Michael Jackson and the False Allegations of Police Brutality
Jul 2, 2021
My first real glimpse into Michael Jackson's enigmatic world came through the 2003 Martin Bashir documentary, "Living with Michael Jackson." Prior to that, I had minimal knowledge of the man himself, let alone his habit of sharing a bed with young boys or the substantial multi-million dollar settlement in 1994.
While the Martin Bashir documentary captured widespread attention, particularly with Jackson's own admission of sharing his bed with unrelated boys and the incident of dangling his youngest child from a German hotel balcony, it became apparent that Jackson was also a compulsive liar who endeavoured to manipulate people into believing things that simply were not true. This included his dramatic physical transformation, which he attributed to just two nose jobs and puberty, as well as his assertions that Prince, Paris, and Blanket were biologically his.
Rather than embracing openness and honesty and acknowledging his missteps, Michael Jackson and his PR team swiftly vilified Martin Bashir as public enemy number one and released a rebuttal documentary that aimed to "prove" it was Martin who manipulated the footage to portray Michael in a negative light, rather than the other way around.
Following these events, Jackson faced accusations of child molestation for the third time, this time by cancer survivor Gavin Arvizo, who appeared alongside him in the documentary.
With changes in California law, Jackson no longer had the option to offer an out-of-court settlement to silence his accuser, similar to what he did a decade earlier with Jordan Chandler. This time, he had to face the music and was arrested and charged with child molestation. Cameras rolled as Jackson arrived from Vegas on a private jet and was met by the Santa Barbara sheriffs, who then escorted him by car to the Santa Barbara Police Department for processing and release on bail. The proceedings unfolded without grandeur as Jackson arrived and departed with minimal fanfare.
After his arrest on November 20, 2003, Jackson appeared on the 60-minute program hosted by Ed Bradley in a Los Angeles hotel room on Christmas Day. Described as "60 Minutes': Not Jacko’s Finest Hour" by the Washington Post, Jackson proceeded to claim that the police not only locked him in a bathroom covered in faeces for 45 minutes and taunted him by asking how it smelled in there, but also mishandled him to the extent that they caused severe bruising above his wrist through the improper use of handcuffs and physically dislocated his shoulder. Jackson asserted that he was in excruciating pain and struggled to continue with the interview.
These claims were made by Jackson, despite being filmed leaving police custody appearing cheerful and using both his hands to wave to nearby fans. Additionally, there were no reports of Jackson needing medical treatment from anyone within the Jackson camp, including his then lawyer, Mark Geragos, who was present during Jackson's booking and processing. Jackson returned to the airport and flew straight back to Vegas.
The Santa Barbara Police Department responded with rightful outrage to Jackson's claims and initiated a thorough investigation to ensure that none of their officers had acted inappropriately.
For direct quotes from the police document, the full document can be accessed at: Google Drive
The transcript of the Ed Bradley interview can be found at: CBS News
The original video of the interview is available at: YouTube
Before we proceed to the document itself, let's pause to review the symptoms of a dislocated shoulder. The subsequent quotes are sourced from medlineplus.gov:
It is conclusive to state that a dislocated shoulder is an extremely serious and painful injury that can result in damage to blood vessels and nerves. This injury does not manifest itself over a number of days or weeks but is both physically and visibly present from the moment the shoulder is dislocated from its joint.
The document below, released on 12 August 2004 by the sheriff’s department, includes direct quotes highlighted with a grey background, along with accompanying notes in normal text provided by me.
[Points and Authorities]
On December 25, 2003, CBS aired an interview with Defendant Michael Jackson on its "60 Minutes" television show. During the interview, Mr. Jackson claimed he was "manhandled" by sheriff's personnel during his November 20, 2003, arrest and booking at the Santa Barbara Jail. He claimed as a result his shoulder was "dislocated" and further that he was handcuffed In such a way by Sheriff's deputies, "knowing that it's going to hurt."
The following excerpt is taken directly from the "60 Minutes" interview conducted by CBS' Ed Bradley.
ED BRADLEY: What happened when they arrested you? What did they do to you?
MICHAEL JACKSON: They were supposed to go in, and just check fingerprints, and do the whole thing that they do when they take somebody in. They manhandled me very roughly. My shoulder is dislocated, literally. It's hurting me very badly. I'm in pain all the time. This is, see this arm? This is as far as I can reach it. Same with this side over here.
ED BRADLEY: Because of what happened at the police station?
