But For Video™: Cop in Shorts (Update)

San Diego Police Officer M. Reinhold, likely feeling vulnerable and angry that he was forced to go out in public wearing shorts rather than more appropriate calf-height leather boots and jodhpurs, had a peculiarly low threshold for fear.  Or perhaps cellphone phobia, an ailment that disproportionately afflicts police officers.

Via Carlos Miller at Photography is not a Crime, Reinhold, seized with fear, seizes the vicious cellphone weapon.



Never forget the First Rule of Policing:

In the video below, Reinhold tells his friend that they are trained by the police department to suspect that cell phones can be converted into guns.

He also said that “officer safety” trumps the Constitution, meaning they can claim they are fear for their lives while they throw you in jail for any lame excuse.

The person taking the video, Adam Pringle, who was caught red handed smoking on the boardwalk, spent the night in lockup. As unpleasant as that must have been, at least he was ultimately released, while M. Reinhold will be enshrined in perpetuity for wearing shorts on the job.  And for the video as well.

Update:  Covering the story, ABC News10 offers the insight of San Diego criminal defense attorney  (and Harvard law grad!) Gretchen von Helms:

"There may be some issues here with this guy. He might have been getting to be a little too hostile for the cop's liking."

Von Helms said it does not appear that Pringle's First Amendment rights were infringed upon and added that the officer was probably in the right.

Doesn't every lawyer want to be on TV, no matter what? Hope it gets you lots of cases, Gretchen.

 

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