Woman says cop robbed her of her rights after taking phone
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PORTLAND, Ore. – A police officer confiscated a woman's phone after she recorded them making an arrest in Southwest Portland.
Carrie Medina said she's recorded more than 10 arrests in the past to keep police accountable, including during Occupy Portland and anti-NATO protests in Chicago. But she's never experienced what happened Tuesday afternoon at Southwest 6th and Broadway.
Minutes after she began recording, a Gresham transit officer can be seen in the video walking over and demanding to see her phone so he can check for evidence.
On the video, Medina questions the officer's request, but he tells her he doesn't need a subpoena to search her phone for evidence of a crime.
"Ma'am, do you want to hand me the phone or would you like to show it to me?" the officer asks.
"I don't want to show you ...," Medina begins to respond. At that point the officer snatches the phone from her while it is still recording.
"I was not there to interfere, I was not there to intervene, I was not there to yell at them. I was just there to quietly watch," Medina said later during an interview. "He assaulted me. It was an illegal seizure of my property. It was a violation of my First Amendment right to be able to film. It was a violation of my Fourth Amendment right – the seizure and illegal search of my property."
Medina said off camera the officer grabbed and twisted her arm and threatened to arrest her if she didn't show him how to view her video.
She'd like an apology, but she said she really wants police to know the law.
A spokesperson for the Gresham Police Department told KATU News officers are not supposed to seize phones used on public property but declined further comment Wednesday night.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to the woman who had her phone confiscated as Cassie Medina. Her name is Carrie Medina.
Welcome to the police state lady,lay your rights on the ground and spread em'... here in the "land of the free" we dont take kindly to none of that freedom nonsense.
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@Jason Marks Your response is shameful. As someone who certainly cares about the right to bear arms, why would you not care about illegal search and seizure? I've got news for you... what our police officers do on our streets IS our business and she has every right to observe and record it. Why would you even have a problem with that?
@PleaseBeSmart
she is a professional troublemaker.Â
She was in Chicago recording
She is in Portland recording.....
It's like people walking around with ar-15's and guns strapped all over them, next to busy streets and schools. Â Sure, it's your right, but it is stupid to do that. I am just trying to figure out who appointed her the sole citizens review committee?
You are taking her story as gospel by quoting it.Â
@Jason Marks I'm taking her story as the best available information at the time. I don't care what she is, because I would stand up for her rights no matter what. It doesn't matter who she is... the actions of our police matter and their actions were wrong.
Further, the war on terrorism (actually, they don't call it that so we should say with Oscar Wilde - the crime that has no name) and the war on narcotics have led to so many violations of our Constitutional rights by so many levels of government that I am beginning to conclude we would be better off without either one.  Now Big Sis and her gang are buying hollow point bullets by the ton and, as far as I can see, DHS or any other federal agency has never had a shoot out with any terrorists.  Why so many bullets?  Why so many assault rifles?  Why so much sniper ammo?  Why try to disarm loyal American citizens?  Â
I am a retired cop and I am beginning to think the police have gone bonkers.  Looking for that rogue cop in California and the police shoot the wrong pickup truck with two Asian women in it 40 times!  Then  the shot up the next truck down the road.  The officer who took this woman's phone, if the reports are accurate, could be accused of robbery and assault.  Again if the reports are true, he also could be charged with violation of civil rights under color of law.  People have rights.  People are sovereign citizens   Hitler was defeated and we don't want a new one, locally or nationally.  I am offended personally by this behavior and the commentators who support the officer and denigrate the victim.
hmm strange that this woman is at the scene of a lot of incendents maybe she should hang out with a better crowd and stop wasting the police officers time
@quasimodo What?  How was she wasting anyone's time but her own? Methinks thou has been in the belfry too long.
Uh Oh...Investigation/Firing/Manifesto/Rogue Cop on shooting spree
All that you need to see is the size of this guy's watch to understand his problem....big hat no cattle. Big watch, big attitude, little ......Â
@hewhoo Big Hat ,no Cattle , that's hilarious.Â
I smell a lawsuit
@censoredirawoody Won't happen, not in this country at least. We have become so security conscious after 9/11 that incidents such as this have become the norm, as has the militarization of all law enforcement.Â
The real damage that occurred on 9/11 wasn't the buildings, or even the lives lost, it was in convincing the American people that our government is fully justified in encroaching upon the rights that we as a people were born with, all in the name of "protecting" us.Â
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@Jerry There are lawsuits like this all the time, and plenty of them are rightfully won.
he's a TRANSIT OFFICER....a RENT - A - COP....... ignorant bozo and ignorant BOZOS who hired him should ALL be in the unemployment line....
fire the ignorant BOZO