ACLU sues police for arresting man who videorecorded them
Quote:
The complaint filed Wednesday involves Temple University photojournalism student Chris Montgomery, 24. Two years ago, he and a friend were downtown when they observed a dispute involving a group of teens.Eventually, police responded and began arresting the youths, and Montgomery used his iPhone to document the action — which included an officer calling one teen a derogatory name, the lawsuit said.Police later approached Montgomery, told him to stop recording, took the phone, arrested him and detained him in a cell for about 45 minutes, the lawsuit said.Montgomery was cited for disorderly conduct. When he was released, police returned his phone without the video, the suit said.In a phone interview Wednesday, Montgomery said he initially fought the charge without a lawyer because he expected the judge to throw out the case.“I thought it was pretty much straightforward, that it was pretty clear I had the right to do this,” he said.Yet he was convicted, fined and ordered to perform community service. Montgomery appealed, got a lawyer and was acquitted the next month. He later contacted the ACLU.The lawsuit notes that Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey issued a memo in September 2011 — several months after Montgomery’s arrest — instructing officers to allow themselves to be recorded in public.
.
ACLU: Philadelphia police routinely arrest those who legally record officers in public - The Washington Post
