UPDATE: Did
Police Try to Hide Mel Gibson's Anti-Semitic Tirade?
By E&P Staff
Published: July 29,
2006 2:30 PM ET
NEW YORK Did police in Malibu, Ca., try to cover up an anti-Semitic
tirade, and other actions, by actor Mel Gibson after his arrest for drunk
driving on Friday? The fact of his arrest became public quickly enough but what
happened next only emerged on Saturday.
Then, on Sunday, the Los Angeles Times story about the case led with: "The
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's civilian oversight office said
Saturday that it will investigate whether authorities gave Mel Gibson
preferential treatment when he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and
tried to cover up alleged offensive comments and behavior by one of Hollywood's
most powerful figures." It noted Gibson's chummy relationship with the
department in the past.
The New York Daily News had opened its story Saturday with: "A blitzed Mel
Gibson launched into an obscenity-laced tirade when he was busted on suspicion
of drunken driving early yesterday, threatening an officer and making
anti-Semitic and sexually abusive remarks, according to a police report."
It seems that the full report was held back four pages of it were leaked to the
celebrity Web site tmz.com, which posted them. The Daily News claimed that a
mug shot of the actor has also been withheld under orders from the sheriff.
Gibson later apologized for his behavior and his words, admitting he had long
battled alcoholism.
Gibson had been pulled over by Deputy James Mee in the wee hours early Friday
for going 80 mph and then tested DUI.
The Daily News picks up the story: "According to the incident report
obtained by TMZ.com, the Road Warrior embarked on a belligerent, anti-Semitic
outburst when he realized he had been busted. 'F-----g Jews. The Jews are
responsible for all the wars in the world,' Mee's report quotes him as saying.
'Are you a Jew?' Gibson asked the deputy, according to the report.
"The actor also berated the deputy, threatening, 'You motherf----r. I'm going
to f--- you,' according to Mee's report. The actor also told the cop he 'owns
Malibu' and would spend all his money "to get even with me," Mee said
in his report.
"TMZ quoted a law enforcement source as saying Gibson noticed a female
sergeant on the scene and yelled at her, 'What do you think you're looking at,
sugar t--s?'
"Deputy Mee then wrote an eight-page report detailing of the incident, but
higher-ups in the sheriff's department felt it was too 'inflammatory' to
release and would merely serve to incite 'Jewish hatred,' TMZ said.
"Reached for comment on TMZ's report last night, Deputy Moore said the
department would neither deny nor confirm its content. He could offer no
explanation for why Mee's report was withheld from reporters."
Gibson's recent film, "ThePassion of Christ" was criticized by some
Jewish groups and his father has been accused of being a "Holocaust
denier."
The TMZ.com account goes into much greater detail by other belligerent actions
by Gibson during his arrest and then at the jail.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002914830
E&P Staff ([email protected])