Detroit Police Arrest Free Press Photographer filming on public sidewalk [[Video)

**John** · July-16-13, 07:25 AM

Detroit police and the department’s internal affairs officers have launched investigations following the arrest of a Free Press photographer who was filming a police action on a public street last week.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013071...video-arrested

**Honky Tonk** · July-16-13, 08:39 AM

"Her video shows eight officers involved in the arrest of a man wearing a white tank top and blue jeans."

The article forgot to add "and blue boxer shorts".

**sumas** · July-16-13, 08:55 AM

The story/article interesting, the brief clip very creepy. Certainly we want positive protection but lets not go back to STRESS tactics. Sounds like lots of stupid decisions by police again.

**Meddle** · July-16-13, 09:29 AM

Hopefully this will be an EX-cop

**rb336** · July-16-13, 09:31 AM

The cop needs to be arrested for his actions.

**Wheels** · July-16-13, 09:35 AM

Why did it take 6 hours to undo this wrong doing?

**Honky Tonk** · July-16-13, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Why did it take 6 hours to undo this wrong doing?

Had to run it by legal to see what he did wrong, what the repercussions would be, and how to handle damage control.

**compn** · July-16-13, 09:46 AM

@sumas: didnt they say they were going back to STRESS tactics because it had results?

**Detroitnerd** · July-16-13, 11:05 AM

Police pull this crap all the time. Stand up to the police about your rights and a lot of the time they'll arrest you. Another time-honored police tactic is "taking you around the horn" while your lawyers can't find where you are, which means they're able to hold you longer than they should. When you're released, the extralegal punishment has already taken place. Now you'll think twice when police give you an order that you know they have no right to give.

Not all cops are like this. But police departments develop little "tricks" over the years to "tune up" people they find troublesome, even if it's outside the law.

**sumas** · July-16-13, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by compn

@sumas: didnt they say they were going back to STRESS tactics because it had results?

I am hoping you are joking. I am still shaking that a neighbor got slammed down and almost cuffed through mistaken identity.

She, the reporter, was doing her job and if we have no freedom of press then God help us.

I am old enough to remember STRESS. Evil "legal" thugs out to eradicate anything they didn't like. Those were the Vietnam years. They had tremendous fun at Peace marches and really hated blacks moving into white neighborhoods. I still shudder.

**corktownyuppie** · July-16-13, 11:26 AM

I don't have a problem with undercover cops doing police work. I do have a problem with people who are within the law being illegally mistreated by police. The existence of one does not need to include the existence of the other.

That officer should have allowed the journalist to continue filming. If the journalist was in any way obstructing the police work, she should have been instructed to move to a different location.

**sumas** · July-16-13, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

I don't have a problem with undercover cops doing police work. I do have a problem with people who are within the law being illegally mistreated by police. The existence of one does not need to include the existence of the other.

That officer should have allowed the journalist to continue filming. If the journalist was in any way obstructing the police work, she should have been instructed to move to a different location.

So correct.

I can honestly say I have seen a greater street presence. Just would like it to be smart.

I could sit on my porch and point to problem homes.

My husband and I sit on many area committees. The local police rep always tells us why they don't/won't respond. That's been 25 t0 30 years of excuses. Serious boring.

I still think my favorite, & mentioned before, is thinking an abandoned home was being scrapped. Called a neighbor, she said hell yes and its neighbors doing it. She called police, we watched that home being scrapped for 3 days. Sigh!

**JBMcB** · July-16-13, 12:47 PM

This has been tried in the courts a few times. Here are your rights:

1. You can film anyone in the street while on public property.
2. An officer CAN order you to move away, or move to another location.
3. An officer CANNOT order you to stop filming or taking pictures.
4. As long as you follow the directions in item 2, the officer CANNOT take your camera away.

That won't stop them from doing so, of course.

Weird that they said they are investigating a missing memory card from an iPhone, since iPhones do not have removable memory. Then again, modern journalists can barely describe what a computer is.