"I thought I could accept being imprisoned for two days without a phone call for over fourteen hours. I thought I could accept the innuendo of those who don't know me and believed I was just some spoiled, drunken rock star. I thought I could accept watching my daughter-in-law, through a crack in the prison door, as tears streamed down her face because she was unlawfully jailed and separated from her two months old son. I thought I could accept the deep depression my wife, the woman I love without measure and who shares my soul, struggled through for months, fearing for her husband and son ... what was I thinking?
"Out like a lamb. All of that for nothing. All because of the bitterness of a few Ritz Carlton hotel employees on the most festive night of the year and their incredibly discourteous, arrogant and aggressive behavior of which I had never experienced in thirty years of travel. All because of three confrontational, intimidating, enraged deputies who wouldn't even consider dialogue, who were so quick to reach for their Tasers and handcuffs when no crime was committed. All because of a prosecutors' office blind to the reality of instances of excessive force by police and the horrendous destruction of innocent lives forever changed...what were they thinking?
"In like a lion. The legal action we are embarking on now will hopefully bring attention to the fact that people cannot and should not be treated this way. I was fortunate to have the resources and will to fight to the end, but there are many who don't and they will forever suffer from the forced compromise of an unfair plea bargain or the threat of sentencing guidelines that demand imprisonment, that hang over one's head like the sword of Damocles. If some good is to come of this, then let it be that the actions of a tiny minority of aggressive, Taser wielding police officers don't tarnish the reputation of the vast majority of officers who proudly serve their communities with honor and sacrifice. I sincerely believe they deserve our utmost respect, but respect is something that must be earned and not demanded with a closed fist or an electrifying weapon ... that's what I'm thinking."
Strong words.
Article comments
1 - peter wright
Way to go, Alex. This guy is speaking the truth.
2 - Eric Olsen
his version of it anyway, which appears to be ending up closer to "the truth" than the other side's
3 - Patti
I've been following this case since the beginning, and while I was quite willing to give the police the benefit of the doubt in the beginning, as it went through the courts and was gutted, it became apparent the the Zivojinovichs were subjected to pointless, mindless violence because the officers were in the mood for a fight. The police have equivocated time and time again, and that was proven quite nicely when the prosecution put only one of the three officers involved on the stand. Why? Because their statements conflicted, adand poking holes in the case was already so easy.
Tell me, if Alex had actually pushed a cop down the stairs, would they really have let him off with no conviction? Would the judge have reduced Justin's charge to resisting arrest without violence, implying in his statement that even that charge might not even be justified? Would another judge have thrown out Michelle's case entirely, calling her arrest illegal? Would the only unbiased witness in the stairwell call their treatment 'extreme brutality'?
By the way, Alex is no spoiled rock star. he has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada, the Canadian equivalent of knighthood, for charity work. he has raised literally millions for various charities, including AIDS hospices, Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, food pantries, the Red Cross, and more. He is known for his kindness and generosity. He is married to the woman he began dating when they were fifteen. He is not some kind of stereotypical metalhead.
4 - Eric Olsen
as I said, his side seems to be coming out ahead
5 - Rob
Couldn't agree more with Patti's comments. I remember, after hearing this story when it happened, how out of character it seemed for Alex. I don't ever remember hearing anything negative about him or the other members of Rush. They've always been well respected. Good for Alex for standing up for his and his family's rights.
6 - Dawn
I almost always tend to err on the side of law enforcement, as I find that most of them really do want to act in the best interest of the badge and the community, but based on the total lack of prior aggression from the accused and the overall tone and articulation of Lifeson's statement, these officers sound like the kind we would be better off without "serving and protecting."
7 - Eric Olsen
uniform sniffer
8 - Lono
Oh, those wacky Canadians!
9 - Eric Olsen
all that hockey makes 'em violent
10 - Patti
Thanks, Eric, for posting this....you're getting credit from other sites as the originator!
11 - Eric Olsen
well that's a very fine thing
12 - Edu
Well if he kicked the female deputy downstairs, that was his best action. If I was there I'd still kick her face as soon as she landed her fat ass in the floor.
