DC Crew Rousted!

[C St. SW]

Check out this story from WJLA the DC ABC. Kudos to Pete for showing how to stay COOL in a VERY difficult position. This is how it's done folks...

WJLA Crew keeps their cool (http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0505/227818.html)

[Cameradude]

I hope a nice little out of court settlement is made to the two journalists. That is how these things are usually settled.

If we are going to use the 9/11 attacks as an excuse everytime our rights are violated by government officials, then it sounds like the attackers on 9/11 were more successful than it first appeared.

If we as a country are forced into a police state, and traffic stops that were illegal on 9/10/2001 are now alright, then those attacks were nothing compared to what is going to happen and all the people died for nothing.

Personally, I would rather see extremist raghead wackos fly planes into buildings all day before I will give up ONE RIGHT as an American.

[tvguide]

Huh?????

Personally, I would rather see extremist raghead wackos fly planes into buildings all day before I will give up ONE RIGHT as an American.as long as you're not in the building, right? I get your point, but get real

[ May 18, 2005, 01:40 PM: Message edited by: Tippster ]

[Special K]

Nine cameras were disabled or not running on a call where the police felt one of their own was in danger.......

Can you say Liars??

[Gripper]

Very interesting coming from a RTV student. What power do police officers have in taking away our rights as Americans AND Journalists. The thing that stuck out to me more was the officer saying to the photog to turn off the camera?

[ewink]

Originally posted by tvguide:
...as long as you're not in the building, right? I get your point, but get real "People who would sacrfice liberty for security deserve neither."

Ben Franklin.

I would perfer not to see planes flying into buildings, but please. Before 9/11 in the past 100 years there have been how many (foriegn) terrorist attacks on US soil?

2. WTC 1993 and WTC 2001.

(Pearl Harbor was not a terrorist attack. Pearl Harbor was a military attack on a military instalation. Please do not compare PH with 9/11.)

After 9/11 there was no reason to change anything (except for maybe hiring screeners at the airport who knew there ass from a hole in the ground, and that hasn't even happened yet). DHS is nothing more than the Department of Fear and Intimidation. Fueled by the tearfully ironiclly named PATRIOT Act, DHS has done NOTHING to make us safe.

Sure, we haven't been attacked since 9/11. But before 9/11 we'd only been attacked once. If in 400 years we are never attacked again, then I will applaud DHS. But you can't determin a departments success based on 3 and a half years.

You know, if myabe we spent some of the DHS money on border/port security instead of useless grants (Yeah, Bismark really needs those 2 millions dollar bio-terrorism suits because we all know how important of a target the Dakota's are...) for over zealous police... Well...

I usually side with the police on issues, but this was nuts. I hope the cops involved are disiplined and that PD or SO has to fork over MAJOR beans...

[ewink]

Originally posted by Special K:
Nine cameras were disabled or not running on a call where the police felt one of their own was in danger.......

Can you say Liars?? They already knew they were in deep sh!t. What do they have to lose by lying about the cameras?

((Edited to delete my own moronity...))

[ May 13, 2005, 08:55 PM: Message edited by: ewink ]

[Terry E. Toller]

I have had a couple of cops 'order' me to turn off my camera over the years. I just turn it onto them and say, "right after you empty your gun".

9/11 is no excuse!

[Just Wondering]

Good Job Pete !!!!! Roll on everything. If you had NOT been rolling the St. Georges PD would have been able to substanciate their lies.

This to happened to me. my lawyer is VERY happy to have gotten my case.

The down side of that is.....Gov. Arnold and staff in their imfamous wisdom has made it law to mandate that the state of Calif. shall get 75% yes.....75% of civil claims filed untill August 05.

We will file at that time, but I would not be surprised if that law is passed again and be retro active.

That law is now in place to STOP flivorous law suits.

An Assemblyman that happens to know me and just happened to be in our newsroom for another story just last week. I personaly went to him and asked what the heck was up with that law.

I told him that I would be GLAD to show him the tape and HE could deside just HOW FLIVOROUS my case was.

This assemblyman has the attention of the Gov. and I am hoping that he will take the imformation he will learn from me and reevaluate what constitues Flivalry.

I was taken to the ground, choke held, hand cuffed and detained for about an hour with the blessing of one of our local PD members. I was also cut up because I would NOT turn over my camera to an unidentified rent a cop and I got it ALL on tape.

I even got the conversation of the rent a cops.

I hope that you and your reporter prevail in all of this. It has to stop.

I will direct you to the rest of the story if you like or post it here.
Chuck

[ May 13, 2005, 10:15 PM: Message edited by: D.Magical Photo Flow ]

[NewsMan]

Originally posted by Special K:
Nine cameras were disabled or not running on a call where the police felt one of their own was in danger.......

