Keystone Cops Ride Again - DPChallenge Forums

07/02/2003 10:23:31 PM · #1

For all of you who have experienced trouble with police and security gaurds taking photos of bridges and such you will enjoy this. Tonight I decided to take a nice leisurely stroll with my camera and monopod, thinking maybe I would get something for the night on the town challenge. Well, what I really got was a great laugh.

I had been taking photos of store fronts and the lights downtown, and decided I should be heading for home. I still had my camera around my neck the camera bag swung over the left shoulder and I was carrying the monopod in my right hand. I just hadn't swung it over the left shoulder yet when the city police pulled up along side of me, jumped out of the car, and pulled their guns on me. Then yelled at me to put down my gun. What gun I don't have a gun? The officer on the far side of the car yells, "Put the gun in your right hand down on the ground, then step away." I'm speechless but I lay my monopod down on the ground and do as they say. Now it hits me and I start laughing at the two "Keystone Cops" as the one bends over to pick up the "GUN" for the next 5 minutes I explain to the two officers what it is and then show them how to use it.

Neither one of them knew how to write up a report saying that they stopped some woman with a monopod. Funny thing is as I continued walking home I noticed the shadow the monopod was creating and you know what it sure does look like a gun.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

07/02/2003 11:47:45 PM · #2

So why are they Keystone cops. If they had just ignored you and you ended up a pissed off wife that walked into a bar and killed her cheating husband they would have been negligent. We live in a different era now, get used to it. I wouldnâ��t be walking around at night with a black metallic object that looks like a sawed off shotgun and not expect problems.

Message edited by author 2003-07-02 23:48:44.

paganini

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

07/02/2003 11:52:29 PM · #3

Yes, we should all just bend over for the police for them to ram us up where the sun don't shine, like that NY fellow, eh? Seems to me that they have better things to do than to harrass photogs, like eating jelly donuts.....

Originally posted by Diversq:

joannadiva

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

07/03/2003 12:16:31 AM · #4

Too bad you didn't take their pic and post it here...yes we do live in different times but we should all laugh when our understandable paranoia gets the best of us. There's a difference between taking your job too seriously and taking yourself too seriously. I for one had a great chuckle over that one. thanks fori sharing

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

07/03/2003 12:18:37 AM · #5

Yea I see. And I bet you would be whining just as much if they werenâ��t there either. Oh and about that NY fellow, comparing that incident to every cop is like me assuming that because you hold a camera and like to take pictures youâ��re just like those insanely annoying paparazzi that stalk everyone to death.

Give me a break with the stereotypes.

And I never said anything about bending over, do whatever ya want I dont care.

Message edited by author 2003-07-03 00:23:32.

ChrisW123

Canon EOS-1000D Rebel XS

07/03/2003 12:37:43 AM · #6

I think the cops over reacted. Give me a break, they jump out of the car with their guns out? WTF? Most cops are good people doing a difficult and dangerous job, but a few of them (like these cops) shouldn't be in law inforcement because they are "yahoos" who shot first and ask questions later. They should have been able to access the situation correctly and act accordingly... A girl, carrying a camera bag, holding something that resembles a stick in her hand.

07/03/2003 12:58:08 AM · #7

Hate to differ with you Chris but how can you, not being there, know what the situation was. A girl from behind can look like a guy with long hair. You donâ��t know what was going on that night as far as calls in the area, break-ins, etc. You donâ��t know what area she was in, and if sheâ��s in Pennsylvania it has one of the higher rates of crime out of the national average.

A stick and bag, well its probably a black or dark monopod with bright metal pieces and the bag well its a bag. Sure can look a lot like a shotgun over the shoulder with a loot bag I bet. Jumping out of the car with guns drawn may not have been the best thing to do in this situation but again who knows what was going on that night. It is a holiday weekend and police and fire depts. are on a higher state of readiness. Terrorists want to make statements what better then to do it on the Fourth of July weekend.

Since neither you nor I were there and you yourself said most cops are good people doing a difficult job, do you really feel by what we know you can be sure that they donâ��t belong in law enforcement?

Message edited by author 2003-07-03 00:59:34.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/03/2003 01:24:10 AM · #8

Most criminals sporting weapons generally make some attempt to conceal them, not go sauntering down the street with a gun over their shoulder.

