Via Gothamist, the video above shows a cop breaking up a party and then threatening to arrest a videographer, Vladimir Teichberg, who documents the event. As Gothamist notes, it's perfectly legal to record or photograph police activity as long as you're not interfering with the officer or officers, and when Teichberg asks whether he's interfering with the police action the officer responds, "It's done. It's over. Your'e going to go to jail." (It doesn't look like he's interfering with anything: This is interfering with an arrest.) Besides the rude language and discourteous behavior, it's wrong for officers to threaten arrest if there's no justifiable reason for an arrest. He was also obligated to give his name and badge number when asked. He did not give it. Later, a different lieutenant provides his name and tells Teichberg which precinct they're at.
More than all of the procedural misconduct this video evidences, this is further proof that the increased video capabilities civilians have can help curb this kind of cocky behavior. He clearly thinks there will be no repercussions. It's only the most recent in a series that captures officers committing the kinds of misconduct that people often claim they see officers doing. But these are hard claims to prove, and even independent agencies like the Civilian Complaint Review Board, where this case could end up, sometimes have their hands tied. The officer tells Teichberg he's going to jail for being disrespectful, which, incidentally, isn't a crime. Without a video, Teichberg could have been arrested for the trumped up charges of disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer. It would have been the officer's word against his, he likely would have paid a fine, and nothing else would have ever happened. The only bright spot in many of the recent incidents of police misconduct is that they're finally documented in a way that no one can deny they happen. The only thing left will be for departments to actually respond to such incidents with real discipline.
-- Monica Potts