Can you say Liars?? Proof of abuse of power.

[Shaky & Blue]

Originally posted by D.Magical Photo Flow:
That law is now in place to STOP flivorous law suits...

... HE could deside just HOW FLIVOROUS my case was.

... I am hoping that he will... reevaluate what constitues Flivalry. Is this a Monty Python skit?

[NoWay]

Mmmmmm, that Hamburger was certainly fliverous...yummy!

[Just Wondering]

Is this a Monty Python skit?

It almost sounds like it huh LOL

[C St. SW]

It seems the links were down for a while but are now working again...

In the follow up....check out what the cop does to the camera sitting on the ground....

Follow Up (http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0505/228140.html)

[Shadowphantom]

Originally posted by tvguide:
Huh?????

Personally, I would rather see extremist raghead wackos fly planes into buildings all day before I will give up ONE RIGHT as an American.

as long as you're not in the building, right? I get your point, but get real Your an official idiot.

That dumb thinking trivializes all the men and women that have died and sacrificed everything for those freedoms. Freedom has been bought and paid for with the blood of true heros. Not all have fought and died in wars.

Just cause we were attacked by a dumb bunch of America haters who succeded in their plot does not mean that the americans that live in this country should give up those hard won freedoms so easily.

I find it very disapointing that idiot king George has convinced us that it will only be a few freedoms now and you won't miss them. That doesn't smell good or sound right.

WE ARE the forth estate. Journalism is the only profession mentioned in the constitution TWICE. It is our JOB to watch over government and inform the public.

Those two did what they were supposed to do. Personally I would make the entire department wish they had never chosen to go to work that day. There would be no second chance given. There would be federal, state, and local criminal and civil actions.

There is NO excuse for police to use that type of force. PERIOD.

Those who defend that type of thing with 9/11 are idiots and fools who don't deserve to work in the media. If you can't stand up for your rights or don't know what they are you shouldn't be in the field.

They could have used better judgement true, but that is secondary to the greater crime.

[vdoguy]

Excuse me Shadowphantom, but you called tvguide an "official idiot" when he was making a point similar to yours. Try reading the post above his...

Originally posted by Cameradude:
Personally, I would rather see extremist raghead wackos fly planes into buildings all day before I will give up ONE RIGHT as an American. Next time you want to start calling someone names like that, make sure you get your facts right! I don't know who tvgide is, but one things for sure, you owe him an apology!

[Golden Delicious]

I would have considered identifying myself as a member of the media immediately following the traffic stop. I know this might be a 20/20 hindsight issue for them especially with the shock of having guns pointed at them. I personally have had several police situations while doing undercover shooting and I always try to identify myself as soon as possible. Who is to say if it would have helped here, but it is something to consider if you are ever caught in a similar situation.

[Lensmith]

Originally posted by Golden Delicious:
I would have considered identifying myself as a member of the media immediately following the traffic stop. What makes you think they didn't?

[Terry E. Toller]

D Magical...

Your lawyer SHOULD know that you are REQUIRED by law to file your claim against a government agency within SIX months, 180 days. You must file your claim before that time. After they deny your claim, which they will, then you have up to one year to file a suit.

As for that 75% thing, well, if it is true, it would be so unconstitutional it will get tossed out with the first challenge.

[Tippster]

TVGuide sucks at quoting. I fixed his post for clarity.

Also, Golden Delicious: even if they didn't say "we're with the media" right away (which I highly doubt,) one look at the camera would have given it away, unless they used a Handycam.

Original point stands, tho. They had ZERO right to pull them over, much less draw weapons on them. If you've ever spent time in the DC area you'd know that the PG County cops are by FAR the most gung-ho of all the PD's around here, with many more incidences of officer brutality or shot suspects than any other. A former friend of mine (fraternity Brother) is on the force there and has been accused of brutality 5 times in 10 years, as well as killing 3 people already.

Don't even get me started on how they used to act at Dead shows at the capital center.

Reminds me of a Rage Against the Machine song...

[newsindc]

Pete has been a shooter at WJLA for over 35 years, and has been an I-Team shooter for 20 plus years. He has more awards including White House photographer of the year then anyone else in town. So he knowns how to handle himself. He also shoots with his zoom set on manual all the time. Now that's old school. He's a great guy and a good teacher to some of the younger guys.

[nozoom4u]

Manual zoom, old school. Are you kidding me. A servo wastes way too much time. I'll have three shots in the time it takes a servo user to get one.

[Golden Delicious]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Golden Delicious:
I would have considered identifying myself as a member of the media immediately following the traffic stop.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What makes you think they didn't?

...It wasn't part of the story, thats all. Perhaps they did. It was just advice. You can take it or leave it as you like. Thanks