Arkansas State Trooper meets videocamera "Welcome to Arkansas, you're guilty of careless driving". Driving into Arkansas recently, I was stopped within a half hour by a State trooper who had been parked on the median in the middle of the highway. I make it a habit to film all interactions with cops, to document the interaction and to protect myself as well as the integrity of what transpires. Many people have been arrested and falsely charged for 'daring' to film public servant police officers, including news reporters. An ABC News reporter was arrested recently in El Paso Texas for merely filming traffic accidents.
In 2008 police had to apologize to a motorist and pay his legal expenses after arresting him for filming traffic stops. My friend Greg, who recently scored an international coup when he shouted and cursed at degenerate George H. W. Bush at a Houston pizza place, made a very smart move when he filmed the Secret Service as they arrived at his front door last week. This protects the person being targeted by government agents, not to mention has the effect of keeping them on their best behavior.
The establishment often tries to tries to tell us, though, that filming police is illegal. Advocates of liberty should expose this lie and exersize their rights, if they intend on keeping them. There are many outrageous examples of police misconduct involving filming. A Pennsylvania man was charged with wiretapping for filming police. In 2007, New York moved to implement restrictive rules on filming in public. A Portland man sued police after they tazed him for filming a warrantless search of his neighbor's house. Hidden cameras have exposed numerous illegal searches by police. Brett Darrow of Missouri films his encounters with police and has had documented numerous occurences of police abuse. One officer was fired after threatening to make up charges against Darrow on film. CheckpointUSA.org films warrantless suspicionless Homeland Security checkpoints. He is a real professional, and an admirable patriot; I highly recommend viewing his videos.
So, for the most part, you may not have any problem with the average police encounter. It's still advised, however, to protect yourself by exerting your God given right to film public servants in public. By doing this regularly, we condition them to accepting the liberty of those they serve. With a tyrannical surveillance state developing all around us, it can't hurt to exersize the practice of freedom.
Video: Arkansas State Trooper meets videocamera