Man records police arresting his friend; gets arrested himself
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/10...arrest-friend/
Quote:
The settlement comes almost two years after Beaverton police arrested Hao Xeng Vang, who used his cell phone to capture the arrest of one of his friends at the Valley Lanes Bowling Center in Beaverton.
Vang made no attempt to hide his recording and even narrated what he was capturing, said his attorney, Kevin Lucey.
"He kept on saying, 'Don't worry. I've got it on tape,'" Lucey said.
After about 10 minutes, Officer Jason Buelt seized Vang's phone and arrested him. The city returned the phone in October, but the recording was deleted. Lucey said officials made copies.
We all know of the sometimes explosive results of police actions being recorded and made public. Everything from the Kent State University riots in 1970 (where police massacred protesting students) to the Rodney King beating have altered public perceptions of law enforcement and in many cases forced changes in the laws.
How do you feel about this? Do police officers have an expectation of privacy when performing their work (and receiving a salary from taxpayer money)? Do the people they interact with? Would this have been different if it had not been the guy's friend with a cellphone but a news crew with a camera?