Justin Bieber finds life tough in the fast lane in Miami
Singer's clean-cut image takes another beating in Miami burnout
When he debuted five years ago, Justin Bieber was a mop-haired heartthrob, clean cut and charming. But a series of troubling incidents have put his innocent image at risk, none more so than his arrest on a slew of charges related to drunken drag racing in a rented Lamborghini.
On Thursday, Bieber was released on a US$2,500 bond by a court in the US state of Florida.
After being pulled over on a main Miami Beach street, the 19-year-old Canadian initially resisted arrest, cursed at police officers and later told them he had consumed alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.
What the f*** did I do? Why did you stop me?
Then, changing his demeanour, he grew co-operative and even smiled for his mug shot, coiffed hair perfectly in place.
Dressed in a red prison suit, a silent Bieber heard the charges via video link: driving under the influence, resisting arrest without violence and driving on an expired Georgia licence.
If convicted, he could face up to six months' jail, but experts say he will likely get off with a lighter sentence for his first offence.
Police say they arrested a bleary-eyed Bieber after officers saw him drag-racing before dawn on a palm-lined residential street, his yellow Lamborghini travelling at nearly twice the speed limit.
He was arrested with R&B singer Khalil Amir Sharieff after they were seen racing two rented luxury cars, with two other vehicles apparently being used to block off the area.
According to the arrest report, Bieber appeared to be in a stupor when the officer ordered him to get out of the car.
Bieber was arrested after repeatedly refusing to put his hands on his vehicle so the officer could pat him down to look for weapons.
The report says he swore several times at the officer and demanded to know why he was being arrested. At one point, Bieber asked an officer: "What the f*** did I do. Why did you stop me?"
Bieber failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the Miami Beach police station for a breathalyser examination.
He reportedly had a big night at a Miami strip club earlier in the week, when the King of Diamonds club tweeted that Bieber ordered US$75,000 in dollar bills, although the club's operator later acknowledged that was an exaggeration.
Bieber, from Ontario, was only 15 when his platinum-selling debut was released.
He was positioned as clean-cut and charming - even singing for President Barack Obama and his family at Christmas - but problems began to multiply as he got older.
Bieber has been accused of wrongdoing in California but has never before been arrested or charged.
He is under investigation after a neighbour reported the pop star threw eggs at his house and caused thousands of dollars of damage.
