Police officers in Florida did not use excessive force while arresting Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson during that previously reported New Years Eve altercation that took place way back in 2003, or at least that is the opinion of a US federal court.
As previously reported, Lifeson and his son had a run in with police officers after being asked to leave a 2003 New Years party at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Naples, Florida. Tasers were used on the pair who allegedly forcibly resisted the police officer's attempts to escort off the hotel premises. The father and son were arrested and charged over the fracas, and despite initially claiming mistreatment by the police as a defence, the pair eventually agreed to a plea bargain which saw them pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges, meaning they could avoid jail time.
Despite that deal, Lifeson proceeded to launch civil proceedings against the police and the hotel's security officers, again claiming mistreatment. But US District Judge Paul Magnuson, considering the lawsuit last week, concluded that the police officer's actions while dealing with Lifeson and son were "objectively reasonable", while adding that there was no negligence on the part of the hotel or their security guards in relation to the case.
Lifeson's lawyer said yesterday that the guitarist plans to appeal the decision.