cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2020607
An Arizona law limiting how close people can get to police while recording them was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in a Friday ruling.
The law would have made it illegal to film police officers within 8 feet of law enforcement activity if the officer had requested the citizen or journalist to stop filming. In addition, officers could have ordered anyone filming on public property to stop if they determined the area was unsafe or if the person filming was interfering.
Within 8 feet I can understand- If you’re apprehending someone fucked up out of their mind on whatever drug, you don’t want to also worry about what duder with a camera phone might do or what guy your apprehending might do to them in the process of wrangling. Having camera person move to ten or so feet away is a fairly reasonable ask.
The public spaces in general bit? Bruh. That shits ridiculous.
Yeah and then they’ll approach you while you’re filming their colleague murdering a suspect. They’ll demand you turn off the camera and follow you around so they can arrest you for being too close, then “accidentally” smash your phone.
They don’t deserve that kind of power.
Yup. The law shouldn’t be based on proximity to an officer, but instead proximity to a crime scene or legally detained individual, and those should be specifically defined. You should always be able to film as close to an officer as you choose, provided you’re not interfering in any real way with their investigation.
Or there should be a law restricting filming police at all.
Like you don’t KNOW there will be cops running towards filming witnesses while their colleagues make arrests and now you have to leave and can’t film anymore.
“Hey you can’t film while I am less than 8 feet away from you.”
“Then don’t follow me.”
“Don’t talk back, don’t resist, GET ON THE GROUND!”