Debunking Michael Jackson’s Police Brutality Story
Jul 2, 2021
My first real insight into Michael Jackson’s strange and secretive world came via Martin Bashir’s 2003 documentary, Living with Michael Jackson. Until then, I knew little about him—certainly not about his habit of sharing a bed with young boys or the multi-million dollar settlement he paid to Jordan Chandler in 1994.
The documentary drew widespread attention, especially after Jackson admitted to sleeping alongside unrelated boys and was filmed dangling his youngest child from a hotel balcony in Germany. It also revealed a pattern of dishonesty. Jackson often twisted the truth to suit his narrative—claiming his drastic physical changes were down to just two nose jobs and puberty, despite his age, and insisting that Prince, Paris, and Blanket were his biological children.
Instead of owning up to his mistakes, Jackson and his PR team turned on Bashir, painting him as the villain. They quickly released a counter-documentary, attempting to show that Bashir had manipulated the footage to make Jackson look bad.
Not long after, in late 2003, Jackson was accused of child molestation for a third time—this time by Gavin Arvizo, a cancer survivor who had appeared in the documentary.
Due to changes in California law, Jackson could no longer settle the case privately, as he had done with Chandler a decade earlier. He was arrested and charged. Cameras captured his arrival from Las Vegas on a private jet, where he was met by Santa Barbara sheriffs and driven to the county jail for processing and bail. The event was surprisingly low-key, with Jackson coming and going without much fuss.
That Was until the Ed Bradley Interview
After his arrest on 20 November 2003, Michael Jackson appeared on the 60 Minutes programme, hosted by Ed Bradley, in a Los Angeles hotel room on Christmas Day. The interview was later described by The Washington Post as “Not Jacko’s Finest Hour”.
During the broadcast, Jackson alleged that police had locked him in a bathroom smeared with human faeces for 45 minutes, mocking him about the smell. He also claimed they handled him so roughly that he suffered severe bruising above his wrist from tight handcuffs and a dislocated shoulder. He said he was in pain, struggling to sleep, and could barely move his arms during the interview.
However, footage showed Jackson leaving police custody smiling and waving with both hands to fans. No one from his team—including his lawyer at the time, Mark Geragos, who was present during the booking—reported any need for medical attention. Jackson flew straight back to Las Vegas after the incident.
The Santa Barbara Police Department responded with strong objections to Jackson’s claims and launched a full investigation to confirm that no misconduct had taken place.
Symptoms of a Dislocated Shoulder
Before diving into the document, let’s take a moment to look at the symptoms of a dislocated shoulder. The following quotes are taken from medlineplus.gov:
- Severe shoulder pain
- Swelling and bruising of your shoulder or upper arm
- Numbness and/or weakness in your arm, neck, hand, or fingers
- Trouble moving your arm
- Your arm seems to be out of place
- Muscle spasms in your shoulder
In short, a dislocated shoulder is a serious and painful injury that can damage nearby nerves and blood vessels. It doesn’t develop gradually—it’s immediately obvious, both in how it feels and how it looks, from the moment the shoulder pops out of its joint.
The Document
This document, released by the sheriff’s department on 12 August 2004, features direct quotes in grey. My notes appear underneath, providing additional context.
[Points and Authorities]
On December 25, 2003, CBS aired an interview with Defendant Michael Jackson on its "60 Minutes" television show. During the interview, Mr. Jackson claimed he was "manhandled" by sheriff's personnel during his November 20, 2003, arrest and booking at the Santa Barbara Jail. He claimed as a result his shoulder was "dislocated" and further that he was handcuffed In such a way by Sheriff's deputies, "knowing that it's going to hurt."
The following excerpt is taken directly from the "60 Minutes" interview conducted by CBS' Ed Bradley.
ED BRADLEY: What happened when they arrested you? What did they do to you?
MICHAEL JACKSON: They were supposed to go in, and just check fingerprints, and do the whole thing that they do when they take somebody in. They manhandled me very roughly. My shoulder is dislocated, literally. It's hurting me very badly. I'm in pain all the time. This is, see this arm? This is as far as I can reach it. Same with this side over here.
ED BRADLEY: Because of what happened at the police station?
MICHAEL JACKSON: Yeah. Yeah. At the police station. And what they did to me — if you — if you saw what they did to my arms - it was very bad what they did. It's very swollen. I don't wanna say. You'll see. You'll see.
