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Cop smashes woman’s phone as she tries to film him? A California woman who was recording police activity said she was terrified when a deputy U.S. marshal walked toward her, grabbed her cell phone out of her hands and smashed it with his foot.
Beatriz Paez says she wasn’t doing anything wrong taking video of a U.S. Marshal executing warrants on San Juan Avenue Sunday. She saw people in handcuffs. “Around 8 people including women were held at gunpoint on their stomachs with their hands held behind their back,” says Paez. But, when one marshal saw her recording, “He told me that I had to go. And, I told him I had the right to film and he said I was interfering with their investigation and I told them that I was on a public sidewalk and I had the right to film them.”
That’s when a neighbor recorded Paez’s cell phone being taken and smashed. Colleen Flynn, Paez’s attorney says “My client’s rights were violated. Her constitutional rights. Everyone has the right to videotape and document police activity in public.”
Paez says, “I felt assaulted. “He was huge. He had a vest on and I only had my phone and I’m recording his face and up to that point now I turn to protect my phone because this is all I had and he took it away from me and and slammed it… I feel terrified… I’m scared but at the same time I’m telling him you don’t do that.”
Paez is planning legal action, but has a simple question for the marshal in the video
“I would want to know he was thinking to do that to someone. Why would he do that?”
The only reaction from the U.S. Marshals Service is this statement:
“The U.S. Marshals Service is aware of video footage of an incident that took place Sunday in Los Angeles County involving a Deputy U.S Marshal. The agency is currently reviewing the incident.”
Agencies/Canadajournal
Personally I side with the US Marshal. They are trying to do a job and this idiot comes over and starts taking pictures. What is she doing getting close to a raid. She is looking for attention as I see it. She deserved what she got. next time you won’t be so nosy about what officials are doing. She could have been shoot or killed if something went down.
Andrew,
It sounds like you are one of the people in America that thinks its perfectly ok for cops to act this way. A cop should never EVER behave this way to a law abiding person that is doing nothing illegal. The cop may not want to be filmed but that’s just part of the game these days. NO cop has a reason to EVER violate a persons rights…or decide willy-nilly to lay their hands on a person or their property. This “wonderful” guy should be terminated and prosecuted. Hell, its even wrong when a cop uses foul or threatening language towards a person. We are seeing more and more of this on film every day……….and the cops have no choice now but to act the way they are expected to while dealing with people.
police seem to be concerned lately that being photographed imposes on their security on the job, not taking sides here, but how do we know if the person photographing or taking video isn’t working for a drug cartel or organized crime and uses this intelligence to plan a hit on a police officer or his family.
on the other hand if police are using unreasonable force to arrest or process a person, is it not reasonable to film. as their is no mention of police brutality, I think the cop is fearing for his own security on the job, and if asked to stop and you don’t stop then of course we see what has happened.
I think that just because there are constitution rights, doesn’t mean you have a right to be a paparazzi on scene, when your regular job is say car wash attendant . ( no offence meant to car wash attendants )
I’d say it would be prudent to be far enough away from the scene, say the other side of the road, rather on the same side of the sidewalk,10 ft way from the perps being arrested.
sometimes being too close to a conflict,can draw you into the conflict.
You cannot take away liberties and such for all the “Just in Case” scenarios, then you will eventually start stripping away all or any activity citizens can do. Again I hate to repeat this but it is still relevant! “Those willing to give up freedoms for a false sense of security/safety deserve neither” The woman was 4 houses away, even with a small house that’s pretty good distance away. When you are working for the Public, you risk being monitored by the very persons that employ you.
If you are not an police officer, stay out of official police business. Just like we tell white folks stay out black business, same cookie crumble for you and the police. Not in Blue, beat it, fool!