Arrested for Videotaping

[heironymouspasparagus]

...you wouldn't have been punished.

The "we can spin it" Muskogee cops that pepper-sprayed an 84-year-old woman get to skate with only a couple unpaid days off. 
Of the eight cops that kicked in her door over a ran stop sign, one got a reprimand. 

http://www.newson6.com/story/33308439/community-wants-stronger-punishment-for-officers-involved-in-pepper-spraying-incident


Attorney for the police Scott Wood said the force was justified.
http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/video-shows-police-use-pepper-spray-on-woman/article_c026df8a-0ddf-5613-b759-d32367615080.html

We have the technology - take a picture, send a ticket.  This kind of stuff is stupid for police to be involved in.  And doesn't help safety or public relations with citizens at all.  It does however allow for expressions of aggression and dominance to escalate events beyond any possible rational level.

But then again, one of my favorite sayings....


A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Or this....


Hearse Con, be there or accept your role as a bitter failure at life.

http://www.hearseclub.com/hearsecon/hearsecon.htm

[patric]

Journalists, Documentary Filmmakers Call For Encryption in Cameras
https://nppa.org/news/journalists-documentary-filmmakers-call-encryption-cameras


Cameras with a built-in encryption system could help project photographers, filmmakers and their subjects in high-risk situations.

In an open letter to camera manufacturers, the Freedom of the Press Foundation said that while encryption is common in smart phones and many online messaging systems, still and video cameras currently do not come with this security feature.

The letter was signed by more than 150 photojournalists and documentary filmmakers, many of whom work in some of the most dangerous regions in the world. It was also backed by the National Press Photographers Association as well as the International Documentary Association, Field of Vision and Sundance's documentary Films.

Photojournalists and documentarians routinely face threats from corrupt law enforcement or border agents, terrorists and criminals. The Committee to Protect Journalists told the Freedom of the Press Foundation that these incidents are so common that they can't "realistically track them all."

Images taken from photojournalists could be destroyed to cover up stories of corrupt agencies or be used to track the subjects for retribution.

While the letter comes from a group of professionals, the ability to protect footage and photos on your camera would protect anyone.

[TeeDub]

Some of the alternate camera firmware(s) already offer that.

Seems like a niche request, but I am sure those 150 people would appreciate it...   Not so necessary for the remainder of the vast majority of camera owners.

[patric]

Seems like a niche request, but I am sure those 150 people would appreciate it...   Not so necessary for the remainder of the vast majority of camera owners.

The 150 who signed the petition probably represent a much greater number.  Compiling a list of every photojournalist that supports encryption would not be realistic, and perhaps a bit Trump-ish.

[TeeDub]

The 150 who signed the petition probably represent a much greater number.  Compiling a list of every photojournalist that supports encryption would not be realistic, and perhaps a bit Trump-ish.

Wow.   I forgot some people can be entirely literal.    Let's pretend that there are 5,000 that would appreciate the encryption.  

I don't want to pay for it, nor do I want it on my camera.   I would imagine that I am in the majority.   I guess the silent majority should always make concessions for the vocal minority?

Again, it isn't that it is not available, it just isn't particularly easy to use or available from the factory.   They would have to spend more effort than signing a petition to get it to work.

[Vashta Nerada]

"I just recorded everything!"

"OK," the officer said, moments before the video stopped abruptly, "you're going to jail, too."

It's hard to imagine anyone mishandling a call any worse than this officer,   who arrested a woman, Jacqueline Craig, who'd dialed 911 on Wednesday to complain that a neighbor had allegedly choked her son after accusing the boy of littering.

[TeeDub]

That one was bad....   

So was the one where the cop threatened to put the guy in jail and make up charges....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-cop-caught-threatening-to-create-charges_us_5893a046e4b0c1284f24fdf0

[patric]

That one was bad....  

So was the one where the cop threatened to put the guy in jail and make up charges....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-cop-caught-threatening-to-create-charges_us_5893a046e4b0c1284f24fdf0

As America "gets greater again" the attacks on journalists intensify.




