Videotape police officer, go to jail

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The Rochester Police Department is investigating the arrest of a woman charged with obstructing governmental administration after she videotaped a traffic stop in front of her home.

According to New York state law it is legal to videotape a police officer in public, but Emily Good, 28, was arrested around 10 p.m. May 12th as she stood on her front lawn.

In the video, now on YouTube, a man who has been pulled over tells two officers, "I just got out of the house, man, I'm sick, man."

Rochester police officer Mario Masic, identified in the arrest report, then turns to the camera and asks, "You guys need something?"

As Masic approaches Good, she replies, "I'm just -- this is my front yard -- I'm just recording what you're doing. It's my right."

"Actually, not from the sidewalk," the officer incorrectly says.

"This is my yard," Good says.

Apparently you don't have the right to stand on your own property anymore, I guess, if a police officer just randomly decides he doesn't want you on it...

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Masic then begins to threaten Good with arrest if she refuses to go into her house, and Good replies that she shouldn't have to leave her own yard. The argument escalates further until Masic says, "You know what, you're gonna go to jail. That's just not right," and cuffs Good.

...Uhhhh, why?

And what happened to the guy who was stopped? Why was he stopped? Who knows? Guess they just popped this woman in the squad car beside him.

Charges have been dropped.

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"Whatever the outcome of the internal review, we want to make clear that it is not the policy or practice of the Rochester Police Department to prevent citizens from observing its activities — including photographing or videotaping — as long as it does not interfere with the safe conduct of those activities."

Spotts1701 wrote:

Charges have been dropped.

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"Whatever the outcome of the internal review, we want to make clear that it is not the policy or practice of the Rochester Police Department to prevent citizens from observing its activities — including photographing or videotaping — as long as it does not interfere with the safe conduct of those activities."

Good to know, damn.

Haha, this reminds me of this one time in Portland. Portland has some horse-mounted cops. One day I passed one who was cleaning up after what his horse did to the side walk, and after I walked past I spotted some guy on a bike trying to clandestinely take video of the cop while waiting at the intersection. Would have served him right if he had fallen off, he probably posted the resulting video on his myspace (this was when myspace was still a thing) with some shitheaded caption or other.