Rush star Alex Lifeson is appealing a ruling that cleared Florida sheriff's deputies who arrested him and his son at a New Year's Eve party in 2003 of brutality, because he's sick of heavy-handed police operations in the area.

Lifeson, real name Alex Zivojinovich, was shocked when Judge Paul Magnuson ruled last month the officers were "objectively reasonable" in their behavior - even though they Tasered Lifeson and his son Justin and broke the guitarist's nose in a fight at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Naples, Florida.

Lifeson is now fighting back after collecting video evidence and witness testimony, which will prove the police officers and the judge were wrong.

He says, "We have thousands of pages of documents, we have about 15 witnesses, we have video, we have so much compelling evidence of the brutality that we went through that night.

"To have it just thrown out, and to have a judge, who advocates me being punched in the face twice by two cops, breaking my nose and Tasering me six times, (rule it) as adequate and appropriate conduct on the part of the police, that's not right."

Lifeson hopes his appeal will prompt officials in Florida to clean up their act: "I'm not the first person that's been beaten up in Florida... but I can't just not do something. I can't just let it go.

"I feel terrible for the guy who doesn't have any money or doesn't have any celebrity who this happens to all the time... If I can do something to make it easier for the next guy who gets jumped on by the cops, then I'll feel good about it."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)