Photojournalists Arrested at Protests Work to Have Confiscated Gear Returned
https://nppa.org/news/photojournalists-arrested-protests-work-get-confiscated-gear-returned

Protests across the country are growing more violent and photographers are getting caught up in the ensuing arrests, often having their gear confiscated. Caught without their cameras, they find themselves not only in police custody, but in a position where they can't work after they've been released.

Tracie Williams, who was arrested Feb. 23 at Standing Rock protests in North Dakota, got her gear back on March 1. Cheney Orr was arrested on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. and was able to get his cameras back a week later.  

On Feb. 23, Williams was at Standing Rock covering the Dakota Access Pipeline protests when the final eviction notice was issued to the protestors. A documentary photographer who focuses on humanitarian issues, she had been to the camp in December and had returned the beginning of February, living at the camp.

The eviction had been scheduled for the day before, but nothing had happened. Some protesters planned to stand in a peaceful act of civil disobedience, while others were evacuating to other protest camps. Structures had been set on fire the day before as a ceremonial gesture, protesters said.

She began to hear talk that law enforcement was coming into the camp from the north gate, riding in Humvees and carrying automatic weapons. They started to advance into the camp, knifing open teepees as they went, Williams said.

She watched as Regina Brave took a treaty stand, a kind of civil disobedience. Brave, who is in her 80s and was at the Wounded Knee protests in 1973, was one of the first to be arrested.

"I was really scared for their safety and I felt a duty to photograph their arrests," Williams said.

She was photographing men praying at a sacred "eternal fire" and had her camera to her face when she was grabbed by law enforcement.

She was handcuffed with zip ties and transported to a couple of locations before being charged with obstruction of a governmental function, a Class A misdemeanor.

Williams got her personal possessions back the next day when she was released, but she noticed that her camera, audio recorder and cell phone were missing. A note was left saying they have been taken as evidence.

On Inauguration Day, independent photographer Orr had traveled to Washington, D.C. to cover the events surrounding the inauguration of President Donald Trump. He'd planned to do a portrait series that day and during the Women's March on Washington the following day.

As the morning progressed, the interactions between law enforcement and protestors grew more aggressive.

"A lot was happening on both sides that I was witnessing and photographing," Orr said.

He was with a group of about 60 protestors when police started to move in.

"All of a sudden, there was a line of riot cops on my left saying 'go that way'," Orr said. "That way" was another line of officers. Flash grenades and pepper spray were deployed and the group was cordoned off and detained.

Eventually, Orr and the others were handcuffed with zip ties and his gear was confiscated. In addition to the Rolleiflex, they took a Canon DLSR, two lenses, a Contax point-and-shoot, memory cards and Orr's cell phone.

Orr was one of more than 200 people arrested and they were all charged with felony rioting.

Law enforcement wanted the images on the cameras for evidence but could not legally search them without either a warrant or permission from Orr.

"It is always a difficult decision to allow the government to view journalist's images but in this case there was an almost certainty that they would get to do so anyway balanced against the fact that had we not consented it might have been weeks or months until the equipment was returned."

[Vashta Nerada]

More than a half-dozen cops are present and not one says "Hey, this is wrong."



   Officer: Hey bud, turn that off, OK?
   Driver: No, I'll keep recording. Thank you. It's my right.
   Officer: Don't record me. You got me?
   Driver: Look, you're a police officer on duty. I can record you.
   Officer walks to driver's side of vehicle
   Officer: Be careful because there is a new law. Turn it off or I'll take you to jail.
   Driver: For recording you? What is the law?
   Officer: Step out of the car.
   Driver: What are you arresting me for? I'm sitting here in my car. I'm just recording in case anything happens. I'm surrounded by five police officers.
   Officer:  You're being a jerk.
   Driver: I'm scared right now. I'm not being a jerk. I'm recording in case anything happens.
   Officer: You better hope we don't find something in your car?
   Driver: You're not searching my car?
   Officer: I'm going to search your car.
   Driver: You're not searching my car.
   Officer calls for K-9 unit
   Driver:  Bring the K-9s. I don't care. I know my rights.
   Officer: I hope so. I know what the law is.
   Driver: I know the law. I'm an attorney, so I would hope I know what the law is. (shows him his "Bar Card")
   Officer: And an Uber driver?

