Context. copblock.org doesn’t have any. (They say they’re reaching out to the person who emailed the video.) But it looks like the police officer brandishing the GLOCK – albeit with the kind of grip my GF uses for uncooked seafood – lasers the videographer with the weapon. As for the cops’ invitation to the cameraman for a [rough] ride in the cruiser, I’d say that was a bit OTT. The LEOs assertion that the video guy needs his permission to video him, well that’s just stupid. But stupid is as stupid does. And I wonder, again, still, in light of the Baltimore “protests”, if the lack of concealed carry amongst the general public has engendered this kind of “community policing.” Thoughts?

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57 COMMENTS

  2. Looks like the handgun was retrieved from the suspect, who is evidently under arrest and sitting on the ground. Naturally they need to have a dozen officers on-site to jawbone about this critical defense of society and several cruisers coming and going and for all we know, helicopters and drones overhead. While these guys are shooting the breeze, other areas are not being covered, but hey, more opportunities out there for other felons. Used to see it all the time thirty years ago; some things never change. Some of us used to laugh as we drove by these clowns and joke about ‘one grenade.’

    Pretty funny, the invitation to ride in the cruiser; he didn’t mention that the guy would be cuffed and in fact offered the chance for more film footage. I might have taken him up on it.

    Also funny for me is hearing the Boston accents again; I’ve been up here in northern Vermont for almost twenty years now and the rural folks around here talk like they have a mouthful of marbles.

  3. The gun belonged to the perp, not the cop. The juvenile perp asked to not be recorded. The “videographer” was offered a ride-along.

    Cop haters gotta hate, I guess.

    • So we handle evidence with our bare hands and shove in into the cameras of random bystanders no? Obvious unprofessionalism is obvious.

      • It wasn’t a found piece of evidence at a murder scene, with no suspect, it was removed from someone carrying it illegally.

        But you’re right about waving it around, not professional at all.

        • I’d still handle it carefully to see if we could track it to a dealer. There is zero excuse for possibly contaminating evidence and intimidating bystanders.

          The cop lost his cool. It’s not a horrible case, but definitely worth a reprimand.

    • Cops are allowed to lie. “Oh yeah, well give you a ride along… from here to the station… or maybe just behind it where we can beat you and smash your phone.”

    • This is the same crap that is the catalyst for Baltimore’s unrest. Police abuse, intimidation and arrogance because they are immune from prosecution is socially corrosive. Cops can “sneak and peek’ in violation of the 4th Amendment, but openly recording activities by civilians results in veiled threats. Curious the police feel the same way about Internal Affairs as citizens feel towards cops. I love and respect hard working honest cops but these blue bullies are of no use what so ever.

    • All cops need to recognize (in fact needed to years ago) that whenever a perp is handcuffed, and probably before, cameras will come into play. Some people are actually interested, many others hope to make money, but literally EVERYBODY has a HiDef camera with him, and will use it quickly since it costs nothing. Threatening people makes you look like either a fool or a thug.

  5. To the cop thinks it’s appropriate to flash a piece of evidence in front of a camera and contaminate it by handling it with his bare hands? Ok…

    I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on the ride. Objectively, it could be an invitation for a ride along.

    Oh, btw, you have no right to refuse being filmed while in public. Especially if you’re a civil servant.

    But… Yeah…

    • Even worse – this is a Sgt (supervisor). If he has no issue with intimidation of a citizen, unlikely his staff will.

      There is no excuse for the protest violence we are seeing. But I beg for law enforcement professionals to speak up/against this kind of behavior.

      There will always be cop haters- but cops need to recognize that some of this is self-induced. Who knows – maybe it’s part of a larger plan to keep fueling a fire that allows the fat kid from grade school to get to drive the bearcat when things go south.

      • No, I just know that if this case goes to trial, this incident can be presented at cross as evidence of misconduct on the part of the arresting officer. This can lead some jurors to believe a “it’s not my gun, the cops planted it” story. Combine that with the fact that the gun may have been used in a prior crime, and you know why this kid of thing is stupid in addition to being unethical.

  6. I fully got it that it was the perp’s gun, as I said. I don’t hate cops, per se; I was once one.

      • No prob; wasn’t sure. Thanks.

        The way the piece was written and the headline make it sound like the cop had drawn down on the guy and red- or green-lit him with his sidearm. When obviously it was the perp’s gun.

  7. I don’t care how low the bar was for that cop to get on the force, he still probably tripped on it.

    Ignorance of the law from a LEO… seems about right.

      • This, at multiple levels.

        There is deliberate ignorance, which is never punished, because benefit of the doubt is always taken to the absolute limit with cops.

        Then there are laws written to specifically allow cops to break the law when done in “good faith”, as in, the law sets up a system to allow the cops to make up an appropriate excuse after breaking the law (I felt threatened, I smelled pot, etc.).

        Lastly there is knowing malfeasance, where cops ignore the law knowing that he will not be punished (the thin blue line garbage).

  9. As proven by Officer Michael Slager in South Carolina and Freddie Gray in Baltimore, the cops always have your back. It’s what they do with it that you may not like.

  10. Is this video and the accompanying music really what I signed onto this blog to see & read? Every time something of this type is published on the site you give the antis encouragement to continue their “all gun owners are paranoid nut jobs” narrative and cause TTAG blog members to think seriously about quitting the blog.

