There has been much controversy about citizens filming the actions of police. The latest example is the
massive protests in Anaheim, where residents filmed police officers abusing people, shooting bean bags and pepper balls, and releasing a canine on innocent people nearby.
In that incident, witnesses told the media that the police officers had actually offered to
buy the video footage from those residents.
People have been threatened by the police, for taking video footage of their actions.
Tim Pool, a
citizen journalist, was shot at during the Anaheim protests, despite the fact that he had advised police that he was a journalist. After the incident, Pool released a
photo on Facebook of the various projectiles that had been shot at protesters.
While police officers have also been caught harassing and arresting people in Washington for filming and photographing the police, officials with the
Washington, DC police department have issued a statement this week, saying that they have instructed their officers to recognize the First Amendment right of citizens.
In most states in the U.S.A. you are allowed to film the police, unless the video would endanger evidence in a case.
In the video, Liz Wahl of RT interviews Steve Silverman, founder and executive director of
Flex Your Rights on the subject.
