Annapolis, md police officer threatens to "lock up" man for filming anti-gay marriage rally
"This is private property. This belongs to the state," the security guard bizarrely responded
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"This is private property. This belongs to the state," the security guard bizarrely responded.Miller continued telling the guard that he had the right to take pictures, so the guard called in a supervisor. The supervisor also claimed that the public parking lot was "private" and threatened to call the police. Miller and his friend decided to leave the parking lot. Miller said that they were followed by the supervisor as they left. Sources:
* * * * * Philadelphia airport police and TSA agent harass man for filming four times in one day On December 23, 2010, activist James Babb was filming TSA checkpoints as part of an anti-TSA protest at the Philadelphia International Airport. Two police officers and one TSA agent told Babb that he was not allowed to film. The second officer even threatened to seize Babb's camera if Babb filmed him. In each case, Babb asserted his right to film and was eventually left alone. In a fourth incident outside the airport, Babb filmed a police officer standing in the middle of the street for no apparent reason. The officer then pulled out a bright flashlight and shined in in Babb's direction to interfere with the video camera. The officer continued to do this for about a minute and a half before losing interest and leaving without explanation. Videos:
* * * * * Plainclothes Jackson, WI police officer threatens man with arrest for filming On November, 17th, 2010, two police officers, one in uniform, the other in plainclothes, entered a fitness club to arrest Adam Mueller on a bench warrant related to an unresolved traffic ticket. Mueller's friend Pete Eyre began filming the incident with a camera phone. The plainclothes officer confronted Eyre and repeatedly threatened to seize his camera as "evidence" and arrest him. Eyre refused to put his camera away and the officer eventually left him alone. Sources:
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* * * * * San Diego, CA trolley cops harass man for filming brutality On September 5th, 2009, Rob Hurlbut said he witnessed a group San Diego Transit Police tackle and arrest a man for smoking -- an offense people are normally cited for. He began filming the incident while the trolley cops piled on top of the man. Hurlbut's footage shows the security guards yelling at the man to "stop resisting" despite the fact that he was not resisting in any way. The man explained to the guards that he was trying to cooperate but that they were hurting him, but they continued to use force against him. A female officer spotted Hurlbut filming him and told him that he was not allowed to take pictures. Hurlbut took a few steps back, but continued filming as the security guards brought the man to their cruiser. After the man was placed in the cruiser, a male trolley cop approached Hurlbut, demanded to see his trolley pass, and told him to stop taking pictures. Hurlbut asked if it was against the law and the guard replied that it was. Hurtlbut asked again and the guard responded "It's against out rights." Hurlbut asked the guard what law made it illegal to take pictures, but the guartd refused to give him an answer. Finally, Hurlbut shut off the camera out of fear that the trolley cops might confiscate it and delete his footage. Hurlbut said that several minutes after he shut off his camera, he was approached by another trolley cop who demanded to see his pass. Hurlbut said he produced it and the officer grabbed it out of his hands and threatened him. On September 18, Ken Moller, president of Heritage Security Services, the company that employed the trolley cops, issued an apology to Hurlbut and confirmed that it is legal to take pictures and shoot video. "We have no right to tell people they can’t shoot [video] down there," he said. "My officers were wrong in telling him that. And I put that word out as soon as I saw the video. It’s a public place and people can certainly shoot video down there if they want to." However, Heritage Security Services refused to release the arrest report for the smoker despite the fact that Hurlbut's video showed the trolley cops using excessive force. Sources:
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* * * * * Terrebonne Parish sheriff's deputy harasses videographer on behalf of oil company In June, 2010, Drew Wheelan, conservation coordinator for the American Birding Association, was filming himself standing in a field near the BP building/Deepwater Horizon response command in Houma, Louisiana. Wheelan hoped to obtain access to the building and talk to a company representative about the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. While Wheelan was filming, he was confronted by a Terrebonne Parish sheriff's deputy who asked him for personal information. When Wheelan asked if he was violating any laws, the deputy responded "Not particularly. BP doesn't want people filming." Wheelan told the deputy that he was not on BP's property and therefore the company had no right to stop him from filming. The deputy responded: "Let me explain. BP doesn't want any filming. So all I can really do is strongly suggest that you not film anything right now. If that makes any sense." The deputy continued pestering Wheelan with personal questions which he answered. After Wheelan left in his car, he was pulled over by the same deputy. The deputy detained Wheelan for approximately 20 minutes while Kenneth Thomas, a man identified as the chief of the BP building's private security force, interrogated him. Wheelan said that after he was allowed to leave, he was followed by two unmarked vehicles for 20 miles. "Maybe I'm paranoid, but I was specifically trying to figure out if they were following me, and every time I pulled over, they pulled over, " Wheelan recounted. It was later confirmed that the sheriff's deputy was off duty and working for BP when he detained Wheelan even though he was driving his department-issued police cruiser Sources:
