Thug Cop Assaults Cameraman For Filming From Across Street

http://prisonplanet.com/articles/may2008/300508_b_thug.htm

VIDEO

Thug cop assaults cameraman for filming a crime scene from across the road. Cop smashes $50,000 dollar camera for kicks.

Well...I'll bite. "Prisonplanet.com"...hmmm.

Most of the cops I know aren't afraid of cameras. Hell, I've got a camera in my car and a wireless mic on me all flipping day. My camera is on a continuous digital loop, and there's a special partition in my MDT's hard drive that literally records my entire day - of course I can't access that, only IA and the video unit can. We have cameras all over our precinct, in our sallyport, in our BAC room and in our holding cells. Video assists me more than it hurts me, it's just who's behind the camera and how they choose to spin it.

I also cannot stand the media. Paparazzi in more expensive clothes. I've had news reporters on a slow news day literally try to walk up on me while I'm in the middle of traffic stops, or better yet when I'm arresting someone...and it's not because they're ignorant...they push the envelope on purpose to see how much they can get away with.

The camera dude in this video was an absolute ass. Officer involved shooting call, unsecured scene, already told once to go to the media staging area, and chose to stay. Find a Sgt. or someone with bars on their arms and go where you're supposed to be. Media know the rules and try to ignore them as much as they can. Media staging areas are so that the press doesn't stomp all over a CRIME SCENE!!! You know...evidence...dead people, brain matter on the pavement...even though some of the people that get smeared all over the road are dirtbags, they don't deserve to have their innards shown on the 6 o'clock news.

Once the cameraman learned where the staging area was, he could have just gone to it. Not retort with a smartass "Was that so hard?"

The officer on the other hand...

Hey, we're public servants and should be used to being on display. Every Tom. Dick and Harry has a camera phone with a video function on it. I've had bystanders try to get under my skin during crowd control incidents yelling, "You're on tape, I'm recording you right now!" It's not a big deal, my camera and mic are rolling too - it protects me more than it hurts. "Fine, go ahead, just don't get in the way of me doing my job, and we won't have a problem. If you intentionally attempt to get in the way of me performing my duties, you run the risk of being arrested for obstruction, other than that...film away!"

I'm sure what the news station chose to air was not all of what was on film, and I also know that the camera never shows the entirety of the situation, but I can't see why the officer did what he did. Again, the cameraman was an ass. A baiting, provocative ass, but the officer did not warn him to get back or explain the consequences for not doing so. From what I could see on the newsclip, it was not a dynamic scene (the 2nd officer drove away after all while the camera was rolling), so I don't think citizen safety was an issue.

I'd like to know what the exact charge will be against the cameraman, and if it sticks. An obstruction charge certainly would not stick out in my neck of the woods if things went down as portrayed in the video...however, until the whole truth comes out, we can only speculate.

Something our command staff remind us of all the time; Always act as if you are being recorded...because you most likely are.

I didnt know I was afraid of a video camera as I video taped most of my crime scenes.

Lets not let this topic spiral out of control

The reporter was a jackass. An instigating jackass. He knew tensions would be high - it was the scene of an officer involved shooting. Reporters and their camera-people are generally scum who love pushing and pushing to get that next scandalous story. I feel no pity or sorrow for the guy. Crap, it's not even like the camera belonged to HIM. It was station property.

Hopefully Mr. Camera Monkey will remember this incident, and not be such an ass the next time he rolls to a scene like that. Also, we don't know why the one officer in the vehicle left the area - the other cars remained - it could've been a supervisor leaving, or the officer could've been heading elsewhere at the crime scene to go interview witnesses or give information to one of the detectives person to person to keep scanner-freaks from eavesdropping.