OT Photographer Arrested For Taking Pics Near Cheney Hotel

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Date: 12/11/02-04:59:47 PM Z


 

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Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 17:47:34 -0500
From: Dale Dickerson <vze2g2z8@verizon.net>
Subject: [Rollei-user] OT Photographer Arrested For Taking Pics Near Cheney
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>> Photographer Arrested For
>> Taking Pics Near Cheney Hotel
>> 2600 News
>> 12-5-2

An amateur photographer named Mike Maginnis was arrested on Tuesday in his
home city of Denver - for simply taking pictures of buildings in an area
where Vice President Cheney was residing. Maginnis told his story on
Wednesday's edition of Off The Hook. Maginnis's morning commute took him
past the Adams Mark Hotel on Court Place. Maginnis, who says he always
carried his camera wherever he went, snapped about 30 pictures of the hotel
and the surrounding area - which included Denver police, Army rangers, and
rooftop snipers. Maginnis, who works in information technology, frequently
photographs such subjects as corporate buildings and communications
equipment. The following is Maginnis's account of what transpired: As he
was putting his camera away, Maginnis found himself confronted by a Denver
police officer who demanded that he hand over his film and camera. When he
refused to give up his Nikon F2, the officer pushed him to the ground and
arrested him. After being brought to the District 1 police station on
Decatur Street, Maginnis was made to wait alone in an interrogation room.
Two hours later, a Secret Service agent arrived, who identified himself as
Special Agent "Willse." The agent told Maginnis that his "suspicious
activities" made him a threat to national security, and that he would be
charged as a terrorist under the USA-PATRIOT act. The Secret Service agent
tried to make Maginnis admit that he was taking the photographs to analyze
weaknesses in the Vice President's security entourage and "cause terror and
mayhem." When Maginnis refused to admit to being any sort of terrorist, the
Secret Service agent called him a "raghead collaborator" and a "dirty pinko
faggot." After approximately an hour of interrogation, Maginnis was allowed
to make a telephone call. Rather than contacting a lawyer, he called the
Denver Post and asked for the news desk. This was immediately overheard by
the desk sergeant, who hung up the phone and placed Maginnis in a holding
cell. Three hours later, Maginnis was finally released, but with no
explanation. He received no copy of an arrest report, and no receipt for
his confiscated possessions. He was told that he would probably not get his
camera back, as it was being held as evidence. Maginnis's lawyer contacted
the Denver Police Department for an explanation of the day's events, but
the police denied ever having Maginnis - or anyone matching his description
- in custody. At press time, the Denver PD's Press Information Office did
not return telephone messages left by 2600. The new police powers
introduced by the USA-PATRIOT act, in the name of fighting terrorism, have
been frightening in their apparent potential for abuse. Mike Maginnis's
experience on Tuesday is a poignant example of how this abuse is beginning
to occur. It suggests that a wide range of activities which might be
considered "suspicious" could be suddenly labeled a prelude to terrorism,
and be grounds for arrest. We will continue to post updates to this story
as we learn them.

Off the Hook's Editorial Note (excerpted):
Those who believe such an event cannot happen in our country have simply not
been paying attention to what's been going on. It seems a foregone
conclusion that the United States is heading in a direction of increased
civil rights abuses.

Now let's turn the tables and examine the other side. We contacted both the
Denver Police and the Secret Service to find out if the story was true. They
both took our information and neither of them ever got back to us. Their
silence has been deafening and it's perhaps the most significant statement
they could have made.

We realize that there will still be people who remain unconvinced. And so we
hereby invite them to help us get to the bottom of this by proving us wrong:
The Vice President is always staying somewhere and one day he's certain to
stay somewhere near you. When that happens, simply go down to the hotel he's
staying at and take as many pictures as you can. Be sure to photograph the
snipers and the military guard as well. When we receive pictures proving
that we do indeed have the right to take photos of public places while
standing in a public place, we will be more than happy to make that known.
We will also welcome and make public any correspondence from appropriate law
enforcement agencies who wish to say for the record that such freedoms will
not be challenged in the future.

http://www.2600.com/news/display/display.shtml?id=1441
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