By Carlos Miller
A Youtube video that showed a New Jersey cop sleeping on the job was inexplicably removed within one day.
The video caused enough stir to spark an investigation within the Parsippany Police Department, so obviously police were well aware of it.
The patrol car’s emergency lights are flashing, but the officer appears to be slumped down in the driver’s seat.
Those recording the video weren’t shown. According to the video’s description, they noticed the officer napping, grabbed a camera from home and returned to shoot the video clip.
By 1:45 p.m. this afternoon, they removed the footage from YouTube, and the channel airing it was closed.
It was unclear why the video was taken down. A YouTube official could not be reached for comment.
While we all know that police do not have the legal right to order the removal of the video, we know from past experiences that they will not hesitate to use intimidation tactics to force the removal, as they did last month in Pennsylvania when a man uploaded a video showing a drunken off-duty cop mocking a dead person.
However, the creator of that video had already returned to Australia, so police could only threaten his relatives, ultimately failing to get the video removed.
The creator of this video most likely resides in Parsippany, making it easier for police to intimidate him or her into removing it.
That is just my crazy conspiracy theory. What do you guys think?
Popularity: 1% [?]
24 responses so far ↓
1 genewitch // May 11, 2009 at 11:00 PM
I think youtube removing content is becoming the norm.
the people who released it should come forward and at least do an interview somewhere.
2 Carlos Miller // May 11, 2009 at 11:02 PM
If that were the case, then they should have uploaded it to Vimeo or Viddler or a number of other video hosting sites.
3 07054 // May 12, 2009 at 2:14 AM
Hmmm, I would think tax payers should care. They are paying his salary. There is no excuse for sleeping on the job. You’re tired? Then get your @$$ out of the car and walk around. Quick Check is a block down the road from “where you were sleeping”. Get some coffee. Quick Check is open 24/7. Oh and by the way, when you get there, you will be able to pay for it…. Cause THEY are NOT sleeping!!! And they get paid minimum wage. While you sleep, making $40 an hour with a gun on your hip. We all complain that that our hard working neighborhood friends working at Quick Check sometimes have a long line and you may have to wait an extra minute or two. Give them a break. They don’t get paid much. Don’t we have a better reason to complain about someone that suppose to be protecting us while “WE” sleep? People working over night at ShopRite or Home Depot don’t sleep on the over night shift. If all of these minimum wage people can do it, why not cops? Because after a while of being a police officer, they think they can do what ever they want, and their fellow boys in blue are going to cover for them. I would never sleep on duty. I would feel bad enough reading a magazine in the car while on duty…. Never mind sleeping. Even if you’re babysitting construction or utility workers, there is always something you can be doing while you’re at that location. Walk around the area, do some public relations and talk to your salary providers. Or are you too good enough to talk to us… well, unless you’re taking additional money out of our pockets by giving us tickets. Getting appointed the position of Police Officer is THE most important job you can have in the town. It is a respected job… and you ALSO must respect that job. You ruin it for the rest of your fellow officers and for us that want to be officers.
4 Anonymous // May 12, 2009 at 3:30 AM
Let the pig sleep, at least he’s not bothering anyone. Lol you know that saying about letting sleeping dogs lie.
5 Kol. Klink // May 12, 2009 at 7:30 AM
Carlos,
More for ya:
Cycle of Violence
Of YouTube and bike cops
The past month has been a bonanza for fans of Police Brutality Videos (PBVs)….
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/in-extremis/In-Extremis-44394127.html
6 Kol. Klink // May 12, 2009 at 7:47 AM
Posted on youtube yesterday:
This meter maid thinks she has the authority to make stop video taping her. She does not. But that doesn’t stop her from trying to scare me. Listen as she threatens to call the real cops for video taping her.
She is a public servant in plain sight. Therefore she can be video taped, whether she likes it or not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hbDmkBNgss
7 Kol. Klink // May 12, 2009 at 7:57 AM
Cop Turns of Camera
March 1st, 2009 at approximately 4:15pm in Monroe Park, Richmond, VA, USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDGfuVyqxCA
8 Kol. Klink // May 12, 2009 at 8:09 AM
His camera is broken by a cop, but later paid for and replaced
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-VX3SKBQ5o
9 jones // May 12, 2009 at 9:02 AM
The cops were very patient with him. I think they should have arrested him sooner but they did a good job. I guess if you don’t want to get tasered you shouldn’t resist arrest.
I’m glad that was on videotape so the naked guy can’t claim police brutality because you know he would and with all of those people standing around you know some of them would have come forward and lied for the guy. Good job video guy, you saved the police from another bogus lawsuit.
10 the lone white boy // May 12, 2009 at 9:39 AM
So where’s the video?
You mean noone copied it from youtube while it was up?
11 Kol.Klink // May 12, 2009 at 11:47 AM
INVALID ARGUMENTS
YouTube is slapping VERBOTEN videos with a pink censorship warning across the top of the video’s web page with
INVALID ARGUMENTS
Wow!
