In a report that ran at 6pm tonight on WPLG, Rad Berky reported Jeff Weinsier was arrested while standing on the street, on a crosswalk. Something clearly visible on the raw video WPLG posted on their site
Also in the same video, after the first confrontation with police, Jeff Weinsier and photog Frank Debesa can be seen going across the street as asked. Jeff Weinsier is then seen calling WPLG and heard leaving voice mail for WPLG GM Bill Pohovey. One person standing on the sidewalk and another just walking by can also be seen in the video.
According to Rad Berky’s report Weinsier called the newsroom complaining about the treatment. Assignment Editor Sandy Antonio called Ed Torrens from Miami-Dade School Police who according to Antonio told her Weinsier “can walk up and down the sidewalk as long as he’s not interrupting pedestrian traffic”.
Sandy Antonio relayed that message back and that’s when you see Weinsier and photog Frank Debesa going back to where they were before.
Ed Torrens from Miami-Dade school police maintains Weinsier was trespassing and that he was “on the ground, on the grassy side” and that Weinsier should have gone across the street when told where “designated media are” and that “he did not comply” thus getting arrested.
Weinsier’s attorney is challenging the whole case. Photog Frank Debesa has met with a detective to file assault charges against the cop who pushed him.
Regarding the gun: Florida law allows someone to carry a concealed weapon near a school with permit, which Weinsier has. However, Post-Newsweek which owns WPLG has a policy of allowing staff to carry weapons but only with permission from the company. Weinsier had no permission from Post-Newsweek to carry a weapon.
OK – I’ve watched the raw video, and I’ve read Glenna Milberg’s blog. And I tend to agree with what she writes… we’ve seen these stories of officers overstepping their authority with the press before. When Jeff asks why he is being asked to leave, why does this rogue officer believe he doesn’t have to tell him? And why doesn’t this outrage us, the public?
I guess I’m wondering why all the local media outlets don’t band together for the sake of freedom of the press and pursue this once and for all? Is competition among the stations more important than freedom of the press?
It’s sad when these rogue officers tarnish the reputation of local law enforcement. Sure, most of them don’t overreach or overstep their authority, but it only takes one on tape to make all law enforcement look bad. And until someone steps up and demands change of this unacceptable behavior, I’m afraid it will continue.
Florida law does not allow someone with a CCW to carry a gun on campus. Even if Weisnier never stepped on the grass, which it doesn’t appear he did, he was still within 500 feet of the school, which Florida law considers the “school safety zone”
http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/weapons/possession.html
IF he had no permission to carry a weapon while on the job he should get suspended.
What a bunch of asshole cops.
Tape speaks for itself, it is police harassment.
Side note though, who in sound mind would willingly go into confrontation with police armed? By doing so Mr Weinsier allowed case to be turned around into something it was not and alredy lost.
Not very smart Mr Weinsier.
A “defense” of the cops that I keep seeing is that Weinsier was within 500 feet of a school, inside a “safety zone,” and that gives the officer the right to dictate where people can be within it.
Let’s say this is in fact the case; why didn’t the cop simply say that when he was asked? Weinsier DID ask the cop flat out “Isn’t this sidewalk public property?” several times, along with “why are you asking me to move off public property?”
All the cop had to do was say that the law considered everything within 500 feet of the school’s physical boundary as school property for the purposes of security, and it’s very likely the issue would have ended with that. Instead, the cop merely parroted the same inadequate phrase over and over again.
say what you will…he blatantly disobeyed a lawful order several times and paid the price.
rule #1 that any photographer, reporter, or live truck operator knows: cops say move over there, you move over there. period.
They also charged him with ‘resisting arrest’, which you can see in the video is completely bogus. They tell him they are going to handcuff him, he turns around, places his hands behind his back and stands there as they do so. If that is ‘resisting arrest’, what could accepting arrest possibly look like? The police have no credibility when they harass law abiding citizens and place bogus charges. People need to understand most arrests nowadays are of people who have committed no crime, and the police are simply acting as tyrants because they have the power to be pig-headed bullies and monsters. Juries take note – you can not trust the testimony of the police because the police always lie.
God help the minority youths who are obeying the law and have no cameras to film the arrests, nor teams of lawyers standing by to help defend them after one of these incidents.
Insider: I’m not convinced it WAS a “lawful order.” Cops are not the boss of us, they only have authority in given circumstances. Their role is to “protect and serve,” not “harass and bully.” We are not inmates, they are not our jailers.
Jeff did his job; the cop did not do his. That is clear on the tape. All the cop had to do was establish that the order was lawful; his being a cop isn’t reason enough in this free society. Maybe if this was Cuba, or the Soviet Union, or any banana republic of your choice, cops can get away with giving random orders to the public. But this is the Unites States, and we have laws, and the laws are what determine when a cop can give orders, not some arrogant tub of lard trying prove his manhood.
Well, “lawful order” Mr insider… This will be for court to decide how much “law” was in it.
Second point, I see discussion concentrating around arresting officer. Why? He was just pawn in whole situation, acting under dirrect orders from his superiors. He is too small to start confrontations like that. Concentrate on pupetmasters.
Lastly, there are laws, statutes, ordnances, police forces created to combat evildoers, being turned around and used ageinst esential community members performing public service. Cuz he stepped on the grass? Outrage.
It would have been a lawful order if it would have applied to everyone — you just can’t single out one guy here and one guy there to apply the law too.
Reason the cop didn’t answer the reporter’s question is because he didn’t know what law he was going to cite. He was only asking the reporter to move because someone else ask him to get rid of them.
Care to dissagree Adrian. For the order to be lawful cop would have to have lawful reason to issiue it, regardless how many people it affected.
Walking public sidewalk aint one.