Try to cover this grass fire, and we'll break your cellphone

[Newsjock]

Source: Peninsula Press Club

Napa County Sheriff's Deputies detained ABC7 reporter Wayne Freedman and photographer Craig Southern, seized their camera and intentionally broke their cell phone while the pair were attempting to cover a grass fire on Wednesday, the station reports.

... Keeshan said Friedman and Southern were detained by deputies over an argument about whether the journalists were too close to the fire. Keeshan said deputies broke one of the men’s cell phones in half after he used it to film the other man being detained. Keeshan also said deputies confiscated their camera.

Both Freedman and Southern were handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car for 15 minutes, ABC7 said. A sheriff's department captain later apologized and both were released without being charged.

Read more: http://penpressclub.org/2007/07/deputies-handcuff-abc7-crew-take-camera

[Atman]

1. I'm assuming they'll also be paying to replace the man's cell phone?

He's looking at about $150-200 or more to replace his phone now. I think the only people who should have been put in handcuffs here are the Sheriff's deputies, for assault, robbery, destruction of personal property and whatever else these fascist fuckers can be pinned with.

.

[Bitwit1234]

2. Isn't our police forces getting more and more confrontational

trying to suppress the rights of everyone. I suppose with all the encouragement from the bush administration, the thugs in the police department think they can get away with anything. And they are making the law abiding police look bad.

[Auggie]

3. What is it about some people when they put on a uniform?

The can become such a-holes

[leeroysphitz]

6. Alot of it may have to do with the type of uniforms these days.

More and more police organizations are putting officers in increasingly military looking tactical uniforms over traditional police uniforms.

We've all seen them in army style web gear with bdu caps and jungle boots or the wool face masks etc..

I think there was a psychological impact on both the police and the public when our public safety people stopped dressing like this:




and began dressing like this:



I don't think the effects were unintended either...

[Auggie]

7. Pretty soon they'll look like Klingon warriors

[HardRocker05]

4. sounds like a police state to me. we are the subjects; they are the masters. nt

[MazeRat7]

5. I think they need a new nation-wide slogan.. something catchy like....

"Protect and Serve"
:sarcasm:

MZr7