By Carlos Miller
When Andrew Carter saw a police van driving in reverse up the wrong way of a one-way street, he did what any photographer would do.
He photographed the incident. Then he tried to photograph the officer in the driver’s seat.
And then he wound up in jail for five hours.
His charges: assaulting a police officer with a camera, resisting arrest and drunk and disorderly conduct.
But it was the officer, Aqil Farooq, who told Carter to “fuck off”.
‘I was nearly knocked down once so when the police van did it I sort of said, “Hey mate no entry” but he just shouted out the window, “F*** off, this is police business”.
‘But when I took a photo of them he came running out, battered the camera from my hand on to the floor and arrested me for three crimes, none of which I’d committed.’
Carter was eventually released and the charges dropped. And the officer apologized to him in a tribunal meeting.
Now Carter is seeking compensation from the police department.
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Fernandez, as I mentioned in a 
5 responses so far ↓
1 Maz // Aug 21, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Off topic, but I didn’t want this to get buried…
Now, be on your best behavior, but I found this…
http://theerant.yuku.com/forums/58/t/THEE-RANT.html
It’s an NYPD ‘booster’ kinda discussion forum. Searched on ‘Pogan’ and came across a thread. Loving some of the commentary.
“Look, what this appears to me is a rookie cop who did a very stupid thing like thousands before him have done and got away with. The big difference is that they didn’t have video cameras back then.
The young officer looks like a fine young man. A lot of money was invested in him. I say keep him. “
2 Maz // Aug 21, 2008 at 11:06 AM
“IT WAS just a plain dumb rookie mistake. give him a small hit and re-training and be done with it. damned problem is they put rookies on these details that open the dept up to rookie mistakes. there were so many witnesses on the scene I can’t imagine he thought he was doing anything wrong.”
3 Ms Calabaza // Aug 21, 2008 at 6:51 PM
Carlos,
this situation with cameras reminds me of cold cases with the emergence of DNA technology. Notice how many folks had been falsely imprisoned and thanks to new testing have been able to be set free. Well, years ago people didn’t walk around with little digital cameras, iPhones or just regular camera phones. People are caught doing things they should not all the time time now, whereas years ago it was he said/she said in court . . . the times they are a changin’…
4 genewitch // Aug 22, 2008 at 12:03 AM
how exactly do you assault someone with a camera? swing it like a flail or something? i mean new cameras are plastic and stuff, but you could probably brain someone with my AE-1.
I love “resisting arrest” as a violation. I wonder why he got a drunk and disorderly, though.
5 Rob // Dec 15, 2008 at 5:54 PM
how exactly do you assault someone with a camera?
Have you ever seen a Canon 40D with a battory pack and a 100-400mm lens???? that sucker could knock a guy out.
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