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Police officer almost shoots photographer because he doesn’t know what a GoPro is

by 166 Comments

We’ve definitely heard of more than one case when police officers confused cameras and tripods for guns. A San Diego photographer almost got shot by a Community College District police officer because of his GoPro. The officer held the photographer at a gunpoint when he refused to put the camera down, claiming that he didn’t know what a GoPro was.

The video is from last year, but it was recently posted on Reddit where it has caused lots of reactions. According to News2Share, the photographer had a regular camera and a GoPro attached on top of it. At the beginning of the video, the officer asks “What are you filming for?” And five seconds later, he asks the photographer to put “that” down because he doesn’t know what it is. Many comments on both YouTube and Reddit call out on the officer for this. How can he not know what “that” is five seconds after he asked the photographer why he was filming? Still, it appears that he did know what a “regular camera” was and he was allegedly confused by the GoPro. So confused, that he held the photographer at gunpoint for about half a minute.

Fortunately, another officer soon showed up and returned the GoPro to the photographer. He reportedly wasn’t arrested (because the other officer apparently knew what a GoPro was). As News2Share writes, the officer who drew a gun was sent to a paid administrative leave after the incident.

[via Reddit]

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  • Very miss leading title to get you to read the article

    • Duane Hudson where is this misleading?

    • Irwin

      Title seems appropriate. Cop drew his gun and pointed it at the photographer.

      The photographer sounds like an conspiracy theorist and that cop looks like an idiot.

    • Tim Knecht Did you really feel that the photographer was going to be shot, or that the cop was just trying to prove a point

  • Officers are not supposed to know what a GoPro camera is.. they’re not photographers. If the camera man would have just calmly complied when the officer made his first request, everything would have smoothed itself out. Police generally react defensively most of the time because they deal with a variety of people everyday day and they were just being cautious.

    • Indeed, perhaps the photographer could have said “it’s an action camera” rather than “it’s a GoPro”… But then again, maybe he was terrified seeing the officer grabbing his gun. If I were in his place, I don’t know if I would be able to collect myself enough to explain what a GoPro was. 😟

    • He doesn’t sound terrified, he sounds like he’s spoiling for a row.

    • A GoPro is a name/product most people know. They are advertised on TV and are not just for professionals.

      Doesn’t matter if the cop was stupid enough to not know what a GoPro is they are supposed to be smart enough to read a situation, de-escalate and accurately determine when something if a threat or not.

      This individual should not be a cop at all. He will shoot someone some day.

    • GoPro has been on the market for 15 years and it still remains one of the most-used action cameras – to such an extent in fact that most of the clones currently available borrow its esthetic and are labelled as “GoPro type cameras”. These cameras are (mostly) cheap, they have a particular form factor which has not significantly changed over time and because they offer decent output, they’re interesting for pretty much everybody. GoPros sold very well in the past and they continue to do decent enough. Let’s be honest, you don’t need to be a professional photographer or to have a special kind of interest in capturing imagery to know what a GoPro is. These things are everywhere.

      What the policeman may be confused about is the rig the GoPro was attached to. These concoctions look weirder and weirder every iteration and that indeed is something a person without a special interest in image capture may not be familiar with. However, a quick-enough look at the rig would confirm that its only function is to have a small camera attached to it. It’s not rocket science, it’s obvious enough if you put the effort in and think. This policeman guy did not seem to be inclined to do the thinking part – he reacted caveman style: “I see something, I don’t know what that is, therefore, it can only be dangerous and life-threatening, I should respond with aggression just in case – maybe that’ll scare it away”.

      Authorities are not expected to know everything about everything and everyone (although we clearly know they do have much more on their files that they care to admit). What they are expected to do in a country plagued by unnecessary violence and hate is to use common sense, logic and reason first, above anything else. Stop making excuses for idiots with guns – whether they’re terrorists shooting innocent people or policemen aiming their guns at innocent people, they should both equally be stopped and they should both suffer the consequences.

    • Unfortunately cops have a literal target on their backs nowadays. That’s how these things happen.

    • Nhon Giang would a non cop be able to identify a rifle or a hand grenade? Police goes thru training not just at identifying items but also at reading situations.

    • John funny thing, for some people fear response looks a lot like anger.

    • Dicson Amanya I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to get at with the first question but the cop in the video clearly does not know what a GoPro is (plus the rigged camera configuration makes it look like a weapon) and his reaction was naturally defensive. His initial order to the camera man was to put it down, and he should have complied. It’s just common sense to follow police orders until they sort things out, then you can criticize their actions afterwards. Camera man’s reaction in this video was way too defensive for no reason at all.

