Last week, 28-year-old Iowa man was convicted of police interference for disobeying orders to step back. Justin Norman could spend up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine for this infraction. Prosecutor Matt Spears said that it is the responsibility of those present at a crime scene to listen to the police, regardless of whether or not they are shooting video. It is also important to note that the officers involved exhibited extreme professionalism, which may have helped secure a conviction.
On a side note, P.O.A.M recently wrote a blog article relating to this exact topic- Filming Police Officers While On Duty. We went into detail about the pros and cons as well as how it relates to the trial of Joseph Weekley, an officer who was being filmed by the cable network A&E during a police raid. Check out the blog article here: Trial of Joseph Weekley Brings Issue of Filming Police to Forefront of Debate.
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