Man hides memory card in mouth before police smash his phone

[Jerry_111]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXpMzT5yGp8&feature=player_embedded

is that legal?

 

[Acepilotf14]

I'm not really sure what was going on there. Sounds like they thought he had a weapon or something.

 

[MJ12]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk1SaQHR2-8&feature=related

 

[GreatEmperor]

I'm not really sure what was going on there. Sounds like they thought he had a weapon or something.

And they thought the phone was a pinata, so its perfectly understandable

 

[Acepilotf14]

And they thought the phone was a pinata, so its perfectly understandable

Where is the phone even smashed, or a source given? It's just in the title.

 

[Krynn72]

Where is the phone even smashed,

If you were expecting to see the phone get smashed without its memory card... on the recording made using said phone... then... come on ace.

 

[unozero]

more TNA

 

[Acepilotf14]

If you were expecting to see the phone get smashed without its memory card... on the recording made using said phone... then... come on ace.

The point remains, I was expecting another video from a different perspective or something. It says a phone is smashed in the title, but no where after that.

 

[Stylo]

The point remains, I was expecting another video from a different perspective or something. It says a phone is smashed in the title, but no where after that.

If you click to watch the video on YouTube there's some info in the video description:

Images of last week's fatal police shooting in Miami Beach have been released.

Here you see footage recorded on a cell phone by Narces Benoit.

The police are surrounding a car driven by Raymond Herisse. Then they started firing at the 22-year-old.

Herisse was killed, three officers and four bystanders were injured.

Benoit and his girlfriend, Ericka Davis, are accusing authorities of destroying evidence and intimidation.

They say the only reason this video is still around because they were able to hide a memory card before authorities smashed the phone that captured this incident.

They have hired a lawyer, saying they "want the right thing to be done."

 

[Jerry_111]

I think the biggest issue here is cops waving guns directly at bystanders and unlawfully confiscating and destroying evidence. (there's nothing illegal about filming in a public place).

 

[GreatEmperor]

I think the biggest issue here is cops waving guns directly at bystanders and unlawfully confiscating and destroying evidence. (there's nothing illegal about filming in a public place).

Here there is, in fact you cant legally videotape police dumbasses at all

 

[No Limit]

The point remains, I was expecting another video from a different perspective or something. It says a phone is smashed in the title, but no where after that.

You can hear in the video where a cop is yelling "give me that phone now!". You can also see how cops are pointing guns at the guy taping this who clearly did absolutely nothing wrong.

So I think the safe bet here is that the cops were infact destroying evidance just as the video description claims.

 

[lord_raken]

I think the public should have the right to videotape police. It'll keep them honest and on good behavior. Most police are good people, and some understanding should be extended to them when they have to deal with confusing situations where threats and dangers may not be clear. However, no matter what, they are responsible for their actions and should be held accountable for their actions.

 

[function9]

I've seen so many of these types of videos, it's just appalling. Don't understand how this behavior seems to be overlooked time and time again.

 

[Mogi67]

cops are just people trying to make their way through life, but they're still dickheads

 

[Krynn72]

Not only is the law banning taping of police one of the stupidest laws we've come up with yet (and thats saying something) but what should happen is the opposite, requiring police to have a video camera running during any incident. Dashboard cameras are the right idea, but they need to be publicly available. In the future they should also have cameras in their lapel or something too. Officers of the law must be held responsible for their actions just as anybody else.

 

[15357]

Not only is the law banning taping of police one of the stupidest laws we've come up with yet (and thats saying something) but what should happen is the opposite, requiring police to have a video camera running during any incident. Dashboard cameras are the right idea, but they need to be publicly available. In the future they should also have cameras in their lapel or something too. Officers of the law must be held responsible for their actions just as anybody else.

Interestingly enough, I agree with this. Police should have some kind of recording device, especially during busts or incidents like this. Not only does it prevent police from getting too heavy handed, but it also provides an opportunity to capture evidence on site.