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* * * * * TN lawmaker tries to ban reporter from house chambers In May, 2010, Tennessee House Speaker Kent Williams collapsed while giving a speech in the house chambers. It was later determined that Williams, who is diabetic, had passed out due to low blood sugar. Associated Pess reporter Erik Schlezig was sitting at a desk inside the chamber's press box when Williams collapsed. Schlezig climbed up on the desk to take a picture of Williams. After he took the picture, a number of Tennessee legislators approached the press box and began yelling at Schlezig and trying to block his camera with their hands. Some of the lawmakers demanded that Schlezig be removed and a group of state police escorted Schlezig from the building. Joe Towns, a Democratic representative, drafted a proposal to have Schlezig's press credentials revokes. The proposal claimed that by taking pictures of Williams, Schlezig was "needlessly hindering emergency medical personnel from providing necessary medical care" despite the fact that he was on the other side of a glass barrier when he took the offending photograph. Williams said in an interview that he had no problem with Schlezig taking pictures of him and called him a "good reporter." He urged Towns to drop the proposal to ban Schlezig which Towns subsequently did. Sources:
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* * * * * West Lafayette, IN officer threatens student journalist with arrest On October 20, 2010, a student journalist Michael Carney was working on a story about Election Day when a medical emergency occurred on campus. Carney began filming the scene and was approached by an EMT who demanded that he stopped filming. Carney did not shut the camera off and was then approached by police officer Jeff Hegg. Hegg obstructed Carney's camera with his body and hands and repeatedly ordered him to turn his camera off, to leave the area, and threatened to arrest him. He claimed that the camera was an "invasion of privacy." He also claimed that the reporter needed a press pass to film. Carney asserted his right to film in a public place, but did show ID when asked. Hegg continued to harass Carney for about 10 minutes before finally leaving without an explanation. Sources:
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* * * * * Dark blue incidents: Atlanta, GA police officer shoves Copwatcher for filming traffic stop Members of Copwatch began video-recording police officers conduct a traffic stop that ended with two arrests. One of the officers quickly told them that they were not allowed to take pictures and threated to confiscate the camera they were using. "We're just observing," one of the Copwatchers calmly told the officer. "I don't care, brother!" the officer shouted. "Don't take a picture of me!" The officer grabbed the camera briefly, forced the Copwatchers to back up while covering the lens with his hand, and told them to leave before finally leaving them alone. They continued to record the arrests. Sources:
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* * * * * Georgia State University officer attacks and threatens Copwatcher On August 25, 209, members of the group Food Not Bombs were serving food to the homeless at Hurt Park when they were approached by a group of police officers. Members of East Atlanta Copwatch were present and began filming. Several of the officers began demanding that the Copwatchers stop recording. The Copwatchers explained that were just observing and had no intention of interfing with the officers. Suddenly, one of the police, a George State University officer, moved towards one of the videographers, shouting, "What did I just tell you, man? I'm not playing!" and striking the videographer's camera. The videographer asked for the officer's name and badge number, but the officer repeatedly refused to give it. The videographer continued asking for the officer's name and badge which prompted the officer to grab him by the arm and jerk him. Finally, the officer identified himself as J. Spears, badge #156. After identifying himself, Spears went on a brief rant in which he told the videographer over and over that he "could walk through the park." "Where did the other officers go?," the videographer asked, noticing that they had moved on. The officer left without answering. Sources:
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* * * * * Hamilton County deputy attacks man, tries to seize his camera Chris Winston, a freelance videographer, was working on a rap music video when he heard a fight break out. He began using his camera to film it. A Hamilton County deputy confronted Winston, grabbed him by the shirt, and attempted to seize his camera. The camera was strapped to Winston's body, so she was unable to recover it. After realizing this, the officer backed off. Winston said that his rights were violated, but declined to file a complaint. Sources:
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* * * * * Lafayette, LA police threaten to seize phone of man who filmed police brutality At a Mardi Gras celebration on February 16th, 2010, a man filmed police arresting a large group of people for allegedly participating in a fight using his iPhone. The video shows one of the officers violently shaking a handcuffed teenage girl sitting on the ground while screaming in her face to "shut up." The videographer claims that the officer tackled the girl prior to shaking her. One officer approached the man and told him that his phone would be confiscated as evidence if it contained video of the fight the suspects were being arrested for. The man responded that it did not contain any video of the fight and the officer left him alone. A second officer then approached the man and threatened to have him jailed for "causing a disturbance" even though he was not interfering with the officers. Finally, a third officer approached the man, told him "I'll give you a receipt for your phone," then attempted to snatch it from his hands. The video cuts out at this point, but the videographer says that the officer eventually left him alone without seizing the camera. The officer who shook the teenage girl was placed on paid administrative leave as a result of the video being published. Sources:
