By Carlos Miller
A story I wrote here last month about a Chicago photojournalist getting arrested that barely broke the mainstream media is creating a whirlwind on a popular Chicago cop blog called Second City Cop.
The Chicago police officers on that site, including the original poster and many commenters, agreed with me that Mike Andalzi’s arrest was completely out of line. Especially considering it was a civilian flack who ordered the arrest – a detail that was first reported on Photography is Not a Crime.
There appears to be bad blood between the officers and the police spokeswoman, Monique Bond, whom some of the officers refer to as “Lips”.
There is also bad blood between her and Chicago reporters, not just including himself, Anzaldi said, adding that she was hired by the Chicago Police Department about 18 months ago.
“She used to be a lot nicer when she worked at the (Chicago) Department of Aviation,” he said. “In this job, she has lot her mind.”
It is not too often that you will find me agreeing with police officers over an arrest of another photographer. In his blog post, which I posted below, Second City Cop acknowledges that the police and media are usually at odds. The two bold paragraphs in italics is what he cut and paste from my original story.
We usually have little tolerance for the press. They and police are constantly at odds. Here’s what we are disturbed by:
“Anzaldi was charged with obstruction against a peace officer after he refused to stop filming an investigation of an incident involving an off-duty police officer who shot and killed a man trying to rob him Tuesday night.
But the initial order for him to stop filming came from a civilian, a police spokesperson named Monique Bond who is not even a police officer. A flack without a badge.”
Um, it would seem that this political hack just put a sergeant, a detective and two PO’s in the trick bag. Ordering a photographer arrested? On private property? We foresee a large payout from the taxpayers based on Monique’s interpretation of law.
As of this writing, the post has generated 92 comments, most who are evidently cops who agree that Anzaldi’s arrest was unjustified, not only because he was not breaking the law, but because the order was generated from a civilian. They expect the Chicago Police Department to eventually dish out a huge legal sum over this matter.
Meanwhile, I’ve been talking to Anzaldi and he is promising to give me an update soon that will prove his innocence. He said a judge ordered the return of the video camera, so perhaps he will post the video he recorded before police arrested him and confiscated the camera.
To read a selection of the comments being left on Second City Copy, click on this link.
RoaVaPD said…
- Why did they follow an unlawful order from a non-cop? I wasn’t there and I don’t want to second guess them, perhaps there was more to the story. But like you posted, there’s going to be a pay out for this. WTF???
said…
- If anyone arrested this guy on an order by Lips, then they get what’s comming. What happened to police officers conducting an investigation. It should have been politely explaned to Lips that no crime had occured. Further more if she insited, ask her to have the w/c or street dep. order an arrest.
It would have ended there.Always document all orders by any boss to arrest someone. You will end up in federal court. It will help having it on the reports.
- What a f*cking hack. Something tells me she’s not gonna take time but everyone else that is involved with this arrest will. Wasn’t there a street deputy or someone with higher rank there to tell her to close her suck hole? It was a police shooting, so some gold star had to have been there.I hope the first line of the case and arrest report reads: From a direct order by Monique Bond, Director, Media Affairs the A/O’s were instructed to……
- Great. Just Great. How many hundreds of thousands of tax dollars did Moron Monique just light on fire?We are truly our own worst enemies. Couldn’t the Sgt. and/or dick have told Monique that the man was NOT committing a crime? Instead, we just routinely bow down to our civilian clout-laden bosses. The Sgt. and the dick will now be sued along with Monique.
- a couple things need to be kept in mind. first, ‘everybody’ in this case is aware of most of the media coverage surrounding the arrest. yes, this blog is media. second, the facts of this incident are unfortunately undisputable. i witnessed the event, and can confirm the accuracy of the reporting on it. the photographer is a news stringer who shoots both spec and assignment. i’ve seen his byline in the tribune and with the associated press. the video is usually sold to local TV. i believe most stringers are self-employed. i don’t know about this guy. that said, whether you consider stringers as “real” media or not, i believe their rights are the same as any network media, which are the same as the general public. i can confirm that a media credential does not provide photographers or reporters with any more access than the general public, as one story pointed out. defense of monique bond in this case is a risk the city and states attorney can’t possibly afford. any defense of her actions at all would indicate a disregard or intolerance of chicago code, illinois law, and the constitution of the united states, by the chicago police department. the CPD will be forced to say bond acted outside her authority, and does not agree with her actions.the arresting officer will likely need to be slapped too. the article says it was a sergeant! even worse. if supervising officials like sergeants and the media director are not familiar with simple laws like media rights, then the state of the department is indeed troubling. the first amendment is, well, the first one on the list! if you can’t get that one right, what chance do these folks have of processing a complex homicide scene? yikes.
- If i were an FTO still I would instruct my PPOs to simply ignore the commands of any civilian member of this department. Walk past them as if they do not exist. If they interfere at a crime scene arrest them for interference/obstruction. They do not understand the requirements of PC to arrest and have not been through trials. Nor do they have the legal or administrative authority to give you an order and therefore i do not see how the department could substantiate an insubordination beef should you ignore their order.
- Although Monqiue is a complete an utter idiot, why in sam hell did a SGT and POs listen to a ridiculous order as that. Anyone with half a brain would know given the details you published, that you cannot lock someone up for that. Get ur heads out of ur asses people.
- Why did they follow an unlawful order from a non-cop? I wasn’t there and I don’t want to second guess them, perhaps there was more to the story. But like you posted, there’s going to be a pay out for this. WTF???Do we not all follow orders from a NON-COP???? Yeah i’m talking about you Jody you retarded looking weasel
- Who cares let the buzzards eat!These sack of shit media types need to make a living too. Hell I am already paying the income taxes for these ghetto rats. I don’t want to pay more for some dirt bag who can skull fuck a story to death with a camera. If this guy can’t get the story he will be hitting the unemployment line. Keep the video Rowling. Keep those crime scenes full.Why did they follow an unlawful order from a non-cop? I wasn’t there and I don’t want to second guess them, perhaps there was more to the story. But like you posted, there’s going to be a pay out for this. WTF???
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