Apparently, Rochester, New York police officers need some remedial freedom training. Or at least officer Mario Masic does:
It is not illegal to photograph or video tape police officers.
According to Carlos Miller's blog, Emily Good was charged on June 21 with "obstructing government administration," which actually sounds like a good, patriotic activity to us.
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Follow orders give by police. She made her choice.
ReplyDeleteSeig Heil, I was just following orders, sir!
ReplyDeleteYou have an obligation as a U.S. citizen to resist unlawful orders. Period. Otherwise, you get what we have now, law enforcement officers who believe that they must be obeyed like God. This police officer denied the woman her Constitutionally protected rights. That is official oppression. Felony. The police officer is a felon, if all it takes is to commit a felony. A good civil rights attorney could make that stick, for a healthy settlement.
ReplyDeleteThe real problem here is that in the past, all an officer had to do was lie, and his word was taken as gospel. Now we have cameras with us all the time. We can record what actually happens. Hard to argue with the video. If the police that lied had been gotten rid of long ago, no one would bother to video anything now. To many mistakes by untrained cops citizens are made to pay for so that the police don't have to accept responsibility for their own actions. Spending and hour to come up with something to charge her with makes it obvious that she wasn't breaking any law that the officer had any knowledge of. He just arrested her to show her he could. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb.
ReplyDeleteShe did nothing wrong, and there is no reason why she cannot take a peaceful stance against the unlawful order of a poorly trained police officer. If I was her, I would be contacting some reputable defense attorneys because she can charge him for constitutional tort and seek damages. He violated her first amendment rights.
ReplyDeleteWatching this video would anyone really feel threatened by this woman? Granted, we do not know what was said prior to the start of the taping. But to be told to "go in your home because we feel threatened with you behind us" does not give me much confidence in the police. Why was the person who continues filming not arrested as well if they felt so threatened? It was a poor job by the police to show the power they can and do have over people. Some love that power! I wish her good luck in fighting them, each and every one of those who reported to the scene.
ReplyDeleteHe should be removed from the force as the same for the chief for not having the honor, courage to see that this officer has violated this individual constitutional right. She was told to step back and she did unto her property. She was no threat to the officer and others there. It is obvious she was video filming. There was no probable cause. So they charged her with a non sticking crime in order to excuse this officer illegal arrest. Prosecution should have the courage along with the judge to throw this case out and go after the officer along with internal affairs. Get rid of the chief also for being a coward lying individual.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a complaint to the Chief of Police, James Sheppard, asking him among other things to decide whether he was going to act or is the police force now nothing more than the biggest organized crime gang in the US.
ReplyDeleteI got no problem with some good ol' vigilante justice when it comes to a giant asshole like that using the threat of deadly force on members of the public.
ReplyDeleteUntil you all are put in a Police Officer's shoes you should all be quiet. It is an officer safety issue for any person to be standing behind a police officer while an investigation is taking place. If you are not all aware of the news and the police killings that are taking place across the United States, then I suggest you read up. After reviewing the ridiculous video that was posted I believe the officer asked the woman several times to go back in her house. He was also very polite until the woman refused to follow orders. He warned her several times that if she did not go back into her house she would then be arrested, she then got what she asked for. Recording an officer during an investigation is not orderly. I think that it is very funny that the public today is worried about the safety of their families, due to all the violence and killings in Rochester NY. Yet when the police go around and try to pull the individuals off the street who are causing the issues, a stupid woman like the one who got arrested would be recording their investigation to be a smart ass. In today's society you never know anymore, and the officer above did what he thought was right. The individuals in the video are very ignorant, and I hope nothing ever serious happens to their families or themselves because if I was the police I would tell you to go F your self. Rochester's murder rate is very high for the size of the city, and justice needs to be served, yet when the Police act, accusations come up and the police aren't acting as the public would like. Why don't you go do what a police officer does every day, see what they see. You probably cant, because the individuals who are making this video something that it is not all probably have a record of some sort. I think its disgusting how the world is today. Maybe we should just like everyone go around breaking laws, and start killing each other. Unfortunately the Police will always be hated by the public eye, and that's terrible. The public only likes the police when they need them. I hope the ignorant woman in this video enjoyed a nice night in jail.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments on this post.
