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North Carolina Man Arrested For Trying To Report Suspected Crime
pixiq.com ^ | 17 May , 2012 | Carlos Miller

Posted on 05/19/2012 6:41:19 AM PDT by marktwain

John Nix pulled out his cell phone after spotting what he thought was a gang of thugs mugging a man in the parking lot of a North Carolina shopping mall last week.

The former city council candidate ended up in jail after the men who were in street clothes turned out to be cops arresting a suspected shoplifter.

They thought he was taking their picture.

According to the Kinston Free Press:

Nix said one man quickly walked up to him, showed a police badge, and asked: “Can I help you?”

He told the officer he could not help him, but wanted to find out what was happening.

The officer told him to “back up.”

“I didn’t even have time to respond,” Nix recalled. “He had me flipped around and in handcuffs, and was going through my pockets.”

He said the officer accused him of trying to use his phone to take pictures of the takedown of the individual, who was a suspected shoplifter.

Nix, who is facing one count of resisting a police officer, said he wasn’t even trying to take pictures, but dial 911.

Not that it should matter.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: banglist; johnnix; nc; northcarolina; police; recording
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It should always be legal to video/audio record public officials in public.
1 posted on 05/19/2012 6:41:26 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Can a cop legally interfere with a 911 call by interuption of an uninvolved bystander?


2 posted on 05/19/2012 6:47:23 AM PDT by healy61
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To: marktwain

I bet he gets a wad of taxpayer money.


3 posted on 05/19/2012 6:48:02 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: marktwain

Under cover cops are arresting a shoplifter? They were probably shaking down a druggy and didnt want any pictures.


4 posted on 05/19/2012 6:54:17 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: marktwain

see something say something

right

they got ya commin’ & goin’


5 posted on 05/19/2012 6:59:28 AM PDT by mreerm
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To: driftdiver

“They were probably shaking down a druggy and didnt want any pictures.”

OMG!!! That could NEVER happen...no, NEVER!


6 posted on 05/19/2012 7:03:03 AM PDT by GOPsterinMA (The stench of Earth Pimp-age is permeating over the internet...)
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To: driftdiver
Any decent DA will obviously dismiss this case.
I would sue them big time for violating my 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendment rights.
SCOTUS needs to address this issue once and for all.
Taking pictures or video of cops performing public duties should certainly be protected by the freedom of the press clause of nothing else.
If cops are following the law then they should have nothing to fear from a camera.
7 posted on 05/19/2012 7:04:23 AM PDT by Clump ( the tree of liberty is withering like a stricken fig tree)
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To: healy61
"Can a cop legally interfere with a 911 call by interuption of an uninvolved bystander?"

No, he cannot, and this bastard full-well knew it. Just another Dirty Harry wannabe.

His badge should be yanked and he should face charges.

8 posted on 05/19/2012 7:13:33 AM PDT by RightOnline (I am Andrew Breitbart!)
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To: marktwain



9 posted on 05/19/2012 7:21:06 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: marktwain

Well, apparently he was taping them. He posted a video the police attempted to delete.


10 posted on 05/19/2012 7:23:44 AM PDT by I am bigjohn
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To: I am bigjohn

Who cares if he was taping them.


11 posted on 05/19/2012 7:25:12 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: I am bigjohn
ooops, video is unrelated from a Carlos Miller. disregard previous post please.
12 posted on 05/19/2012 7:25:32 AM PDT by I am bigjohn
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To: driftdiver
Buncha guys with guns and badges maybe?
13 posted on 05/19/2012 7:26:46 AM PDT by I am bigjohn
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To: I am bigjohn

Oh the thugs who should be in jail. Yeah i guess so


14 posted on 05/19/2012 7:28:59 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: RightOnline
Just another Dirty Harry wannabe

You better wash your mouth with lots of soap after that comment....punk.

delayed /s

15 posted on 05/19/2012 7:32:58 AM PDT by trebb ("If a man will not work, he should not eat" From 2 Thes 3)
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To: marktwain

Nix may have grounds for a lawsuit.

Courts have ruled that taking pictures of cops is not illegal.

A good lawyer can cram the 'resisting a police officer' charge down the police offer's throat.


16 posted on 05/19/2012 7:34:12 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: marktwain

It is best never to have anything to do with the cops.

Interaction with them usually causes one to suffer discomfort and indignity.


17 posted on 05/19/2012 7:40:13 AM PDT by x1stcav (There's a bunch of us out here spoiling for a fight.)
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To: x1stcav

I was broken into recently and felt an obligation to tell the cops clearing the house that there were guns in the house. I was worried if the jerk was still there he could use them against the cops. They seemed more interested in me after that. I regret telling them. I think theres a law in florida sayin u are a criminal if someone steals a gun from u.


18 posted on 05/19/2012 7:49:45 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: marktwain

I think the way around this problem would be to have a “real time video posting” website, so that the video would go directly to the site while continuing to record. Thus the recording would continue until interrupted the the officer, and could not be destroyed after confiscation of the recording device. They would be just destroying the backup.

As a safety feature, the website might use a “6-hour delay” before reviewing and posting, so that if you contacted them with a pass code, you could delete the video without it being reviewed or posted. If you did not, they would look at the video, and either post it, or if they observed criminal activity in it, forward a copy to a different law enforcement agency.


19 posted on 05/19/2012 8:03:15 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: driftdiver; x1stcav
It's a lot easier to hassle the innocent than to chase down the guilty.

It's happened to me as well and the real down side is that you wind up in their books or tribal knowledge as causing them a problem.

20 posted on 05/19/2012 8:25:29 AM PDT by norton
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