    • youre a fucking idiot

    • Nhon Giang stop making excuses, this behavior is unacceptable by any means

    • Dunja Djudjic but he didn’t even try! He was asked at least twice what he was filming and the first response we hear was all derogatory “it’s a camera 🙄” You could even hear him rolling his eyes when he said it. Lol
      Why not just answer the officer? Then he threw out “my father in law….” blah blah blah. Wonder how proud his father in law must be now.

    • I guess he doesn’t know what a gun is either.
      because ive seen guns and i know cameras and you would have to be a moron to think a go pro is a gun

    • Alicia Sonshine Fort not making excuses, not taking sides and definitely not bias. I call out what I see is wrong. Cop is right. He cannot identify what the subject is holding in his hand so he request that it should be put down. It’s a simple command and the subject should have complied. There is no need to argue here.

      • FEster

        If he can’t Identify a camera, which he already did, he couldn’t identify it as dangerous. Piggy doesn’t get to make it up as he goes.

    • Nhon Giang what is wrong is an officer of the law pulling a gun on an unarmed citizen rather than deescalating the situation. The fact that the video started out with “What are you filming for?” indicates the officer knew exactly what a GoPro was and telling him he didn’t like being filmed was defensive. He pulled that gun as a means of controlling the situation in his favor where it was likely he was being filmed for a reason!

    • GTFO

    • Alicia Sonshine Fort Deescalting is asking the subject to put down what he was holding in his hand. Just the same as when I get pulled over, office asked me to put my hands on steering wheel so they can see it. I complied. He gave me a ticket. I drive home living another day because I followed orders instead of throwing it out of proportions.

    • Alicia Sonshine Fort There is obviously two cameras. One that he can see which is the result of the existing video.. and the other he cannot identify (the GoPro)… I’m not going to speculate what the officer knows or not, but he made a simple request before he even reaches for his gun. Rather than complying, the camera man escalated the situation which I think is rather moronic.

    • The police officer is in the right. The guy was filming on his phone, not the gopro, or else we wouldve seen the footage from the gopro. So when the officer asked what he was filming, he was asking about the phone. Afterwards the guy pulled the rigged gopro up. The officer told him that he doesn’t know what it is and to put it down because he doesn’t like stuff that he doesn’t know what they are pointed at him. People hide weapons in so many weird contraptions nowadays. The photographer escaladed the situation. The officer asked him again to put it down. The guy still doesn’t follow commands. Then the officer puts his hand on his gun and the photographer becomes aggited and could have become violent. He started yelling at the officer.

      In the officers eyes the guy was holding an unidentified object that may or may not be a weapon. If the photographer complied with the orders from the police officer from the start then it wouldn’t have escaladed the way that it did. If from the first time that the officer asked him to put it down he did, then the situation wouldn’t have escaladed the way that it did. The officer would’ve carefully approached the photographer and picked it up and explain what it was. The photographer could’ve just tell him it is a rig for a gopro and showed him how it works. The officer would’ve just handed him the rig back and they would’ve both just be on their way and gone back to what they were doing before.

    • Nhon Giang If you pay attention he said what are you filming at the beginning. He just so happen to for get what it is? What he was holding was the Best Buy steady cam grip. I’m sorry but assuming the cop is that freaking dumb is not excusable.

      It was not a deadly weapon and no force was needed cop is at fault.

    • Rebecca Maier Cops are not train to identify camera gears.. especially if it’s a rigged one.. and especially if it’s bought from Best Buy… 😂

    • They usually are idiots.

    • Nhon Giang no I’m not going to give you this one. He immediately started out with, what are you filming for. So whether GoPro or camera phone, he was uncomfortable being filmed. He immediately went to to the cop out, “I don’t like what you have in your hands” to justify stopping filming because that would have warranted putting the camera down at minimum. The guy said these are cameras and as soon as he said you know what it is, within seconds, he’s reaching for his holster. Clearly none of y’all have any background in military or police training which I do because a suspect doesn’t tell you what he’s holding if he expecting to cause you harm. The officer clearly got caught doing something suspicious enough to warrant being filmed and the officer was ready to kill this man on the basis of disrespect to his pride. You are out of your mind if all you see if an officer being calm and not overreacting to a man holding cameras. It wasn’t that long ago a photographer was shot cause some dickhead officer thought he had a sniper rifle, as if open carry isn’t legal in most jurisdictions! Officers have to justify all of their actions. None of his were justifiable. Stop excusing the madness. Police officers are not the end all, be all authority.

