An Alexandria, Va., man is accusing a group of Metropolitan Police Department officers of unlawfully detaining him for taking pictures of police activity, according to a suit filed today in Washington federal court.
Last July, according to the complaint (PDF), Jerome Vorus was taking pictures of a traffic stop in Georgetown. Vorus claims that police officers approached him, asked for his identification and questioned him about why he was taking pictures.
Four different officers allegedly told Vorus that it was illegal to take pictures or recordings of Metropolitan Police Department officers without permission from the public affairs office. The complaint notes, “That is not the law in the District of Columbia.”
Vorus also claims police officers told him that they can stop anyone they want, which, Vorus argues, is also false. Vorus walked away after police returned his identification, although he was never told he was free to leave.
The complaint alleges violations of Vorus’ First Amendment right to take pictures of police in public places and his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizure, since he alleges the officers detained him without any reason to suspect he had committed a crime. Vorus is also suing for false arrest and imprisonment.
Vorus is the only plaintiff in this case, but he also accuses D.C. police of making similarly unlawful stops in the past.
“On many other occasions, MPD officers have unlawfully ordered members of the public to cease taking photographs of police officers or police activities in public places,” he writes in the complaint.
Arthur Spitzer, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the Nation’s Capital, is representing Vorus.
“We filed this case not only because we thought Mr. Vorus’ rights were violated, but because we think this is a widespread and apparently growing phenomenon,” Spitzer said this afternoon. “People have the ability to take spontaneous pictures of what’s happening around them, including police activity, in a way they never did.”
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police Department was not immediately available for comment.
I wasn't just stopped, I was imprisoned by the feds BECAUSE I filed documents in federal court. I was accused of being a vexatious litigant. I wasn't vexatious at all. I verified all my documents under penalty of perjury and I was not accused of perjury or fraud.
Posted by: Kay Sieverding | May 07, 2012 at 11:11 AM
I was stopped by a washington policeman, asked for my ID and asked the purpose of my visit in the rudest manner possible for taking photographs of american flags! It is a sad reflection on our democracy- or the lack of it that people in a public place, doing a lawful act, publicly can be subjected to such harassment.
Posted by: Sandip | May 07, 2012 at 08:29 AM
This is somehow so disturbing, well, i think what our government should do here is to further educate our police officers with their rightful responsbilities.
Posted by: metropolitan police | February 10, 2012 at 12:47 AM
I think that it says clearly in the Section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000 that any officer making an arrest for an offence under Section 58A must be able to demonstrate a reasonable suspicion that the information was, by its very nature, designed to provide practical assistance to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Posted by: police jobs | July 05, 2011 at 12:41 PM