On July 21, Manuel Diaz, 25, was shot and killed by members of the Anaheim Police Department despite being unarmed. The following night Joel Matthew Acevedo, 21, and a suspected gang member was shot to death by anti-gang officers after he allegedly fired upon them. The deaths marked the fifth and sixth officer-involved shootings of this year, leading to peaceful and violent protests that have stretched out over two weeks. Both deaths are being investigated by the Orange County district attorney’s office and the U.S. attorney’s office. The FBI has also agreed to looked into the shootings to determine whether or not, if any civil rights violations occurred. The following images were captured on July 29.
Posts Tagged 'Police'
Protest in Anaheim
Published August 5, 2012 Documentary Photography , Photography 7 CommentsTags: Anaheim, apd, Joel Acevedo, Manuel Diaz, Occupy, Police, police shooting, protest
It’s the little things in your life that truly don’t matter
Published June 17, 2011 Photography , Police , Police Harassment 2 CommentsTags: Boston Bruins, Canucks, Frank Rodriguez, Police, Richard Chrisman, riots, Vancouver
It’s shocking to think that it takes a professional sports team to lose, in the grand scheme of things, a truly non-significant event (seriously, on a world scale of importance who actually knows or cares the Boston Bruins won the NHL championship?) to riot in the streets. And this is coming from someone who grew up in Boston and lived there for more than two decades.
But no one seems to care when an Arizona police officer executes a man in his own home, and the cop’s own partner turns on him. Frank Rodriguez was killed by Officer Richard Chrisman in October 2010 and nobody outside of Arizona’s Maricopa County seems to know about it. For instance, I just learned about Rodriguez’s death this week. We should’ve all known about this last year, and you would think that a police officer being charged with second-degree murder would be national-headline news. However, it’s not. And you would think that people would riot in the streets over something like this, but they don’t.
The likelihood of you being killed by a police officer in the United States is far greater than you ever having a shot at losing the NHL championship.
New Haven Police: Go Ahead, Record Us
Published March 4, 2011 Photographers' Rights 1 CommentTags: first amendment, Frank Limon, General Order 311, New Haven, Police, recording police activity
The New Haven Police Department is re-training its force in accordance with a new policy, General Order 311. That policy states that cops can no longer arrest citizens for recording them in public. The caveat is that recording is permitted as long as it doesn’t interfere with police activity or jeopardize anyone’s safety, and you might think that would be abused. But, the order addresses that issue:
“The video recording of police activity in and of itself does not constitute a crime, offense, or violation. If a person video recording police activity is arrested, the officer must articulate clearly the factual basis for any arrest in his or her case and arrest reports.”
And as Assistant Chief Tobin Hensgen, who lead a training session (see above video), said:
“If a citizen wants to exercise his First Amendment rights and photograph you while you’re in a squad car and uniform or on detail while you’re performing your duties, as long as they’re legal, you have no expectation of privacy.”
The policy was initiated by Police Chief Frank Limon after a rash of incidents over the past year involving citizens and recording, where police clearly abused their authority. The New Haven Independent was a champion of the cause, and this is an impressively swift reaction by the police if you want to look at it optimistically.
Or, as a commenter put it: “Breaking News Flash—Cops ordered to Not arrest someone who is NOT breaking the law.”
Source: New Haven Independent
What Happens to Disgraced Cops?
Published February 21, 2011 Photography 1 CommentTags: albuquerque, Daniel Guzman, disgraced cops, Ian Birk, Police
Last week, Seattle Weekly looked at what happens to cops who run afoul of the law in the wake of the case of Seattle police officer Ian Birk. Birk shot and killed a homeless Native American woodcarver in August, and though he resigned under great pressure, he faces no criminal charges.
In the article there is a brief mention of Albuquerque police officer Daniel Guzman, who attacked a local NBC news photographer in 2008 because he didn’t sufficiently respect his authority. As we posted, Guzman was spectacularly unhinged, and the police department said it would review the way its department handles the media as a result.
Well, ever wonder what happens to a loose cannon cop?
Not all the shamed officers wind up ulcer-ridden and jobless. Daniel Guzman, a former officer with the Albuquerque Police Department, lost his job after he attacked a television news photographer who pissed him off.
He ended up, however, getting a new job with the Bernalillo Police Department after they decided he “deserved a second chance.” [ED NOTE: The above link requires registration, but you can read the story here.]
You can read about other officers who abused their authority and ended up with good jobs and no worse for the wear. It reminds me of the Catholic Church’s response to bad priests: just reassign them to a new parish. And we all know how well that’s turned out.
Source: Seattle Weekly
IL Takes Several Steps Back, Won’t Protect Recording Police
Published January 24, 2011 Photographers' Rights , Photography 2 CommentsTags: ACLU, civil rights, eavesdropping, Illinois, lawsuit, Police, recording police, Suzanne Conlon
People in Illinois are looking at fifteen years if they audio-record police activity. Or should I say “still looking”? Because the Illinois Eavesdropping Act makes recording someone in public without their consent a felony. Last year the ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the law, but a few weeks ago Federal Judge Suzanne Conlon dismissed it, saying there is no First Amendment protections there.
