follow up article on the lady that got arrested for filming police in her front yard

[Guest nysos]

Rochester police use selective enforcement of parking laws to harass attendees at a meeting in support of Emily Good - Boing Boing

Dick move, if you ask me. At least this time they were within the law in performing these actions, compared to when the lady got arrested they had no reason.

[Guest UberDuper]

That's just sad.

[DaveTN]

That’s sad…. Three squads on residential parking violations. Those orders had to have come from a Command Officer. I would be curious to hear the Chiefs comments on this.

I support throwing the woman in jail for refusing to leave the area of the traffic stop, but this is just harassment.

[Guest nysos]

That’s sad…. Three squads on residential parking violations. Those orders had to have come from a Command Officer. I would be curious to hear the Chiefs comments on this.

I support throwing the woman in jail for refusing to leave the area of the traffic stop, but this is just harassment.

I don't agree with the lady going to jail, if the facts are right from what I've read. I wasn't there so I can't say for sure, BUT she was on her own yard. Her own property. She was filming from her yard, I could understand making her step back and get further away maybe, but that wasn't the case. The officer doesn't have the authority to make you vacate your own property because there is a traffic stop going on in front of your house. If there was a murder, and your house became a crime scene sure.....

[DaveTN]

The officer doesn't have the authority to make you vacate your own property because there is a traffic stop going on in front of your house.

Sure he does, there are countless court rulings on it. He did it, he took her jail, and he was IMHO justified in his actions. He didn’t walk up and arrest here, she was warned several times.

The DA and the courts will deal with her, but this action by the PD is unnecessary.

[Defender]

As a former cop, and a current law and order kinda guy, I'm not even gonna get into the original arrest issue. I almost always tend to support the police...BUT, if this police ticketing harassment happened in my community, I would make it a crusade to get whoever ordered this fired for misconduct and wasting the taxpayers money.

[strickj]

That's f'ed up.

Seems Good was recently arrested at a foreclosure protest in her neighborhood. I'd say that all of this added together is the reason for the harassment. They're trying to nix the troublemakers.

I'm not justifying the actions, now, just saying that's my opinion of why they're doing it.

Edited June 24, 2011 by strickj

[DaveTN]

As a former cop, and a current law and order kinda guy, I'm not even gonna get into the original arrest issue. I almost always tend to support the police...BUT, if this police ticketing harassment happened in my community, I would make it a crusade to get whoever ordered this fired for misconduct and wasting the taxpayers money.

Being a former cop, you know as well as I do no one is going to lose their job over this. But if a Command Officer did this without the Chiefs consent their career would probably take a hit.

My point is that I would like to know if the Chief knew of, and supported this action. I don’t think there is a person that will read this story and not agree that this is retaliatory (if this was in fact involving the woman that was arrested). It goes to the character of whoever ordered it.

[Guest GunTroll]

Oh man. I will avoid this one.

[Guest nicemac]

I support throwing the woman in jail for refusing to leave the area of the traffic stop, but this is just harassment.

I understand they could feel threatened if they had this guy pulled over on the street and she drove up and parked behind them, got out and started filming.

This is different.

The cops stopped in front of her house, and she was in her yard. She offered to "back up a foot or two" (she was no where near them or in the way–they guy was already cuffed and headed to the car…) but that wasn't good enough. They demanded she go inside her house.

We do not live under martial law. Yet.

[strickj]

She was not in her yard. That was an additive by the media (or maybe Good afterwards).

Watch the video. You can clearly see that she is not in her yard and she, herself, even says that she's on the sidewalk.

[Guest GunTroll]

Crazy talk Strickj. Watch the video again Sir before typing blatantly wrong statements.

[Guest nicemac]

She was not in her yard. That was an additive by the media (or maybe Good afterwards).

Watch the video. You can clearly see that she is not in her yard and she, herself, even says that she's on the sidewalk.

It is not clear from the video whether she is standing on the sidewalk or in her yard.

Very early in the video, when the cop told her "Actually that is the sidewalk", she responds with "I am going to stand in my yard if that's OK."

[strickj]

Crazy talk Strickj. Watch the video again Sir before typing blatantly wrong statements.

I'm not blatantly wrong. I mixed up who said sidewalk. Doesn't matter, though. She was still on the sidewalk and the cop still had the authority to tell her to move.

[Guest nysos]

Crazy talk Strickj. Watch the video again Sir before typing blatantly wrong statements.

From the houses in the background it looks like a fairly packed housing area, very small front yards. She probably could have been standing on her front porch (probably a whole 6-10ft behind her) and the officer would have still arrested her. She was definitely pushing it by being as close as she was, but again....it she was in the middle of her own yard, not right on the edge of the yard and sidewalk.

edit, I thought where the police were standing that they were on the sidewalk, looks to just be the street. my bad - she is probably on the sidewalk or just barely into her yard.

Edited June 24, 2011 by nysos

[DaveTN]

I don’t care if she was standing in her yard or the middle of the intersection; she was warned and refused to comply…. She suffered the consequences of that decision.

But that’s old news, and another thread, what does it have to do with this thread?

[Guest GunTroll]

He does.

[Guest nysos]

But that’s old news, and another thread, what does it have to do with this thread?

good point - back to original issue

I agree with previous post, the amount of vehicles there that was probably a command from higher up to do that. It was planned. I would have been interested to hear some of the responses of the officers on the situation, did they feel justified? were they just doing their job? If I was in their shoes obviously I would have just done my job as well, but doesn't mean you have to feel right about it.

[strickj]

But that’s old news, and another thread, what does it have to do with this thread?

Damn. I thought this was the other thread.

Guess that's what happens when you're too lazy to thumb the screen up to read thread titles

You are right. Back to the op...

[G27]

Way to endear yourself to the community and not come off like abusive pricks....

I can't understand this sort of mindset from the cops. Seems incredibly short sighted.

[peejman]

"To protect and serve..." These folks sure got serviced.

[Paladin132]

"To protect and serve..." These folks sure got serviced.

See Castlerock v Gonzales, 2005.

[Troutburger]

"To protect and serve..." These folks sure got serviced.

intimidate and harass

[bajabuc]

intimidate and harass

Yup.

[I_Like_Pie]

I am just glad that we are at the point in time were stuff like this doesn't get swept under the rug anymore.

Does not matter if they are police, or elected official, 4-H Club president, preacher, etc.