“Could you have made a phone call before showing up, I mean, that’s a lot of resources,” WISN 12 News investigative reporter Colleen Henry asked.

“If a sheriff’s department is going in to do a search warrant on a drug bust, they don’t call them and ask them to voluntarily surrender their marijuana or whatever drug that they have before they show up,” Niemeyer said,

Hefferon pleaded guilty to second-degree menacing and reckless endangerment, both misdemeanor crimes. Hefferon is expected to face virtually no punishment whatsoever for his crimes. He will likely not face jail time and he still has his job. He will not be able to carry his firearm, for what it’s worth.

Upon further investigation, Cummings realized that Williams was driving with a suspended registration so he headed over to her house because that in itself was a misdemeanor.

'This wasn't personal, it was a matter of law. The violation happened in my presence, so I made the arrest,'

our primary objective is to protect life and property through the traditions of fairness, professionalism and integrity

Syracuse man plans to sue after tasing incident on bus is caught on tape
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- A legal battle is brewing in the city of Syracuse after a disabled man was tased by a police officer on a city bus after his refusal to sit down.

Security camera footage shows a dramatic scene as it unfolded on a Centro bus in May.

That day, passenger Brad Hulett planned to do what he says he always does: ride the bus while standing.

Hulett suffered neurological damage in 1991 after being hit by two trains, causing him to be handicapped.

"Because my back feels better standing up that sitting down...puts more pressure on two herniated disks," Hulett said.

When the driver asked him to sit down, he refused.

Syracuse Police were called and officers ordered Hulett to get off of the bus.

He again refused, saying he was doing nothing wrong.

"I paid to be on the bus, therefore, I was not on there illegally. And I was not doing nothing that was not in my right," Hulett said.

After approximately a minute of back-and-forth with police, the incident escalated and police deployed a taser.

In the video, an officer appears to lift up Hulett's shirt and then fires the taser.

Hulett can be heard apparently howling in pain in the video.

Now, Hulett and his lawyer, Rick Guy, will sue the city of Syracuse, Onondaga County, and Centro.

Guy says the case is based on excessive and unnecessary force.

Hulett says he was discriminated against in not being allowed to stand.

He says other passengers that day were not forced to sit and he stood on a different bus earlier in the day.

On other occasions, he had been told to sit, but got off the bus and lost his fare. This time, he did not want to lose his fare.

"But I cant do so cause I sound and look like I do, which is discrimination on their part," Hulett said.

Following the first taser shot, Hulett can be seen being picked up and dragged outside and onto the sidewalk, where he was tased again. He was then dragged away and arrested.

Hulett said he suffered a broken hip after the altercation and still walks with a cane.

He says he regrets not telling police about his back problems, but his lawyer says he did not have the chance.

"The officers were not in a listening mode. And they seemed intent on jumping right to the use of force," Guy said.

Police charged Hulett with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

The charges are still pending, but Guy insists they be thrown out of court.

Now, Hulett and Guy say they plan to sue the city, the county, and the bus service.

NewsChannel 9 reached out to all three parties.

The mayor's office, Onondaga County, and the police say they can't comment because of pending litigation.

Centro replied via email:

Centro does not comment on matters of pending litigation. Centro drivers are trained to constantly assess passenger safety and take action where they feel passenger safety may be a concern. This includes requesting passengers to sit when seats are available.

In addition to the incident on the bus, Hulett plans to sue the county for the aftermath in jail.

He claims he was forced to stand up in his wheelchair with a broken hip and a nurse at the jail declined to give him proper care.

Syracuse cop uses a taser on a handicapped man
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- A Syracuse man is planning legal action after police were captured on surveillance video using a taser on him.

Three months ago, Brad Hulett says he was planning to do what he always does -- ride the bus while standing up -- when a driver told him to sit.

When he refused, Syracuse Police responded. When Hulett declined to get off the bus, police deployed the taser.

Now, Hulett and his attorney, Rick Guy, say they plan to sue the city, the county, and the bus service.

NewsChannel 9 reached out to all three parties.

The mayor's office, Onondaga County, and the police say they can't comment because of pending litigation.

HOBART, IN -- The Hobart Police Department set up a roadblock on a main road which forced all drivers into the parking lot of a private business, where they were questioned, ID'ed, and searched with dogs.

Drivers were prevented from traveling freely down a public road, and forced by government agents to prove their innocence. Without any probable cause whatsoever, everyone was stopped, had flashlights shined in their faces and in their cars, had their papers checked.

This took place at the CVS Pharmacy in Hobart, IN. 7/27/2013 roughly 11pm.

An Iowa woman is consulting with former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica's law firm as she contemplates a lawsuit against a Davenport police officer who has faced disciplinary action for the beating he gave her while she was questioned on suspicion of shoplifting.

...

Prior to being hit about the face and head, Redell was being questioned by police after store employees reported she attempted to steal $388 worth of women's clothing. The officer, Scott Crow, said in his report he hit Redell because she bit his finger and wouldn't let go.

The video, however, shows Crow striking Redell with both fists.

