Journalist arrested for taking pictures, threatened but never charged with commiting any crime.
Washington, DC - Saturday afternoon I'm standing in McPherson Square taking photos of the cops in full riot gear as they prepare to evict OccupyDC. Despite a verbal promise from the National Park Police that only tents containing bedding material would be removed, almost every tent was targeted for the dumpster.
There was so much activity going on, it was difficult to find something to focus on. Cops in full riot gear, waste handlers in yellow "hazmat" suits, protestors shouting, mounted police roaming through the park -- just action everywhere I looked.
I was standing alone watching the activity when about five park police surrounded me and told me they wanted to speak with me. When I asked what this was about one of them took the cigarette from my mouth while another slipped the plasti-cuffs over my wrists and pulled them so tight I could feel the skin tear beneath them.
Surrounded by more cops in riot gear I was led to a white processing tent that had set up in the square earlier that morning. The cops emptied my pockets, removed my belt and shoelaces and went through my [camera] gear bag.
About six cops in riot gear were in the tent with me and one was busy writing. He looked at another officer and asked him, "What are we going to charge him with?" The second officer thought a second and said, "Assault. Let's get him on assault."
I was detained for 48 hours. I was never formally charged with a crime. I never signed any paperwork telling me what the charges were. I was not allowed to make a phone call and I was never read my rights and I was not allowed to see a judge.
My head is still spinning from one of the most bizarre experiences I've had in my life... and I've had a few.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jerry-nelson/a-day-in-jail-for-a-photo_b_1261311.html
NJ- Man says cops confiscated camera because he took photos of cars in police lot.
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/02/man_says_jersey_city_cops_conf.html