Officer Who Arrested Gibson Claims Harassment

First he was subjected to a lengthy anti-semitic tirade from a Tequila-fuelled Hollywood star on a California highway. Now the police officer who booked Mel Gibson in Tinsel Town’s most notorious drink-drive incident of the year says he is being hounded by his superiors for making the arrest in the first place.

Sheriff’s deputy James Mee alleges his home was raided by officials who believe he leaked details of Gibson’s expletive-laden rant to the media, and says he has been demoted from his job patrolling the streets of the popular celebrity hangout of Malibu.

"His life and career would be a lot different had he not made that arrest," said his lawyer, Richard Shinee.

Mr Mee’s employers, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, at first said Gibson’s arrest in July was "without incident". But the statement provoked accusations of a cover-up and special treatment for celebrities after the four-page arrest report appeared on an entertainment website.

Gibson was said to be belligerent during the arrest, demanding to know if Mr Mee was "a fucking Jew" and shouting "the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world". The director of The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto later apologised for his outburst, pleaded no contest to a drink-drive charge and was sentenced to three years’ probation.

After the arrest, Mr Mee was subjected to a four-hour interrogation from his superiors demanding to know if he was the source of the leak, Mr Shinee said. He said Mr Mee’s computer and phone records were seized and the officer was told he was being reassigned to a different town.

"Clearly, the focus of the investigation was the leak," Mr Shinee said. "My client has denied he gave the report to anyone."

Neal Tyler, division chief of the Lost Hills station, where Mr Mee works, denied the officer was being harassed. "I disagree that personnel in the department or at the station have been relating to him or supervising him in an unfair manner," he told the Los Angeles Times.