Mel Gibson DUI incident

Mel Gibson's mugshot from his July 28, 2006 arrest for DUI

On July 28, 2006, Mel Gibson was arrested and charged with driving under the influence while speeding (87 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone) on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. During the arrest, he was uncooperative and allegedly made anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting officers. His bail was set at $5,000, he was released and driven by law enforcement ten miles to a tow yard to retrieve his Lexus LS sedan.[1]

Allegations of special treatment by law enforcement

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department civilian oversight office opened an investigation into whether Gibson received special treatment due to his celebrity status. [2] [3]

On the evening of Gibson's arrest, a four-page portion of an allegedly redacted or suppressed police report was posted on the entertainment website TMZ.com. (The report was subsequently posted online at Slate.com.) The report is purported to be part an original written by the arresting officer, Deputy James Mee, before he was allegedly instructed by his superiors to omit details about Gibson's anti-Semitic comments and abusive behavior. The leaked police report alleges that Gibson asked one officer if he was Jewish and stated, "Fucking Jews...the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." The report further alleges that Gibson refused to be transported to the police station and had to be restrained. He allegedly continued his tirade at the police station, where he was videotaped asking a female officer, "What are you looking at, sugar tits?" and possibly attempting to urinate on the floor. According to the report, Gibson's blood alcohol content was measured at 0.12% (the legal blood alcohol level limit for driving in California is 0.08%). See also: Effects of alcohol on the body.

A day after TMZ's report, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times reported that unnamed sources confirmed to them independently that the leaked documents were authentic. This has neither been confirmed nor denied by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who have nonetheless asserted no cover up has taken place. Associated Press later reported that an official police report contained Gibson's alleged comments.

TMZ later alleged that Gibson has been stopped twice before in Malibu for drunk driving but was released without a citation.

Allegations of special treatment by media

Most media have decided not to quote Gibson's exact words, instead refering to them simply as 'anti-semitic remarks'. This has caused some to make accusations of media bias for omitting the words.

Gibson's remarks during his arrest prompted renewed accusations that the actor is an anti-Semite. Previously, he had been accused of infusing his movie The Passion Of The Christ with anti-Semitic messages and overtones. Revelations that his father, Hutton Gibson, is a Holocaust denier further fueled such accusations.

Gibson issued a statement on July 29, 2006, indicating that he was pursuing treatment for his alcoholism and apologizing for unspecified behavior:

"After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed. I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the L.A. County sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person. I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said and I apologize to anyone who I have offended....I have battled the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse." Excerpted from complete statement.

Supporters of Gibson blamed his alleged remarks on his intoxication while critics, such as Christopher Hitchens, accused Gibson of anti-Semitism. Others critized his apology for not specifically addressing his alleged anti-Semitic statements.

Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), one of The Passion's most vocal critics, stated that Gibson's apology was "unremorseful and insufficient" and that the ADL hoped "Hollywood now would realize the bigot in their midst." Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League (US), promptly attacked Foxman's statement, saying that Gibson had already apologized and that ADL's "real goal is to discredit The Passion Of The Christ." Jeff Berg, head of the talent agency that represented Gibson for 18 years, told the Los Angeles Times that Gibson had called him after the arrest and that Berg "was trying to communicate the actor's remorse to his staff and clients." Berg told the paper that "I hate what he said, and so does he" and that "his remarks have created a first class mess, and he has owned up to it."

After the incident, ABC cancelled Gibson's television mini-series on the Holocaust, citing lack of progress with the project.

Lengthy apology

Gibson released another statement on August 1, 2006 specifically apologizing for his anti-Semitic remarks and asking the Jewish community to help him in his recovery.

There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of Anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge.

I am a public person, and when I say something, either articulated and thought out, or blurted out in a moment of insanity, my words carry weight in the public arena. As a result, I must assume personal responsibility for my words and apologize directly to those who have been hurt and offended by those words.

The tenets of what I profess to believe necessitate that I exercise charity and tolerance as a way of life. Every human being is God’s child, and if I wish to honor my God I have to honor his children. But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.

I’m not just asking for forgiveness. I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one on one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing.

I have begun an ongoing program of recovery and what I am now realizing is that I cannot do it alone. I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display, and I am asking the Jewish community, whom I have personally offended, to help me on my journey through recovery. Again, I am reaching out to the Jewish community for its help. I know there will be many in that community who will want nothing to do with me, and that would be understandable. But I pray that that door is not forever closed.

This is not about a film. Nor is it about artistic license. This is about real life and recognizing the consequences hurtful words can have. It’s about existing in harmony in a world that seems to have gone mad.

After Gibson's second announcement, Foxman released another statement on behalf of the ADL accepting his apology. [4]

Reportedly, Gibson's manager had said that Gibson has entered rehab. However, Roger Friedman of Fox News Network reports "Gibson has not — I repeat in capital letters HAS NOT — entered into a serious rehab program for alcohol of any kind. He’s going to AA meetings, but he has not checked himself into a 28-day program at a place like the Betty Ford Clinic or Hazelden." [5]

Photos were released that showed Gibson just hours before the arrest drinking and posing with fans.