We were given a photograph said to be taken after Michael Jackson was released on bail, Jackson says the swelling above his wrist is where the police handcuffed him.
ED BRADLEY: How did they do it? I mean, what, physically, what did they do?
MICHAEL JACKSON: With the handcuffs, the way they tied 'em too tight behind my back —
ED BRADLEY: Behind your back?
MICHAEL JACKSON: Yeah. And putting it, they put it in a certain position, knowing that It's going to hurt, and affect my back. Now I can't move. I — I — it keeps me from sleeping at night. I can't sleep at night.
The Sheriff's Department denied the allegations. However, because of the seriousness of the allegations and the possibility of a civil claim for damages against the Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Jim Anderson on January 8, 2004, requested that the California Bureau of Investigation [CBI], under the jurisdiction of the California Attorney General, conduct an investigation into those allegations.
That investigation is now complete. CBI conducted an extensive investigation over a number of months. Ten Special Agents and two Special Agent Supervisors were assigned to the investigation. Over 2500 hours were spent on the investigation. One hundred and sixty three [163] witnesses were interviewed, including jail inmates, sheriff's personnel, persons who observed Mr. Jackson immediately after his booking, during his flight to Las Vegas, and at his Las Vegas hotel, and Mr. Jackson's security staff, among others. After its exhaustive investigation, CBI concluded, "... this investigation did not uncover verifiable information that Mr. Jackson was injured at the hands of the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Department personnel and no criminal misconduct on the part of the Sheriff's personnel was identified." [emphasis added]
Mr. Jackson maligned the Sheriff's Department and falsely charged its personnel with mistreatment on national television. The charges were outrageous, offensive and unfounded. The exposure to a civil lawsuit with potentally significant civil damages was present and the Sheriff and the County took those claims very seriously. Given the favorable outcome of the CBI investigation, the Sheriff believes it is critically important that he be permitted to release the Attorney General's conclusions and to comment on the matter. However, there are concerns that such a release and comment may violate the existing protective order issued by this court in People v. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson made a claim of mistreatment and abuse by the Sheriff's Department and its employees. He questioned the integrity of the department. His claims were thoroughly Investigated by the Attorney General's Office. The Sheriff's Department and its employees were exonerated. The public, through the media and by statements from the Attorney General, has been made aware of the investigation and are expecting some conclusion to that process. The Sheriff has a significant interest in letting the citizens of Santa Barbara County know the outcome of the investigation. He needs to be able to say — once again — 'we did nothing wrong" and the Attorney General's investigation confirms that. The Sheriff believes it is necessary for the citizens of Santa Barbara County, and other interested citizens, to know neither his department, nor its employees, acted as Mr. Jackson falsely portrayed to a national audience on "60 Minutes." To allow a contrary impression is just not right.
Any comments about the Attorney General's investigation and Mr. Jackson's claims are at best tangentially related to the pending criminal matter, and they in no way relate to the criminal charges brought against Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson made these false claims, and he should not be permitted to hide behind the protective order to prevent the release of this critically important and exonerating information.
The Sheriff, of necessity, believes he must be cautious about any comments regarding Mr. Jackson and he does not want to violate the court's protective order. The Sheriff therefore makes this request in order to avoid any charge of violation of the court order and seeks the court's authorization to release the Attorney General's conclusions and that he be permitted to provide the media with the attached press release.
Dated August 12, 2004.
In summary, the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out an extensive inquiry into Jackson’s claims. Ten special agents and two supervising agents spent over 2,500 hours on the case, interviewing 163 witnesses. These included:
Members of the Santa Barbara County sheriffs Department, inmates present at the Santa Barbara County Jail on November 20, 2003, Santa Barbara airport police, Santa Barbara police, civilian Santa Barbara airport employees, Mr Jackson's charter plane personnel, his security personnel, hotel personnel, his chiropractor, and others. Despite several attempts to obtain a statement from Mr Jackson and/or other names of potential witnesses through Mr Jackson's attorneys, these efforts were not successful.
None of the 163 witnesses, including Jackson’s close associates, said they saw him being mistreated or needing treatment for a shoulder injury. Although the Sheriff's Department made several attempts to get a statement, Jackson never officially claimed he was mistreated by police, and his legal team failed to present any witnesses to support the allegation.
