Photo of large crowds at Roosevelt Field Mall for Justin Bieber
An Island Def Jam Records exec was arrested this weekend in connection to Justin Bieber’s in-store appearance at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, N.Y. His crime? He refused to send out a Twitter message about the event.
Bieber’s fans turned up in droves for the 15-year-old star’s Friday appearance at Justice clothing store. He had planned on signing copies of his debut album, My World, which was released Nov. 17. The Associated Press reported the crowd of young girls numbered nearly 3,000 and that numerous fans and their parents had camped out before dawn for the singer’s 4 p.m. appearance. According to the New York Post, the crowd was three times larger than organizers expected.
Two hours before Bieber was scheduled to show, the crowd turned rowdy as fans began pushing and shoving one another. Five people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. A police officer trying to control the crowd also suffered a minor injury, according to Newsday.
“People started screaming, ‘Justin!’ And they ran forward and the ropes collapsed,” said 13-year-old Aimee Macchi, who said she was knocked to the floor. “Everyone was pushing. There was no room to breathe.”
Police then tried shutting down the event and moving the mob of girls out of the mall.
The Post described the scene as a “near riot,” explaining that it took police two hours to restore order. Many fans refused to clear the area in hopes that Bieber was still going to make his appearance.
And that’s where James Roppo, the senior vice president of sales at Island Def Jam Records, and his Twitter message – or lack of Twitter message – comes in.
“We asked for his help in getting the crowd to go away by sending out a Twitter message,” said Nassau County Police Det. Lt. Kevin Smith. “By not cooperating with us, we feel he put lives in danger and the public at risk.”
Because he refused to cooperate with police and send out a 140-character message, Roppo was arrested.
Roppo was charged with a number of misdemeanors, including endangering the welfare of children, obstructing governmental administration, reckless endangerment and criminal nuisance, according to Newsday.
On Saturday Roppo pleaded not guilty to felony assault charges.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Justin Bieber fans are craazy! haha.
Well.. I absolutely love him.. but I wouldn’t
go that crazy. I just would act normal around
him? No reason to get psycho(: lol. I get to see
him at the Jingle Bash:D I’m so psyched! BUUT,
if only I had back stage passes for meet and greets
with him.. would make me even happier. I always
try to win them.. but it never works:/
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I love Justin and his fans are so supportive of him it’s crazy. It was not his fault that the crowd got out of control which is why I don’t understand why anyone was arrested. They put out a warrant for Scoot Braun’s arrest, when he is the one who left with Justin and his mother. The mall and the police should have set up better security for the event.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Wow. =O ppl r CRAZY!! Every1 there wuz absolutly starrstuk by JB!! But I can’t bleve tht guy wuz arestd cuz he didnt send a friggin twitter message!!! thts f**in crazy. ALL B CUZ OF JUSTIN BEIBER!! I luv him sooo much and it amazes me how supportive his fans r. its stupid tho y evry1 gets so psycho, act normal around him hes a persn 2. im goin 2 da jingle bash and hopfully there won’t b a riot wen he wlks on…maybe a mosh pit in front of da stage tho
November 25th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
justin i luv u thank god u werent arrested i would be crying<3
November 25th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
hi, uhhm., i love justin biebeer!<3 i will see him at jingle bash, willl he still be there even though he brokee his foot?
November 25th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Yea he’ll b there still THANK GOD!! he is too hot not 2 b there I wuld cry and give my tickets away if he wuznt there
November 28th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
I LOOOOVEEE JUSTIN!!!! IM TRYING TO WIN FRONT ROW TICKETS FOR THE JINGLE BASH. MY PARNETS ARE FINALLY LETTING ME GOOO!!!!!!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(:-)~~~>~~~<
December 5th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Omq i was there at the riOt
& they tried Arrestinq him whiCh ii was abOut tO qO nutss
they had him & his mother in handcuffs im Likee dudeee wtff
i Still lOvee justinn anywayss