Man faces jail for videotaping gun-waving cop

By endangering lives far more than the crime itself? Introducing violent to a non-violent situation?
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Pulling the gun isn’t any more violent than bookin’ it through traffic at 120. The average shooting is way less violent than the average wreck at that speed.

Stupid dude was brandishing his motorcycle like a weapon, Cop responds in kind with a pistol for 2 seconds. Big hairy deal. No wreck and no shots fired equal no violence.
Not zactly safe for the cop, and not too smart. imo …
Now for the really unpopular part … Out of uniform and off duty, cops are citizens and should have NO special consideration under the law. If what he did would have been illegal for Average Joe to do, he should have to face charges.

edit to add quote
 
WOW! DON'T SPEED IN MARYLAND:eek:

Watched the vids but didn't read all the post's so if the questions I'm about to ask have been answered, my apologies.

1.What was the posted speed limit of the freeway this happened on?
2.Was the marked car in pursuit (lights and siren on) of motorcycle?
3.What was the life and death situation that gave the off duty officer the reason for pulling his weapon?

Unless something happened in vid. that can't be seen, I see three infractions. Speeding, driving irratically and wreckless op(popping wheely).

The film showed rider top speed at 82mph. If posted limit was 65mph, thats a whole 17mph over speed limit. Speeding yes, ticket yes,justification for LEO to pull weapon, hardly.
Can't see any justification for LEO to pull weapon as bike was stopped, rider didn't even take hands off bars till LEO was clearly out of car and almost to rider. Rider didn't look to make any threatening jesture's.

If marked cruiser was in pursuit and bike didn't pull over that constitute's fleeing which I could then see the off duty LEO pulling weapon.:confused:

Maybe the brass in MD are making a big stink out of the filming to cover up their off-duty officer pulling his weapon for no apparent reason. Mr. motorcycle rider, even though wrong for his infractions, may sue the MDPD.

Also, I'm for off-duty officer's assisting their on-duty fellow LEO's as well as assisting the general public. They just need to quickly/clearly ID themselves as this guy failed to do.
 
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Pulling the gun isn’t any more violent than bookin’ it through traffic at 120. The average shooting is way less violent than the average wreck at that speed.
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Go start pointing guns on people and public and try and use that explanation at your trial. See how far such nonsence gets ya.
 
Watch the video again and tell me exactly when he points the gun at that idiot.
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I never saw him point the gun at that idiot the first time I watched it. The LEO handled the gun after he pulled it very properly.
Also unless there's circumstance's not seen in the video the gun shouldn't have been unholstered period.

What I did see is an LEO un-necessarily pulling his weapon and the possibility of him dropping it and having an accidental disscharge shooting one of the people sitting in one of the cars around him. It happens.

Again, from what we see in the video, just don't see the need for an unholstered weapon period.
 
If the guy on the motorcycle were so inclined, he could have hit the officer with said motorcycle.

That would be why he pulled his pistol I believe.
 
DLiller

Any LEO that pulls any car over is subject to assault of some kind. Last time I got pulled over for a traffic violation the LEO didn't pull his weapon.:rolleyes:
I think you may be grasping for straws.;)
 
Last time you got pulled over he probably had lights, you pulled over due to them, and he probably didn’t approach you in a direct path in front of your vehicle.
 
Go start pointing guns on people and public and try and use that explanation at your trial. See how far such nonsence gets ya.
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The only times I’ve pointed a gun in public where there was a real chance of me going to a trial, the SOB copped a plea and I didn’t get to testify.
Nonsense? Look up the stats … note "average shooting" and "wreck at 120".

The gun scary, rice rocket pretty attitude is nonsense. Both are dangerous as hell if you misuse them. Stupid dude handled the rice rocket well enough to not kill himself (or someone else) … that time. Cop handled the pistol well enough… other stuff that he should have and should not have done bothered me more.
Was stupid dude gonna run again? ... maybe
Could he have popped the clutch and sent cop sprawling ? ... if he had wanted to.
Now, I would say that the cop was on the razors edge of justified action, but barely falling on the side of justified.
The wiretapping charge was pure BS and some paper pushing monkey should lose his job if they try that again.
 
The last time you got pulled over he probably had lights, you pulled over due to them...
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Yes, you're correct. The LEO that pulled me over for speed did it in an appropriate/respectful manor. I was in excess of 20mph over the speed limit and I didn't have some cowboy LEO pull a gun.

Look, there's no doubt the bike rider acted like an irresponsible jerk. He should have been pulled over by the marked cruiser and paid the price for his wreckless driving. Far as that goes, after the idiot rider popped a wheely, the off duty officer, given the fact the bike exited freeway and came to a stop due to traffic, could have done the exact same thing he did with one exception. Pull his weapon. You and I weren't there but as far as the video we watched, no call for a weapon.

If he felt the need to pull the weapon, his shield should have been in his other hand. He should have ID'ed himself immediately.
What the off duty LEO did by not ID'ing himself until he was almost back to the bike was dangerous to himself and people around him and you can bet he heard about it in Chiefy's office.

I saw what the Chief said in the press. He backed his officer like he's supposed to in front of the public. Behind closed doors was probably a different story.

At the very least, I bet when the off duty LEO's field training officer saw the video he probably shook his head and asked himself "were did I go wrong":D.

IMO, the biggest miscarriage of justice in this whole simple traffic stop is the fact that the MDPD goes back to the bikers house and pulls a raid of his personal property.:rolleyes:

I hope that part goes clear to the supreme court if need be and the results are on the news. Doubt it will have to go that far and if the biker push's a lawsuit, the suit will probably be settled out of court.
 
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UPDATE:

The court has ruled that the police officer had no expectation of privacy, and therefore Graber's use of his helmet cam did not violate Maryland's anti-wiretapping law. Here's what the judge said:

"Those of us who are public officials and are entrusted with the power of the state are ultimately accountable to the public. When we exercise that power in public fora, we should not expect our actions to be shielded from public observation. 'Sed quis custodiet ipsos cutodes' ("Who watches the watchmen?”)."
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Full story:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/story-lab/2010/09/wiretapping_charges_dropped_ag.html
 
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