This isn't really a "right v left" issue -- it's more a "who's the boss" and liberty issue:
"But it wasn't his daredevil stunt that has the 25-year-old staff sergeant for the Maryland Air National Guard facing the possibility of 16 years in prison. For that, he was issued a speeding ticket. It was the video that Graber posted on YouTube one week later -- taken with his helmet camera -- of a plain-clothes state trooper cutting him off and drawing a gun during the traffic stop near Baltimore.
In early April, state police officers raided Graber's parents' home in Abingdon, Md. They confiscated his camera, computers and external hard drives. Graber was indicted for allegedly violating state wiretap laws by recording the trooper."
5 comments:
James for me it is a dangerous thing to allow citizens to be charged with obstruct for documenting the actions of law enforcement.
As they say it will be a very slippery slope.
And where does it end?, will we be charged for asking an officer for his ID?, or better yet why we are being detained?
Seems that in the G20 controversy those questions got you arrested!
Imaginary or discretionary crimes are always a problem
When "the authorities" tape the public and the public complain, the response is often "if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear."
The public needs to throw that one back at the police, and then ask what the police have to hide.
Wasn't it just a few years back ... when a Toronto officer of the law (term used tongue in cheek) was convicted of hitting a man for no reason other than being there (sucker punching him for watching their arrest). A passenger in a car taped the peace officer assaulting the man and what would be his follow up lies ...just because he thought he could.
Later when the video surface he was charged and convicted of assault other police services act issues and several fellow officers were also charged with covering up the conduct under the police act.
There can not be double standard in Canada regarding the use of video taping. The use of video by ALL Canadians keeps more of us safe.
The biker was at full stop and did not represent a threat when the cop approached him. There was no cause to pull a weapon.
While the rider is an idiot for behaving like that on the highway, the cop used excessive force and should pay the price for it.
The rider should be ticketed for whatever highway infraction he broke.
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