      By the way, this mentality towards police officers acting this way is a hold over from Times when police officers were racist, and upheld their own version of the law to keep minorities in check. Police officers were revered in local communities for being the “authority” who kept the minorities in check, hence the high esteem that is held towards them being authority figures whose word is law. The fact that you subscribe to that BS is madness and lack of awareness on your part.

    • Alicia Sonshine Fort I’ve been in trouble with the law a few times before so having that experience would probably give me a biased view against cops. But I’m not biased and I’m just calling out what I see in this video. If I was the situation of the camera man, it would be wise to just FOLLOW ORDERS and question their motives AFTERWARDS. This is just basic common sense man.. why is it so hard? You can speculate all you want about the cop’s intentions but in that moment.. it just wise to follow orders. They have their reasons for their own safety and how they approach people. You cannot assume that all cops are out there to put bullets in people.

    • Nhon Giang Cops are trained to look over the entire situation. He never asked for ID or why he stopped the individual. Unlawful stop. Sorry but still wrong. It was not a deadly weapon.

      Most cops know a GoPro is because of protests and such that happen. They are the most commonly used in many situations. It might even have been part of a briefing training. So there is still no excuse.

      The same notion he could shoot you holding a DLSR saying it’s a deadly weapon but it is such a common device.

      When he stated what are you filming he tried to disarm him from being filmed more because it was an unlawful stop.

    • eqalizr@comcast.net

      Most non-photographers know what a GoPro looks like.

  • That photographer probably should have been arrested and maybe tazered. It’s all in how you treat them.

    • Sharley Hughes what law did he break? He just hurt the officer’s feelings which is why he got a gun pointed at him

    • Allen Pacheco I didn’t say he broke a law. But he could have been arrested for disregarding officers orders. But from the beginning the photographer was screaming and being combative to the officer. They are not expected to know what every item a person has in them is. The officer was being professional and just asking him to put it down. Those officers put their lives on the line every day. This photographer was being an ass and giving photographers a bad name

    • I think someone has a thing for men in uniform….

    • Sharley Hughes so your first reasonable response to deescalate a situation without a deadly weapon is to tase the individual?

    • Sharley Hughes ” I didn’t say he broke a law. But he could have been arrested for disregarding officers orders” i see that the irony of this statement is lost on you … not to long ago the US would have classified that type of behavior as communist or dictatorial and “un -American” but now the concept of a police state where law enforcement can pretty much do whatever is apparently justifiable to you. smh

    • Howardo Mansfieldio idiot. I respect the men AND women in uniform and as such treat them with respect. The person in that video was not being respectful and was being as ass.

    • Kwesi Marcano this police office was being respectful and simply asked the idiot to put down what he had. The guy was being disrespectful and an ass to the police officer. Having a camera doesn’t give you the right to be an ass. This situation should never have escalated to to point it was. But the man being the ass is the cause of it. And with the IS being in the hate filled state we are in the man was being an ass

    • Sharley Hughes “my comment to you, was a criticism of your point of view not a commentary on the incident.

  • Police has to deal with idiots all day long, and having an idiot with a camera on a weirdly shaped holder pointed at you can seem suspicious. Especially when that idiot starts yelling at you and calling you a tyrant.

  • USA. HAHAHAHA

  • The photographer is a great example of how not to behave with police officers ! What as a$$ he was and a shame to his profession.

  • When the cop give order the photographer think he need not obey. The cop draw his gun and the photographer give the cop the order not to draw his gun.
    I just don’t understand the logic.

    I have this feeling thst he just wanted to be in the news even if it means him being shot at.

    • Adrian J Nyaoi The cop was a prick. For all we know the photographer has been hassled before and is fed up of them. By your logic, any copper for any reason can demand you stop what you’re doing.

    • Craig Alexander Lamont you are a prick an asshole.

  • The photographer was totally out of line. With that aggression, they should have put him in the back of the car and taken him away. What a pig, respect your authorities.

    • Ross Bateman the police should also respect civilians. People should respect people regardless of their occupations.

    • Stefan Nilsson in this case the cop was not disrespectful at all. He was calm the entire time. (and yes agree, the World would be a much much better place if people would just have a little respect for each other)

    • Ross Bateman I saw the video. I think both were disrepectful. And neither listened to each other. The second police officer were the only one doing something correctly.
      And it seems the police men boss were thinking the same and the police man that threatened the photographer was sent on leave.

      I find it strange you think the police man was calm. He had his gun aimed to the photographer and didnt want to verify his identy and gave a sarcastic answer that it was on His badge…

    • Drawing down on someone is not calm. If he’s so twitchy his hand is hovering around his gun the second he doesn’t fully understand something, he shouldn’t be on the street. He’s way too ready to jump to the conclusion that it’s a threat.

