Justin Bieber Sued -- Photog Alleges Bodyguard Pulled a Gun in Memory Card Heist
Justin Bieber Sued Photog Alleges Bodyguard Pulled Gun in Camera Heist
A photographer who claims Justin Bieber directed his bodyguards to attack him and steal his memory card is now suing the singer and one of the bodyguards ... alleging the bodyguard threatened him with a gun during the incident.
As TMZ first reported, photog Jeffrey Binion filed a police report June 5, claiming Bieber's bodyguards attacked him while he tried to take pics of the Biebs outside Miami's Hit Factory recording studio.
Now Binion has filed suit against Bieber and bodyguard Hugo Hesny, claiming Bieber masterminded the attack. Binion says at Bieber's behest, Hesny threw him against a wall, grabbed him by the throat, and "displayed a gun" [holstered under his shirt] while he and the other bodyguards took the memory card from his camera.
Binion (who works as a professional photog and insists he's not a paparazzo) claims he suffered bodily injury, pain and suffering, mental anguish and incurred medical expenses.
Binion's lawyer, Russell S. Adler, tells TMZ, "Justin Bieber is now an adult, and he should act like one. He needs to learn that he cannot use bodyguards as weapons to harm innocent people. Bieber’s violent behavior toward photographers must end, and he should take responsibility for his actions."
He continues, "No amount of fame or fortune justifies Bieber’s shameful and outrageous conduct. To send him that message and deter his misbehavior in the future, we will seek punitive damages against him as allowed by Florida law."
Adler -- who has previously handled cases against Rosie O’Donnell, Paulina Rubio, and Jason Kidd -- claims Hesny is not licensed to work as a bodyguard in the state of Florida, nor does he have a concealed weapons carrying permit there.
Bieber and his bodyguards have recently been involved in four similar incidents -- three last week in Miami and one Saturday night in Hollywood.
A rep for Bieber had no comment.