Sunday, February 22, 2009

Citizen journalists who expose police corruption, beware of retaliation!

This story in Michigan Messenger should interest you regardless of whether you're a citizen journalist or you simply love your camera/Blackberry.

Diane Bukowski, a freelancer for the Michigan Citizen weekly published from Detroit, "was arrested and charged with five felony five felony counts of obstructing police officers while reporting from the scene of a fatal police chase."
Bukowski said that she was arrested as she stood photographing the scene of the crash, an officer seized her camera and erased pictures. (sic)
The ACLU alleges the police action was in retaliation for Ms. Bukowski's history of recording government corruption, including reporting on "allegations of illegal strip and cavity searches by police in southwest Detroit and the refusal of Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to prosecute police involved in killings."

Read more here.

No comments: