MTA Employees Illegally Detain Me in NYC Subway, Part 1

On October 30, 2011 I took a photograph of two MTA employees who appeared to be servicing a Metrocard vending machine. The larger one who was standing guard immediately grabbed my camera and physically threatened me. I was then told that the police would be called and that I would be arrested for "fourth degree assault" and "assaulting a city employee." They detained me in the subway station against my will for approximately 30 minutes until police arrived.To the NYPD's credit, as soon as they arrived and heard both sides of the story, they told these thugs to leave the station IMMEDIATELY and told me I was free to resume taking pictures. Shame on the MTA for being ignorant of their own photography policy and violating my Fourth Amendment rights.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• 1st Amendment
• First Amendment
• 4th Amendment
• Fourth Amendment
• 14th Amendment
• Fourteenth Amendment
• crime
• cops
• civil rights violation
• New York City subway
• Brooklyn
• Nevins Street
• Police

[4twentyproductionz]

good job, pretty brave

[billydunwoody]

@17metsfan17 you are an idiot. He took pictures of people in a PUBLIC place, which is perfectly legal. They decided to cause a problem, not him, thats why he didnt get in trouble with the police. It was legal.

[17metsfan17]

Don't you have anything better to do than to create trouble where none exists? If you were concerned that there might have been something illegal going on, you could have called the police to be sent to the station you were in. You decided to be a hero? (Actually, more like a dick!!) Wrong way to do it. You claim to be some kind of working professional? Were you acting professionally then? I think not. I think you are going to be trading your 15 minutes of fame for an eternity in hell, good luck

[ih8thyssenkrupp]

MTA NYC Transit employees are supposed to wear orange vests (like construction workers) clearly marked with MTA logos. those guys might not be working for the MTA. thank goodness the cop knew what he was talking about.