Photographer Struck By Justin Bieber Says He's 'Hanging In There'
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) —A photographer says "accidents happen" and that Justin Bieber is "a good kid" after the singer accidentally struck him with his pickup truck Wednesday night.
Beverly Hills police Sgt. Matthew Stout tells The Associated Press the 57-year-old photographer, identified by ET as Maurice Lamont, was hospitalized following the Wednesday night incident. He was reportedly trying to take pictures of Bieber and reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian.
The photographer hit by Justin Bieber gives a recovery update and says the singer is a "good kid." https://t.co/lQzJksRyda pic.twitter.com/p7Utyd3Qzo
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) July 27, 2017
Lamont posted an update on Instagram from his hospital bed to update friends and family on his recovery.
"OK. Shotgetter's hanging in there everybody. Hour before my birthday hits, I get ran over by Justin Bieber," Lamont says in the video.
The singer was leaving a celebrity-packed Bible study when the accident occurred.
Video shows Bieber getting into a large, lifted pickup truck with a crowd of photographers around him. As he pulls away, one of them steps toward the truck and is hit by the front wheel on the passenger side. Another clip shows Bieber kneeling beside the injured man asking him what he needs, saying loudly to the photographers surrounding them, "if you could just give us a little space, OK?"
At one point Bieber turns to paparazzi and sarcastically asks them if they're getting enough footage of the man lying on the ground, who was seen clutching his right leg. The man is eventually put on a stretcher and wheeled to an ambulance.
Photos show Bieber calmly standing by the man with his hands in his pockets and also talking with police.
Stout says Bieber "fully cooperated" with officers at the scene. He was not issued a citation, but Stout says police will continue to investigate and it's "too early to say" if the singer will face any legal ramifications.
Interest in Bieber has ratcheted up this week following the singer's announcement that he was canceling the remainder of his Purpose world tour earlier this week "due to unforeseen circumstances." Bieber hasn't explained the nature of those circumstances.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)