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What Happened Was
Everyone remembers W. costars Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright being arrested last July at a bar in Shreveport, Louisiana, along with five other W. crew members who had worked on the just-wrapped Oliver Stone movie. Brolin was maced; Wright was tasered. [Note: Stone told me today the initial discord was due a racist attitude.] Some or all of the W. guys were taken down to the station and had to post bail.
W. star Josh Brolin (slight grin) -- Tuesday, 10.8.08, 5:15 pm
There was said to be a cell-phone video of part of the incident, which I can confirm today to be absolutely the case.
I later wrote that Brolin should make a short film about this incident, but he said his hands were tied because he'd been told to shut up about it. Today, however, he opened up.
It was during an interview we did late this afternoon during the W. junket at the Four Seasons hotel. Before reading the transcript and listening to the recording, know that Brolin is looking at a court date in Shreveport in November or December to answer charges of interfering with an arrest. He and his lawyers, asserting there was no such interference, have been waiting for Shreveport authorities to drop the charge and make amends, but this has never happened.
Anyway, here -- with minor edits -- is a transcript. [The comments in brackets are my questions or clarifications.]
"What we were really waiting for was for them [the Shreveport authorities] to dismiss it. We were waiting for them to do the right thing. The mayor, prosecuting attorney, whomever. I don't know everything that happened. I do know there was no fight. None. I do know that I was maced and that Jeffrey Wright was tasered. There was no defiance, no struggle. There was no fight. There was no resistance.
"I know my assistant got arrested or asking too many questions. Twelve questions. [So what the cops perceived as a lack of submission to their authority...?] I don't know. I don't see it. I look at the [video] tape, which everyone will eventually see....I look at the tape and I go 'where is the fight'? I don't understand where the fight is. [Was it] me saying, 'Hey, where are you taking [Jeffrey]?" because I want to get him out? After I asked for the third time.
"And they didn't want...maybe they looked at me and said 'you know, he's a big boy, he's got a bald head...heh-heh-heh! We don't want to deal with him, [and] we don't want him possibly getting out of hand maybe.'
"[But] none of us were drunk, we had just finished shooting three or four hours before. We were out...in the beginning, it was like [smacks hand] okay! It was time! We did it! We were so proud, what an accomplishment!...and then this fucking happens. To me it was ridiculous. I have never seen...I have never ever, ever, ever, ever seen an escalation of paranoia and abuse like that...ever. And I know a lot of cops. Everybody knows I have a checkered past and I've been in situations that are kind of tough. I've never ever been treated like that by cops. Ever.
"[A cop will normally side with the local guy, the guy he knows.] Yeah, but I don't think that was it. I don't know the specifics between Jeffrey [Wright] and the bartender, but he was asked to leave, and I know that was why the cops came, to say okay, it's time to escort you out. Not because [Jeffrey] was yelling or screaming. He was just saying look, I'm here with my friends, I'm celebrating the end of our movie, and then they escorted him out, [and] we wanted to know why, and they didn't want to tell us. They immediately resorted to violence. Which is what the police are there to try and stop and prevent. That didn't happen. They were the violent ones.
"It was us going....you can see it on the tape...us going 'whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.' There was no fight-back at all. My lawyers are befuddled right now. They do not understand and they have never experienced anything like this. The dealings with the Shreveport legal system.
"[So when's the tape going to come out?] I don't know, I don't know. Probably pretty soon. Or maybe after we go to court. November, December. Something like that. [Why are you going to court?] Because charges were pressed against me. Oh, yeah. Interfering with an arrest. I got the least, I got the least. My assistant got interfering with an arrest because of the questions asked, and then she got resisting arrest because she stepped forward as they were trying to push her face into the ground.
Brolin (no grin) -- Tuesday, 10.8.08, 5:16 pm
"I mean, really severe, man. Truly, truly. Not to be too maudlin or morbid. But I've been around the police my whole life. I have so many policeman friends and police woman friends, and I've never never, ever, ever seen anything like it. All the time I was in jail I could think, the whole time...okay, they've arrested us knowing that their economy, part of their economy is based on the film industry. Okay, that's one...knowing this is wrong. Secondly, they know we have some leverage. With the press, with this...they know we have some rebuttal, something, some reaction. They know that.
