New footage has emerged that shows controversial Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson arresting a man for refusing to stop filming him in 2013.
On Aug. 9, 2014, Wilson shot dead unarmed teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The exact sequence of events is disputed, but the shooting triggered widespread civil unrest, violent protest and numerous arrests, including journalists. Amnesty International has accused Missouri police of human rights abuses, and months later, protesters are still regularly taking to the streets over perceived institutional injustices.
The new video was shot by one Mike Arman, and was recorded on Oct. 28, 2013. The 15-second clip apparently shows Wilson standing in Arman’s yard, where the officer was delivering a court summons regarding derelict videos. Wilson refuses to provide Arman with his name, and tells him that “if you wanna take a picture of me one more time, I’m gonna lock your ass up.”
Arman continues to record, telling Wilson that he is doing so—to which he is told that “no you don’t [have the right to record].” The video then ends as Wilson arrests Arman.
According to the official police report filed by Wilson at the time, Arman was arrested for “Failure to Comply, as he refused to comply with all the requests needed in order to complete the summons process.”
Gawker reports the charge was dropped after Arman showed the video to his attorney, and he beat another charge against him—violating pit bull regulations—“by proving his dog was actually a bull dog.”
Despite the police report corroborating the video, Ferguson police have disputed that the footage shows Wilson. “I don’t think that is him,” a spokesperson told the Guardian.
Contrary to what the officer in the video—whether Wilson or not—said, it is always legal under the First Amendment to record the police in a public place (and certainly on your own private property), so long as your doing so does not impede them in carrying out their duties.
H/T Gawker | Photo via Jamelle Bouie/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
