"DELETE IT NOW!" -- Raging Cop Threatens To Arrest Ron Paul Supporters For Videotaping, Demands They Delete Video Or He'll (Falsely) Charge Them With Wiretapping

Chris | InformationLiberation
Oct. 14, 2011


A Pennsylvania police officer threatened to falsely charge two Ron Paul supporters with wiretapping for videotaping him making an ass out of himself. After threatening to arrest the men for wiretapping because they dared to stand up to his "authority," the activists pointed out videotaping police is not wiretapping and it is not a crime. Well, that made the cop fly into a rage, he demanded they delete the video or he will have them arrested.

Here's how the incident went down. The man in the video was apparently standing in the median of a street holding up a Ron Paul sign, the cop felt it was against the law to stand where they were standing and told them to move. He said the sign may have been blocking drivers' line of sight, the activists dispute that, but still, it's not entirely unreasonable for the cop to ask them to move.

Nonetheless, the cop was being rather rude to them, so one of the activists said he doesn't appreciate the cop's mean attitude, to which the cop responds "I don't care if you appreciate it or not, I'm telling you what to do."

The activist then quips, "well, that's why we're forced to record you."

Those words apparently made the cop fly into a rage.

"'Forced to record me', do you want to get locked up for wiretap? Go ahead and use that."

"Oh, the courts actually ruled that..."

"O.K., so now you're a lawyer? Now you're a lawyer?"

"No, I just read case law."

"Oh, do you?" the cop responds condescendingly, "I can act anyway I want."

After some more minor squabbling about where they can stand, the cop looks to the videographer and orders him to delete the video.

"I'm telling you right now, you recorded this whole thing, you better delete it right in front of me or I'm going to get my detectives and we're going to have a problem, because you're recording me right now and you don't have my permission."

"But you're a police officer."

[The cop orders the activists to move.]

"Am I legally binding to [delete the video], like do I have to?

"Delete it now or my detectives are coming up here and you guys are all going [to be arrested], I'm telling you delete it now for the wiretap!"

The activist turns his video off under threat of jail, but instead of deleting the video, he uploaded it to YouTube.

Here's some more on the video from CopBlock, they're urging people to contact the police station:
The Philly Tyranny Response Team was participating in the Nation wide Ron Paul sign wave – which took place on Oct 10th – when they had a little run in with an Exton, PA police officer. Below is video of that encounter – raw video here.

There you have it, more proof that the police aren’t concerned with protect you. This officer says, “I don’t have to be nice to you. That’s not in my job description.” He even states that he can tell you what to do and doesn’t care if you appreciate it or not. The men in the video did a great job of standing their ground against this jackboot thug.

If you’d like to remind the Exton, PA police that filming public officials is NOT A CRIME feel free to call them.

Stephen J. Meacham -Chief of Police
Police, Non-Emergency - 610-363-0200
This cop should be in a jail cell, threatening to file false charges against someone is a crime (and a particularly vicious and vindictive one at that). Of course, because he has a magic badge, he can break the law all he wants.













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