I previously had wondered if my basic dislike of Steven Seagal were down to snobbishness, in the same way Guardian or Independent readers think tabloid journalists are semi-literate. Even allowing for On Deadly Ground where he got in touch with his bear spirits whilst dispatching bad guys by the dozen, maybe I was dismissing an acceptable form of entertainment which simply was not my cup of tea.
Thankfully, I now feel entirely vindicated. As part of his reality television programme, Lawman – based around his role as a Police volunteer in Jefferson County, Louisiana – he has an exclusive contract with Maricopa County Sheriff Office, Arizona to accompany the Sheriff on arrests.
One such arrest was of Jesus Llovera, suspected of continued involvement with cockfighting after being convicted of a misdemenour offence last year. To execute the arrest warrant when Llovera was the only occupant in his small farm, Sheriff Joe Arpaio (yes, that Joe Arpaio) led a full-frontal assault with several dozen SWAT officers, a tank and bomb-disposal robot. And Steven Seagal.
I realize that apparently routine situations can quickly turn very nasty for arresting officers in the US, but Llovera was unarmed and had no records of involvement with firearms. And, Seagal’s presence may well have influenced the decision to go for a display of force estimated to have cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Various pieces of cockfighting paraphernalia were seized, as well as approximately one hundred birds.
Seagal told the station, “Animal cruelty is one of my pet peeves.”
All the birds are reported to have been destroyed.
