Pixiq

I hope he got the names of those pigs. Detaining a citizen without probable cause. Sue the hell out of them.

The tone of this encounter is set by the Officer who is clearly agitated and aggressive.

Officer: "You're about to get yourself in a whole lot of trouble mister. Do you understand me? I don't care how big you think you are."

But this exchange just infuriates me:

Photographer: "what's the legal basis for you asking me to leave?"

Officer: "Because you were being disrespectful towards someone that asked you to do something".

AND THERE IT IS, THE TRUTH. CONTEMPT OF COP!
Isn't this really the issue for most of these unlawful stops? He should have NEVER been detained by these Officers and they should be reprimanded for their conduct.

Just because a private security guard directs a Citizen on public property to do something doesn't mean compliance is mandatory. Indeed, contrary to the Officer's flawed understanding of the criminal code, the Citizen's reply need not be "respectful".

What's disrespectful is the behavior of the Officer who's detaining this man. The Officer knows full well that he has NO LEGAL BASIS to direct the man to go a specific direction, or to move along, or to stop taking pictures. He's a bully, plain and simple and probably always has been.

There are of course many scenarios where it makes sense for the Police to move pedestrians along. This wasn't one of them and at least a Supervisor was present to end the incident. An incident completely created by law enforcement. No camera running during the stop? Likely a different outcome.

The police (and the pseudo-police) seem to be under the impression that we--the public--work for them.

We do not!

Simply because they give us an order does not mean we are under any obligation to follow it. And, if we choose to be disrespectful to them, that is our call and there is NOTHING they can do about it. If they can't take it, I suggest they find another job, something that is less taxing to their sensitive mindsets.

Unless, of course, we are actually living under a fascist dictatorship. Are we?

I saw this video a couple days ago..

I was asking the same questions, exactly what is the legal basis for the order and the subsequent arrest..

I smell lawsuit..

JL
I hope by retraining you mean some sort of attitude adjustment.

LVPD officer Derek Colling was just fired last month for beating up a man who was standing in his own driveway recording police activity at his neighbor's house.

Didn't they issue an internal memo?

PHOTOG: "You can't make up facts that aren't true."
COP: "Yeah. It is true."

Obviously, because you're a cop.

My favorite part...
PHOTOG: "You've got some statute or law that says I can't do it, cite it for me."
[PAUSE]
Cop: "You know what..."
PHOTOG: "Just cite it for me, tell me--"
Cop: "That's not the point. We asked you nicely."

Ahhh. The 'we asked you nicely' tactic. Well played.
Seriously?

That was a textbook way to deal with that situation! He stood his ground, was firm but relatively polite and completely shut the cop down with the photographer's better knowledge of the law. Also, he continuously asserted his desire to leave. Best part is he recorded the whole thing.

I'm not sure I like the nicer word of "detain."

ANY TIME a law enforcement officer acting under color of law "detains" anyone (defined as that person is NOT free to leave) THAT is an arrest per the US Supreme Court. Even though that person may be eventually let go, left alone and no record maintained an arrest has occurred---and if the arrest lacked sufficient reasonable suspicion . . . the appropriate jurisdiction should be sued for allowing their thugs to arrest people willie nillie.

Just good luck finding an lawyer willing to do it.

That part of Fremont Street may not be public property. It used to be a street but they have the LG light show over it and now it's a large walking area.

Perhaps the casinos own it jointly and it's considered private property. If the movie was leasing out the space then they can control it as if it were the interior of a casino. In that case they can demand a person to leave if they did not want him photographing the area.

Help me out here. Is 'disrespect' a felony or a misdemeanor? I can't seem to find it in the city or state code and I've looked all over.