13 - Patti
He didn't kick anyone down the stairs. He was running upstairs to help his son, who was being tased. One cop punched him in the face and tore the nasal cartilage off and broke the bones. He went on, and the female cop, who was three steps above him, grabbed him by the throat and then lost her balance. They both fell down the stairs. Alex was then jumped on and tased at least six times. (This from the assistant manager of the Ritz-Carlton, who saw it. Check the Naples Daily News for more info.)
Alex performed recently at a benefit for the White Ribbon campaign to end violence against women. He's been a longtime supporter. I seriously doubt he'd intentionally kick anyone down the stairs for revenge.
14 - mickey
To get tased 6 times is excessive. To get tased twice while lying face down in your own blood is revolting. To get punched in the face twice and hard enough to shatter your nose is painful. To be grabbed by the neck and pushed down a flight of stairs by a female deputy is shocking. To read police statements after the incident and then compare them to the officer's later sworn depositions is confusing. To discover that out of 16 hotel security cameras, 3 weren't "operational", the very 3 in the area where the family was attacked, is revealing. To read the 911 call transcript made by hotel security where they stated, "they're standing on the tables throwing cutlery and tearing the place apart" when in fact the family was peacefully finishing their dinner, is infuriating. To find out that the deputy who tased Justin, and then Alex twice, was an employee of the Ritz just before entering the police force, and what a "coincidence" it is that he showed up, is disquieting. To read the dozen or so sworn statements of hotel dinner guests from that evening who say Alex was not intoxicated and the fact that the police have no evidence of intoxication, is curious. To read Judy's comments when she had only met the family for brief seconds earlier that evening is thoughtful. To read the Ritz employee's eyewitness account of the brutaliy instigated by the police is infuriating. To read comments from the ignorant who were not there and choose to base their speculation on personal biases is meaningless. To have the year probation terminated 6 months early is mildly restorative. To commit to action so that the many others who find themselves in this sort of authority-abuse situation is hopeful. This thing's a long way from being over yet.
15 - New world Man
To see the truth come out is refreshing. I have been a fan of Rush since 1980 and have seen them on every tour since the begining of the 1990's and once back in 1982 and I was shocked to say the least and initally I was willing to give the police the benefit of the doubt but now that witness have come forward I hope that Alex and his family will get justice to them that they so richly deserve and they will get the compensation they so deserve.
16 - Power Windows, not power cops!
I cannot believe Alex, nor his family, would ever act in such a way. Tasered 6 TIMES? Punched in the face? Imprisoned for 2 DAYS without a phone call for over 14 hours? They don't treat people like this in Guantanamo! The cops were out of control and obviously bored. So were the Ritz employees. Was this "protecting and serving? Why weren't the police POLICING THEIR OWN?!
Alex has no history of ever being violent. This whole case is a sham and a travesty. Alex and his family are NOT the criminals here! The cops and the Ritz employees were the "violent ones". I hope Alex and his family get everything they deserve and are owed.
17 - Roland
It's been years since this happened but I think Alex is still going forward with his case against them. I am so glad! One of his comments is (paraphrased), "How many people without fame or fortune behind them does this happen to?" Couldn't agree more. If this happened to a rich, jet-set rock star, you know it happens to many others without the resources to fight it. They are forced to endure the pain and humiliation and threats against their freedom and can do next-to-nothing about it. This is America for God's sake. The police HAVE to take responsibility for their actions and we cannot allow violent people to use a police uniform as a shield against responsibility for violent and destructive acts. We also cannot allow our court system to turn a blind eye and call these acts of "sanctioned violence" to be "within the realm of proper police behavior". I find this whole thing to be deeply disturbing and am very happy to see Alex is not letting this go. His other comment, again paraphrased, was, "Maybe I'll make this easier for the next guy." Go get'em Alex!!!
18 - TruthHurtz
mickey,
You didn't read the sworn statements. Don't speak as if you did. Lifeson was out of control. Period.
19 - Jason
Stop whining because you got dished by the police. I find it hard to believe that a private hotel, with minimum wage employees and two different govenment entities, one of which is entirely neutral in the matter, fabricated this whole story. I highly doubt that a bunch of cops with families and pensions are going to pick a wealthy musician with with tons of time and attorneys to "pick on" ...Granted I wasn't there, but I find it hard to believe.
20 - Dickhead who always trusts authority
You stink