The NYPD should know better. In August, it handed a $125,000 settlement to a man it arrested for recording officers performing a stop-and-frisk. A month earlier, the ACLU sued the NYPD in federal court to prevent the NYPD from arresting the people recording them. It‘s even clearly stated in the NYPD policy manual that „bystanders are allowed to film [officers] as long as they‘re not interfering with the officers‘ duties and/or police operations.“

(19.12.) And yet, the message hasn‘t gotten through. A man was harassed and had his cellphone battery stolen by an officer who claimed he was interfering with an arrest occurring 30 feet away. NYPD officers have tried other tactics as well, such as laughably claiming a cellphone could be a gun. A man is choked to death by an NYPD officer — with the whole incident being recorded — and police officers claim the citizens who record cops are to blame.

But the message hasn‘t gotten through.