Statements from the officers transporting Mr Jackson from the airport to the jail, and the review of audio recordings made in the transportation vehicle, show that Mr Jackson initially complained of discomfort from his handcuffs after he was seated in the vehicle. In response, transporting officer had Mr Jackson adjust his seating position which relieved his discomfort. During the transportation to the jail, Mr Jackson was frequently asked about his comfort and he expressed no additional complaints. Driving time from the airport to the jail is approximately 10 minutes.
And:
Members of Mr Jackson's security staff who were present when he was handcuffed by Santa Barbara Sheriff Department staff upon his surrender and arrest on November 20, did not observe any abuse or mistreatment by sheriff personnel. In fact, they stated the process was handled professionally.
Audio recordings from the police vehicle taking Jackson to Santa Barbara County Jail captured him saying the handcuffs were causing some mild discomfort. The officers suggested he adjust his seating position to ease it.
During the 10‑minute journey, they checked on him several times, and each time Jackson replied that he was fine. His security team, who were present during the arrest, also confirmed that he was treated professionally throughout.
Moreover:
All witnesses who observed Mr Jackson immediately after booking, during his return flight to the Las Vegas area, and his Las Vegas hotel, did not report any complaints of pain or mistreatment from Mr Jackson, nor did they note any outward displays of discomfort during their observation of him. There is no record of medical assistance being summoned to treat Mr Jackson after his return to Las Vegas, following the booking process in Santa Barbara.
To recap: After leaving the Santa Barbara County Jail and returning to his hotel in Las Vegas, Michael Jackson showed no signs of pain or discomfort, and did not seek medical help.
It wasn’t until nearly three weeks later—on 7 December 2003—that Jackson mentioned feeling pain. Speaking to his make-up and hair stylist, he attributed it to being handcuffed during his arrest in Santa Barbara, possibly in anticipation of addressing a global audience.
Mr Jackson first complaint of pain was reported to his personal make-up and hair stylist on December 7, 2003. He explained that the pain was a result of the handcuffing in Santa Barbara.
Furthermore, he didn’t seek treatment until two days after the Ed Bradley interview—almost six weeks after claiming the police had dislocated his shoulder.
Mr Jackson sought medical treatment on December 27, 2003. The attending chiropractor, stated Mr Jackson came to his office for evaluation and treatment of severe shoulder, chest, neck and upper back pain that he alleged occurred after he was handcuffed by police when they lifted his arms up behind his back. The chiropractors stated that Mr Jackson's injuries were consistent with the reported cause. He further commented that due to Mr Jackson's frailness, the application of immediate force could have caused the injuries he observed. Mr Jackson was advised his shoulders were not dislocated as he thought, and after physical therapy and treatment his condition improved. Mr Jackson's allegations made to his chiropractor as to the cause of his injuries are not supported by evidence received from eyewitnesses, observations and audio/video recordings of the event. Witnesses reported that Mr Jackson had normal use of his arms immediately after booking, as demonstrated by waving, and later in the day by lifting his children and shaking hands through his vehicle window with numerous fans in Las Vegas.
Jackson’s chiropractor—who was privately hired—acknowledged that his shoulders could have been injured during handcuffing, particularly given his frail condition. However, he confirmed that neither shoulder was dislocated. Police also pointed out that Jackson’s description of events didn’t match the signs of a serious injury, noting that he was able to move both arms freely and showed no visible signs of pain.
Meanwhile, Court TV covered Jackson’s allegations in detail, highlighting the thoroughness of the CBI’s investigation and how it fully cleared those accused.
Watch the video below.
They Say the Camera Never Lies
If interviews with 163 witnesses—including Jackson’s own staff—all confirming he was never mistreated or harmed by police aren’t enough, then video footage offers conclusive proof that his accusations were false.
In Jacques Peretti’s 2020 documentary The Real Michael Jackson, it was revealed that Jackson didn’t pay for the private jet that flew him from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara. The flight was arranged by Kevin Smith’s UK-based agency, Splash News.
Jackson was no stranger to media attention. Footage shows him boarding the plane in Las Vegas and arriving at the Santa Barbara hangar, where officers greeted him with handshakes. There was no sign of aggression or coercion.
Jackson’s lawyer at the time, Mark Geragos, confirmed that the entire event was recorded by the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department.
