LAT: Sheriff's Office Debated Gibson's Arrest Report

[question everything]

From the Los Angeles Times

Sheriff's Office Debated Gibson's Arrest Report

Officials locked away deputy's account of the actor's alleged threats and anti-Semitic rants.
By Richard Winton, Andrew Blankstein and Megan Garvey
Times Staff Writers

August 1, 2006

A handwritten account by the sheriff's deputy who arrested Mel Gibson triggered a lengthy debate among department officials Friday over how much should be released about the actor's allegedly profane and anti-Jewish comments, sources close to the investigation said Monday.

The officials ultimately decided to place a portion of Deputy James Mee's report under lock and key in an effort to prevent immediate public disclosure, the sources said. They declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case.

(snip)

The Sheriff's Department may face repercussions as well. Two members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Monday questioned whether Gibson was given special treatment... Concerns about how the arrest was handled have been heightened by Gibson's ties to the department. He has met with (Sheriff) Baca at least twice in recent years and donated $10,000 to the stepdaughter of a slain deputy through a charity Baca created.

(snip)

For his part, Baca has insisted that Gibson's behavior — which the actor himself called "despicable" in an apology issued over the weekend — has no bearing on the criminal drunk driving charges that he faces. Baca said his department's job was "to establish his blood-alcohol level when he was driving and proceed with the case." Baca's statement raised eyebrows among some in the L.A. legal system, who said suspects are often charged with crimes they committed during drunk driving arrests.

(snip)


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gibson1aug01,1,3037655.story?coll=la-headlines-california