LAPD Unlawfully Detains Photographer


This video was recorded on February 21, 2010 in Hollywood, CA. As you will see from the footage, the officer’s behavior is deeply disturbing and should cause alarm within the Los Angeles Police Department. And despite what the officer claims in the video, it is completely legal to photograph and videotape anybody, including police officers, when an expectation of privacy does not exist. It is the public’s right to photograph and record police activity that occurs on our streets and in our neighborhoods, and we should not be subjected to verbal assaults, illegal detainment, or threatened with an unlawful arrest if we choose to do so. This encounter could have been a non-issue. To voice your concerns regarding this officer’s behavior, contact the following individuals and offices: Internal Affairs – Los Angeles Police Department 304 South Broadway, Suite 215 Los Angeles, CA 90013 Office: 213-485-1486 Fax: 213-473-6420 Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles Email: mayor@lacity.org Eric Garcetti, City Council President 5500 Hollywood Blvd., 4th Floor Hollywood, CA 90028 Phone: 323-957-4500 Email: councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org Tom LaBonge, Councilmember, District 4 Hollywood Field Office 6501 Fountain Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028 Phone: (323) 957-6415 Email:councilmember.labonge@lacity.org