MICHAEL JACKSON: Yeah. Yeah. At the police station. And what they did to me — if you — if you saw what they did to my arms - it was very bad what they did. It's very swollen. I don't wanna say. You'll see. You'll see.
We were given a photograph said to be taken after Michael Jackson was released on bail, Jackson says the swelling above his wrist is where the police handcuffed him.
ED BRADLEY: How did they do it? I mean, what, physically, what did they do?
MICHAEL JACKSON: With the handcuffs, the way they tied 'em too tight behind my back —
ED BRADLEY: Behind your back?
MICHAEL JACKSON: Yeah. And putting it, they put it in a certain position, knowing that It's going to hurt, and affect my back. Now I can't move. I — I — it keeps me from sleeping at night. I can't sleep at night.
The Sheriff's Department denied the allegations. However, because of the seriousness of the allegations and the possibility of a civil claim for damages against the Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Jim Anderson on January 8, 2004, requested that the California Bureau of Investigation [CBI], under the jurisdiction of the California Attorney General, conduct an investigation into those allegations.
That investigation is now complete. CBI conducted an extensive investigation over a number of months. Ten Special Agents and two Special Agent Supervisors were assigned to the investigation. Over 2500 hours were spent on the investigation. One hundred and sixty three [163] witnesses were interviewed, including jail inmates, sheriff's personnel, persons who observed Mr. Jackson immediately after his booking, during his flight to Las Vegas, and at his Las Vegas hotel, and Mr. Jackson's security staff, among others. After its exhaustive investigation, CBI concluded, "... this investigation did not uncover verifiable information that Mr. Jackson was injured at the hands of the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Department personnel and no criminal misconduct on the part of the Sheriff's personnel was identified." [emphasis added]
Mr. Jackson maligned the Sheriff's Department and falsely charged its personnel with mistreatment on national television. The charges were outrageous, offensive and unfounded. The exposure to a civil lawsuit with potentally significant civil damages was present and the Sheriff and the County took those claims very seriously. Given the favorable outcome of the CBI investigation, the Sheriff believes it is critically important that he be permitted to release the Attorney General's conclusions and to comment on the matter. However, there are concerns that such a release and comment may violate the existing protective order issued by this court in People v. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson made a claim of mistreatment and abuse by the Sheriff's Department and its employees. He questioned the integrity of the department. His claims were thoroughly Investigated by the Attorney General's Office. The Sheriff's Department and its employees were exonerated. The public, through the media and by statements from the Attorney General, has been made aware of the investigation and are expecting some conclusion to that process. The Sheriff has a significant interest in letting the citizens of Santa Barbara County know the outcome of the investigation. He needs to be able to say — once again — 'we did nothing wrong" and the Attorney General's investigation confirms that. The Sheriff believes it is necessary for the citizens of Santa Barbara County, and other interested citizens, to know neither his department, nor its employees, acted as Mr. Jackson falsely portrayed to a national audience on "60 Minutes." To allow a contrary impression is just not right.
Any comments about the Attorney General's investigation and Mr. Jackson's claims are at best tangentially related to the pending criminal matter, and they in no way relate to the criminal charges brought against Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson made these false claims, and he should not be permitted to hide behind the protective order to prevent the release of this critically important and exonerating information.
The Sheriff, of necessity, believes he must be cautious about any comments regarding Mr. Jackson and he does not want to violate the court's protective order. The Sheriff therefore makes this request in order to avoid any charge of violation of the court order and seeks the court's authorization to release the Attorney General's conclusions and that he be permitted to provide the media with the attached press release.
Dated August 12, 2004.
In summary, the Californian Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a comprehensive investigation involving 10 special agents and two Special Agent supervisors, dedicating over 2500 hours to probe Jackson’s claims and interviewing 163 witnesses. These witnesses included:
"Members of the Santa Barbara County sheriffs Department, inmates present at the Santa Barbara County Jail on November 20, 2003, Santa Barbara airport police, Santa Barbara police, civilian Santa Barbara airport employees, Mr Jackson's charter plane personnel, his security personnel, hotel personnel, his chiropractor, and others. Despite several attempts to obtain a statement from Mr Jackson and/or other names of potential witnesses through Mr Jackson's attorneys, these efforts were not successful."
Of the 163 witnesses, including members of Jackson’s inner circle, none reported seeing Jackson being mistreated, nor did any of them report Jackson needing medical care for an injured shoulder. Despite multiple attempts, Jackson did not make an official statement about being mistreated by the police, and his legal team could not produce any witnesses to substantiate his claims.
