at the eatery playing an arcade game.
After speaking to witnesses, Schwartz tweeted that one witness claimed the male accuser was “out of line.”
In a subsequent tweet — which Schwartz deleted for unknown reasons — he reported that a second witness claimed Bieber yelled at the accusers only after he was “taunted.”
Just went inside Dave and Busters… @justinbieber still inside playing skii ball… One witness says fan out of line pic.twitter.com/q8lAHIxhzN
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBCLA) August 26, 2014
As the Inquisitr previously reported, Bieber, Gomez, buddy Xavier “Lil Za” Smith and the singer’s bodyguards went to the arcade and sports eatery in August.
Los Angeles Police Department officers responded at around 9:30 pm to a report claiming someone in Bieber’s camp had possibly attempted to steal a man’s cellphone, after a man took photos and recorded footage of Bieber and Gomez.
After officers left the scene, an LAPD spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times, KTLA 5 News, ABC 7 Eyewitness News and other media: “There’s been no theft, no scuffle and no crime occurred.”
(Photo: Bieber and Gomez pictured on their date at Dave & Buster’s on the 6800 block of Hollywood Boulevard at the Hollywood and Highland Center on August 25. It opened to the public for the first time that night.)
Spokeswoman Officer Sara Faden added that a male accuser videoed the famous couple and Bieber’s security team had asked if they could see the video footage. It was reported the man refused Bieber’s bodyguards’ request, and it was then that the LAPD were called.
Bieber was subsequently investigated by the LAPD for alleged attempted theft, attempted robbery, and attempted battery, based on the claims of the male accuser and his female partner who were with their two-year-old toddler at Dave & Buster’s bizarrely late at night.
The LAPD’s formal investigation of Bieber is now over, after two videos reportedly showed the singer did not make contact with the male complainant, despite allegedly lunging.
It remains to be seen whether a civil action against Bieber arises. When the investigation launched in August, famed attorney Gloria Allred who represented the couple in the now closed case, previously told TMZ, “I think the video will speak for itself.”
As it turns out, the attorney was right.
