Good thing we don’t live in a country like China where they arrest photographers for doing the…

Wait…

WTF?

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia family said they are outraged over the arrest of one of their family members.

The family of Neftaly Cruz said police had no right to come onto their property and arrest their 21-year-old son simply because he was using his cell phone’s camera. They told their story to Harry Hairston and the NBC 10 Investigators.

“I was humiliated. I was embarrassed, you know,” Cruz said.

Cruz, 21, told the NBC 10 Investigators that police arrested him last Wednesday for taking a picture of police activity with his cell phone.

Police at the 35th district said they were in Cruz’s neighborhood that night arresting a drug dealer.

Cruz said that when he heard a commotion, he walked out of his back door with his cell phone to see what was happening. He said that when he saw the street lined with police cars, he decided to take a picture of the scene.

“I opened (the phone) and took a shot,” Cruz said.

Moments later, Cruz said he got the shock of his life when an officer came to his back yard gate.

“He opened the gate and took me by my right hand,” Cruz said.

Cruz said the officer threw him onto a police car, cuffed him and took him to jail.

That isn’t even the worst part. As offensive as that much is, it does actually get worse:

Police told Hairston that they did take Cruz into to custody, but they said Cruz was not on his property when they arrested him. Police also denied that they told Cruz he was breaking the law with his cell phone. Cruz’s family said they have filed a formal complaint with the police department’s Internal Affairs division and are requesting a complete investigation.

Okay… So… If he didn’t break the law, what the hell did they put him in cuffs for? I can’t wait to hear what happens with that investigation. Seeing as the police have already admitted they slapped cuffs on him for nothing, I wonder what their defense is going to be…

NBC10 via Dvorak

Technorati Tags: police, philadelphia, free speech, first amendment, photography