Yet another LEO with testosterone poisoning assaults a citizen photojournalist for daring to exercise his 1st Amendment rights, telling him he has none, that he ‘lost’ them!
“I was just trying to film, didn’t think i was breaking any laws.” -Gootz-
by Carlos Miller
Baltimore, MD — In a chaotic video out of Maryland, a horde of cops were struggling to arrest two suspects in the middle of a road for unknown reasons when an officer storms up to the videographer standing on the side of the road and tells him, “Get out of my face.”
The videographer asserts his rights to record, so a police sergeant then storms up to him and starts shoving him, telling him to “Get the hell out of here,” and “Leave”…accusing him of “diverting my attention” (from piling on the two suspects who were not resisting) – even though there were countless other people standing around watching. None were, however, holding a camera.
The videographer starts walking away, but keeps pointing out he had not broken any law, which prompts the angry sergeant to charge him again, saying:
“Look at me, do you see the police presence here? Do you see us all. We’re not fucking around, do you understand? Do not, do not disrespect us. Do not, not listen to us. Walk away and shut your fucking mouth or you’re going to jail. Do you understand.”
The sergeant walks away and the videographer asks if he had committed a crime. The sergeant then stomped back, grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.
“Don’t open your mouth,” the cop barks.
“I thought I had freedom of speech,” the photographer pleads.
“You don’t, you just lost it,” the cop sneers.
Of course, the sergeant was wrong–egregiously so. Yes, we do have freedom of speech, and it includes the right to photograph, to petition the government for redress of grievances – especially when the video clearly shows the LEO singling out a single citizen from a crowd, solely on the basis the man was recording police activity in public.
UPDATE: At first, it was believed the sergeant was from the Towson University Police Department. But, it now appears as if he is from the Baltimore County Police Department, (410) 887-2361.
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor
City Hall, Room 250
100 N. Holliday Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Phone (410) 396-3835
Fax (410) 576-9425
http://www.baltimorecity.gov/OfficeoftheMayor.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/BaltimoreCountyPoliceandFire
Elise Armacost, earmacost@baltimorecountymd.gov, is the Director of the Office of Media and Communications, Public Safety. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office telephone number is 410-887-2210.
