A security video that shows Justin Bieber riding a motorcycle behind his Ferrari on the day of an alleged speeding incident does not exonerate the singer, say Los Angeles Sheriff’s officials.
The 19-year-old is being investigated for alleged reckless driving after it was claimed he was behind the wheel of his sports car on the day in question.
The teen star’s legal team turned over a security video from the “Baby” singer’s Calabasas, California home to clear Bieber of accusations that he sped his white Ferrari through his gated neighborhood over Memorial Day weekend.
The security video footage was sourced from a camera installed at Bieber’s residence.
From the Los Angeles Times :
“Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials say the video shows the Ferrari in the driveway with another driver and Bieber getting off a motorcycle, then getting into the sports car and parking it. The video reveals nothing about the car’s drive around the neighborhood, authorities said.”
“Shortly after Bieber entered the garage, former USC and NFL star Keyshawn Johnson arrived to confront Bieber for allegedly speeding in local streets with children present.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said the security footage does not reveal what took place on the road outside the singer’s house .
Tyler, The Creator, a 22-year-old rapper, claimed he was driving Bieber’s Ferrari in a statement posted to his Twitter account on June 1 , but an eyewitness claims to have seen Bieber in the driver’s seat while speeding.
The district attorney’s office will make the decision on whether to file a reckless driving charge against the pop star, Whitmore said.
So what do we actually have here?
Previous citations against Bieber notably include being stopped for speeding on July 6, 2012, on the 101 Freeway in San Fernando Valley after he was pursued by paparazzi. On November 14, 2012, the singer was pulled over while driving his white Ferrari in West Hollywood. L.A. police cited him for making an unsafe left turn and an expired registration .
Despite this context, in the present alleged reckless driving case, the following is noted:
1: As IQ previously reported, the crucial questions in this case are at what point in the journey the witnesses[s] claim they saw Bieber behind the wheel, and how clearly — given the “up to 100 mph” speed it’s claimed the Ferrari was traveling at.
2: Given that Johnson himself previously dismissed the idea that Bieber switched seats with Tyler [Gregory Okonma] in the driveway, why is it now likely that the Canadian switched transports with Okonma at some point in the journey to his house?
In an exclusive area like Calabasas it’s likely most, if not all, the residences will have security cameras installed. If such a switch took place, time will tell if one of the cameras along the Ferrari’s route filmed it.
3: Okonma has stated that he was behind the wheel of the Ferrari in what is now a highly scrutinized case. Officials will have to decide if it seems probable that he would falsely admit to a liability that will likely incur the full weight of the law being brought against him.
4: Stating that the security video doesn’t reveal the whole of the Ferrari’s journey is not evidence that the car was driven by Bieber, but an observation that the footage is localized and limited.
5: The onus of proving that Bieber got out of the driver’s seat of his Ferrari then rode his motorcycle onto his driveway, lies with L.A. police authorities .
The D.A’s office will make a decision after weighing the concerns of Calabasas’ residents — who have expressed numerous complaints about the teen singer’s driving in the community and his friends who use his cars — witness statements, Bieber’s denial that he was driving his Ferrari, and Okonma’s public declaration that he was.
At this point, it’s vital that authorities not only judge this case fairly, but are seen to be judging it fairly.That means proving the reckless driving allegations beyond reasonable doubt based on the facts, and nothing but the facts.