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* * * * * Los Angeles, CA riot police brutalize FOX reporters at immigration rally On May 1, 2007, a group of riot police attacked peaceful demonstrators at an immigration rally in McArthur Park. Police shot rubber bullets into crowds that included children and beat people with batons. The LA police chief later said that he "was disturbed at what [he] saw" at the rally and concluded that police used "inappropriate" force. The city of Los Angeles eventually paid $13 million to a group of around 300 demonstrators, bystanders, and reporters to settle a class action lawsuit. In a separate lawsuit, the city paid $1.7 million to Patricia Ballaz, a member of a Fox news team filming the demonstration, who was attacked by police at the rally. Christina Gonzalez, one of Ballaz's colleagues, also sued the city, however, the jury could not reach a conclusion about the case. Ballaz's lawyer commented that "There was a war against the media out there that day." Sources:
* * * * * New Hanover County deputy harasses man for filming deputy tase naked man In 2010, Stephen Stearns filmed New Hanover County deputies using a taser to subdue a streaker. One of the officers confronted Stearns, repeatedly ordered him to put his camera down, grabbed at the camera, and threatened to arrest him. Stearns asserted his right to film and stood his ground and the deputy eventually left him alone. New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon later confirmed that Stearns had done nothing wrong by filming the incident. "I would actually encourage anyone who has a camera to shoot video, 'cause I'd like to see what happened," McMahon said. Sources:
* * * * * New Orleans, LA police officer knocks man's cell phone to the ground In March, 2011, New Orleans police officers arrested a dozen people who had allegedly been acting violently at a parade. Ritchie Katko used a cell phone camera to film one of the arrests. Katko's footage shows several officers standing over a man while screaming "Get on your fucking knees!" repeatedly. One of the officers then approaches Katko, yells at him to "Get out of here," and then strikes the cell phone with his hand, knocking it to the ground. Katko was able to retrieve his phone and continue filming. Sources:
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* * * * * Sawyer County sherrif's deputy attacks reporter, lies about it In August, 2008, Sawyer County sheriff's deputy Brian Knapp confronted a reporter videotaping the site of a car accident at the Lac Courte Orreilles Reservation, grabbed his camera, and struck him in the shoulder with his flashlight. He later lied on the police report, claiming that he had merely attempted to block the reporter's camera to prevent him from taking pictures. Chief Deputy Tim Ziegle said that Knapp "certainly could have handled [the situation] a different way and did not have the authority to cover up the recording device." In 2009, Knapp was ordered to take anger management classes. No criminal charges were brought against him for attacking the reporter or lying on the police report. Sources:
* * * * * Texas state trooper harasses reporter, strikes his camera In February, 2010, Aaron Dykes, a reporter for the website Infowars.com, was filming outside the state capitol while working on a story about the Fausto Cardenas shooting. Dykes was approached by a state trooper who ordered him to show ID. The trooper ordered Dykes to "point the camera some other direction" and struck it with his hand. Dykes asked why the officer was asking him to show ID and he responded "Suspicious person, how's that?" Dykes continued refusing to show ID and the officer called a supervisor to deal with the situation. While waiting, the officer used his hat to block Dykes' camera and told Dykes that he was being detained. Dykes asked if he was suspected of a crime, but the officer ignored the question. When the supervisor showed up, Dykes explained what happened. The supervisor quickly allowed him to leave without showing ID. Sources:
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* * * * * Wildwood, NJ police officers shove videographer, threaten to destroy his camera and arrest him In 2010, a man filmed two police officers ticketing his friend. His video does not show the reason the officers were citing the friend, but he claims that it was because the friend was wearing a shirt with profanity (the shirt read "Fuck I'm Lemne"). During the encounter, one of the officers approached the man in an aggressive manner, pushed his camera, and ordered him to put it away. When the man refused, the officer struck the camera again and threatened to throw it on the ground. He then called the man a "wise ass" and ordered him to leave because he was supposedly "interfering." The first officer left the man alone and he continued filming. About a minute and a half later, two more officers showed up and one began grabbing at the man's camera repeatedly ordering him to "put it away." The officer threatened to have the man "locked up" if he didn't put his camera away and the man finally turned it off. Sources:
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* * * * * Purple incidents: Atlanta, GA police seize Copwatcher's phone and destroy his footage In 2010, Marlon Kautz of East Atlanta Copwatch was filming officers Mark Taylor and Anthony Kirkman make an arrest with a cell phone camera. The officers confronted Kauts and ordered him to stop filming. Kautz continued filming and the officers twisted his arm behind his back and seized the phone from him. When Kautz tried to get the camera back, he discovered that it had been classified as "evidence." Kautz said officer Kirkman demanded to know the password for the phone so that he could delete the video. Kautz refused to give the password and consulted with attorney Gerry Webber. He told Kirkman that he was planning a lawsuit and the officer finally returned the phone, but the video had been corrupted. Kautz said the damage was probably caused by officers removing the battery from the phone. Kautz filed a lawsuit against the police and was awarded $40,000 in a settlement. As part of the settlement, the police were also forced to acknowledge that individuals have the right to film them. The officers who took Kautz's phone received oral reprimands. Sgt. Stephen Zygai also received a reprimand for failing to supervise the officers properly. Sources:
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