From the original description of this incident I'd say they over-reacted a little at the start, but seem to have acted like reasonable fellows once the true situation was made clear (thankfully, these cops ask questions first, then didn't have to shoot at all).

Still, they should realize that this is a truly terrifying type of incident for the innocent to endure, and they should have apologized and posed for a couple of pictures for/with you.

And if they'd really been Keystone Kops they still would have shot themselves with your monopod.

Message edited by author 2003-07-03 01:25:24.

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D

07/03/2003 02:59:38 AM · #9

Originally posted by GeneralE:

True and funny reply

Martus

Nikon Z6

07/03/2003 03:28:41 AM · #10

I think you guys should thank your lucky stars. In South Africa, my home country, crime has become a terrible problem. Murder is rated as the second highest cause of death (second to aids). The dramatic increase in violent crime can be directly attributed to the fact that our police force is being forced to fight a war with both hands tied behind their backs. Our policemen are only allowed to draw their weapons if a member of the public is in immediate danger, or after a suspect has fired a shot directly at them. This means that if a police officer is threatened with a loaded weapon he is not allowed to retaliate with force, until after the suspect fires the first shot. This has led to SA having the highest officer mortality rate in the world. On average, one police officer is killed in the line of duty per day.
Add to this the fact that a rookie police officer can look forward to a smashing salary of $80 a month, and you have the perfect recipe for corruption. Yesterday I read an article in one of the South African online newspapers (www.news24.com) where a 15 year old boy had been repeatedly raped over the course of several weeks, while in police custody. An earlier court order had ordered that the boy (accused of stealing goods to the value of R500 or about $60) be taken to a place of safe keeping (PC term for juvenile detention) instead of being detained in the same cells as adult offenders, but the police had not been able to transport the boy to the allocated detention centre, since they did not have enough petrol (gasoline) to drive there. In fact there had been no street patrols from that particular station for some time, as none of the cars had petrol, and there was simply no money to buy petrol. It is suspected that the boy has contracted HIV, as at least one of the prisoners involved in the gang rape incidents is known to be HIV positive.
Seen in this context, police officers doing their job seems like heaven on earth to me. If this means that members of society occasionally have to endure inconvenience then I think that is a small price to pay.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/03/2003 04:23:44 AM · #11

Originally posted by Martus:

... Seen in this context, police officers doing their job seems like heaven on earth to me. If this means that members of society occasionally have to endure inconvenience then I think that is a small price to pay.

I see no reason to not continue to strive for a more ideal situation ... here in the US we are completely jaded to how much easier we have it than almost all of the world.

Yet, I recently had a gang of State Police smash their way into my office to serve a search warrant for ... some papers/records. Since they had their fingers on the triggers and the safeties off we are quite lucky none of our staff or clients were injured or killed.

Martus

Nikon Z6

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D

07/03/2003 04:41:18 AM · #12

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by Martus:
... Seen in this context, police officers doing their job seems like heaven on earth to me. If this means that members of society occasionally have to endure inconvenience then I think that is a small price to pay.

I see no reason to not continue to strive for a more ideal situation ... here in the US we are completely jaded to how much easier we have it than almost all of the world.

Yet, I recently had a gang of State Police smash their way into my office to serve a search warrant for ... some papers/records. Since they had their fingers on the triggers and the safeties off we are quite lucky none of our staff or clients were injured or killed.

This does sound a bit extreme, but I still believe that sometimes you have to break a few eggs when making an omlet. When I was still a student, I used to work as a bartender. One afternoon while I was on duty, a female customer got shot right in front of me. Her ex-husband was unhappy at the fact that she had asked for a restraining order against him, so he shot her three times, at close range. One of the other customers, an inocent bystander, was also wounded. The guys was arrested and given a five year suspended sentence for attempted murder, his wife miraculously surviving her injuries. It seems some of the evidence, along with the guy's previous arrest record had gotten "lost" on the way to the court. Three days after being released he tried again, this time in the hospital his wife was recuperating in, and succeeded.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/03/2003 04:54:58 AM · #13

Well, I personally think too many people have guns in general, and since they're shown every day on TV and in the movies that they are the only way to resolve problems (including my the police and other "good guys") it is no wonder people resort to the easy way out.

I think it's estimated that the average US child (even mine) will see something like 10,000 "deaths" (not counting the news) by the time they're out of high school.