Although law-enforcement officials can legally record civilians in private or public, audio-recording a law-enforcement officer, state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney, attorney general, assistant attorney general or judge in the performance of his or her duties is a Class 1 felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
As Reason magazine’s Radley Balko writes, unfortunately, “the law is used almost exclusively against people who attempt to record on-duty police officers.”
While absurd, this makes some sort of sense because allowing citizens to record police activity would likely cause all kinds of grief for that very jackbooted state that is known to be very corrupt.
Source: New York Times
New Haven Asst. Police Chief Arrests Man for iPhone Video
Published November 12, 2010 Harassment , Photographers' Rights , Police , Police Harassment Leave a CommentTags: Ariel Melendez, Frank Limon, iphone, Luis Luna, New Haven, Police
A fish rots from the head down. Especially in the New Haven (CT) police department. That’s where Assistant Chief Ariel Melendez ordered the arrest of Luis Luna for filming an altercation with his iPhone one early morning in September. Luna, 26, says police took his iPhone, erased the video he took of officers breaking up a fight outside a bar, and then charged him with interfering with police. He spent the night in jail.
Assistant Chief Melendez noticed Luna and approached him “in a very intimidating manner,” Luna recalled. He asked what Luna was doing.
“I said, ‘Filming,’” Luna recalled. “He grabbed my phone and walked away.”
Melendez ordered officer Kristen Fitzgerald to arrest Luna for interfering.
“I just could not believe it,” Luna said.
Apparently this isn’t the first time police in New Haven have been caught harassing and even confiscating camera phones in the recent past. But still, Police Chief Frank Limon claims that he knows filming police is not illegal.
Assistant Chief Melendez didn’t get the memo though, despite 31 years on the force. He doesn’t mind using jackbooted tactics to enforce nonexistent laws. Know why? Because he knows he’ll get away with it.
Source: New Haven Independent
Surprisingly, NY Perps Sport Yankees Caps
Published September 16, 2010 Misc Leave a CommentTags: criminals, hats, New York Times, NYPD, Police, Yankees
Source: NYPD
Calling it a “curious phenomenon,” the New York Times is reporting that “dozens of men and women who have robbed, beaten, stabbed and shot at their fellow New Yorkers have done so while wearing Yankees caps or clothing.”
(This is sort of like when the Times tries to make a trend story out of three people they find feeling one way or doing a particular activity — like women who embrace their A-cup status.)
It’s a big joke. What do they expect from people in New York … green Celtics caps? I’m sure they’re wearing Yankees or Mets t-shirts, too, because guess what? People usually wear their hometown sports team gear.
I wonder if the NYPD will start unlawfully harassing Yankees cap wearers just like they do with photographers….
Article from New York Times
LAPD Sergeant Fires Away on YouTube
Published August 16, 2010 Harassment , LAPD , Photographers' Rights , Photojournalism , Police , Police Harassment 14 CommentsTags: cops, hollywood, lapd, Los Angeles, Photographers' Rights, Police, Police Harassment, YouTube
While YouTube is great fun for silly cat videos and clips of kids freaking out after the dentist, it’s also fertile ground for angry, arrogant, illiterate people. Exhibit A:
“your a dick ? what would u wanna video/pictures? a dead guy.. what the fuck are you gona do with the video of a dead guy.. get a life you fuking cunt,”
Interestingly, the comment was left by AbawiTariq, a sergeant with the LAPD, according to his YouTube profile.
Nothing but the best in Los Angeles. Seriously, Chief Beck – that is who you want representing your force?
More Bay Area Police Wearing Cameras
Published July 28, 2010 Photographers' Rights 4 CommentsTags: Bay Area, camera, dashboard cameras, photographing police, Police, San Francisco, Vievu, wearable recording device
Calling it an “unstoppable” trend, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that police in the Bay Area have jumped on board the wearable camera wagon. (We’ve posted on Vievus before – they’re devices you can clip to your bag or shirt to capture your perspective for four hours.) Law enforcement have come to see the devices as protection — a way they can “show their side” in a “YouTube society,” as Officer Ronnie Lopez of the San Jose Police Department put it.
I agree. Ain’t nothing wrong with both sides having video evidence of what went down during an incident.
There are considerations though. On the suspect’s (or “person of interest”) side, can the police be trusted not to delete or alter footage? And on the officers’ side, will the use of video inhibit them or make them apprehensive about using force even when it’s necessary? (See Seattle cop punching jaywalker and all the uproar that provoked.)
As Brentwood (CA) Officer George Aguirre said:
“I’d rather you see what I did than hear accusations,” said Aguirre, who does traffic enforcement on a motorcycle and commercial vehicle enforcement in a truck. “When you do everything you’re supposed to do and someone challenges you, there’s nothing better than being able to show the video to them or my supervisors.”
Article from San Francisco Chronicle
boywithgrenade.org 