Police Using YouTube To Tell Their Own Stories 299
stevegee58 writes "Posting videos to YouTube allegedly showing police misconduct has become commonplace these days. Now police themselves are posting their own videos to refute misconduct claims. 'After a dozen Occupy Minnesota protesters were arrested at a downtown demonstration, the group quickly took to the Internet, posting video that activists said showed police treating them roughly and never warning them to leave. But Minneapolis police knew warnings had been given. And they had their own video to prove it. So they posted the footage on YouTube, an example of how law enforcement agencies nationwide are embracing online video to cast doubt on false claims and offer their own perspective to the public.'"
Re:Pepper-spraying sitting protesters (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:About time... (Score:1, Interesting)
The police don't need to edit. One favorite tactic of the police is to surround protesters, blocking exit routes and then issue an order to disperse. Of course the protesters who want to follow the order can't go anywhere and it they try to break the police line/blockade they get assaulted by the cops. So I'm sure there is footage of cops giving warnings, but I would bet that a lot of those times the protesters couldn't leave. I wonder if the cops film their own agent-provocateurs in action as well.
Re:Post it all. (Score:4, Interesting)
It should, AND losing any video should be a crime in itself. Severity of the punishment should be the same as that for the crime for which the video is needed as evidence.
Re:Pepper-spraying sitting protesters (Score:4, Interesting)
From just his comment it sounds like they were sitting in the middle of a street blocking the crosswalk, which is not only illegal it's also dangerous (especially in NYC.) Most of the OWS people I've seen who are the "victims" of police brutality put themselves into situations where they know they will be forcibly removed just so they can claim brutality. They're not protesting they're being douchebags enticing violence so they have something to point to and say "Look we're victims!" And yes pepper spray is probably the best option considering the second option is beating them with a nightstick till they unlock their arms so you can physically move them one at a time.
Unless of course you have a much more effective method to use in that sort of situation that doesn't put the officer in harms way...
Re:Pepper-spraying sitting protesters (Score:4, Interesting)
How far does "they were warned" let an officer go? Get out of my way or I'll hit you with a club? Get out of my way or I'll shoot you with a gun?
Well, "stop making me feel threatened regardless of how reasonable that perception of threat might be or I will shoot you with a gun" is fair play in some states.
Predictions (Score:4, Interesting)
I think this is an entirely reasonable response. Instead of trying to shutdown speech the police are offering another side of the story. Good.
Of course some of the broader implications are pretty interesting. An individual can basically edit a video to show the part where the police are beating the crap out of him and ignore the earlier part where he's spitting and throwing rocks. The police, on the other hand, don't get the luxury of using video simply as a PR mouthpiece. If this sort of response to protesters becomes commonplace it will be interesting to see what happens the first time an edited video comes out from the police. More interesting will be the cases where people start requesting these videos as evidence against the police at their trials.
Re:They are taping everyone now (Score:4, Interesting)
The have a designed officer who does nothing but film, so that they can protect themselves against protester allegations (both in the public view and in the court).
Indeed. Funny how when Ian Tomlinson was murdered, the only video was posted by a tourist from the safety of his home country.
The police in the UK have done a good job of looking like clowns recently. They managed to crack down really hard on legitimate, peaceful protestors (how hard is that?), suppressing freedom of speech, but when some real riots and looting actually happened, it turned out that they were bugger all use.
Re:Okay then... (Score:2, Interesting)
They all do act remarkably similar, state to state, year to year.
Who taught police departments from Miami, Houston, Phoenix, New York City, San Francsico, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis, Washington DC, etc. to all yell "STOP RESISTING!" while repeatedly tasering someone? They all managed to learn how to use the passive voice in any report about their actions-police never shoot anyone, 'shots were fired', 'a gun was discharged', etc.
Area to area, year to year, you'll probably notice far more similarities among police officers then dissimilarities
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)