Sate trooper confiscates repoters camera

[Finallap]

I thought this was a bunch of bull..If this against the law I wonder if they will take my computer.. I have bunches of photos that I took of federal buidings when I wet to D.C
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A bomb threat was reportedly phoned to the US Army Reserve Armory at Big Bend, west of Grantsville, today about 11 a.m.
Local emergency services responded to the incident, including Cpl. Doug Starcher of the WV State Police and Chief Deputy Carl Ballengee.

The Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the incident.

Officials indicated other agencies have been called to investigate the incident, with the scene being cleared in about two hours.

While photographing the bomb scare activity from public right-of-way, Cpl. Doug Starcher of the WV State Police, advised Editor Bob Weaver that federal buildings cannot be photographed.

When Weaver photographed Cpl. Starcher and other personnel at the highway entrance to the armory, Starcher wrestled the camera from Weaver and confiscated it.

The Herald maintains no violation of law happened, further maintaining that the taking of a camera by a police officer or any individual is a criminal act.

The Herald, after seeking legal counsel, is asking law enforcement to file charges against Cpl. Starcher.

"The last time I checked, if some one wrestles personal property from your hands and takes it, it is a crime," said Weaver.

The Herald maintains Cpl. Starcher's action is not only petty, but follows a consistent pattern of harassment with his violation of civil and constitutional rights and the public information statues of West Virginia.

"We do not live in a police controlled state, where law officers are allowed to make-up or violate the laws they have sworn to protect," said Weaver.

"There is no statue that allows Cpl. Starcher to wrestle private property from a citizen," he said.

Starcher arrested editor Weaver in 2006 following photographing a wreck scene in which a Calhoun County couple died, charging him with assault and obstructing sn officer. The officer told state media Weaver was "photography of a naked woman's breasts," which the court disallowed as a fabrication.

The court decided in Weaver's favor.

The February, 2006 arrest of Weaver was Starcher's only arrest that month.

 

[MOTOROLANUT]

photos

DOD aka Dept of Defense falls under a different catagory than most Federal buildings. Photography is strickly prohibited. Equipment used to photograph DOD installations is subject to confiscation and review
by DOD officials.

Now I am not stating...No pun intended...LOL that the WVSP trooper was right in his actions. What he did do is beyond his scope of authority UNLESS the photographer was causing interference with the troopers or other law enforcement officers on scene in carrying out thier mission.

And no.... I doubt the trooper is coming to take your computer.....

This sounds like that Crazy White Supremacist website Calpattypress.com rant to me.....

 

[mtindor]

This sounds like that Crazy White Supremacist website Calpattypress.com rant to me.....

I had to Google the OPs story to try to figure out where he got it from.... and funny you mentioned it, but Calpatty and one other wordpress blog where where I found similar talk about the famous/infamous players. I just dismissed the whole thing after that.

Mike

 

[newsphotog]

This happens time after time and the perpetrators (law enforcement and rent-a-cops) never learn anything.

No if's, and's or but's, no one is allowed in this country to confiscate film or other digital media under any circumstance. They can *request* you to hand it over but you are not obligated by law to hand it over by any means other than a court order or if it is being used in the commission of a crime.

See also: http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

About photographing military installations: Legal Handbook for Photographers ... - Google Books

 

[MOTOROLANUT]

photos

United States Code
Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure; and Appendix
CHAPTER 37 - ESPIONAGE AND CENSORSHIP
Section 795 - Photographing and sketching defense installations.
Cite as: 18 U.S.C. 795 (OSCN 2009)


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(a) Whenever, in the interests of national defense, the President defines certain vital military and naval installations or equipment as requiring protection against the general dissemination of information relative thereto, it shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map, or graphical representation of such vital military and naval installations or equipment without first obtaining permission of the commanding officer of the military or naval post, camp, or station, or naval vessels, military and naval aircraft, and any separate military or naval command concerned, or higher authority, and promptly submitting the product obtained to such commanding officer or higher authority for censorship or such other action as he may deem necessary.

