OC Kimber, this wasn't my first rodeo, buckaroo. Of course I and the others stated such to the deputies. Their basic response...departmental policy.
Yes, there is video. Yes, there is audio. No, I have no idea of when, if ever, it gets posted.
I questioned several deputies as to their statutory authority for doing what they did. Their basic response...departmental policy.
I raised Arizona v Hicks. I raised McCurdy v Montgomery Co., Ohio (not by name, but in terms of presumptive innocence). I questioned them as to RAS and PC in regards to physical restraint, Terry search and serial number checks. Their basic response...departmental policy.
I have been involved in other events where LE and the media had been given advance notice, and nothing happened. I have been involved in other events where LE and the media had not been given advance notice, and the handcuffs were thrown on.
As these events are public-relations in nature, I will always extend to LE the courtessy of advance notice. The only problem with the OC Register was that I had hoped that they would only show up to report the actual event, not advertise it a day in advance. I only hope that the media did not make a MWAG call to LE so as to "make" the news instead of simply reporting the news.
Blek and company (Brady Bunch) maintained a discrete distance throughout.
As for LE harassment. If you talk to these folks individually, as I have, you might get a better feel for what they have to deal with, personally, in the public eye, and within their world of training and taking orders from above. As much as today's event (I dislike the way the Register repeatedly referred to it as a "protest") was a zoo, I feel that it will benefit the UOC community through our obtaining so many "it's departmental policy" responses and so few "our authority is found under PC yada, yada, yada." These folks on the beat did what they are trained to do, paid to do...AND TOLD TO DO.
I am not so much troubled by LE action today as I am troubled by the numerous "sunshine patriots" who dropped out at the very last minute because they were, IMO, frightened off by the possibility of having a check run on their firearm's serial number. These folks couldn't even attend as videographer witnesses to cover our backs. I really have little use for such people.
As for a lawsuit, I seriously doubt that will happen. Hell, nothing happened after the San Pedro incident of this month last year, and we were handcuffed for nearly fifteen minutes. However, this does not mean that our videos will not eventually be brought to the attention of LE higher up the food chain. I would hope to see them defend "departmental policy" in the face of case law that instructs otherwise.