An Island Def Jam Records exec was arrested this weekend in connection to Canadian pop singer 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.
“We feel Mr. Roppo is … being singled out. He had nothing to do with the injuries that occurred. Mr. Roppo has absolutely zero liability,” Roppo’s attorney Scott Leemon said in a statement.
“The Roosevelt Field Mall and the Nassau County Police Department were unprepared and had a complete lack of control at yesterday’s event and it is incomprehensible that they will not take responsibility.”
Roppo is scheduled to return to court Dec. 9.
Although Roppo refused to take to his Twitter account, Bieber sent out a number of tweets alerting fans his appearance had been canceled.
“they are not allowing me to come into the mall. if you dont leave I and my fans will be arrested as the police just told us,” Bieber wrote. He added, “the event at roosevelt mall is cancelled. please go home. the police have already arrested one person from my camp. I dont want anyone hurt”
The next day the singer tweeted, “Last 24 hours have been crazy. I am working with my team to come up with a way to make it up to those fans who i didnt get 2 see yesterday”
Bieber has a number of holiday radio shows lined up including “107.9 The End Jingle Ball” at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, Calif. (Dec. 1), “WIOQ Q102 Jingle Ball” at Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, N.J. (Dec. 9) and “B96 Jingle Bash” at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. (Dec. 12).
Click here for the AP article.
Click here for the New York Post article.
Click here for the Newsday article.
Click here for Bieber’s Twitter page.
Click here for Bieber's website.