He went on to say:
We had negotiated with the DA to have him surrender, and what that meant was, instead of somebody coming out and grabbing and arresting him we would go directly to them and meet them, which we did in a hangar outside of Santa Barbara. We then gave Michael over to the sheriff deputies. They filmed the entire thing which I generally don't see with any other clients. So, they filmed it just in case there were any kind of accusations made later. [Jackson] went into a holding cell, and was booked and fingerprinted, just like everybody else, and then immediately we had arranged for bail. I think if my memory serves me, it was something outrageous like 3 million bucks. We posted the bail [...] and then he was taken out of their almost immediately.
Watch the video below.
Next, Jackson steps out of the police car with his hands cuffed behind him. He doesn’t show any signs of pain or complain to the watching media. Instead, he deliberately shifts his arms to give the cameras a better view.
Watch the video below.
Of course, many fans are eager to believe Jackson wasn’t making false claims, convincing themselves that his shoulder injury didn’t happen at the aircraft hangar or during transport, but inside the county jail. Yet that theory doesn’t hold up either.
The clearest evidence comes as Jackson leaves the county jail with his lawyer through the back door. He moves both arms freely, waves to nearby fans, and even flashes a V sign before getting into the car that takes him straight to Santa Barbara airport, then on to Las Vegas.
Watch the video below.
Next, Jackson returns to Las Vegas, where his car briefly gets caught in traffic and is approached by a small group of fans. The footage is extremely poor quality, but it seems Jackson shakes hands with those near the vehicle.
In the same clip, Jackson’s long-time lawyer Brian Oxman—always keen to praise Jackson and vilify his so-called enemies—comments on the arrest. Crucially, he says nothing about any injuries or the need for hospital treatment.
Watch the video below.
On 18 January 2004, 28 days after his arrest, Jackson appeared in court for the first time and pleaded not guilty to seven counts of child molestation. Just weeks earlier, during the Ed Bradley interview, he claimed to be in severe pain and barely able to move his arms. Yet on arrival at court, he climbed onto the roof of his SUV, clapped, stomped, and blew kisses to fans and the watching cameras. Quite the recovery, wouldn’t you say?
Watch the video below.
Conclusion
Michael Jackson’s record of dishonesty in televised interviews is well established. In the 1995 Diane Sawyer interview, he denied owning books or images depicting nude children and insisted his genitalia showed no discolouration or markings, despite law enforcement evidence to the contrary.
The 2003 interview with Ed Bradley offered Jackson the chance to be honest about his behaviour and admit it was inappropriate. Instead, on Christmas morning, he sat in a hotel room with his lawyer, a make-up artist, and security staff, using the broadcast to spread false claims of police brutality.
In that interview, Jackson denied being Jack the Ripper or a paedophile. Yet if he could sit there making blatant false allegations while faking excruciating pain, how can his denial of being a paedophile be trusted?
Perhaps the most striking element of the interview was the presence of Jackson’s lawyer. As already mentioned, Geragos accompanied Jackson on the flight from Las Vegas and remained with him throughout the county jail ordeal. Yet, when Jackson alleged mistreatment—including being locked in a filthy bathroom—Geragos stayed silent and offered no support to corroborate his client’s claims.
After Jackson’s false accusations, Geragos delivered a passionate defence to Ed Bradley, portraying his client as innocent and virtuous while skipping over the police brutality story.
Years later, Geragos continued to defend Jackson publicly. In 2019, he appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show to discuss Leaving Neverland. Kelly, after her own investigation, expressed visible disgust at what she described as “lies” uncovered about Wade Robson.
Subsequently, Geragos stated:
That documentary maker should be ashamed of himself […] it was completely sanitised, it was a complete rewrite of history. You know that's […] I hate to say that that's emblematic but it certainly seems to be emblematic of what's happening in America right now, and what people on the right like to call mainstream media, but it's really kind of abhorrent as to what's happening with journalism and so-called journalism and the docu-journalism.
Watch the video below.
Isn’t it ironic that, despite the host’s anger and supposed contempt for liars, Mark Geragos chose not to address Michael Jackson’s history of dishonesty? Instead, he simply nodded and insisted that Dan Reed should be ashamed of himself.
Geragos later resigned as Jackson’s lawyer in spring 2004, officially citing his involvement in the Scott Peterson case, which ended with a guilty verdict for murder.