    • He knew from the very beginning he was filming and he asked what the photographer was filming from the very beginning so he just wanted to find a excuse and play dumb to pull his gun…That is as simple as that…

    • FEster

      Found another boot licker.

  • Still alive !!!! he must be white

  • Throw doughnuts to distract the cops?

  • Disgusting. You all on here defending the cop. He drew his weapon on someone who was breaking no laws and was expressing a constitutionally protected right to film in public. It’s the photographers fault he got nervous when someone drew a gun on him? You fucking people are what is wrong with our country and with people in general. Get Big Authority’s dick out of your ass and wake up.

    • Sliced Veggie

      Did you even watch the video? The CAMERA GUY escalated the situation by being aggressive and yelling at the cop. While it didn’t warrant a draw of the weapon, the camera guy is not totally clear in this case either. Get the sovreign citizen dick out of your mouth. Respect goes two ways.

  • Yo bro this is a go pro.

  • I’ve always said it and I will keep saying it: it comes down to education, always. In this case for both parties

  • Americans…

  • So the cop pulls his gun during a peaceful situation. And its the photographers fault????
    Some of y’all bootlick like it’s going it out of style.

    Imagine doing nothing wrong you’re asked a question you answer the question then bam someone pulls a gun on you.
    And the internet experts and police sympathizers label you the aggressor

    • The cop asked to put it down. The filmer disobeyed. Why? What’s he up to? The photographer made it a bad situation.

      • ktetch

        why? BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A LAWFUL ORDER.
        As such, he’s under no obligation to follow it.

        • Sliced Veggie

          And attitudes like this are why the country is divided. People push the other side as hard as they can and everyone wants a ‘win’. When we start respecting each other this place will get a lot better.

          • ktetch

            hows about when armed agents of the government start respecting both the laws and the citizens.
            Pretty sure that is when things get better.
            demanding ‘respect’ for those that don’t respect others is just exemplifying the paradox of tolerance.

    • Chris

      ITGs never die. I bet if a gun was pointed at your face, you’d like a boot until it had a mirror finish.

    • It was a peaceful situation until the idiot filming escalated it.

  • Is it that hard to follow a simple order of a policeman? Do you feel like a big hero because you think you know everything and can yell ‘unholster your gun’ at a cop. Get a clue, man. Usa officers are very nice and friendly. If they ask you something, you do it. Come to europe or africa and they’ll slam you on the floor and take it from you before asking. Try filming a french officer and put it online. You’ll get sued for it. Big victim with a need for fame.

    • You are full of shit ! In France you can’t get sued if you publish on the internet a video of a police officer as it is not illegal and recently confirmed…so shut the fuck up instead of pretending you know something when you don’t…From Paris with love ! <3

  • Wow. That photographer is completely irate from the get go. He didn’t even answer the officer, he just started screaming at him. Why? He seemed unstable, and what was he even yelling? PC 140 AG? Huh? Maybe he should’ve just answered what he was filming and everyone could’ve gone about their day. And maybe the officer over reacted but he was confronted with irrational behavior and probably feared for his life. The photographer needs to be held accountable too.

    • Matt Nicki Lautemann sounded like he was referring to the laws the cop was breaking since photogs dad was chief of police. So he was talking to him like a cop would. Except apparently the cop didn’t know the law he was enforcing or breaking.

    • FEster

      Another copsucker heard from.

  • Y’all saying respect authority and then be the main ones demanding the respect in a similar situation.

  • I’m confused…. Were there several cameras because he puts the go-pro down after multiple requests and the filming is not interrupted.

  • All you have to do is comply. Very simple.

  • “At the beginning of the video, the officer asks “What are you filming for?” And five seconds later, he asks the photographer to put “that” down because he doesn’t know what it is.”

    Y’all are wilding. The officer clearly confronted this man because he was uncomfortable being filmed and went straight to his gun. Y’all are absolutely out of control making excuses for this madness because it is not unlawful to ask an officer to his name and badge number. Furthermore, a police officer upholds and enforced the law, not become law and we are subjected to their desires exclusively.

    Y’all the same one talking about the gubament wanna take our guns!

    • Alicia Sonshine Fort They don’t get it’s not protocol. Protocol is to call for back up if thought of a deadly weapon. It wasn’t and he had nothing to arrest the photographer on. He conveniently forgot it was a GoPro because of cops don’t like being filmed with body cameras.

