‘First Amendment rights can be terminated’: When cops, cameras don’t mix
Bob Sullivan for MSNBC’s The Red Tape Chronicles blog:
“Your First Amendment rights can be terminated,” yells the Chicago police officer, caught on video right before arresting two journalists outside a Chicago hospital. One, an NBC News photographer, was led away in handcuffs essentially for taking pictures in a public place. He was released only minutes later, but the damage was done. Chicago cops suffered an embarrassing “caught on tape” moment, and civil rights experts who say cops are unfairly cracking down on citizens with cameras had their iconic moment.
You’re more or less allowed to film police in the course of their duties, as long as you’re on public property. Sullivan’s piece has extensive comments from two lawyers on the subject.