"Statements from the officers transporting Mr Jackson from the airport to the jail, and the review of audio recordings made in the transportation vehicle, show that Mr Jackson initially complained of discomfort from his handcuffs after he was seated in the vehicle. In response, transporting officer had Mr Jackson adjust his seating position which relieved his discomfort. During the transportation to the jail, Mr Jackson was frequently asked about his comfort and he expressed no additional complaints. Driving time from the airport to the jail is approximately 10 minutes."
And:
"Members of Mr Jackson's security staff who were present when he was handcuffed by Santa Barbara Sheriff Department staff upon his surrender and arrest on November 20, did not observe any abuse or mistreatment by sheriff personnel. In fact, they stated the process was handled professionally."
Audio equipment was installed within the police vehicle, and while Jackson made a minor complaint of discomfort caused by the handcuffs, this was addressed by readjusting his sitting position. Throughout the 10-minute journey, he was regularly asked if he was comfortable, to which he expressed no discomfort. Additionally, members of his own security staff, present at the aircraft hangar and the police station, reported observing Jackson being treated with professionalism throughout.
Moreover:
"All witnesses who observed Mr Jackson immediately after booking, during his return flight to the Las Vegas area, and his Las Vegas hotel, did not report any complaints of pain or mistreatment from Mr Jackson, nor did they note any outward displays of discomfort during their observation of him. There is no record of medical assistance being summoned to treat Mr Jackson after his return to Las Vegas, following the booking process in Santa Barbara."
Once again to recap: Even after leaving the Santa Barbara Police Department and returning to his Las Vegas hotel, no one witnessed Jackson in pain or discomfort, and no medical assistance was required.
Michael Jackson did eventually complain of pain, not hours or days later, but approximately three weeks later on December 7, 2003. Perhaps in preparation for his worldwide audience, he informed his make-up and hair stylist that the pain he was experiencing was the result of the handcuffing in Santa Barbara.
"Mr Jackson first complaint of pain was reported to his personal make-up and hair stylist on December 7, 2003. He explained that the pain was a result of the handcuffing in Santa Barbara."
It wasn’t until two days after the Ed Bradley interview, and nearly 6 weeks after allegedly having his shoulder dislocated by the police that he sought treatment.
"Mr Jackson sought medical treatment on December 27, 2003. The attending chiropractor, stated Mr Jackson came to his office for evaluation and treatment of severe shoulder, chest, neck and upper back pain that he alleged occurred after he was handcuffed by police when they lifted his arms up behind his back. The chiropractors stated that Mr Jackson's injuries were consistent with the reported cause. He further commented that due to Mr Jackson's frailness, the application of immediate force could have caused the injuries he observed. Mr Jackson was advised his shoulders were not dislocated as he thought, and after physical therapy and treatment his condition improved. Mr Jackson's allegations made to his chiropractor as to the cause of his injuries are not supported by evidence received from eyewitnesses, observations and audio/video recordings of the event. Witnesses reported that Mr Jackson had normal use of his arms immediately after booking, as demonstrated by waving, and later in the day by lifting his children and shaking hands through his vehicle window with numerous fans in Las Vegas."
While the chiropractor does acknowledge the possibility of Jackson's shoulders being injured due to handcuffing, especially given his frail nature, he confirms that neither of Jackson's shoulders were dislocated. The police emphasize that Jackson's account to his chiropractor did not align with a serious shoulder injury, as he demonstrated the ability to use both arms without any sign of pain or discomfort.
Furthermore, Court TV reported on Michael Jackson’s allegations, documenting the extensive nature of the CBI’s investigation and how it completely vindicated those who were accused.
Watch the video below.
If a comprehensive investigation that included interviews with 163 witnesses, including members of Jackson's staff, all of whom stated that he was never mistreated or injured by the police, is not sufficient, then video evidence can conclusively prove that Michael Jackson was indeed a false accuser.
For those familiar with the documentary “The Real Michael Jackson” by Jacques Peretti, released in early 2020, it was disclosed that Jackson did not pay for the private aircraft that transported him from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara; instead, it was facilitated by Kevin Smith’s Splash News from the UK.
Not surprisingly, Jackson consistently drew significant media attention. We get virtually unrestricted footage of Jackson boarding the plane in Vegas and entering the hangar in Santa Barbara, where he was greeted with handshakes by officers, with no signs of any hostility or forceful tactics.
