VIDEO: Cop Calls The Cops (?) On A Guy With A Camera

The following post was submitted by Nasty Nathanial via the CopBlock submission tab.

Howdy folks. You know I would like to think that all of the men and women in law enforcement are extremely brave individuals who patrol the mean streets keeping us all safe from the evilness of society. However, more and more I find myself asking the same ol’ question, “who are they protecting?” This was never more the case on April 17, 2017 when I went to the Beverly Hills Superior Courthouse to conduct a First Amendment Audit.

Beverly Hills is a city of wealth and glamour that is home to many celebrities. It’s well manicured streets lined with multi million dollar homes let visitors know that this is a place of power and privilege. High end department stores and expensive restaurants line streets such as Rodeo Drive.

Matter of fact it was one of these stores, Sacks Fifth Avenue, that the actress Winona Ryder was arrested for stealing more than $5000 worth of merchandise. Her trial was held at the Beverly Hills Courthouse which was exactly where I was headed to on that fine April day. Although I was not going there to contest criminal charges. I was going there to exercise my constitutionally protected right to film in public.

As is the normally the case, the Beverly Hills Courthouse is manned with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies who provide security and law enforcement services for the Superior Court. My arrival caught their attention pretty quick. But was it just my presence alone, or was it the fact that I was holding a video camera that was aimed at the building? It didn’t take long before I had a some tough acting deputy mad dogging me. This guy was a mean looking bastard to. He had looks that would make a guy like Charles Barkley crawl under a bush and hide.

At no time did this deputy approach me in a professional manor and simply ask what it was that I was doing, or if I needed help with anything. In addition to his mad dogging me with his Straight Outta Compton looks, this tough acting deputy took to calling the police on me. Ok now lets pause right there for a moment so I may point something out.

Now this guy is not just some random $10 an hour rent a cop. He is a sworn deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. That means he is a law enforcement official who has taken an oath to serve and protect. So with that being the case why couldn’t he of simply handled the situation himself? Instead this tough acting deputy had to resort to acting like a bitch by calling the police on me. Wait a minute. Why is an on duty cop calling the cops on a guy with a camera? Was he afraid of me or the camera? God forbid some distraught defendant shows up with an AK-47.

There is something else I’d like to point out. While some of you may be thinking that because he is with the Sheriff’s Department he has no authority outside of the courthouse, this is absolutely incorrect. As a deputy sheriff he is a law enforcement official throughout Los Angeles County, and the rest of California for that matter. It is kind of a similar situation when people get this notion in their minds that the California Highway Patrol have cannot pull someone over in town. Simply not true.

So with all of this being said, I’d like to conclude this article by saying that ol’ Deputy Tough Guy here failed the test. In the end officers from the Beverly Hills Police Department were called out to the courthouse to help this LA County Sheriff’s deputy feel safe. After a brief interaction with these officers, one of which of looked like Vin Diesel, I was on my way.

But before I sign off I’d like to point out that following the publishing of this video I received an interesting comment on YouTube. It was from someone who goes by “Rob N” and identifies himself as being the deputy’s partner. His comment reads “You didn’t tell folks how you were dressed did ya sport… oh, and your an ASSHOLE… you did make a comment about my partner..#LASD got ya…” Mmmmmmmm? I find that last part interesting. “LASD got ya..” Well, LASD sure didn’t have me that day for one of their deputies was too cowardly to act like a real cop because he was afraid of a guy with a camera. But it’s nice to know that ol’ “Rob N” has his partner’s back. I think that West Coast Auditors needs to do a follow up at the Beverly Hills Superior Courthouse.

– Nasty Nathanial

VIDEO: Cop Calls The Cops (?) On A Guy With A Camera is a post from Cop Block – Badges Don’t Grant Extra Rights