ReplyDeleteIt's obvious that some people think it's fine for police to violate our rights and even arrest citizens without cause. Others of us think this woman is going to be quite wealthy when she settles her lawsuit against the City of Rochester, NY.
I have no idea how anyone watching this can say that what the police did was OK. Is this the country you want to live in? Where police can arrest you for filming their very public jobs?
ReplyDeleteNot me. I want to live in a country where police INVITE you to film what they do. This officer needs to find another line of work...clearly he is not suited for this job in this country.
BTW, the police officer was NOT worried about this woman as a physical threat. Had she not had a camera, this would never have happened. It was the camera that got her arrested.
ReplyDeleteHow's that for democracy in action?
to the guy that was ranting about never being "put in a police officer's shoes", I think you're missing the point. If I'm in my front lawn, watching something going on in front of my home, I have a right to be there. I'm not hindering any investigation.. I'm standing in my front yard. The dude just wanted to show off his power. My father was in law enforcement my entire life.. I don't hate cops. But shit like this makes me wonder why people really get into the field. Its a power trip... and they're totally drunk off it. They should be worrying about real issues instead of a woman standing in her front yard. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteTheir arrest fails a basic sanity check... There were many other people all around and the officers did not feel threatened by any of them. Just by one with a camera.
ReplyDeleteIf they really were threatened, they would have searched her and let her alone once they determined that she was not a threat.
Police have the authority to make reasonable orders around a scene, but that was not reasonable.
I ask... what are they afraid of? Shouldn't they be asking to be filmed for additional proof that they are doing the right things all the time?
Again, thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeletePolice officers have a very difficult job to do. They have our utmost respect, as a profession. But photographing them is not a danger or even a distraction in a case like this. Arresting this woman, who was on her own private property observing, is absolutely uncalled for.
Correct. The CAMERA was the threat. My Liberty feels threatened too - with so many CAMERAS on street corners... growing in number every day. Remember -
ReplyDelete"IF YOU DON'T CONTROL YOURSELF FROM WITHIN, YOU'LL BE CONTROLLED FROM WITHOUT".
This is what we are beginning to see in our Country. Start going back to Church on Sunday America. We ALL need God ~ like never before.
When the Government is afraid of the people, you have Liberty.
ReplyDeleteWhen the people are afraid of the Government, you have Tyranny.
- Thomas Jefferson
An unarmed woman - with a camera - a threat? What!? What a sissy Police Officer. If Channel 10 were there filming, would he arrest the woman behind the TV Camera too? Hummm? Can you say: "POLICE STATE"?
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ReplyDeleteThis cop is a disgrace. I hope they take his badge and he never works in law enforcement again.
ReplyDeleteI've known a few good cops.
I mean REALLY good cops. I knew a cop who privately beat the shit out of another cop who had roughed-up a young kid during a traffic stop.
Unfortunately, there are too many Mario Masics and too few Frank Serpicos.
MOST cops cover for each other, rather than police their own profession -- which makes them accessories, doesn't it?
Yeah, police work isn't easy.
Neither is playing professional basketball.
But in either case, you have to play by the rules, and if you can't do that, stop whining and find yourself another job.
A police officer's job is "serve and protect" and every one of them takes an oath to uphold the Constitution.
If you can't get into it, get out of it.
sj
Well said, Spartacus jones!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the other case, where a sgt. in the armed forces was on a motorcycle and cut off by an unmarked vehicle and approached by an individual in plain clothes yelling and brandishing a gun before identifying himself as a state trooper. This was filmed in cal. I believe. Now the filmer...also sworn to protect and serve.. or in an officers shoes if you like ....is facing up to 16 yrs. for protecting his rights.
ReplyDeleteWhen did local law trump national?!?!