 

[Stylo]

Agree with the above. They're Officers of the Law and should be expected to follow it at all times. There's no reason why they shouldn't be officially recorded during these kinds of situations so that a clearer picture of what transpired can be painted. If Police refuse to be recorded it makes them seem untrustworthy, like they've got something to hide and well, if the public can't trust the Police then it kinda lessens the point of their existence. Serve and protect.

 

[CptStern]

video opens up a legal nightmare in the courts. it's rarely admissible in court because it can be easily doctored or edited. what they really dont want is not they they'll be caught on tape beating someone but rather they'll be caught infringing some right or counseling the erson to waive their rights etc

 

[function9]

It's against the law now to film police officers? Last I knew as long as you were on public property taping and weren't interfering (standing in their way) you had every right to tape them.

 

[Ennui]

Here there is, in fact you cant legally videotape police dumbasses at all

False. In Miami it is legal to film police officers performing their duties in a public place.

The phone was destroyed, the guy smuggled the memory card out in his mouth and was even arrested for some stupid charge like resisting arrest or obstruction of justice. It has been confirmed on several news sources (this was all over reddit yesterday) that his phone and many other people's phones were destroyed by police on the scene.

Cops are pretty sensitive about being filmed, and they are very sensitive and defensive about situations where officers are hurt or injured (like here) so I'm not surprised by this at all. Miami police have a history of getting mad at people for filming them and confiscating or destroying their phones unlawfully by saying it was harassment or some other stupid shit like that.

 

[Krynn72]

It's against the law now to film police officers? Last I knew as long as you were on public property taping and weren't interfering (standing in their way) you had every right to tape them.

Like Ennui suggested, its only illegal in certain states. In fact, I think its only one state where its entirely illegal (Illinois). Its also not so much recording police, but recording anybody without consent. There are even exceptions in most state laws that allow recording in public places without consent. Of course, none of that matters since cops can do whatever they want in this country, and these laws, in practice, only serve punish people who record police abuse.

http://gizmodo.com/5553765/are-cameras-the-new-guns

The legal justification for arresting the "shooter" rests on existing wiretapping or eavesdropping laws, with statutes against obstructing law enforcement sometimes cited. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland are among the 12 states in which all parties must consent for a recording to be legal unless, as with TV news crews, it is obvious to all that recording is underway. Since the police do not consent, the camera-wielder can be arrested. Most all-party-consent states also include an exception for recording in public places where "no expectation of privacy exists" (Illinois does not) but in practice this exception is not being recognized.

Glik captured a police action on his cellphone to document what he considered to be excessive force. He was not only arrested, his phone was also seized.

On his website Drew wrote, "Myself and three other artists who documented my actions tried for two months to get the police to arrest me for selling art downtown so we could test the Chicago peddlers license law. The police hesitated for two months because they knew it would mean a federal court case. With this felony charge they are trying to avoid this test and ruin me financially and stain my credibility."

Hyde used his recording to file a harassment complaint against the police. After doing so, he was criminally charged.

 

[15357]

Myself and three other artists who documented my actions tried for two months to get the police to arrest me for selling art downtown so we could test the Chicago peddlers license law.

They were trying to get arrested? This is suggestive of... certain things.

 

[GreatEmperor]

False. In Miami it is legal to film police officers performing their duties in a public place.

The phone was destroyed, the guy smuggled the memory card out in his mouth and was even arrested for some stupid charge like resisting arrest or obstruction of justice. It has been confirmed on several news sources (this was all over reddit yesterday) that his phone and many other people's phones were destroyed by police on the scene.

Cops are pretty sensitive about being filmed, and they are very sensitive and defensive about situations where officers are hurt or injured (like here) so I'm not surprised by this at all. Miami police have a history of getting mad at people for filming them and confiscating or destroying their phones unlawfully by saying it was harassment or some other stupid shit like that.

I live in Illinois, where it is indeed illegal. This mentality of "as long as it is not recorded it is not a problem" just shows how monumentally retarded this police state mentality of some actually is

 

[Jerry_111]

i just read that justin.tv has an app you can install on your phone that streams all recorded video automatically to the internet. more people should use this in the future to prevent physical destruction of footage.