Those who weren't at the Intonation Music Festival (and we'll try not to rub it in too much) have heard the rumors. Those who were got the facts straight from the horse's mouth shortly after the band took the stage. But we, friends, have the juicy details of how Broken Social Scene's Dave Newfeld was allegedly beaten black-and-blue by police officers last week before a performance in New York.
Shortly after Broken Social Scene took the stage on Saturday at the Pitchfork-curated Intonation Music Festival, singer Kevin Drew announced to the audience: "We just decided 20 minutes into arriving in New York that it would be a good idea if we went and bought marijuana. And Dave preceded to get the shit kicked out of him by four policemen, ladies and gentlemen! He got thrown in jail for 24 hours!" And then, amid the jeers, came the kicker: "And now the Broken Social Scene is suing the cops of New York City!"
It happened on Thursday night. As Newfeld was being driven from Canada to New York by a friend to play a gig with Broken Social Scene at Central Park SummerStage, his pal and driver decided to stop off and score some weed...in Lexington Park! It was an episode of Boy Meets World, Shaun Hunter attempting to convince innocent Cory Matthews to do something he knows probably ain't such a hot idea, but, as Newfeld told Pitchfork on Saturday night, when the other dude's behind the wheel, you gotta roll with the punches.
So, our Shaun Hunter exchanges $20 with a dealer in the park while Newfeld stands by watching the events unfold. As Newf tells it: "We walk around the corner, and all the sudden I'm tackled in a football style attack, like a mugger would do, you know? You grab the person and catch them by surprise and they ambush in a football tackle. And then they're like, 'Police, police, police! Fucking put your hands behind you!'" Due to the lax drug laws in Canada, Newfeld says he didn't connect what he assumed to be a mugging with his schwag score, assuming the "police" claim was a ploy by thugs to keep their victims passive for an easy stick-up.
"They started punching me in the face and beating the shit out of me and throwing me on the ground, so I'm trying to get away-- not fight them back, because I'm not capable of that, but just to escape. And then they threatened to break my hand and I'm like, "No, don't break my hand! I'm a musician. I gotta fuckin' play tomorrow! And so I'm really freaking out, and at that point I thought, 'Just take my wallet, whatever. Don't break my hand. My wallet's not worth it.'" By now, Newfeld's pal was cuffed on the ground, and finally decided it was time to break the news: "They're cops! Submit!" Oh, and P.S., whoops!
After being thrown in the back of a paddywagon, Newfeld was left to sit with a handful of shady characters while the 5-0 went around picking up other perps. He was then taken back to the station in pretty poor shape, strip-searched (whuh-oh), and, having been left in a cell for an hour or two, taken to Belleview Hospital to have his beatings checked out. It turned out he'd suffered two cracked ribs. While in his hospital bed, he was given a report detailing the charges against him-- four counts of assaulting an officer and possession-- which still stand as of press time. (Ironically, his pal was let off with no repercussions.) He now plans to launch a lawsuit for wrongful arrest and use of excessive force.
One topic Newfeld and BSS co-frontman Kevin Drew wanted to stress was that not all the officers exemplified extreme hostility. "There was some humanity involved," Newfeld insists, citing the kindness of certain officers at the station. "Some have sadistic impulses and others don't." And, of course, there's a lesson to be learned in all this-- one which Newfeld says applies not only to his personal life, but to his professional life as well: "Basically, I gotta fucking call my own shots." Follow you hearts, kiddos! Until then...uh, fuck the police?
<img src="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-07/19-brokensocialscene.gif" alt=" - " />
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-07/19.shtml
