4 ms·

A police officer "enforcing the law" is covered as law enforcement activity. That seems open to (mis)interpretation. Although if you then get arrested, you'd f

A police officer "enforcing the law" is covered as law enforcement activity. That seems open to (mis)interpretation. Although if you then get arrested, you'd fall under the exception for persons subject to police contact. So it all works out in the end!

refurb 4y ago
Read the law. Police activity is defined as: questioning a suspect, conducting a search or arrest, or detaining an emotionally unstable person. If you record and they start questioning you, you are exempt from 8 ft. If they try to arrest you, you are exempt from 8 ft. If they claim you are emotionally unstable, you are exempt from 8 ft. If you are just a bystander, you need to stay 8 ft away from the police activity.
- uhnnXTvPE7bNkxj 4y ago
  - Police begin questioning a suspect. - You begin recording from 8 ft away. - Police continue questioning the suspect, but move 1 ft towards you. - You're now breaking the law.
- vkou 4y ago
  So, when a cop walks up to you, and tells you to stop filming, and you tell him that you've read the law, and he tells you that he knows the law, and that you need to stop filming, or he will arrest you, who do you think will come out the winner of this curbside legal debate? What do you think will happen to you? What do you think will happen to the officer when we discover that his legal interpretation is incorrect? The police don't actually need to know the law they are enforcing. And it's no sweat off their backs when they are wrong about the details.
- cldellow 4y ago
  > Read the law. I did, or at least tried to. That's why I put "enforcing the law" in quotes. Maybe I read the wrong law? In https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/laws/0376.pdf https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/laws/0376.pdf, the definition of "law enforcement activity" includes this, from section E(2): > CONDUCTING AN ARREST, ISSUING A SUMMONS OR ENFORCING THE LAW My point is that "enforcing the law" seems like a very broad umbrella. Prior to this law being written, I think I'd be on OK ground if I was filming an arrest from 10 feet away and an unrelated police officer came up to me and told me to stop. Now, it's less clear to me. The officer who comes up and tells me to stop clearly thinks he is enforcing the law. Am I now breaking the law if I don't stop recording?

refurb 4y ago

Read the law. Police activity is defined as: questioning a suspect, conducting a search or arrest, or detaining an emotionally unstable person. If you record and they start questioning you, you are exempt from 8 ft. If they try to arrest you, you are exempt from 8 ft. If they claim you are emotionally unstable, you are exempt from 8 ft. If you are just a bystander, you need to stay 8 ft away from the police activity.

uhnnXTvPE7bNkxj 4y ago
- Police begin questioning a suspect. - You begin recording from 8 ft away. - Police continue questioning the suspect, but move 1 ft towards you. - You're now breaking the law.
vkou 4y ago
So, when a cop walks up to you, and tells you to stop filming, and you tell him that you've read the law, and he tells you that he knows the law, and that you need to stop filming, or he will arrest you, who do you think will come out the winner of this curbside legal debate? What do you think will happen to you? What do you think will happen to the officer when we discover that his legal interpretation is incorrect? The police don't actually need to know the law they are enforcing. And it's no sweat off their backs when they are wrong about the details.
cldellow 4y ago
> Read the law. I did, or at least tried to. That's why I put "enforcing the law" in quotes. Maybe I read the wrong law? In https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/laws/0376.pdf https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/laws/0376.pdf, the definition of "law enforcement activity" includes this, from section E(2): > CONDUCTING AN ARREST, ISSUING A SUMMONS OR ENFORCING THE LAW My point is that "enforcing the law" seems like a very broad umbrella. Prior to this law being written, I think I'd be on OK ground if I was filming an arrest from 10 feet away and an unrelated police officer came up to me and told me to stop. Now, it's less clear to me. The officer who comes up and tells me to stop clearly thinks he is enforcing the law. Am I now breaking the law if I don't stop recording?