So this week we have all our so-called respectable news outlets rushing off to London to cover a Royal wedding.. While this is happening here’s what we are missing… Take a look at this Las Vegas cop beating up a professional camera man for filming him..Keep in mind there are numerous actors and celebrity types ranging from Sean Penn to Dennis Rodman who have faced jail time and made to p[ay serious fines for smashing on the paparazzi.. Apparently when it comes to the police, they can do whatever they want with impunity.. This is what Mitchell Crooks found out the hard way…Sad state of affairs..Whats the excuse for this?.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsR44NLu5f0
Just so folks know this isn’t isolated.. look what happened in Oakland 2 years ago. This incident caused a veteran ABC News camera man who been at his job 27 years to retire because of threats from police..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufHI4YRm6OU
Most cops are no different than gangsters.
The first video merits contempt. The policemen reminded me of that “South Park” epsisode where Cartman, dressed as a cop, says, “You will respect my authoriTIE!” They are power-hungry clowns.
You didn’t give any context for the second video with the Oakland Police department, but from the two minutes or so I saw of it, the cameraman is a flaming asshole. “Look at what we’re doing here. Sir, that’s one of our police officers on the ground, there. Sir, you need to leave.” It’s probably safe to say that the officer is dead, and you have this ghoul filming everything while these guys are investing what happened to their comrade. I thought the policeman was very polite at the beginning (not the first officer who just seemed—understandably—upset).
If you can honestly tell me that you’d stand by when your friend is dead and let this ghoulish cameraman film it, I’ll lose some respect for you. Actually, I’ll lose a lot of respect for you.
Davey D, you say your blog is: “The World from a Hip Hop Perspective.” I’m unfamiliar with the hip hop perspective. It’s not what I expected. I’d say a much better title for the second video would be “Professional Cameraman Insists Cops Open a Can of Whoop Ass on Him—Cops Oblige.”
Dave,
Strange situation.
The background. If you look the area is west off the strip from the Stratosphere; known to be kind of a high crime area drugs prostitution ect. It’s also in the middle of the night.
Cop asks are you from here; he says no. Well if your not from here what the hell are you doing in this type of area in the middle of the night with a camera. 50 seconds later civilian says leave me alone I am from here, this is my property. Mixed message.
Secondly, cops are human and even though they are supposedly trained; of course your always going to run into the high anxiety cop who can’t control himself. These type of cops actually in a sort of way become or act a part of the environment they are patrolling ie. at times thuggish as a means to taking care of business.
Thirdly, what is the guy in the camera trying to prove? Seems to be provoking the officer.
Now, i am a person speaking haveing numerous bad run ins with the cops as a youngster. Have also been to court where attroney has gotten me off because quote cops handcuffed and beat him. But its like anything else quickly know who your dealing with; what type of personality your dealing with and what type of environment is around you.
Even if officer is at fault; is it really worth it?
Dave,
On an other level. I think that it is important that people bring to light such as you’ve done police / civilian confrontations to make sure there are checks and balances.
Remember; what is caught on camera is only a fraction of what really goes on and what is reported. Cops also know when they are quote blind spots.
Whether or not people agree or disagree or what side they take is secondary; the main thing is the dialogue.
With cameras I think things have gotten a little better. Back in the early 80’s; in places like S. Brookllyn this guy might have been filming a numbers payoff nor other racket; who knows maybe that is what was happenin here.
i’m all for police accountability and upholding the rights of a free press. but neither of these examples are very good. the first one, the guy identifies himself as a non-resident initially and appears to halfway resist. the cop gets a little overzealous, but that might be par for the course for that part of town, as nick suggests.
IDK, something about your “professional camera man” seems a little bit sketchy, like the fact he has no news crew and only turns on the camera when approached by police. not saying he deserved a beatdown, but he could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reason.
in the second example, the camera guy seems opportunistic, even predatory, in a kind of inconsiderate way.
better examples are out there of police tampering with freedom of the press.
cops do have to be on their toes nowadays with iPhones, etc., which is a good thing, but i don’t think they like being recorded too much in general.
Nick,
“These type of cops actually in a sort of way become or act a part of the environment they are patrolling ie. at times thuggish as a means to taking care of business.”
I hadn’t thought about that, but it’s a good point.
The first video made me shutter. The police are there to
“protect and serve”, which include the Hip-hop community &
our media. If they do this to the majority and/or the big media, the minorities don’t have a chance.
How they get away with it is mind bogging to me. Everyone
know so many feet in front of ANY home or business is
owned by the city as a public access for people to walk, drive,
widen roads, etc. that is paid by the tax payers just as the
salaries of the police. Which if they are doing their job by the
book they wouldn’t care who & when they are filmed.
They should ask themselves, what if my child goes into
Journalism & someone did this to my child for doing their job?
Peace!