Should you be able to videotape a cop?

[healthpellets]

This seems to be a trend that is moving in the wrong direction. Municipalities using wiretapping laws against citizenry that dare to videotape police interactions which occur in public where, it is my understanding, we have no expectation of privacy.

If you are not interfering with a cop and his duty, there's no reason that you should not be able to document a police action. Simply being present with a recording device does not prevent a cop from doing his job. Although, it may make him do his job within the bounds of the law.


Text of story removed to abide by copyright standards and to avoid the assholes at RightHaven, LLC

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/06/03/do-police-have-a-legitimate-expectation-of-privacy-in-public-performance-of-duty/

[ForeverChiefs58]

The first time I flew after sept 11th, my wife and four year old son were traveling through Minnisota. I was taking pictures at the airport of my wife and son when I noticed a military person with a M-16 looking gun.
That was the first time I ever had seen anyone with an automatic rifle walking around the airport, so I turned my camera to take a picture of this strange sight. As I turned my camera to him, he raised his gun up and barked out "no pictures". Yikes. He didn't point it at me. It was pointed down to start, and he raised the gun out away from his body kind of at me, and pointed it up in the air, almost like to tell me "halt". But at the time, I felt instantly that he would shoot me dead if I even tried to take that pic. A wave of scared for my life went through me. As I put the camera down, he pointed his gun back down.
Yes, it felt a tad overreactive to me getting killed over someone being incredibly camera shy. I felt like an ass because I didn't really think of security reasons, I was just taking a picture of something I hadn't seen before. I thought I would go home and show some friends "hey, will ya guys get a load of the security they have there".
Now I no longer take my camera on vacations. Got all the memories and years of good times right up here (pointing to head).

[banyon]

I think if the police are conducting business in public, and you aren't interfering, then it is fine.

I don't like the idea that seems to be gaining traction that if you didn't have it on tape, then it must not have happened.