The following post was shared with the CopBlock Network by Kevin Bradley, via the CopBlock.org Submissions Page.
Kevin describes a situation where he was peacefully and legally filming (sorta) the outside area of some public buildings, including a courthouse, the cityhall, and prison in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. As a result, he was repeatedly detained illegally and harassed by members of the Williamsport Bureau of Police for being a “suspicious person filming.”
In addition to the information below Kevin included this statement:
I think the lawyers in this town won’t touch the case because they are to busy sucking the pig’s dicks!!! So I could use some help finding a lawyer to represent me.
I was using a phone that doesn’t record video only takes pictures at the time, but they didn’t know that. Because of this encounter, I went out and bought a phone that records audio and video.
Date of Incident: August 8, 2016
Department Involved: Williamsport Bureau of Police, Williamsport, Pa
Department Contact: Chief Gregory Foresman
Department Facebook Page: Williamsport Bureau of Police
Department Phone No.: (570) 327-7543
Looks like I will be filing a lawsuit against the Williamsport Pigs. I was acting like I was videotaping the court house, city hall, and prison.
First I started at the prison. As I start out a SUV pulls in with two prison guards in it. They stopped as soon as they saw me. One got out of the passenger side and stared at me. The other one got out of the driver side and started questioning me. So I said I don’t answer questions. He said, “I just want to talk to you.” So I asked if I was being detained. They then turned and walked away.
I walked over to city hall and walked around filming without any incidents. Then I walked over to the courthouse and around that building. No incidents, once again. So, I walked back to city hall and right away a unmarked car came up the alley and stopped in front of me.
A plain clothes cop got out and the first thing I asked was his name and badge number. He gave it to me and then another one got out so I asked for his name and badge number, but he just stared at me. The first one asked what I was doing, and I said, “WTF does it look like I am doing? Then I asked if I was being detained and he said, “no.” So, I said, “OK, then I am leaving. Bye.
I walked over to the prison again with no incidents. I then walked back up to the courthouse and was walking around when a female cop started questioning me. I told her I don’t answer questions and asked, “am I being detained.” She said no, but that she just wants to talk to me. As I turned to walk away, she kept trying to detain me and asking for ID.
I asked two more times if I am being detained. She said no, but kept following me. About this time I was getting irate that she wouldn’t let me leave. She had called for backup and two more cops soon arrive and also started asking me for ID. I asked again if I was being detained and they then said yes.
So I ask what crime I had committed that gave them the authority to detain me. They said that I was a suspicious person filming. I told them that is not a crime and that PA is not a stop and ID state. I asked them for name and badge numbers, but they all refused.
I then asked for a supervisor and found out that he was already walking out of the courthouse. After about 10 minutes of me asking why I was being detained, the supervisor walked away to make a phone call, then walked back over and said I was free to go.
My phone doesn’t even record video. It only takes pictures, but those dumbasses didn’t know that at the time. I went over to my lawyer’s office and told them what happened. I will be talking to him at one o’clock today. However, the lawyer said he can’t take the case because one of his staff was a witness and it would be a conflict of interest.
– Kevin Bradley
Kelly is a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, who’s been very active in local grassroots activism, as well as on a national level during his extensive travels. He’s also the founder/main contributor of Nevada Cop Block, served as editor/contributor at CopBlock.org and designed the Official Cop Block Press Passes.
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