Santa Barbara authorities are denying Michael Jackson‘s allegations he was mistreated during his arrest Nov. 20, The Associated Press reports.
In last Sunday’s 60 Minutes interview, Jackson told Ed Bradley he was “manhandled” while in custody and locked in a feces-smeared restroom for 45 minutes after he asked to use the facilities. The pop singer also displayed what he said was a bruise on his right arm that he claimed he received when jailers mistreated him.
“My shoulder is dislocated, literally. It’s hurting very badly. I’m in pain all the time,” Jackson said. “It’s very swollen. … It keeps me from sleeping at night.”
AP reports Chief Deputy Fred Olguin of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, who oversees the jail and was present at Jackson‘s booking, told NBC’s Today on Wednesday that Jackson was handcuffed for about a minute, “around the wrist like any other prisoner” and blew a kiss to other inmates as he was checked in. He was then taken to a holding room with a toilet, sink and bench for 15 to 20 minutes, Olguin said, which, he added, is scrubbed once a day.
Sheriff’s officials have told AP the entertainer “was treated with courtesy and professionalism throughout the arrest and booking process.” Olguin said Jackson was booked and released in record time. The process took a little more than an hour.
“I don’t run my jail that way, and I take a lot of pride in how the jail is run,” Olguin told the Santa Barbara News-Press. “I don’t understand where he comes off with that.”
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson planned a news conference Wednesday to discuss the allegations.
