The cop who caught Justin Timberlake driving while intoxicated last June just landed a major honor within his police department.
According to TMZ, rookie officer Michael Arkinson was named Officer of the Year by Sag Harbor Police Department Chief Rob Drake during a ceremony this week. Arkinson was celebrated for making “an immediate impact within the department and the community.”
Among the notable achievements Drake highlighted was Arkinson’s arrest of Timberlake last June after the singer left a restaurant in the Hamptons area.
At the time, the 10-time Grammy winner, who allegedly ran a stop sign and wouldn’t take a breathalyzer test, was kicking off his Forget Tomorrow Tour, though Arkinson didn’t seem to recognize him during the traffic stop.
One source told Page Six, “Justin said under his breath, ‘This is going to ruin the tour.’ The cop replied, ‘What tour?’ Justin said, ‘The world tour.'”
Though Timberlake claimed he wasn’t drunk during the arrest, the 44-year-old pop star was hit with a misdemeanor charge and agreed to pay up to $500 in fines while also having his license suspended. As part of his 25 hours of community service, the singer later created a PSA about the dangers of driving under the influence at a nonprofit.
“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” Timberlake warned in the video below. “There’s so many alternatives. Call a friend, take an Uber—there’s many travel apps. Still, take a taxi.”
“This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever’s watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake,” he added. “I know that I certainly have. And like I said, even one drink. Don’t get behind the wheel of a car.”
