Pettis was never booked into jail and that’s drawing a lot of questions, including if Det. Pettis got preferential treatment because of his job.
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“I mean if it were me and I drew a gun on somebody, I would have been arrested. I would have been charged.”
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Witnesses who used their cell phones say they were reportedly asked to delete those recordings from their phones by sheriff’s deputies. But the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said they were afraid that video would go viral and possibly hurt the case.
At the same time, they said they’re not sweeping anything under the rug.
The bolded, if true (and it is), is reprehensible.
If authorities are allowed to confiscate your cell phone, examine the content, and pick and choose what data to delete and what data to use as evidence, well, that ain’t gonna sit right with a whole lot of folks. And it shouldn’t.
Gonna come down to if the video shows the detectives daughters were actually in imminent threat of injury. If true and he drew his weapon, badge displayed, controlled the threat and then re holstered as he claims then I don’t have a problem with that.
I do wonder why a deputy is getting into fist fights on the side of the road. Should have ID’d himself from the start and gone from there.
Saw a cell phone video of this, and aside from some teenage girls screaming their heads off after seeing a gun, I really couldn’t see what was going on there. I didn’t see any weapons (until the piece made an appearance), nor anyone’s life being threatened, but like I said I really couldn’t see what was going on there.
OT, but I really hope so too. Given the Justice’s general lack of understanding of modern technology and willingness to equate a cell phone data to family pictures carried in a billfold I am a not very hopeful. I see the 4th Amendment being thrown right out the window due to sheer ignorance, but hopefully I am being overly cynical.
The video is on the link. It doesn’t show how the confrontation started, but it began as a result of a crash. I’ve driven around some dumbass people, and I don’t fault the LEO for getting heated especially if the other guy came after him after the crash. Also, without knowing the specifics I won’t comment on him pulling a gun out during a confrontation and not going to jail for it, because well, that happened to me.
Unless more information comes out, I don’t have an issue with the LEO at all. What is terrifying is the “delete the video” BS from the LEOs.
Florida’s supreme court actually ruled correctly last year. Warrantless cell phone searches are illegal here and until the Supreme Court decides otherwise (At least Kagan and Sotomayor are on the right side on this issue) it still stands.
The Florida Supreme Court delivered a blow to law enforcement officials Thursday, ruling 5-2 that police needed a search warrant to access the data stored on an arrested person’s cellphone.
Is it really that hard for LEOs to get a warrant anyway? No. Why are they so desperate to violate privacy?
I dont know why people get retarded when cameras are floating around. Its usually good for a chuckle or two when someone whips out a camera and acts like its Kryptonite to what we’re doing.
Both police dash cams and citizens with phone cams can record an event which serves as evidence to prove their innocence far more effectively than just “their version of the story.”
But I can also understand why people don’t want to live under a CCW system like the UK has and I can understand why some LEOs don’t want to be on everyone’s home movie. It’s very easy to take “part of a recording” put it on the internet and turn the good guy into the bad guy.
Next thing you know Spike Lee is posting your home address on the internet.
Spoken as someone confident in their duties with nothing to hide, honestly I applaud you Sir. Sadly, I think there are many LEOs who are not as confident, nor ethical, and fear what a video recording of them rendering their duties could turn out.
I hate to admit it, but every time I see a video where an LEO insists the subject turn off the recording device I ask, what does he/she have to hide? Are they themselves about to commit a crime and don’t want evidence/proof of it?
I got a body camera at work recently and it has just smacked one muts complaint yesterday as a matter of fact. I love it having it. Just ignore the stupid banter when me and my partner are not in the public eye.
This thread isn’t so much about officers recording people/people recording officers, but officers requesting witnesses delete a video of one of their own potentially committing a crime.