Here’s an example of CorpTube telling you what to think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CBaQEjHS40
12 Carlos Miller // May 12, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Thanks Kol.Klink,
http://carlosmiller.com/2009/05/12/virginia-cop-seizes-video-camera-then-has-change-of-heart/
13 Anonymous // May 12, 2009 at 7:34 PM
“Getting appointed the position of Police Officer is THE most important job you can have in the town”
07, I have to challenge this statement. I’m sorry but only a wanna be cop holds them in such high regard. Cops are more important the a schoolteacher? Then the ER doctor who saves lives? In many cities and suburbs across America, being cop is a ‘do nothing’ job. The local garbage man does more to clean up the streets then the police. With a massive ego, anger issues and nothing to do, many cops turns on the people they are paid to protect and serve. Take a look to your left, cops are committing outright crimes and bad acts left and right. Get an education and a real job where you have to earn respect and work your way up. You’ll be a better person for it and learn more about life. IMO your black and white thinking and self righteous indignation over someone who broke a rule but hurt no one tells me you won’t make a very good cop.
14 jones // May 12, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Anonymous – IMO your black and white thinking and self righteous indignation over someone who broke a rule but hurt no one tells me you won’t make a very good cop.
Anonymous, do you know how to read? 07 was not defending the sleeping cop at all. He basically called him a piece of shit. How could you possibly read what 07 said and think he was defending the cop, and your talking about getting an education.
Not to rip on school teachers but an awful lot of them get in trouble for raping their students.
Just google Dr or nurse arrested and see what you come up with.
Anonymous – The local garbage man does more to clean up the streets then the police
Maybe, but the pay and pension don’t compare!
15 Scott Chamness // May 12, 2009 at 8:10 PM
It’s been my experience that once something is on the Internet, it’s here for good. I’m betting that it was copied and will pop back up again eventually.
16 Anonymous // May 12, 2009 at 9:46 PM
Jones—try re-reading my post if you had trouble the first time. I never said he was defending the cop. I took issue with his statement that being a cop is the most important job you can have. Carlos posted this not because the cop fell asleep on the job–we can all relate to fatigue, but because the cops bullied Youtube into taking it down. I thought 07 was too angry with someone who’s only crime was falling asleep.
“and your talking about getting an education”
ROTFL. Thank You for proving my point. LOL and it’s FAR WORSE then I thought. I am not trying to be insulting or take a cheap shot here:
Beware: we talk about police brutality, crimes etc but police stupidity is a serious issue. If they can’t comprehend basic concepts, and misread or misinterpret basic stuff then they are TROUBLE.
BEWARE THE DUMB COP
17 jones // May 12, 2009 at 10:57 PM
Article – It was unclear why the video was taken down. A YouTube official could not be reached for comment.
Carlos – That is just my crazy conspiracy theory. What do you guys think?
Anonymous – Carlos posted this not because the cop fell asleep on the job–we can all relate to fatigue, but because the cops bullied Youtube into taking it down.
Carlos only thinks they bullied them into taking it down and is asking us what we think. Way to put words into Carlos’ mouth. Don’t worry, we all make mistakes.
18 Anonymous // May 13, 2009 at 1:17 AM
LOL you just contradicted yourself. You stated “Carlos only thinks they bullied them into taking it down” and then accuse me of “putting words into Carlos’ mouth” for saying the exact same thing. I have no intention of speaking for others. I was simply going by his own words, “we know from past experiences that they will not hesitate to use intimidation tactics to force the removal, as they did last month.” Then you follow with a snide comment directed at me “Don’t worry, we all make mistakes” when you’re the one who missed the entire meaning of my other post. LAMO. The {Psychology 101} lesson here:
If you want to know what the cop did, just look at what he’s accusing of the other person of doing.
19 tom meny // May 13, 2009 at 10:39 PM
let me end all of your crazy conspiracy theories…
If your face or voice appears on a youtube video without your permission all you have to do is click “report” then write up a tiny statement stating that you did not give permission to have your face or voice on video, YouTube then removes the video. That’s it, no police conspiracies.
I’m not pulling this out of my a$$ either. I have a lot of YouTube videos, some kid made another video using some of my video and I reported it, it was taken down in 10 minutes. I don’t even think they verify, I think it’s automated.
20 Carlos Miller // May 13, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Tom,
Then why did that not work last month for the Pennsylvania cop?
The article specifically said that Youtube had refused to remove it even after they asked them.
http://carlosmiller.com/2009/04/19/pennsylvania-cops-fail-to-get-video-removed-through-intimidation-tactics/
21 duddits // May 13, 2009 at 11:10 PM
youtube, google a lot of info is being sucked out of the internet lately.
22 NYCPhotorights // May 13, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Tom
You are talking about a copyright violation if someone else used parts of a video you made. You do not have the same rights if your face simply appears in a video someone else made and especially if the video is newsworthy such as a cop sleeping on the job.
23 Voice of Reason // May 16, 2009 at 2:51 AM
Note to Scott Chamness: You said, “It’s been my experience that once something is on the Internet, it’s here for good.”
It’s more accurate to say that posts and videos are “out there somewhere” for good. If they’re not indexed and readily available, they’re not useful. Note: For various reasons, the Internet Archive isn’t a complete solution.
This is why I’ve encouraged Mr. Miller and people who run similar sites to consider hosting copies of the most important videos locally. I’m aware of the bandwidth issues involved, but they’ll be less of a problem in the future.
24 Timothy H // May 16, 2009 at 6:50 PM
Hey, I live here. Its great to know such thing happens right under the noses of those ignorant ^_^
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