Man Arrested For Unlawful Photography
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Nearly everyone carries a cell phone and it’s hard to find one without that camera feature. It’s convenient when you want to take that impromptu photo, but a Tri-Cities area man ended up behind bars after snapping a shot of a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop.
The cell phone photographer says the arrest was intimidation, but the deputy says he feared for his life.
“Here’s a guy who takes me out of the car and arrests me in front of my kids. For what? To take a picture of a police officer?“ said Scott Conover.
A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy arrested Scott Conover for unlawful photography.
“He says you took a picture of me. It’s illegal to take a picture of a law enforcement officer,“ said Conover.
Conover took a picture of a sheriff’s deputy on the side of the road on a traffic stop. Conover was stunned by the charge.
“This is a public highway,“ said Conover.
And it was not a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy as Tennessee code states. The deputy also asked Conover to delete the picture three times.
“He said if you don’t give it to me, you’re going to jail,“ said Conover.
Under the advice of the Johnson County attorney, the sheriff would not comment and the arresting deputy said he didn’t want to incriminate himself by talking to us.
In an affidavit, the deputy said he saw something black with a red light which he thought was a threat. Conover was also arrested for pointing a laser at a law enforcement officer.
“At no time did I have a laser. I had an iPhone,“ said Conover.
When you take a picture in the dark with Conover’s Apple iPhone, there is no flash or any light that comes from the phone that could be mistaken for a laser.
In a witness statement by a Mountain City officer, is says the deputy asked about the picture rather than looking for a laser.
“If you arrested me, wouldn’t you take the laser? If you arrested me, wouldn’t you take the camera?“ said Conover.
He expects these charges to be dismissed.
“This guy maliciously arrested me, charging me with phony charges that he don’t even understand himself,“ Conover said.
The American Civil Liberties Union would not comment on Conover’s case without fully reviewing the allegations, but told us there is no law that prohibits anyone from taking photographs in public areas, even of police. Taking photos is protected by the First Amendment. Conover is ordered to appear in a Johnson County court on August 6th.
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Reader Reactions
This moron “Deputy”, needs a career change. Send him back to “Bubba’s Gas and Carwash Emporium.
Our Nations and Constitution was founded on the Laws of God, maybe you should read it
Breez1, please allow me to assist you in understanding a small part of the internet…
“Freedom of Speech” is not a term that applies to any private site that allows posting by members. The US First Amendment only applies to not allowing the US government to censor most speech. As soon as you step into a private site like this, you are in someone else’s livingroom, not in a public space, and the owner - the person paying the bills - can set any rules they want and a poster can either agree or leave. No problem, but just trying to correct an all too common error of perception about the internet.
Tom
Remember, the second the terms moral and god are injected into your argument, you just admitted defeat. They are the last bastion of a weak argument, and attempt to jump over logic and reasoning by associating themselves with supposed divinity.
If your really religious, I suggest you read the bible cover to cover, because that cures most people. If not, then actually read the constitution, and at least understand what it actually means, not what you’ve been told it means.
BTW, it’s just not Johnson county, It’s Washington, Greene and all the surronding acounties with these cops who have an abusive authority complex. I know no one in this case, I am just a civilian who has my rights violated in numerous ways. I will seek Justice soon
oh and by the way, FREEDOM OF SPEECH is just what it says, its NOT the privelage to comment !! Read the constitution
Excuse me but after I posted several comments and not one of them were published I did feel as if my constitutional rights of freedom of speech had been violated. In no way or form were they rude or bad in anyway. I stated FACTS and the GODS honest truth. Now if this paper wants to censor people then it should do so to the ones who are being rude and nasty. As most of you who are keeping up with this tory the majority have sided with the victim here that was arrested. I think and this my own opinion that there are alot of police officers with nothing better to do than instigate this story even farther by posting comments. Read in between the lines and you will see for yourself. I was arrested falsely and I intend on going through the judicial system and fighting it. I have met very few good officers but have made life time friends with them, I have met more cops with complexes than the other. It’s a sad day when you feel you cannot trust law enforcement.
Benjamin Franklon had a quote that answers the questions proposed by “The Real Truth” -
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
Benjamin Franklin
If you let the people who are willing to abuse your freedoms continue to do so, pretty soon you won’t have ANY freedoms. I guess it’s hard to see the real issue when you have your head so far up your fundiment.
There are renegade “people” in every state. Every state has its share of embarrassing public servants and if you have really payed attention lately the state of Tennessee has actually faired extremely well. I do find the officers actions embarrassing and quite overbearing but I also know that he is not representative of the general population of officers and people in our area.
And to those that don’t like our state..we are glad you stay out. If you don’t put your tax dollars here to pay the salaries of those that protect us then frankly your opinion doesn’t matter anyway.
The person calling themselves “The Real Truth” could not be more wrong. People who think that any request of the police, whether legal or not, simply HAS to be complied with, are…quite frankly…un-American. There is nothing about a cop’s uniform that somehow exempts them from the laws. Public photography is legal and anyone on the streets simply has to deal with the fact that if someone takes your photo out there…whether you want them to or not…it’s legal. It’s too bad the taxpayers will have to pay for this cop’s blatant power trip. How does that make you feel, “The Real Truth,“ to know that your tax dollars are going to have to pay for the obvious civil rights violation here?
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