(b) Whoever violates this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

 

[MOTOROLANUT]

photos

I am not advocating the photographer or the trooper was right or wrong....As yes you are correct 99% when taking photographs of federal buildings from either standing on public or govt. land the authorities
will ask you to surrender your media for review.

But there is that 1% that IF this is a classfied location that is marked photography is strickly prohibited.
Then the authorities will not be so nice in asking for the media, and it will be a straight confiscation.

Actually we are justing wasting time talking about this thread....I for one have NO desire to promote
that Conspiracy website that advocates being a Vigilante in gilmer and calhoun counties....

 

[photojason1]

As a professional photojournalist, this enrages me. You are allowed to photograph anything that is within public view. There is a complex among certain member of local law enforcement and other first responders thinking that they can control what is and isnt printed. They need to wise up and take a cue from the Feds, notice how is was a local officer (who is obviously out to get this editor) that is taking the camera. Something like that happened here after a WVU riot, in which a student photographer had his camera taken away many years ago, and the officer was charged with armed robbery.

 

[W9GC]

Sure would be nice if a link to the story was included.

 

[MOTOROLANUT]

Link

CalPatty Press is the RAG where they talk about trooper starcher and a whole cast of people.

Long story short, the blog/site promotes vigilantes, sons of the confederacy, conspiracy of all law enforcement and judicial systems being run by the free masons, and pretty much anything these people/editors don't like in calhoun or gilmer county wv. It's psycho people like this that publish a website giving WV residents a bad name.

 

[W9GC]

CalPatty Press is the RAG where they talk about trooper starcher and a whole cast of people.

Long story short, the blog/site promotes vigilantes, sons of the confederacy, conspiracy of all law enforcement and judicial systems being run by the free masons, and pretty much anything these people/editors don't like in calhoun or gilmer county wv. It's psycho people like this that publish a website giving WV residents a bad name.

Oh, so there's no actual news link. Interesting that "The Herald" as mentioned did not publish the story.

 

[mdulrich]

Here is the link for the story in the Hur Herald.

Hur Herald

Mike

 

[w8mkh]

HMM Sate trooper confiscates repoters camera

State Trooper reporters


I have read the Hur herald several times and cant recall spelling errors like this

I would like to hear both sides of what happened.


Actually we are justing wasting time talking about this thread....I for one have NO desire to promote
that Conspiracy website that advocates being a Vigilante in gilmer and calhoun counties.... AMEN MOTORLA NUT

 

[ff-medic]

United States Code
Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure; and Appendix
CHAPTER 37 - ESPIONAGE AND CENSORSHIP
Section 795 - Photographing and sketching defense installations.
Cite as: 18 U.S.C. 795 (OSCN 2009)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Whenever, in the interests of national defense, the President defines certain vital military and naval installations or equipment as requiring protection against the general dissemination of information relative thereto, it shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map, or graphical representation of such vital military and naval installations or equipment without first obtaining permission of the commanding officer of the military or naval post, camp, or station, or naval vessels, military and naval aircraft, and any separate military or naval command concerned, or higher authority, and promptly submitting the product obtained to such commanding officer or higher authority for censorship or such other action as he may deem necessary.

(b) Whoever violates this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

You are right. Sometime ago, I will not say when, the MP detachement at Grantsville had the signs on the fence - perimeter. White - With a badge style outline.

I would think the Trooper is most likely in the Reserves, or prior service. I'd be ticked too.

You cannot take pics, do drawings and or sketches. Distance between buildings, building material / makeup, installation security, position and type of security cameras, location, type and number of vehicles, location of the armory ( Its distinguished - I will not say how on the internet ), and ect..ect..ect.

I was not there, and did not know the circumstances. But being me, had I been the officer. If their were Personally owed vehicles there in the parking lot ( POV'S ), more than likley some active reserve folks would have been there ( MP's - folks who work their daily - sometimes on the weekends ).

Put the guy in cuffs ( detain for now, not arrest ) , take said camera, and march into the building handing it to the senior officer / NCO on duty, and detail / document the events. Let the military do the prosecuting.

Let a Federal Judge / Magistrate do the talking. Today..taking pics of a military installation, Federal courthouse... Ahhhhh, I do not think so.

FF-Medic !!!!