This video is a lesson in dealing with ‘immigration’ checkpoints inside the USA, the legality of which are already highly questionable.

I was inline skating in Port Dickinson, New York, when a police officer “pulled me over.”  He claimed I had shouted something and told me that inline skating was prohibited by a village ordinance.

I have since placed an inquiry with the village code officer and learned that there is no such ordinance.

The officer asked for ID, and I refused to show it to him.  He then called for backup, and… well, just watch the video:

http://www.vimeo.com/2230232

Notable exchanges:

• At the very beginning, before the video, the officer says he can detain someone for any reason he wants.
• The officer claims that recording him is against the law – an utter lie obviously intended to inhibit my 1st amendment right to conduct journalism.
• The Deputy, Julie, repeatedly berates the idea that the USA is a “Free Country” (even calls it a joke!)
• Julie also asks me who I’m voting for! (I was / am a Ron Paul supporter, by the way )
• The other deputy, Rich, tells me to leave the country even though I’m espousing the liberties ensured by the Constitution.
• Perhaps most importantly, the officer continues to offer the imaginary local statute as his only pretext to demand identification and to detain me.
• Although I repeatedly tried to calm the officer down by telling him he was nice and polite, he really was not.  Especially toward the end, he continually invaded my personal space (coming less than 1 foot from me).  I was mostly very confident, but I was cold-ass-nervous when he got up in my face, I’m not gonna lie.
• Anything else you all notice?

UPDATE: Recently police tried to tell this blogger that he could not record them in a public place!  See the video here!

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Police in Portland, Oregon are claiming – and this is not a joke – that they have a reasonable expectation of privacy on a public road so strong as to prohibit a citizen from video and audio recording them. Pursuant to this intoxication, a citizen journalist, Mike Tabor (better known as Joe Anybody) had his camera seized by police.

As any reasonable person would do, he has filed suit against them.

Joe’s website, while rich in content, has a pretty unwieldy design, so instead I’ll first link you over to the Oregonian, who is reporting on this.

Portland police spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz said he believes the public doesn’t have a right to record officers’ conversations – on or off the job – without their consent.

“Just because somebody is a police officer doesn’t mean they give up their rights,” Schmautz said.

I love it. It has become a “right” for public officials to operate cloaked in opacity.

If you are interested in Joe’s website – it’s here. Beware of broken CSS and such.