Staff Sergeant Facing 16yrs For Videotaping a "Public" Servant.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 1
From: Hollywood, CA
That's BS, I am outraged that anyone would even suggest that we can't videotape police. Giving them a measure of freedom to do their job is one thing, but just taking their word for everything they ever do and not being able to check them on anything is complete and utter BS.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 445
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Just another oxymoron on the list: If a "public" servant is videotaped, then his "privacy" has been violated but if a "private" citizen is videotaped then the opposite is true. 
Kind of like, a fat chance and a slim chance means the same but a wise man and a wise guy means the opposite.
But seems to be the way of life, we park on driveways and drive on parkways. We put shipment in a car and cargo in a ship.
Why should a PUBLIC SERVANT have any expectation of privacy while pursuing their PUBLIC duties is beyond me!
Kind of like, a fat chance and a slim chance means the same but a wise man and a wise guy means the opposite.
But seems to be the way of life, we park on driveways and drive on parkways. We put shipment in a car and cargo in a ship.
Why should a PUBLIC SERVANT have any expectation of privacy while pursuing their PUBLIC duties is beyond me!
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,165
Likes: 3
From: Cabot, AR
What if it was illegal to videotape the police in NYC? This is a news story on the AP today.
NEW YORK
A New York City police officer has been charged with hitting a bicyclist with his police car and driving off.
The Brooklyn district attorney's office says Officer Louis Ramos was charged Tuesday with assault, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
According to a criminal complaint, Ramos hit the cyclist June 14. The complaint says Ramos got out of the car, pulled the cyclist to the curb, handed him a tissue and then drove off without reporting it or calling an ambulance.
The accident was captured on surveillance cameras.
Ramos has pleaded not guilty. He has been suspended without pay. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association declined to comment.
The cyclist was treated for cuts, bruises and a fractured wrist.
NEW YORK
A New York City police officer has been charged with hitting a bicyclist with his police car and driving off.
The Brooklyn district attorney's office says Officer Louis Ramos was charged Tuesday with assault, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
According to a criminal complaint, Ramos hit the cyclist June 14. The complaint says Ramos got out of the car, pulled the cyclist to the curb, handed him a tissue and then drove off without reporting it or calling an ambulance.
The accident was captured on surveillance cameras.
Ramos has pleaded not guilty. He has been suspended without pay. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association declined to comment.
The cyclist was treated for cuts, bruises and a fractured wrist.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 1
From: Hollywood, CA
Oh, no, according to standards set in the other case, the evidence of the cop hitting the guy on a bicycle is inadmissible because it is illegally obtained, and furthermore, whoever is responsible for those videos of it happening need to be dealt with for breaking the law and the world should keep on turning like nobody was ever hit on a bicycle by a cop.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,413
Likes: 0
From: Iowa
From what I saw on the video, the first guy with the pistol that got out of an apparent unmarked police car or possibly his own car, should be charged with using excessive force and thrown off of the police force. But we're now living under the Gov't thumb so get accustomed to it.
If a guy is speeding "at 80 mph, popping a wheelie, roaring past cars and swerving across traffic lanes"... it's not a situation where you politely pull him over and tell him to stop.
I myself have no problem being videotape (and audio). Heck, it use to happen everyday... There was a camera in every car and a mic on every officer.
But would you want videotaped doing your job??? Would you feel safer or feel you have less privacy?