One of the world's hottest pop stars is in the spotlight this weekend for all the wrong reasons. Justin Bieber, who is in Vancouver for a sold out Tuesday night concert, has wound up entangled in a police investigation.
Sources tell CTV's E-Talk that the 16-year-old was playing with other teens at Planet Lazer in Richmond Friday afternoon when the game got rowdy and Bieber allegedly slapped one of the other players.
The alleged victim is a 12-year-old boy whose father contacted police.
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Mounties confirm there was a scuffle at the facility but will not say whether Bieber was involved. They say the identities of both youngsters are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Cpl. Annie Linteau said it's too soon to speculate on the likelihood of charges, but said the victim's injuries were "minimal."
"He did not require medical attention at the time of the incident," she said.
The investigation is in its early stages but police are speaking to several potential witnesses as well as Planet Lazer staff.
Celebrity gossip blog ZackTaylor.ca cites an unnamed staff member who said "Justin did what any other person would do during a laser tag game, and was just trying to get away from getting shot at and accidentally hit the kid while running away."
The source said Bieber stayed in the facility's lobby after the incident to explain what happened.
Bieber, who has built his celebrity on a squeaky-clean image, released his first single little more than a year ago. Now, his "My World Tour" is selling out arenas.
He is slated to thrill fans at Vancouver's Rogers Arena on Tuesday.
Typically besieged by the screaming fans who proudly proclaim themselves "Beliebers", the Stratford, Ontario native has already had the police cancel one of his shows. In April, his concert at the Sydney Harbor was called off by police after eight girls were hospitalized in a stampede for the gates.
A feverish tweeter, Bieber follows more than 87,000 people on the popular social networking site. His Twitter account has, so far, been silent on the latest allegations.