Furthermore, Jackson’s then-lawyer, Mark Geragos, verified that the entire incident was captured on video by the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department.
He proceeded to state:
"We had negotiated with the DA to have him surrender, and what that meant was, instead of somebody coming out and grabbing and arresting him we would go directly to them and meet them, which we did in a hangar outside of Santa Barbara. We then gave Michael over to the sheriff deputies. They filmed the entire thing which I generally don't see with any other clients. So, they filmed it just in case there were any kind of accusations made later. [Jackson] went into a holding cell, and was booked and fingerprinted, just like everybody else, and then immediately we had arranged for bail. I think if my memory serves me, it was something outrageous like 3 million bucks. We posted the bail [...] and then he was taken out of their almost immediately."
Watch the video below.
Next, we witness Michael Jackson emerging from the police vehicle with his hands cuffed behind his back. Throughout this process, he does not express any complaints to the observing media about being in pain or discomfort. In fact, he purposefully adjusts his arms backward to ensure that the cameras capture a clear image.
Watch the video below.
However, the most revealing evidence is witnessed as Jackson exits the police station with his lawyer through the back door. During this time, he exhibits the use of both arms, waves to nearby fans, and even flashes the V signal before boarding the vehicle that would transport him directly back to the Santa Barbara airport and subsequently to Las Vegas.
Watch the video below.
Next, we observe Jackson's return to Las Vegas, where his vehicle momentarily encounters traffic and is approached by a small group of fans, all of whom receive handshakes from him.
Watch the video below.
In addition, on January 18, 2004, Jackson made his initial court appearance, entering a plea of not guilty to seven felony counts of child molestation. Despite previously expressing severe pain and being unable to use his arms just weeks earlier during the Ed Bradley interview, Jackson managed to ascend to the roof of his SUV, clapped his hands, stomped his feet, and blew kisses to his fans and the attentive TV cameras.
Watch the video below.
Michael Jackson's history of dishonesty on television is well-documented. For instance, during the 1995 Diane Sawyer interview, he falsely asserted that he did not possess any books or images containing nude depictions of children, and claimed that his genitalia had a consistent colour without any markings, despite law enforcement clearly indicating otherwise.
The Ed Bradley interview presented an ideal opportunity for Michael Jackson to be forthright and transparent about his behaviour, a chance to acknowledge, at the very least, that it was highly inappropriate. Instead, on Christmas morning in 2003, Jackson convened in a hotel room with his lawyer, a make-up artist, and a security entourage, and instead of coming clean in front of the TV camera, he told a series of blatant lies in an attempt to sway a global audience into believing that he was a victim of police brutality.
In this interview, where Jackson denied being Jack the Ripper or a paedophile, he not only spouted multiple falsehoods but also delivered an Oscar-worthy performance feigning excruciating pain.
Ironically, the most striking aspect of the interview is Jackson's then-lawyer, Mark Geragos, who, as the video evidence shows, accompanied Jackson on the plane from Vegas and was by his side throughout the police station ordeal. Despite Jackson making these allegations directly in front of him, Geragos remained completely silent and took no action to corroborate his client's claims of mistreatment or being confined in a bathroom covered in faeces by the police.
Following Jackson's blatant false allegations, Mark Geragos delivers a passionate speech to Ed Bradley, staunchly defending the innocence and virtue of his client, seeming oblivious to the unfounded claims made.
Additionally, during his pro-Jackson appearances, Mark Geragos appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show in 2019 to discuss Leaving Neverland. The host, after thorough investigation, appears visibly disgusted by the "lies" she had unearthed about Wade Robson.
Subsequently, Mark Geragos states:
"That documentary maker should be ashamed of himself […] it was completely sanitised, it was a complete rewrite of history. You know that's […] I hate to say that that's emblematic but it certainly seems to be emblematic of what's happening in America right now, and what people on the right like to call mainstream media, but it's really kind of abhorrent as to what's happening with journalism and so-called journalism and the docu-journalism."
Watch the video below.
Isn't it ironic that despite the very angry host's apparent disdain for liars, Mark Geragos, instead of setting the record straight and enlightening her about Michael Jackson's questionable behaviour, simply nods along and asserts that Dan Reed should be ashamed of himself.
Mark Geragos would eventually resign as Jackson's lawyer in spring 2004, citing official reasons related to his involvement in the Scott Peterson case, which ultimately led to a guilty murder verdict.