Even with it being the holiday season a posting at the Indy Star site is getting the Greenfield PD some unneeded national exposure. Apparently, some of their officers are in need of remedial training.
via Carlos Miller
via Carlos Miller
You can click through to the full forum posting for the entire story. It hasn't made the local news yet, but it is a holiday weekend.An Indiana man said police threatened to confiscate his camera as he was filming a traffic stop in front of his house while standing on his own property. The man, who goes by the username dUsTjUnKy2000 on the forums of the Indianapolis Star newspaper, said the incident occurred Christmas Day after police pulled over his neighbor for a seatbelt violation.
The cops wanted to search his neighbor, but his neighbor did not consent to the search.
Meanwhile, one of the cops started threatening him for filming them.
According to his forum post, the following exchange occurred between the cop and himself:
“If you’re going to keep on filming me, guess what I’m gonna do. I’m going to come over there and confiscate that camera and keep it for evidence.”Minutes later, a female cop walked up to him and demanded the camera and the following exchange occurred:
I said ”Evidence of what?” “I’m on my property, I am not interfering. I can photograph whatever I want to from my property.”
He replied “Take that camera inside or it’s gonna be mine and I’m gonna confiscate it.
‘You’re going to need to give him that camera.’The female cop walked off, telling him “we are going to need that camera eventually for evidence.”
I replied ‘I’m not breaking the law. Anything viewable from the street is legal game to be videotaped. If he wants my camera, he needs to get a warrant. Also, if you don’t have a warrant, then you need to leave my property.’
The man eventually stepped back into his house where he continued filming. He also called the police dispatcher to inquire whether they could take his camera but she was no help.
The man has yet to post the video even though several forum readers are urging him to do so.