Another police officer proved to be ignorant of the First Amendment after he handcuffed New York Daily News photographer Julia Xanthos when she took a photograph of a rescue scene on a public sidewalk last May.
New York Police Officer John Evans sat her down on the sidewalk with her camera still strapped around her neck as other Daily News photographers snapped her photo. Then he transported her to a local precinct.
Evans planned on charging her with disorderly conduct, the old standby for officers when they have nothing substantial to charge you with.
According to the National Association of Press Photographers, Xanthos (who had just gotten married and now goes by Julia Economopolis) alleges that at the precinct, Officer Evans tightened her handcuffs further, causing her great pain and making her cry.
A desk sergeant apparently intervened and then Lt. Eugene Whyte of DCPI called the precinct after being notified and ordered her cuffs removed immediately.
Despite Officer Evans seeking to charge her with disorderly conduct, Lt. Whyte prevented further incident and a meeting will be held where the incident will discussed at length.
According to The Villager, Jennifer Mauer, communications director of the Daily News, wrote it off as a simple misunderstanding.
“There was just a misunderstanding at the initial emergency response,” Mauer said. “At the station, they realized she [Xanthos] was within her First Amendment rights, the arrest was voided, and she was released immediately.”
Officer Evans, a veteran from the Iraq war, was not around to comment.
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Fernandez, as I mentioned in a
7 responses so far ↓
1 Enhager // Jun 28, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I appreciate that you are rounding up these stories for me from all over the U.S. But what I really like is when you insert the Carlosisms I can’t get anywhere else. Let you personality out.
2 Lew Weinstein // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:01 am
At least higher-ups understood that the officer on the scene was wrong.
Sometimes, the cops are the good guys. That’s the case in my new legal thriller, “A Good Conviction.”
A detective from Manhattan North Homicide works to untangle what is clearly a wrongful conviction by a prosecutor who knew the defendant was actually innocent, and hid the exculpatory evidence. Early readers have been captured by the emotion (and accuracy) of the depiction, which was aided by several NYPD officers. Learn more at …
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Conviction-Lewis-M-Weinstein/dp/1595941622/ref=sr_1_1/103-7341421-1865416?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180587686&sr=8-1
LEW WEINSTEIN
3 alesh // Jun 30, 2007 at 7:42 am
speaking of new york, did you see this: [New York] City May Seek Permit and Insurance for Many Kinds of Public Photography
4 Enhager // Jul 18, 2007 at 2:36 pm
You don’t take a photograph, you make it. -Ansel Adams
5 Gabriel Lopez-Bernal // Sep 17, 2007 at 11:03 pm
A guy I know had his civil liberties abused today at UF:
http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20070917/NEWS/70917016/1002/NEWS
http://video.nbc6.net/player/?id=157250‘,’width=1100,height=760
6 newyorkshitty.com » Blog Archive » Stolen Bike // May 27, 2008 at 11:22 pm
[...] So let me get this straight: a police report was filed but all this allows V to do is claim it if she finds it on her own. Aren’t the police supposed to retrieve stolen property? Or at least investigate a little bit? I guess not. I suppose they’re too busy harassing photographers. [...]
7 B // Jun 27, 2008 at 10:25 am
bravo, Carlos — i had no idea!
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