The last couple of days, I’ve been pondering something Jeff Gamso wrote, at least partly as a response to a comment I made on his blog. As with a lot of Jeff’s stuff, it’s taking me longer to consider than most things I read. I like that. I like that Jeff makes me think. Too many people in the world don’t seem to spend enough time thinking, or helping others think, these days.
Take these two cops, for instance.
Green says he and his fiancée couldn’t believe what they were seeing and he videotaped the incident.
I couldn’t believe it. He seen me taping. He looked up at the camera a few times, and he still hit her like that, and I can’t believe he didn’t try to diffuse the situation at all,” Green said.
Unlike Green, though, I know why the cop “looked up at the camera a few times, and…still hit her like that.”
It’s because he figured that video would never see the light of day. Across the country, police are striking citizens, giving “beatdowns” to citizens, even killing citizens and then, in addition to burying citizens, they work to bury any evidence. In the old days, this was called a “coverup.”
Today, it’s Standard Operating Procedure.
Don’t take my word for it, though. You can see it for yourself:
- Police Arrest Illinois Man for Videotaping Traffic Stop
- Rochester Woman Arrested After Videotaping Police From Her Own Front Yard
- Cooper Gets Arrested for Videotaping Cop
- NH Man Arrested for Videotaping Cops…Again
- Police inquiry reveals violations in arrest, beating of videographer
- Navy Vet Arrested After Videotaping Police In Tampa
- Growing Number of Prosecutions for Videotaping the Police
- Wis. man sues police over arrest for videotaping event (Update 3/21/2017: Link Broken/Removed)
- Loyola Professor Detained For Videotaping Teen’s Arrest
They aren’t afraid of going after the press, either.
- News photographer arrested on Long Island for videotaping police
- Clint Fillinger, Photojournalist, Arrested For ‘Resisting’ Milwaukee Police After Filming At Fire Scene
- Three-time Wisconsin ‘Photographer of the Year’ arrested during Occupy rally
- [Journalism] Faculty member handcuffed: Videotaping sparks police incident
- Insane Cop Arrests ABC News Reporter For Filming Traffic Accident
- Police vs Reporter, US – ABC TV Crew Pulled Over, Gunpoint
This is happening despite the fact that the courts have repeatedly ruled in favor of those doing the videotaping.
- Norfolk Man Who Refused to Stop Videotaping Police at Demonstration Is Not Guilty of Disorderly Conduct
- Court upholds ‘citizen’s right’ to film cops
- First Circuit Upholds Right To Videotape Arresting Officers
- Judge says recording police stop OK
- Smith v. City of Cumming, 212 F.3d 1332, 1333 (11th Cir. 2000) [“The First Amendment protects the right to gather information about what public officials do on public property, and specifically, a right to record matters of public interest.”]
- Robinson v. Fetterman, 378 Fed. Supp. 2d 534, 541 (2005) [“there can be no doubt that the free speech clause of the Constitution protected Robinson as he videotaped the [police].”]
There’s one thing this boneheaded cop didn’t count on, though: Jermaine Green is a United States Army veteran who had just returned from six-years in Iraq and Afghanistan. The cop obviously did not know that when he tried to intimidate Green into giving up the video.
Among the other things the big bad cop who has to beat up on mentally-challenged women wasn’t aware of, one was the Army motto: “This We’ll Defend.”
The police are nothing, however, if not resourceful.
A sheriff’s department spokesman told NBCLA over the phone the department would not…look at the videotape….
You know the old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
The thing is, it’s not out of our sight: the cop is out of his mind.
This is the world police state in which we now live. Anytime anyone sees the police approach a citizen, cameras should be whipping out all over the place.
I think this cop should get some time for his behavior…I have a sister that is mentally disturb and If that cop would have hit my sister he would be a died soul. A mental person can’t help themselves for your devilish to hit that woman u should be ashame of yourself. I need your punching arm cut off so that u wouldn’t lift your hand to hit a handicap ever again.
I think this cop should get some time for his behavior…I have a sister that is mentally disturb and If that cop would have hit my sister he would be a died soul. A mental person can’t help themselves for your devilish to hit that woman u should be ashame of yourself. I need your punching arm cut off so that u wouldn’t lift your hand to hit a handicap ever again.