Dark Angel Photography wrote:
...Been There...

   ...Done That...

      ...and got away with it...

         ...(under police pressure, but I have police issued press creds so they couldn't really do anything about it)...

how do you get police issued press credentials??? ive never heard of that
btw... this is a crazy story...because how can you get arrested for filming people in a public parking lot ?

Tasha Ford wrote:
My son was not passing a ticket ok...that's their story.  Trust me. He's not starving for $9.  What I'm telling you now is nothing.  I lived in Maryland and never seen anything like this.  Have you ever seen a child get arrested for spitting on the ground?  Well, brace yourself folks, this type of stuff happens here in Palm Beach.  Have you ever seen a police officer call a child a MFer and Asshole who wasn't even talking just listening?  They were trying to get my son t react, so that they could arrest him and give him a criminal history.  Thank you, Jesus, that my son is mild manner and avoids drama at all cost.

Cops do go around and make trouble. I never wanted to believe that before. I like to believe most cops are good people that are trying to make a positive difference in peoples lives. But not all cops are like that. How do I know, I've met a few of them in my life time.

Yes we all hear about how difficult a job police have. How they never know who's going to shot at them. On and on. Nobody made them be cops, they aren't required to stay on the job if they don't like it. They chose to be cops.

Tasha is right about what they were doing here. They were trying to give her son a criminal record and lock him up. Heck I'd take a video camera if I got called about my kid being in handcuffs. No telling what you might find. The only thing you can be sure of is the cops would lie about what happened if it showed them in a bad light. Best to have some photos to show your side of the story. Better yet if the photos show the story the cops are telling isn't true.

Tasha good on you. You did exactly the correct thing.

Carlos Miller wrote:
Tasha Ford was unjustly arrested Saturday night because she was concerned about her son who also was unjustly handcuffed.

Here is her MM profile.

https://www.modelmayhem.com/99456

Here is the story.

http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/06/sout … -officers/

I would have to agree that this is either a very unprofessional, biased rant, or a commentary from someone who was very close with the model.

Sounds more like a letter to an editor by someone trying to write in 3rd person.

Terry Day wrote:

I would have to agree that this is either a very unprofessional, biased rant, or a commentary from someone who was very close with the model.

Sounds more like a letter to an editor by someone trying to write in 3rd person.

The fact that the judge dropped the felony charge the following morning should tell you that this was an unjust arrest.

Micyl Sweeney wrote:
I have been arrested more than once in my lifetime and never have I been asked for my e-mail address.

Maybe you weren't their type.

Do you not think they could simply google her name to get her email address?

Either way, it could be easily proven from where that email was sent.

And it could be easily proven if there is a cop by that same name on the force.

I really don't see why she would make that part up.

And by showing up with a video camera, you would think the cops would do anything NOT to get sued.

Paul Bryson Photography wrote:
Florida is weird. Some cops can be your friend; some can be a royal dick.

The police here in S. Florida do like to take special notice of photography, I've found. I've been approached many times while shooting out in public and told to stop (last time being just yesterday). However, if you use a point and shoot camera, even an advanced one like a Canon G10, you will pretty much be left alone. It's the SLR cameras that attract attention, in my experience.

Carlos Miller wrote:
All charges were dropped against her.

http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/24/char … lming-cop/

w00t!

SouthFLpix wrote:

The police here in S. Florida do like to take special notice of photography, I've found. I've been approached many times while shooting out in public and told to stop (last time being just yesterday). However, if you use a point and shoot camera, even an advanced one like a Canon G10, you will pretty much be left alone. It's the SLR cameras that attract attention, in my experience.

That's come up again & AGAIN in threads about hassles with cops.  Advanced P&S camers & even many handheld video cameras are ignored but add an interchangeable lens and a battery grip and BAM, you're a criminal.  I can't fathom that "logic."

PYPI FASHION wrote:
Note that this is a blog entry written to look like a news article by the OP, not a mainstream media article.

According to the courts, there is no distinction. The media hasn't yet decided- they'll take the legal cover but still want to look down their noses at bloggers.

PYPI FASHION wrote:
Note that this is a blog entry written to look like a news article by the OP, not a mainstream media article.

I spent almost ten years writing for the mainstream media. Now I write for myself.

Does this suddenly not make me a journalist?

SouthFLpix wrote:
The police here in S. Florida do like to take special notice of photography, I've found. I've been approached many times while shooting out in public and told to stop (last time being just yesterday). However, if you use a point and shoot camera, even an advanced one like a Canon G10, you will pretty much be left alone. It's the SLR cameras that attract attention, in my experience.

Interesting the discrimination in treatment based on the perception of the technology the photographer happens to be using at the time...

Alison LS wrote:
That's funny how the cop called her a Northerner. Perhaps he didn't know that Maryland is south of the Mason Dixon line.

Yeah..afterall, is anybody really from Florida?

-The Dave- wrote:

Cops are above the law, did you miss the memo?

I did.