      In order to give orders like that he must have intent to arrest. He could of asked his ID and more about what he was doing before ever coming to the point of unholstering.

      Unholstering should only happen if weapon or deadly force is there. There was none

    • looking at the rig, it’s more than a gopro. big barrel-like thing sticking out, pointing at you….

    • Dennis Vandermeersch I have the same thing at home never been stopped and also went overseas with it. I put my dslr on it which is too heavy to one hand. A go pro on that with no topper does not look like a weapon or big barrel. It’s not even a style of gun.

    • Alicia Sonshine Fort logically he wasn’t filming with the GoPro as the filming continued.

    • Sandy Carre even still, the officer only told him to put it down because he knew he would have to stop filming of he put down whatever he had in his hands

    • It’s an unlawful stop if he is filming in a public area. If he is filming on private property then the only thing he could get is a trespassing offense. This is in the street, assuming public road not private area.

      Two even if he is told he can not film there they have no right to force him to delete any video or take it away. It’s a violation of your copyright to the material and can be considered holding you at ransom. It’s considered your intellectual property.

      The officer only asked what are you filming not giving him clearly the reason for the stop. Which is first thing that anyone should be doing. If he was going to press charges after stating charges then he can request for ID then ask him to put down the camera and then ask him to stop filming. But it looks like he has a go pro chest rig that we are viewing from.

      It doesn’t matter the cop knew he was filing before he started his body camera. You are suppose to start it before interactions. The cop needs retraining.

      If he fires one bullet he would have to justify his actions and in this case be unjustified. The cop did not handle it correctly.

    • Rebecca Maier probably why he was disciplined huh

    • Q: Do I have to answer questions asked by law enforcement officers?

      A: No. You have the constitutional right to remain silent. In general, you do not have to talk to law enforcement officers (or anyone else), even if you do not feel free to walk away from the officer, you are arrested, or you are in jail. You cannot be pun- ished for refusing to answer a question. It is a good idea to talk to a lawyer before agreeing to answer questions. In general, only a judge can order you to answer questions. (Non-citizens should see Section IV for more information on this topic.)

      Q: What should I do if law enforcement officers arrest me?

      A: The officer must advise you of your constitutional rights to remain silent, to an attorney, and to have an attorney appoint- ed if you cannot afford one. You should exercise all these rights, even if the officers don’t tell you about them. Do not tell the police anything except your name. Anything else you say can and will be used against you. Ask to see a lawyer immediately. Within a reason- able amount of time after your arrest or booking you have the right to a phone call. Law enforcement officers may not listen to a call you make to your lawyer, but they can listen to calls you make to other people. You must be taken before a judge as soon as possible—generally within 48 hours of your arrest at the latest. (See Section IV for information about arrests for noncriminal immigration violations.)

      https://www.aclusocal.org/en/dealing-law-enforcement

    • Last thing I’m going to say. I know the guy’s tone is wrong. The thing I have a problem with isn’t authority it’s the respect of one’s rights. There are both good and bad people.

  • Amazing how people are ready to kill without knowing facts first.

  • Almost like the fake Dallas shooter. How horrific, gun in one hand, clip in the other, eyes directly in the lens. Runnnn!!!

  • Good thing the photographer wasn’t holding this:

  • The only thing that gives me chills is how idiotic the person filming is. He escalated the hell out of that situation.

  • Rebecca Maier Not true.. there are two cameras.. He only asked the camera man to put down the GoPro because he cannot identify what it is. The “other” camera is still being used and he never attempted to stop that from being used. That’s how we got to see the “whole” video of what happened.

    • Chainsaw Charlie

      So, what did he suspect the Go pro is? An automatic rifle? A rocket launcher? A machete?

  • Holy crap. Cop was nicely asking to put it down. Camera dude clearly has anger management issues. Went from zero to pissed off and hostile in less than two seconds. Guy was clearly looking to escalate things for no reason. Doesn’t matter what the hell your holding. If a cop tells you to do something, JUST FORKING DO IT!!!! Why the hell do people think they are above being told what to do these days?! I was full on ready to blame the cop before watching the video. Boy was I wrong. People defending the camera guy are just as stupid as the camera guy. FFS people have lost their minds.

    • meyerweb

      Yes, let’s encourage cops to ignore the law with impunity.

    • Thank you for your unbiased opinion Officer Wilga.

    • Chainsaw Charlie

      If a cop tells you to eat shite, will you do it? Why not, when a cop told you to do so?

      • Sliced Veggie

        Yeah, but did you see the part where the camera guy lost his shit over the slightest of arm movement well prior to the dtaw? The camera guy has some anger issues for sure.