The attorney proceeds to record a phony drug dog search of his car.
   


http://www.wect.com/story/34695605/video-shows-wpd-sergeant-falsely-telling-citizen-to-stop-recording-him-because-of-state-law
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/police-recording-debate_us_58c1b6cbe4b054a0ea691bfb

Justice Department reports from places like Ferguson, Chicago, Baltimore, and Cleveland (to name a few) offer evidence that there is certainly a problem within the institution of policing—whether it's individual officers who lie or a culture within some police departments that inadvertently, or worse, actively encourage lying.

Incidents like this would warrant a Justice Department investigation into the police department. But with Jeff Sessions in charge, who has vowed near unconditional support of the police, we know that's not happening anytime soon. This means recording incidents with police on cell phones will become more and more necessary for police accountability.

[Vashta Nerada]

Now Wilmington Police  Sergeant Kenneth Baker is "under investigation" for his actions caught caught on camera that day, showing he not only lied about the law, but lied about having probable cause to search Bright's car.
Cops kept telling Bright that the dog "indicated" on both sides of his car, which gave them probable cause to search the car.
But the video  shows the dog never gave such a sign.




Wilmington Police Chief: Taking photographs and videos of people that are in plain sight including the police is your legal right. As a matter of fact we invite citizens to do so when they believe it is necessary. We believe that public videos help to protect the police as well as our citizens and provide critical information during police and citizen interaction.

Sheriff: "In keeping with Sheriff McMahon's practice of openness and transparency with the citizens that we serve, he has instructed his staff to ensure that each deputy has been provided with information about the citizen's right to record encounters with law enforcement officers"


Sounds like a Model Policy (hint...hint...)

[Vashta Nerada]

...The United States is concerned that discretionary charges , such as disorderly conduct, loitering, disturbing the peace, and resisting arrest, are all too easily
used to curtail expressive conduct or retaliate against individuals for exercising their First Amendment rights. 

The United States believes that courts should view such charges skeptically to ensure that individuals' First Amendment rights are protected.
  Core First Amendment conduct, such as recording a police officer performing duties on a public street, cannot be the sole basis for such charges. 

...The First Amendment right to record police officers performing public duties extends to both the public and members of the media, and the Court should not make a distinction between the public's and the media's rights to record here.  The derogation of these rights erodes public confidence in our police departments,
decreases the accountability of our governmental officers, and conflicts with the liberties that the Constitution was designed to uphold.

[Vashta Nerada]

Police Chief Butch Ayers said when Sgt. Michael Bongiovanni (a supervisor) was asked about the discrepancies in his account and the newly surfaced video, he replied, "It's different on the streets."


"But without video, it was always the citizen's word versus the officer's word."
67 past complaints, none of which the department addressed.


The long history of false police reports

Police unions say video makes cops afraid to do their job, but if those cops believe being able to get away with lying and brutality is their job then maybe thats the problem.  Unions not only protect bad cops, but encourage their behavior.

[patric]

http://www.fox23.com/news/fox23-investigates/video-appears-to-show-green-country-police-officer-punch-man-in-the-face/516200623

The Chief approves of sucker-punching a mouthy drunk "to keep everyone safe."    Film at eleven.

[patric]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/tpd-man-filming-mingo-valley-headquarters-could-have-posed-a/article_a2e70b77-41db-58bb-a2dd-8e7beb245c26.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFTF9JVJGSY

In practice that probably isnt much different than cops going into a bar and making sure they arent serving minors or drunks, the result being a police spokesman rambling off some alt-facts.

If it was a "compliance check" then Tulsa failed, and people took notice:  http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2017/06/06/in-tulsa-only-the-cops-can-have-cameras