The young police officer who unknowingly stopped pop star Justin Timberlake for suspected drunk driving earlier this week has been named. According to a prisoner report from Sag Harbor, NY, obtained by the Daily Mail on Saturday, the officer is identified as Michael Arkinson, aged 23. Described as an "over-aggressive" rookie by a Long Island native who had been stopped by him before, the incident has sparked discussions about policing tactics in Sag Harbor.
The person, identified only as Spencer in the story, said, “I think Justin Timberlake was a victim of over-aggressive Sag Harbor police.”
Spencer stated that Arkinson, who is said to be turning 24 this month, had previously stopped him for making a U-turn when no other vehicles were present. However, Arkinson reportedly let him off with a warning during the off-season when there was minimal traffic. Spencer described the incident as unnecessary. "I felt like he pulled me over just for the sake of doing it," he said.
Spencer claimed another encounter with Arkinson occurred when he was pulled over for talking on his cell phone, which he asserted was on speaker at the time. Despite driving at a speed below 25 mph and attempting to reach the Y in East Hampton, Spencer expressed disappointment at receiving a $145 ticket.
Residents of Long Island's upscale Hamptons communities have allegedly given Michael Arkinson nicknames like "the Sag Harbor Nazi" and "little red-headed dips–t." Arkinson, originally from the area, attended South Hampton High School and later played lacrosse at Roger Williams University.
According to reports, Arkinson was promoted to a full-time officer in Sag Harbor this March after completing his training at the police academy in 2022.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Arkinson was unaware of the identity of the 43-year-old Grammy-winning star during their interaction.
According to a source, Justin Timberlake quietly remarked, "This is going to ruin the tour," to which the officer responded with confusion, asking, "What tour?" Timberlake clarified, "The world tour."
Timberlake was booked at the Sag Harbor Police Department shortly after midnight on Tuesday after allegedly driving through a stop sign and swerving. He faced charges of driving while intoxicated, as well as citations for disregarding a stop sign and failing to maintain lane discipline.
The "Mirrors" singer was seen leaving court on Tuesday morning wearing sunglasses and a black baseball cap.
Despite concerns about his tour being affected by his DWI arrest, NSYNC member Justin Timberlake returned to the stage Friday night in Chicago as part of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour.
Addressing the audience of supportive fans, the singer briefly acknowledged his recent arrest, saying, "It's been a tough week." He ended on a heartfelt note, expressing gratitude to his fans: "I know I’m hard to love sometimes but you keep loving me right back.”