        • Chainsaw Charlie

          His anger issue is irrelevant. Why was he required to put down his camera?

      • StMark Paremt

        Your a dumbass. He’s obviously talking about putting what you holding down. Not comparing the officer telling you to eat shit or jump off a bridge. Freaking idiot.

        • Chainsaw Charlie

          Yeah, i’m the idiot, because i don’t find it normal for a cop to order you to put down your camera, and to pull his gun on you if you don’t do it. What, is he afraid that you will shoot him, in 4K and 30 frames per second?
          I didn’t know that the US have become such a police state dictatorship.

          • Aries Fire

            Thats American for you, dumb as a bat. What you filming, put down your gun,
            Its not a gun, its a camera, i am scared. I better get my gun. Really?

          • StMark Paremt

            Yes you are. What’s the harm in putting the camera down? Guess what genius, some cops are morons and have anger issues. So what should you do, just put the camera down and comply. Maybe the cop was a complete moron and didn’t what the thing was.

            You are the same type of moron that would run from the cops and then cry like a baby when they tackle you and get a booboo

            You’re also the same type of moron that always cries 1st ammendment

          • Chainsaw Charlie

            So, i’m the idiot because the cop was a complete moron with possible anger issues and who don’t know what a camera is. Very intelligent answer. LOL

            Is that how it works in The Greatest And Most Democratic USofA On The World? You do whatever a cop tells you, because he’s potentially a moron with anger issues and he might pull a gun on you because he don’t know what a camera is? Wow …

          • FEster

            Found the copsucker!!!!!!

    • Josh Cannon

      Agree with you completely!

    • eqalizr@comcast.net

      Yes, it’s surprising the photographer wasn’t charged with “failure to obey”.

    • Stephen Ranieri

      So, if a cop went to violate your first amendment rights, you should let him? The problem isn’t an asshole cameraman, you have a right to be a general asshole, it’s cops that don’t know the law.

    • suruha

      No! I have had cops come along and start dictating to me what I need to do – for no clear reason! One, was in my own home, one morning, getting ready to take my three children to school. When I walked out my door, a deputy sheriff came up to me out of nowhere, demanding identification! When I, out of shock and surprise, asked what it was all about, he began threatening to take me to jail if I didn’t show him ID. He told me they would keep me until THEY could figure out who I was! My children started freaking out and crying, so, I told him my name. THAT wasn’t good enough. He was on a testosterone high, by then, and nothing short of dragging me away in handcuffs was going to make him happy. My boyfriend told me I HAD to show him ID. I advised BOTH the cop and my beau that I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT! It was my Constitutional right to NOT be molested or harassed in my own home when I had done nothing wrong and that cop had NO WARRANT!

      As it turned out, I went and got my ID, just to calm my children down! He took a look at it, decided I wasn’t who he was looking for and he left. No apology, no nothing! Just an asshole cop shoving around a defenseless, and innocent, lady with three children!

      This cop is a TOOL!

    • FEster

      Horseshit

  • Yes he asked what he was filming but that doesn’t mean the camera guy had to get bent out of shape and act like he was. He could’ve easily answered the cop nicely and been done. No he had to start shooting and yelling them name dropping his dad was police chief or whatever. Why can’t people just do as asked in a friendly matter. Why escalate things with a cop.

  • Nhon Giang that’s the thing. It wasn’t a lawful order, it was a you’re a stepping on my pride, now I have to find a legal reason to detain you moment. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t get hysterical in a situation where an officer has reached for gun seconds after being told the “suspect” is holding a camera. Granted the guy could have at that point put the camera down, but I don’t blame him for standing his ground against police bullying and using his position to intimidate. You’re still buying into the mentality that the police are the authority and not to be held accountable. Police enforce the law, not be the law.

  • He definitely knew it was a camera, he starts off by saying he doesn’t LIKE that. The issue is like most cops he didn’t want to be recorded. After the person stated their rights he said he didn’t know what it was and he took the camera. There is a major issue with this!

  • Alicia Sonshine Fort As I’ve said before, you can speculate all you want about his intentions, but in the moment when he sense that what you’re holding something is a potential threat, wether it is a camera or not.. just obey the orders and the problem gets solved quickly. It’s really not that hard. Yes there are cops who over step their authority but I’m only speaking for this particular situation only. I don’t speculate, I don’t prejudge, and I don’t argue. I got my own unfortunate experience with some brainless cops before and when it was all over, I had a long conversation with them with how unreasonable they are. If you think the reaction of the camera man was reasonable, go ahead and carry that example for yourself next time you run into a cop.. you;’ll be lucky if you’re still alive.

