The Oakland Police Department on Monday returned a videotape confiscated last week from an Oakland Tribune staffer by Oakland school district police during an immigration rights protest at the Fruitvale BART station.
Tyska had the video camera running as she was detained by Art Michel, Oakland Unified School District police chief. On tape, he accuses Tyska of hitting his car, orders her into the patrol car’s back seat and at one point accuses her of inciting a riot. The encounter lasts a little over two minutes, before ending when the officer demands the tape. Tyska said the officer grazed her with his car as she was walking backward, videotaping protesters in the middle of the street. He then stopped his car, began yelling profanities at her and accused her of hitting his car and inciting a riot, Tyska said. Michel’s report states that Tyska was detained for blocking the roadway, inciting a riot and breaking a vehicle.
“Her arm struck my vehicle’s right-side view mirror. She yelled something that I could not understand, and the crowd started to yell. I immediately stopped and exited my patrol vehicle to detain Tyska for vandalism and blocking the roadway.” “I have spoken at length with Chief Michel about this incident several times since it happened and he has professed regret that the situation ever occurred,” said Pete Wevurski, managing editor of Bay Area News Group-East Bay, which publishes Tribune. “Even so, we could not ignore what’s on the tape because we take freedom of the press very seriously. It conveys the right for journalists to perform their jobs without interference by any government agency.
This is difficult to watch. Obviously we didn’t see the egregious incident this moron is so upset about, but does he really need to act like such a psychopath?
Updated: Thanks to dannyhaase.
# 29 Balbas said, “The right-wing members claimed that since the founding fathers didn’t have radio or television, that form of journalism wasn’t protected.
Gosh … I hope this isn’t an urban myth.”
Urban myth. The closest we came in the SC to attacking the Bill of Rights was the recent minority opinion on the 2nd Amend. That was lead by Ginsburg.
If you watch the cops in the background, you can tell by their body language that they disagree with what this poor excuse for a human being, let alone a LEO is doing.
It WAS difficult to watch…
I say that the cop is to blame here (I am a reserve city cop) or he just has no idea what he is doing and should be fired anyway.
If you are going to arrest someone and put them in the back of your car you are going to search them, cuff them, and put them in the car. You are not going to shove them into the car WITH A CAMERA.
He was pissed off and rousting her for little reason. He was abusing his power. Time to fire him so he can live out his sad life as a mall cop.
Yes, of course. Of course a journalist goes around punching cars. Naturally. Of course. Punching cars. Yes. Clearly. Obviously!
Sure, cops have been shown repeatedly to lie about these incidents; yes, it’s true that in these confrontations the cop is *always* proven by videotape to be lying, and his fellow officers always cover for them. But we shouldn’t let these facts get in the way of the obvious fact that journalists punch cars!
Idiots.
Sigh, no telling how long and hard he worked to build his career…Ooops!
Why was she not tased when she became combative? We provide these folks with the tools they need to do their job and they freelance incidents?
Why aren’t the reporter’s employers demanding to see the cop car’s video of the incident? Why aren’t they asking anyone else who has video of the incident to come forward and provide a copy? I want to see a picture of the reporter’s elbow — is it bruised? Was the reporter actually assigned to cover this protest? Is she a staff reporter, a “stringer” or was she just taping on spec?
There are many, many questions that need to be answered before any judgment can be made, but since the D.A. declined to prosecute, we’ll never know. (Though that’s a clue in itself.)
from
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_10899418
“The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office will not file criminal charges against an Oakland Tribune photojournalist who was detained last Friday while covering a student protest against immigration raids.”
She was about 1 slight profanity or, 1 ill-turned phrase questioning his masculinity away from being dragged bodily out of the car and beaten senseless by this unprofessional “cop.” She was lucky. He owuld have probably claimed that she had “incited a law enforcement officer.”
Police are PAID to keep their cool and control their mouths, no matter what…refute THAT police lovers of the world.
I live and work under the assumption that anything and everything cops say is lies.
thanks to asses like this and my personal experience with one, I have pulled all my donations for the PAL for a few years now. Want to come crying to us you need vests? apologize and act professional first.
This was unacceptable. Why has the cop NOT been charged with assaulting the reporter?
I see Cow-Paddy, #12, being his usual asswipe self.
Oakland lost, retired, or fired all the good cops years ago…all thats left are the lying, lazy and inept ones. They’re all abusive and all stupid.
Go figure.
# 42 Mr. Fusion said, “Why has the cop NOT been charged with assaulting the reporter?”
Because, even people you don’t like, have to commit a chargeable offense 1st.
Drop the “son of” in “son of bitch” as she is
female.
Very convenient. She was filming when the hit happened. But we only see the part after that.
She was covering a boring story and saw a chance to get something “good” on tape. She keeps the camera pointed at him and eggs him on. After being order to comply more then 3 time usually
gets you pepper spray or tazer. Sadly cops
can’t afford to be wishy-washy when giving
commands. Welcome to the real world , reporter lady.
#45, Cow-Paddy, Ignorant Shit Talking Sociopath and Mall Rent-A-Cop.
Because, even people you don’t like, have to commit a chargeable offense 1st.
It is called unlawful confinement and assault. Simply put, police may ONLY arrest someone if there is reasonable cause that person has committed a crime. I don’t need to tell you since you are the Constitutional expert but I do believe this is covered under the Fourth Amendment.
sobstory: If you only had a clue. You have to have reason to arrest a reporter before you do so. You can’t just make something up — and nobody is obliged to be “nice” to cops. That’s only true in a police state. Welcome to the real world.
# 48 Wretched Gnu said, “You have to have reason to arrest a reporter before you do so. ”
Umm, no. See the taser death story…