Martus

Nikon Z6

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D

07/03/2003 05:10:59 AM · #14

I agree, everything around us desensitises us against violence. Humans have always been brutal, it's in our nature, just waiting for the right stimuli.
Unfortunately these stimuli are all around us these days.

07/03/2003 10:04:17 AM · #15

The two things the officers didn't do were

1. Ask me if I had a permit to carry.

2. Shine a light directly on it before telling me to put it down.

Strangest thing is when they first told me to put it down I looked around to see if there was someone else close to me. Then by the time the one officer picked it up off the ground I was smirking and trying to contain my laughter. But it was priceless when he said "What the ---- is this?"

I know they called it in as they pulled up along side of the curb where I was at, but I wonder how they wrote the report up last night. LOL I am sure if they wrote it up correctly there is a desk sargent this morning in tears laughing.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

07/03/2003 10:10:16 AM · #16

Originally posted by Diversq:

I just had to answer this I am in Altoona, a small city with fairly low crime rate. Biggest problem this area has is the occassional conveince store robbery. I had just walked through the downtown retail section, and was in a two block area full of empty for the night office buildings when it happened.

KarenB

Canon EOS-70D

07/03/2003 10:17:29 AM · #17

Well, I for one would have been terrified with a gun pointed at me. You really took this in good humor.

I was gonna shoot some pics in Boston, and with all these stories thought of making a big sign.. "DPChallenge.com Photographer at Work"...
hmm. Maybe I should.

07/03/2003 10:19:58 AM · #18

Originally posted by KarenB:

LOL Karen I think maybe Drew and Langdon should think about making a Tee Shirt that says that on both the front and back.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/03/2003 10:52:10 AM · #19

Originally posted by OneSweetSin:

Originally posted by KarenB:
Well, I for one would have been terrified with a gun pointed at me. You really took this in good humor.

I was gonna shoot some pics in Boston, and with all these stories thought of making a big sign.. "DPChallenge.com Photographer at Work"...
hmm. Maybe I should.

LOL Karen I think maybe Drew and Langdon should think about making a Tee Shirt that says that on both the front and back.

They won't/can't, for the same reasons (legal liability) we can't have "press passes" or business cards.

But maybe you could make up one of those black Tshirts with "PHOTOG" on it in 8" high letters like the police shirts. Or maybe not ....

KarenB

Canon EOS-70D

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

07/03/2003 10:57:30 AM · #20

Originally posted by GeneralE:

But maybe you could make up one of those black Tshirts with "PHOTOG" on it in 8" high letters like the police shirts. Or maybe not ....

Actually, I bought a "dpc gray" shirt, and I have yet to make an iron-on for it .. LOL

Message edited by author 2003-07-03 10:57:47.

paganini

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

07/03/2003 12:11:58 PM · #21

Local cops = people that graduated from high school, barely, that couldn't go to college to join the FBI.

It's not that there are bad cops, it's that the laws don't apply equally towards them. If a normal person shoots someone, it's automatically assumed he's a murderer. If a cop shoots someone, it's assumed the other person deserved it.

Originally posted by ChrisW123:

Morgan

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

07/03/2003 12:57:42 PM · #22

Gosh, after reading all about this incident, it makes me very happy to live in Canada. Sure the world has changed - everywhere - Canada too. But, this is still a very scary story. And the variety of reactions to it have surprised me greatly too. Yikes.

smellyfish1002

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

07/03/2003 01:22:54 PM · #23

We live in a violent world these days. If I had experienced this, I would have thanked the officers for being alert and doing their jobs well. They do a difficult job and I support them. Sure, there are some bad cops out there, but there are also bad accountants, bad lawyers, bad doctors, bad fence builders, bad bank tellers, etc, etc. You can't condemn the police force for doing their jobs, just because you read a story last week about some bad cops.
There is an officer who does traffic control (speed control) on my road a couple of times a month. I make it a point to take him a Starbuck's gift card every now and then. I have small children and I appreciate his efforts in my neighborhood!

...just my thoughts
JD Anderson

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

07/03/2003 01:39:24 PM · #24

Good Lord, that is one FUNNY story! I picture a scenario where you drop the monopod and point your camera at them and threaten to "shoot" a picture of them. What idiots -- I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I'm in the Greater Altoona Metroplex!

I suppose this was the top story on Channel 10...?