    • Chainsaw Charlie

      Right … Because it’s your own fault if the police kills you because you didn’t put down your camera.

      • Sliced Veggie

        If you’re being an overly aggressive asshole it is.

        • Chainsaw Charlie

          Aggression is a product of a cop pulling a gun at someone because that someone didn’t put down his Go Pro camera.

          • Sliced Veggie

            The camera guy started tripping out WELL before the draw. He definitely shouldn’t have drawn his gun, but you can’t watch the video and say the camera guy was calm at all.

          • Chainsaw Charlie

            You still don’t get it, ey? Why was the guy required to put down his camera?

  • The photographer was a jerk.

    • meyerweb

      Being a jerk isn’t a crime.

      • Todd Copeland

        Neither is a police officer moving to protect himself from an unstable person.

    • Thank you Officer Moriarity for your contribution.

  • The video fails to show, “Why..???” the police were there. They didn’t pull up for no reason to harass this guy.

  • Regardless of what the officer understands or doesn’t, there are only seconds in that instant. Put down the toys, guns, cameras, cellphones, cigarettes, packs of gum, remote controls and sodas. Follow the instructions and you can sort out the blame later…. when you’re still alive.

  • American cops are not supposed to know anything, they are supposed to shoot.

  • ‘Murica !

  • Did no one else notice him talking about his father being chief of police? Not sure if bluffing but he was only being as aggressive as a cop would, then reciting the law the officer was in violation of. (which cop seemed unaware of and confused by the “random” numbers 42 usc 1983)

  • Rob

    To me, it looks like a “first amendment check” video. The videographer has 3 or more cameras – dslr/mirrorless, go pro, & cell phone. Usually one in each hand and one on the chest. Typically, they stand outside gov’t buildings filming everyone that enters and exits. A popular location is employee parking or employee entrances. The goal is to provoke confrontation and see if the gov’t violates the videographer’s rights. Many cite US code (such as the 42 USC 1983 statement) whether or not it applies in an effort to intimidate, bluff, or sound informed.
    From what I’ve read, seen, and been trained on, the typical confrontation starts when a passer-by calls PD saying there is someone acting suspicious outside or someone drives in/out of the employee gate and notices it. (BTW, many cops think it is suspicious to be photographed/filmed coming to work/going home in their personal vehicle)
    Sometimes the vidoegrapher enters the lobby or stands outside.
    Some are looking for confrontation, others are trying to expose poor behavior, or even share respectful conduct. They video is being shared to get a reaction out of all of us–which it did.

    • meyerweb

      If the photographer is on public property, s/he has an absolute first amendment right to take pictures. That’s affirmed by multiple court decisions. If s/he enters a private parking lot or the lobby, the rules change.

      In either case, police reacting by drawing a weapon as their first action is unacceptable, and shows why and how so many police encounters end in violence.

      • M L

        Grow up

        • FEster

          Consume a satchel of Richards.

          • M L

            Does you mommy know that you’re on her computer again? I bet you still kiss your dad on the lips.

      • Todd Copeland

        Clearly you either did not watch the video or are simply lying. The officers FIRST reaction was to ask the person to put the camera away. He’s allowed to ask. SECOND, THIRD and FOURTH reaction is to ask again and again. It is not until the unstable filmer goes from stable to mental does the officer draw his gun. To me, clearly the unstable person is simply trying to get views. He simply needed to refuse to put away the camera and talk like a non mental person. The officer does not know how unstable the person is and is only setting up self protection. You say the person has the right to film? So does the officer not have a right to have a gun in his hand?

        • Cory Zirk

          he does not have a tazer on his hip, nor a collapsible baton? (fyi, he has BOTH on his person, as well as a 8 LB mag light designed to be used as a weapon)

          A firearm is supposed to always be a last resort, as per their training. They are trained to DE-ESCALATE situations, in which this officer CLEARLY did not. He approached an agitated man, proceeded to harass, and intimidate said individual. When verbal intimidation didnt work, he reached for his service weapon. END OF STORY.

          • Todd Copeland

            Ever watch people getting tazed? Ever research when it is to be used? It is _NOT_ to be used when you feel threatened. That is how a person gets killed. many times it does not work (hit something other then body, does not stick, etc.). You’d bring a batten to a gunfight? Let me know how that works out for you. The officer attempted _many_ times to deescalate the situation. He then simply placed his hand on his holstered gun. The unstable person then went from 0-100 and started to yelled and command the officer to remove his hand from his holster. I guess police are supposed to take commands from people screaming at them. I could go on and on but at the end of the day the officer was simply reacting to someone who was clearly unstable and attempting to protect himself. He does not shoot at the person (I’m guessing he is not 100% sure he sees a gun that is pointed at him). Too add to this, the person filming is _CLEARLY_ just trying to provoke the officer in order to make some money off a video. I stand up for his right to film but not for escalating the encounter just for a couple of bucks in his pocket.

