Pixiq

Now that we’re focusing on Arizona, remember Doug Hester who was threatened with arrest by a pair of security guards last April for filming the federal courthouse in Phoenix?

Well Hester filed a complaint and didn’t hear anything of it until last month, when he received a response.

In the response, Arizona U.S. Marshal David Gonzalez told Hester his allegations against the security guards were “unfounded” because Hester showed up to the courthouse with a camera “in order to provoke a response from security officers.”

That may be true but the fact that the security guards allowed themselves to be provoked doesn’t make it any less of a violation.

And it doesn’t give them the authority to lie to him about non-existent laws.

Here is an example of the exchange between Hester and the guards:

Guard 1: You’re are free to leave, go …  but if I catch you videotaping the building again you will be arrested by the Phoenix Police Department.

Hester: On what charge, sir?

Guard 1: On charge of … we’ll talk to the Phoenix Police Department about it.

Guard 2: You’re not supposed to videotape any federal court building.

Hester: What law?

Guard 2: National Security Act.

Guard 1: Oklahoma City, that’s why.

Guard 2: It all comes down to Homeland Security and all that.

Guard 1: If you want to talk to our Homeland Security people, we can arrange that right now and we will detain you.