Thursday, April 12, 2012

Complaint: Illegal Detainment at BCC/JLCNY Jobs Fair

To: Kevin Drumm, president of BCC
    Debra Morello, VP student affairs
    Rich David, public affairs officer
    Joseph O'Conner, chief of public safety

Dear President Drumm, et. al.,

Yesterday, while at the jobs fair co-sponsored by BCC
and the Joint Landowners Coalition of NY (JLCNY),
I was detained by BCC Chief of Public Safety Joseph O'Conner
and ordered not to video record the event.

While Officer O'Conner was very polite and courteous,
there was a grave and implicit threat to my physical well
being if I did not comply, as he was not only armed with
a pistol, but also a TASAR, both of which are potentially
lethal weapons, in addition to the threat of imprisonment
for trespass or other invented and unwarranted charge.

He told me that I had not been cleared by Public Affairs
officer Rich David, and when I requested clearance,
was told there was no way to do that.

I was also approached by another officer (I did
not get his name) who was a bit more severe and aggressive
in manner than Officer O'Conner, who demanded to see my press
credentials, which I provided. He also interrogated me,
which lacking a civilian complaint, probable cause of a crime,
and my being afforded an attorney to be present,
is also a violation of my rights under the
United States Constitution.

Since this was a public event at a public campus,
it is my assertion that I was within my First Amendment
rights to a) be there, and b) document the event.


I do not believe that neither Officer O'Connor, nor Rich David,
nor any person is empowered to restrict the Constitutionally protected
rights of citizens under threat of force, arrest, and violence.

Also, there is a case from a United States Second Circuit
Court of Appeals called
Demarest v. Athol-Orange Community Television,
188 F. Supp. 82 (D.Mass. 2002)
which asserts that citizen journalists
have every right to report on events as professional journalists.
No press credentials necessary.

Additionally, other people (including journalists, such as Tom
Wilbur and Steve Reilly) with small cameras, video-capable
cell-phones, and pens/paper were present who were not
detained and prevented from reporting as I was.

I was very frightened by these threats against my person,
and considering I was completely within my constitutional rights
to be there, I consider these egregious violations of my rights,
and actionable offenses under law.


I would urge Broome Community College to CEASE AND DESIST
a) restraining persons under threat of physical harm lacking probable cause, and
b) restraining the rights of citizens and journalists to report on public events
on a public campus.

Thank you,
William Huston, O2E-TV


--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)

11 comments:

  1. C-MON bILL YOU AND YOUR 2 NYRAD JOB KILLING CRONIES SHOULDN'T EVEN BE AT A JOB FAIR FOR N/G. WHAT WAS YOUR INTENT OTHER TO DISRUPT AND TWIST ANYTHING YOU MAY HAVE FILMED INSIDE.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wasn't going to disrupt anything. I was going to document it.
    I have a Constitutionally protected right to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  3. and we have a constitutional protected right to protect job seekers from you games and spin fra fra fra fra fra fra frack remember that bill you edited one of your films for O2E -TV to make a pro-gas activist look like a stuttering fool.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can't "remember" events which you have invented, Vic.

    ReplyDelete
  5. How convinent Bill, That you forget your wrong doings in the attempts to discredit. I know whats coming next, you will block me from posting on your blogs either out of guilt or because the truth hurts. The event was at the forum where the first EPA hearings took place.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I was at the EPA hearings, and I shot video.

    As far as I remember, I never used or cablecast any of the video, except for about 15 seconds which I used in one video, of a guy saying "The gas industry has never caused any groundwater contamination". I used it completely unedited.

    Who's image do you allege that I manipulated?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bill you saved it all (according to you) look in your archives because if I post it I would be repeating your transgressions and I chose not to solidify your sins

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bill do me a favor.... bar me from posting on your site... just trying to reason with a person of your caliber is degrading and lowering my standards to your level. You tell people you don't judge (you do) you tell people you practise a faith (but you fall short on the teachings of that faith) your views on hvhf are not based on science or fact but on emotion and fear and in your circle of fools that makes you popular. you insult the Jewish people by saying drilling will be genocide... your a hypocrite of the worst kind bill, using the very fossil fuels your against to fight your cause against them. you will never catch me in a prius because I know what powers them and it's far worse the petro. please bill block me and quit communicating with me until you can prove what you say....

    ReplyDelete

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