          • FEster

            The copsuckery is strong in this one.

        • FEster

          Horseshit

  • I would have put down my camera so fast and probably started crying when a gun was pointed at me. 😮

  • M L

    He’s a photographer? Really? He’s a nut job with a gopro looking to create a controversy. You guys have a strange way in defining what a photographer is.

    • Cole Bergman

      Amen.

    • Joey Redner

      To create a controversy he would need to have a police officer who is either a moron or playing dumb approach him. Any reasonable officer approaches him and there goes his controversy. Pretty flimsy plan.

      • Judotoss

        An officer who is a moron or playing dumb would be the controversy, and this guy certainly didn’t create that.

        • Joey Redner

          He didn’t have to create it. The officer came along and created the controversy for him. If the officer didn’t mistake a gopro for a weapon (or pretend to mistake it for a weapon) you and I would not be trading texts over how some random college kid used some video equipment one day 😉

          You and I are communicating because of the officer not because of the kid.

    • Judotoss

      A photographer is a person with a camera. The term does not define anything else about the person, so he could be a nut job photographer, I suppose. The controversy here is that some police officers are out of control lunatics with a gun and a badge. I’m glad I could clear up this confusion for you.

      • eqalizr@comcast.net

        You are 1000% right.

      • Daniel Lalande

        Having a camera doesn’t make you a photographer. If that’s the case, everyone who a owns/uses a pan is a chef. Wait…I also have a pipe wrench, I guess I’m a plumber. I almost forgot I also have wire cutters…pretty sweet, I’m also an electrician.

  • Well if he complied instead of yelling it would have been better for him, escalated a situation where there was none.

  • Things only Americans think are debatable

  • The simple rule, don’t point things at a law enforcement officer.

    • FEster

      Don’t tell me what to do, plebe.

  • Sliced Veggie

    The comments on that YT video are insanity. Pretty sure very few people watched the video before commenting. The camera man was a massive dickbag and the cop was obviously calm the entire time. Not sure drawing the weapon was the best move, but the camera guy flipped out at the drop of a hat and even having the guy touch his gun.
    Id likely reach for my piece too if an unstable camera guy started tripping out with the smallest of requests.

  • russell gray

    Kaliphornia. That sums it up.

  • David

    me no eangleeshee.He shoulda had a Kodak Brownie in 127.

  • Some “photographer” needs an anger managment class

  • suruha

    The policeman knew exactly what the GoPro was! He was just being an asshole!

  • Chris

    Oh so now you’re spreading these nutjob kook videos? That’s not a photographer that’s an idiot who spends his days trying to create conflict with law enforcement officers (who already have a tough job) so that they can post them on YouTube and engage in petty circle jerks about how they defend freedom and rights with their “audits”. They are looney-tunes whackjobs with cameras, they are not photographers.

    Notably this particularly stupid one does not know the difference between “holster” and “unholster” either…

  • Renlish

    Ok… so say we believe the police officer for a nanosecond and he honestly didn’t know what it was… That went from zero to a hundred in three seconds. Photographer went WAY over the top. Watching the entire clip, you could see why the officer might have been confused. It was the rig the gopro was on. You can hold the thing like a handgun. If you look like you’re holding a handgun and aiming it anywhere on an otherwise quiet street, people are going to ask questions.

    Pro-tip: Cops shoot people who look like they’ve got something they can be shot with. Cops shoot crazy people… Or people acting like crazy people. (Almost as much as they enjoy shooting people of colour.)

    Regardless of the fact that you have rights as a street photographer, if a cop asks you to do something, you do it, remain calm and politely query why what you’re doing is a concern. If you don’t get the answer you want, REMAIN calm. Why escalate a situation to this point? There was absolutely no need to go into crazy screaming mode. Cracking a joke and quickly disassembling the rig to show the officer what it was to reassure him would have been the easier option. Yeah, rights, yadda, yadda… sometimes the path of least resistance is the better option.

  • “Photographer” is a NUT JOB!

    “Photographer” is a NUT JOB!

  • Thom Ream

    This guy is just an asshole. He’ll get the fame (and bullet) he’s looking for one of these days.

  • > paid administrative leave

    Oh FFS.

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