"Then I thought every person that goes through here...they have nothing, they have nothing, they're forgotten. So I wonder how many people have been abused by this system? So then I started researching . They had a kid who died from a taser, 21 year old kid. Almost 300 people have died in the last five years. From tasers? It's unbelievable, man, and the fact that they resorted to that when there was no violence?
"So, I'm telling you...I've never told any of this to anybody, but I'm giving this to you 'cause I just talked to the lawyer yesterday. And I said you know what, it's too long now, I'm done, I'm done being nice. What's the worst, they're gonna put me in jail a couple of months because I spoke out about [their] abuse?"
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 7, 2008 at 9:10 PM
comment #1
lazespud
says ...
Damn!
Good job Gruver; getting the story. You've been following this for a while and were at the right place when Brolin decided to open up. Props to you...
Can't wait to see the video. Though I haven't really heard the police side, I have little doubt what Brolin is saying is totally true...
Posted by lazespud
at October 7, 2008 10:35 PM
comment #2
The InSneider
says ...
Great post, Jeff. Josh must've felt very comfortable with you to open up like this. Thanks for sharing his story. Hopefully those cops will be be punished and the authorities will take a look at tasering and the system in general. Everything about their actions that night sounds shady.
Posted by The InSneider
at October 7, 2008 10:46 PM
comment #3
BurmaShave
says ...
Random thought: at this stage in his hair growth he looks so much like his dad, and I normally don't see much resemblance at all.
Posted by BurmaShave
at October 7, 2008 11:04 PM
comment #4
JaySmack
says ...
As a Shreveport resident I am squarely on the side of the Hollywood folks.
We have rowdy, violent fights at bars ALL THE TIME! --who the hell doesn't?-- but NEVER before have the police reacted like this before. This was unprecedented.
And YES, it is because the Shreveport police Dept is corrupt, racist and out of control. Some other ignorant fools on this site, who don't live here, and vowed to "get the real story" from imaginary "friends in the industry who worked on the picture" can now see that I was right. BTW I'm still waiting for this person to provide us with these second-hand accounts from their "friends." I'm not holding my breath.
Unless you know the history of the Shreveport PD please don't blame the out-of-towners for what happened. The SPD shot Marquise Hudspeth, an unarmed man, in the back 8 times killing him, they tasered a black man who was a bouncer outside the very nightclub where he worked for NO reason --BTW they didn't ARREST him, they just zapped him and walked off. And when video of the incident surfaced, the SPD went silent, just like with this case. And perhaps that genius I argued with last time will recall that the SPD made international news for beating Angie Garbarino, a handcuffed, inebriated woman, until she laid in a pool of her own blood!
And you want to give THESE guys the benefit of the doubt over some out of towners who nobody ever complained about? You're a moron.
As I said, the SPD did NOT have a reason to arrest anyone and to this day we still don't know what the alleged violation of law is --what's the crime? We know the "reason" they gave but it was as vague as it was unreasonable.
Dont' expect the SPD tostart talking anytime soon. They screwed up and they know it. Silence is what they do whenever they're caught abusing their authority, which is quite often.
It's utterly laughable to have people who questioned me about my claim that the SPD had no reason to arrest the cast of W. That person doesn't know what he's talking about and where I'm from the uninformed should shut up!
The SPD is 80-percent and the 20% pf blacks on the force are so cowed you'd swear it was 1808 instead of 2008. They did it as a political reprisal against a movie they felt defamed a president who in their view is the greatest person since Jesus.
And now Oliver Stone is telling everyone he ever knew about this and who will the film community believe? An out of control police department or one of the most accomplished directors of the last 20 years?
I can only hope this doesn't result in other movies deciding to film elsewhere. Because everyone knows this would NEVER have happened in New Orleans. Mayor Glover should have had this thrown out, but he's dumb as a brick and the police union has him on a leash.
Posted by JaySmack
at October 8, 2008 7:19 AM
comment #5
TheShreve
says ...
I’m a reporter for the Shreveport Times. I read your report on Josh Brolin today, and we’re picking up on it for tomorrow’s paper.
Can I speak with you today? Would appreciate your help.
Alexandyr Kent
akent@gannett.com
(318) 459-3256
Posted by TheShreve
at October 8, 2008 1:03 PM
comment #6
Bad5Girl
says ...