Phoenix Police Helicopter responds to a 1&4 Amendment Test while open carrying 8/5/13

Tonight I set out to test the Phoenix Police Department with a 1st and 4th Amendment test while open carrying. I arrived at the Sandra Day O'Connor Federal Courthouse around 11pm. I parked my truck on Jefferson St and proceeded to walk the courthouse's perimeter and towards the PPD HQ all while taking pictures. I had circled the PPD HQ and was on my way back to my truck when I saw two officers ahead of me about a block away, which is when I activated my camera. Just then, I was suddenly illuminated by a spotlight from a low flying Police Helicopter. That's when I turned around to see what was going on (I had headphones in and was listening to music and didn't realize the impending unlawful detainment) and I was being swarmed from every angle by PPD officers. The PPD officer who initiated the contact tried to disarm me right off the bat. (I was open carrying my 1911 in a holster on my right hip). He was unsuccessful as I stood my ground and stated that I do not consent in seizures. Now I know I could have just kept my mouth shut and not played along with their game and not answered any of their questions, but I guess I have to admit it was kind of fun, as you can tell from some of my answers to the PPD questions. Nothing dramatic ever really happened but I must say they sure did have one hell of a show of force with 15+ officers and an Air unit. I will admit, I totally forgot to get officers names and badge numbers. In the video you'll hear me make a comment about how "the only thing in my backpack is not a pressure cooker", I said this because I overheard one of the officers behind me state that "we need to search his backpack", I felt like responding with a smart *** answer. This has changed my mind.... Phoenix in now also a Police State.

Every year. Who doesn't have a birthday every year, come on

A law enacted by the D.C. Council in 2004 imposes strict guidelines on police when they investigate or attempt to infiltrate First Amendment-protected groups. The Police Investigations Concerning First Amendment Activities Act of 2004 specifies that the MPD departments can only investigate free speech activities if they can prove sufficient cause that protestors are engaged in crime and they have the authorization of the Executive Director of the DC MPD Intelligence Fusion Divisions (or an appropriate supervisor of similar rank). To send in undercover officers, they have to go through the same authorization process again.

...

“If they are putting an undercover [cop] there, then they are putting undercover [police] everywhere. That is a big problem for a lot of these groups,” says Light. “You are trying to get people to come out and protest knowing that there is a undercover cop there—it’s a huge problem.”

Santa Ana Police Officer Shoot Kill Unarmed Homeless man for calling her a 'bitch'

Shawn Nee is an award winning street and documentary photographer living in Hollywood, California. He says that on June 2, 2013, his right to take photos under the First Amendment was violated when Los Angeles Police Department officers detained him while working in Hollywood. Nee wears multiple body cameras on his person when he shoots photos in public and provided an edited version of June 2nd's events exclusively to Reason TV.

"People have the right to take pictures in a public space and that includes photographing [police]," says Nee. "People have the right to know what goes on in their communities and in public."

Nee was standing on a residential sidewalk taking pictures of a man he had been photographing for years when LAPD officers showed up about 90 feet away to investigate a domestic dispute. Nee took photos of the dispute from behind two chain link fences when he was approached by an officer. The transcript was as follows:

OFFICER: What's your name?

NEE: Am I being detained, sir?

OFFICER: How am I detaining you if I've got a fence between me? You want me to come around and detain you?

NEE: Why would I be detained, sir?

OFFICER: I'm not detaining you, I'm asking you a question. What's your name?

NEE: I'm not required to answer that question, sir.

Reason TV showed the video to Andy Neiman, the officer-in-charge at the Media Relations Section at the LAPD. He said he could not comment on the video specically but said of individuals taking pictures, "If their physical proximity to the investigating officers becomes interfering where an officer has to stop what they're doing to admonish that individual that they're too close or could you stand back because they are distracting from the officer's business, then that's where it becomes an issue."

But Nee says he was so far away from the investigation that the officers had to walk down a 60 yard driveway, enter their squad car, and drive to the location where he was taking photographs around the corner from the initial investigation just to detaine him. This is the conversation that happened once they got there:

OFFICER: Could you put your camera down for me?

NEE: Am I being detained, sir?

OFFICER: Yes.

NEE: For what purpose, sir?

OFFICER: Put your camer down.

NEE: Why am I being detained, sir?

OFFICER: For interviewing ... interfering with a police investigation.

NEE: How was I doing that, sir?

Later, a supervisor, identified as Sergent Rudy V. Vidal showed up and interacted with Nee:

NEE: My understanding is that I was detained for taking photos in a public space.

VIDAL: When it interferes with the job of police then it becomes a problem. At that point, you no longer have that freedom to go ahead and take your pictures.

Sergent Vidal was named as a "problem officer" by the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department (Christopher Commission) in the early 1990s, as reported by the Los Angeles Times in 1995. The Commission named 44 officers with "six or more complaints of excessive force or improper tactics between 1986 and 1990."

Nee is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department along with two other photographers and is represented in that case by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

Nee has been published by National Public Radio, F8 magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and blogs at boywithagrenade.org.

Produced by Paul Detrick. Shot by Detrick and Zach Weissmuller.

Go to Reason.com for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube Channel to receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

CRANTON, Pa. (Associated Press) — A longtime northeastern Pennsylvania judge has been ordered to spend nearly three decades in prison for his role in a massive juvenile justice bribery scandal that prompted the state's high court to toss thousands of convictions.

Former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella Jr. was sentenced Thursday to 28 years in federal prison for taking $1 million in bribes from the builder of a pair of juvenile detention centers in a case that became known as "kids-for-cash."

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