October 9, 2013
Lancaster County District Attorney
Craig Stedman
50 North Duke Street
Lancaster, PA, 17603
Dear Mr. Stedman,
A few years ago, you stared into a camera and ordered a cameraman to turn his camera off or face arrest for daring to film you at a public gathering. This unconstitutional and ignorant bullying has manifested in many others following your lead. Today’s newspaper has an account of a city cop refusing to serve a victim because he was being filmed. The officer basically repeated what you said – aren’t you ashamed?
There’s plenty of case law that say cops can be filmed ANYTIME. There’s a local case from Gap, PA where the State Police were SPANKED by the courts a few years ago when those bullies mimicked your ‘wire-tape violation’ and stupidly arrested a man. (more)
Your first role is to UPHOLD the constitution BUT NOW, you’ve created an environment whereby citizens are being threatened and bullied as they exercise their constitutional rights.
As police have discovered that people know their rights, they have changed tactics and have started grabbing at citizens’ cameras claiming to want to ensure that they are not actually guns! I’ve had this happened to me at least 3 times. (tapes are available.) The officer(s) that unconstitutionally and illegal harassed me KNEW exactly who I was and KNEW I wasn’t a danger. In one instance a very slight woman officer actually grabbed me! If I were really a ‘bad guy’, her foolish physical attack on me could not possibly have ended well given my relative superior strength and size!
Please STAND UP for the citizens and DENOUNCE these bullying tactics by police. You’ve set a bad example and it’s high time you worked to undo the damage you’ve done!