Tasha Ford wrote:

Yes.  I do remember you.  This was one of my first shoots I took after having my littler girl, who is now 3, by the way.  Thank you.  My son was not passing a ticket ok...that's their story.  Trust me. He's not starving for $9.  What I'm telling you now is nothing.  I lived in Maryland and never seen anything like this.  Have you ever seen a child get arrested for spitting on the ground?  Well, brace yourself folks, this type of stuff happens here in Palm Beach.  Have you ever seen a police officer call a child a MFer and Asshole who wasn't even talking just listening?  They were trying to get my son t react, so that they could arrest him and give him a criminal history.  Thank you, Jesus, that my son is mild manner and avoids drama at all cost.

Jesus, I had no idea Florida cops were so bad.  And I thought TEXAS cops had a bad rep lol. Damn!

Alison LS wrote:
That's funny how the cop called her a Northerner. Perhaps he didn't know that Maryland is south of the Mason Dixon line.

Dude, to the gulf states, if you're north of like... Kentucky, you're a goddamn polar bear. 

Rebel Photo wrote:

Yeah..afterall, is anybody really from Florida?

Mickey Mouse is.

Rebel Photo wrote:

Yeah..afterall, is anybody really from Florida?

I am.

Sadly.

PPTPhoto wrote:
OK, I just read through every post in this thread. Not going to pass judgement, just some opinion. Carlos, I think you're blog is necessary to keep folks on their toes, checks and balances. I may not always agree with the exact content but will vigorously defend your right to post and write.

Thanks for a voice of reason.

Paul Bryson Photography wrote:
Florida is weird. Some cops can be your friend; some can be a royal dick.

That's weird b/c I've never ONCE had an issue with cops down in SOUTH Florida.  The ones that I've always hated are moreso up in the middle part, like Tampa Bay, Orlando, that area.  They always nab the tourists headed south lol!  And some of them are hardcore redneck and even have that Floridian southest drawl, but I always figured they were kind of hardass and douchey because of the amount of bullshit they probably put up with constantly having people come through those areas like a revolving door.  But then again, down around the Keys and South Beach, people are in and out constantly also and their cops SEEM at least pretty cool and laid back.

PPTPhoto wrote:
OK, I just read through every post in this thread. Not going to pass judgement, just some opinion. Carlos, I think you're blog is necessary to keep folks on their toes, checks and balances. I may not always agree with the exact content but will vigorously defend your right to post and write.

My opinion is.....there are 3 sides to every story. Her side, the cops side, and somewhere in the middle...the truth.

I also firmly believe that if she would have showed up politely, respectfully and with some humility she would have gotten a lot farther than, what appears to be, bursting on scene with a chip on her shoulder.

Start slow and easy, find out the whole story and, if necessary, start raising up a bit. Ask for a supervisor, ask for the names of the officers, ask for a case number, ask that no questioning be done until your attorney is present. All the things afforded us by the constitution and most departments rules and regs. 

If that doesn't work, continue to raise until you are making demands. Sounds like she showed up at the later stage of negotiations, never a good thing with folks who enforce laws through persuasion and eventually force.

Bottom line with the cop who works security at the theater, someone pays for him to be there and someone wants the kids who hang out there to follow simple rules of society. If, and only if her son were in violation of the rules, the cop was doing his job.

BTW, welcome to Florida!!

Indeed.  The LAST thing you want to do is get riled up with cops.  Be FIRM, but calm, like scary calm lol.  You know how some people when they get pissed they turn into a fireball?  And others get EXTREMELY freaky calm and monotone almost?  Well, be like them when you're around cops.  Speak stronger, not louder.  If you come across firm, intelligent, and like somebody that they don't want to mess with, they'll typically leave you alone.  I've only ever gotten in about 3 cops' faces before and that was after being provoked to by them first.  And still, even though I was more animated and my stance much more aggressive on them those times, I was still cool and collected and kept composure and control. 

Have had very few that get surly and when they do I simply tell them that I'm not signing ANYTHING and that they better make a decision if they really want to play the game or not because if so I'll have my dad as well as our family attorney on the phone by the time he finishes his sentence.  That in itself is typically enough to thwart even the biggest power complexes.  There was one that I told if he was going to arrest me he better get the handcuffs on me before I get my hands around his neck.  That mindfucked him completely and after saying our fuck you's, we parted ways and each left. 

Some cops are great.  They really do the job right and do it well. 
Plenty I've met are TOO NICE to me.  Up in my college town they let me off hundreds of times LITERALLY for speeding that I should have been in jail for lol. 
And there's some others that have a complex and enjoy mindfucking people and have come across WAY too aggressive when I didn't do anything to warrant it.  I put those in their place very quickly.  The trick is I do it with my brain, not my hands.  Outwit them and beat them at their own game and you will shut them down every time.  Those I don't even call cops in the first place, because they don't deserve to be called such.  I call them militia or bullies with a badge.  They give REAL cops a bad name.

Andrew Thomas Designs wrote:
I didn't read the article but I have a few questions for you, that are mostly just in general.

I thought I heard that you can video tape police but you can't record sound?

It's because the laws haven't caught up with the technology and times.  Many people with voyeurs have run into this snag.  You can't record sound without the person's permission, but video yes.  I'm sure at some point though they'll fix the loophole.