    • Holding armed agents of the state accountable is one of the primary reasons for the 2A. They shouldn’t get a pass. And there are plenty of anti’s marching in the streets for the very same reasons, holding armed agents of the state accountable for their actions against the people.

  11. “And I wonder … if the lack of concealed carry amongst the general public has engendered this kind of ‘community policing.'”

    I don’t think that’s got very much, if anything, to do with it. Plenty of dick cops in Florida, Arizona, and other places with lots of concealed carriers. It’s the lack of accountability for officers who behave like assholes that engenders this sort of attitude.

  12. NPR had a short story this morning about how it’s more difficult than ever to recruit new cops.
    Apparently PD’s nationwide have been consistently lowering standards to recruit anyone who wasnt smart enough, talented enough or capable enough to make more money doing a better job.

    Being a cop will soon be the new trash man. Unskilled, uneducated, paid too much and swollen large with that unionized city worker pride. Except they’ll have guns and be told they’re always right no matter what.

    • Dude, I AM a trashman. I DON’T get paid by the hour, I’m on incentive. I DO have a college education, and even some post grad work. I am NOT a member of a union, and DON’T want to be. I operate machinery that has the power to maim and kill, I must use it carefully and with a great amount of skill. I ask you to never again denigrate the HONORABLE work of the trashman, by comparing us to the badge heavy, authority loving, civil ‘servants’, such as the one featured in the video clip (or should I have said magazine?)

      • Many weeks go by when I don’t see a cop and it has no effect on my life. But if I go more than a week without seeing my trash collector, I’m up to my @ss in garbage.

        Ergo, the trash man is my much needed, highly respected friend. In fact, I’d like to see more of him.

        • So what is the PC term, nowadays? ‘Sanitation Technician’, ‘Sanitation Engineer’?

          (Before the snide cracks, I cash tip my city trash guys at Christmastime. The guys on the recycle truck have attitudes.)

          • Most of us don’t care what we’re called by the general public. Tipping is good. We like people that tip.

      • Yeah, preach it! There needs to be more respect for people who work hard in a trade. There’s too little understanding of the hard work some people do for our country to keep it running.

        My respect for workers like you has gone up as my respect for cops has gone down. I no longer automatically respect the police. Too many act entitled and set apart.

    • I’d compare the cops to common street thugs but common street thugs have the decency not to bloviate about how all their victims were violated for their own good.

  13. Unprofessional. Bullying. Liar. Mishandling evidence.

    I bet this guy has a long history of complaints, that have never been properly addressed.

    Holding the armed agents of the state accountable for their actions is one of the most important things a free society must do to remain free.

    • Holding the armed agents of the state accountable for their actions is one of the most important things a free society must do to remain free.

      I’m stealing that. And then I’m putting it up on BrainyQuote because it’s that good.

      • And why there will be a sea-change to body-cams on LE.

        I have no problem with them switching it off for breaks and bathrooms.

        I’d also like cameras in cockpits. Even if it would do no good when the co-pilot sticks tape over it while he descends into the mountains.

        • “I have no problem with them switching it off for breaks and bathrooms”

          As long as we all understand that if you are involved in a death, and your camera has not recorded it, you are going directly to prison, not on paid leave.

  14. if he was a civilian we would be brought up on charges, so he should as an officer as well. so apparently fucking ANYBODY can be a cop. wtf is wrong with these PD’s?

  15. It’s not illegal to film minors in public, consenting or not. What a load of crap by the LEO.

    • Judging by the cuffs, this innocent child is about to be kidnapped and imprisoned in a dank cell, all the time being photographed by the cops themselves. Pretending that photographing him is somehow a problem is laughable, except the jerk was carrying a gun.

  16. This is particularly interesting considering the Glick decision in Boston in 2012

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glik_v._Cunniffe

    In short, Glick was arrested for filming police. He and the city settled for $170,000 and the city agreed to train officers that filming them in public is legal. I guess its time for a refresher.

    Don

  17. Upon taking a closer look at the firearm, it does appear to be shaped like a glock, however the skeletonized trigger suggests otherwise. Also sights look a bit off. Either a thug used a hot rodded competition gun for his shady exploits, or this is some poorly done replica/bb gun/ airsoft knockoff. If the latter, this may suggest the officer’s malaise with firearms handling safety rules. Still not a wise move.

  18. My thoughts?

    I thought it was funny that the cop thought he had a right not to be filmed in public (regular civilians are filmed in public all the time)

    I thought it was not funny that the cop wants to know where he lived (which has nothing to do with filming).

    I thought it was not funny that the cop threatened him with a ride in the “cruiser” and made snide remarks and flippantly waived a gun in the guy’s face and camera when he did nothing more than film them from the curb (maybe he wanted to catch them in illegal acts or possibly filming them prevents the cops from beating the guy on the ground).

    The cops comments did not help their public image. Your public servants at work.

    • Cops are their own worst enemy, the tipping point has been reached! Failure to demand accountability will be our undoing.

  19. The cops were probably on the verge of beating the snot out of the perp when they spied the cinematographer across the street. Had to put the Wyatt Earp Syndrome on hold until later. It’s now often frustrating being a defender of the law. So they let the pissed-off bald-headed sergeant vent his obvious frustration and ignorance of the law. MOVE ALONG CITIZEN! Pathetic and scary at the same time. Fire the bastard!

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