Thank God for cell phone cameras and the SJ Merc for exposing SJPD brurality

[tblue]

on the Front Page today, especially. Heartbreaking case of brute force and tasering a student groping on the floor for his glasses.

Driving yesterday, I saw 2 SJ cops, one with green rubber gloves on, talking to a young black man at a bus stop. I normally look away from scenes like this. It's not my business, I always figured and, besides, I'd hate to further humiliate some poor schmuck being questioned by police. But this time I kept watching, and I was ready to start my cell phone camera rolling, just in case. Nothing happened while I was looking, and I had to move on when the light changed. But I hope those cops saw me, and I hope they know there are eyes, and now cameras, watching.

[T Wolf]

1. Can work out, but can also tune bad when the cops see you filming them and come

after you and your camera.

In many locales, simply looking cross-ways at a cop gets you a disorderly conduct charge.

Just wait until it becomes against the law (as it is in some places, IIRC) to film them. Every weapon we develop, they can legislate against.

[immoderate]

2. Sounds like a constitutional issue.

Against the law to take pictures of police? IIRC, DUer RagingInMiami, a photojournalist, had a similar encounter with police. They arrested him for blocking traffic or dis-con, or impeding an investigation, something like that. Here's his journal. There are several entries about it.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/RagingInMiami

I agree that police are abusive in some places. I hope the video will be a way of weeding them out. How do you write a law that says it's illegal to photograph police doing their duty? "Whereas, we don't want cops prosecuted for felonies they might commit..." :shrug:

--imm