Mr. Brolin, I'm sorry for what happened to you and your crew. Please don't expect an apology from the state of Louisiana or the Shreveport Police Department. That's how they are there.....no one sees it but the people who live there how stupid and manipulative they can be. They are the biggest bunch pigs around. I'm certain that everything happened the way you described it happening. They just needed something to get them some attention. But what you failed to realize is that they will do whatever to protect each other and make it look like everything was to no fault of theirs. You better be prepared for your upcoming battle. I regret the day my family ever went to that state to live. Good luck....
A friend/fan
Posted by Bad5Girl
at October 8, 2008 7:24 PM
comment #7
Shavon
says ...
Hopefully something good will come out of this and Shreveport police will be held accountable for abuse of power. I know I won't be planning any visits to that area any time soon. Who the hell needs that kind of crap. Like life isnt messed up enough, especially for people living in Louisiana!
Posted by Shavon
at October 8, 2008 11:39 PM
comment #8
dave780a
says ...
i have no respect for cops, they all thiunk they are better than everyone else, we had a incident here in albany ny, new years eve cops where chasing a guy that stole a car, right in the middle of the main street in albany they shot thier weapons at this guy, and missed hitting and killing an innocent bystander, they got away with it, the dept said they were justified.another one several years a go cops seen a boy sitting on his porch thought he had a gun, but he didnt, was just sitting there ,they shot him 51 times killing him, again dept said they were justified.i hope mr brolin and his friends sue the hell out of those disgusting filthy low lifes and win,cops, pa tu,, i spit on you.
Posted by dave780a
at October 9, 2008 5:38 AM
comment #9
speechdr
says ...
Welcome to Louisiana, the most corrupt state. If you are looking for fair and impartial judgment in the courts or law including police, forget it. Looking at judges such as Judge Martha K. Sassone, she was suspended for unethical practices and yet they won't get her off the bench. In LA, it all about who you know, the money you have and the way you spend it. Sorry to the boys from W but you are in for a rocky ride. God bless and Good luck.
Posted by speechdr
at October 9, 2008 7:22 AM
comment #10
Frank
says ...
It sounds like maybe these cops thought there were there to film their scene in Crash 2. I do wonder though if this had anything to do with the subject matter of the movie - can't imagine these guys would not of known about the W movie project... ya think?
All y'all down there must be seriously freakin' out knowing we are essentially 26 days away from electing the first half-white president.
This is totallyunacceptable behavior on the part of the police, if you can even call them that - more like thugs with guns and badges. Terrible!
Posted by Frank
at October 9, 2008 8:46 AM
comment #11
John McMahon
says ...
Kudos to Mr. Brolin for opening up on what is clearly shameful and disgraceful behavior of the Louisiana Police Department. I hope he and Oliver Stone bring the full weight of their celebrity to draw international media attention to both this incident and whatever past tragedies brought perpetrated by the so-called law enforcement agencies of the State of Louisiana.
Posted by John McMahon
at October 17, 2008 11:27 AM
comment #12
parisdakar
says ...
I am personally aware of what the Shreveport Police are capable of. I was arrested in front of my 8 year old daughter in my home and thrown in the back of a police car that sat idling for over an hour after the officer turned off the air conditioning , rolled up the windows and turned the engine on .The cuffs were put on me so tight that it took the skin off my right wrist.There were eight officers present, I did not resist arrest, curse them ,or in any way threaten them. I have no criminal record and it took me years to get the matter settled. I am white and over 40 , so god help you if you are a visitor and you commit contempt of cop in Shreveport.I have friends that are police in Shreveport that are great officers, but some of them are totally off the leash. I was arrested because I said no to questioning without my attorney being present. I cannot legally discuss more in this post but would welcome a call from Brolins legal team.
Posted by parisdakar
at October 30, 2008 11:09 PM
comment #13
brandy
says ...
Shreveport police are corrupt and have been that way for a long time. I am glad Brolin and Wright opened Pandora's Box. Marquis Hudspeth was shot in the back multiple times a few years back. With his back to police and fleeing, police say they thought his cell phone was a gun. See the local NAACP, who marched on the town in protest. They will verify the shots fired into Marquis' back and they were not a few. The police will be reluctant to giving you information.
Posted by brandy
at January 6, 2009 9:25 PM
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