A man who claimed three CT state troopers issued false charges against him while protesting a DUI checkpoint, was reportedly vindicated thanks to newly released footage from the man’s camera. Then state troopers, who were working the checkpoint, went over to Picard and confiscated his camera. He was subsequently cited by the troopers with use of a highway by a pedestrian and creating a public disturbance, then released. Picard says it isn’t, reminding him they’re on public property.
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The Hartford police officer told the state police that Mr. Picard was the lawful owner of a pistol, that Mr. Picard is harmless, and that Mr. Picard habitually video-records all of his interactions with the police for later dissemination.
Picard was holding his digital camera, which Barone slapped out of his hand, causing it to fall to the concrete.
The American Civil Liberties Union of CT has opened a lawsuit against the state police and has published a video recording of the incident in which police are apparently heard coming up with charges against the man. The troopers all continue to discuss their potential options, which appears to be them just concocting ways to validate the charges.
“Oh crap we gotta punch a number on this guy”, a trooper can be heard saying. “Torneo-Jacobi-Barone-Complaint-.pdf” target=”_blank”>here.
“And then we claim that, in backup, we had multiple people, they didn’t want to stay and give us a statement so we took our own course of action”, another adds.
The police ended up pressing Picard with two criminal trespassing charges: one for reckless use of highway by a pedestrian, the other for creating a public disturbance.
The citations, which carried a fine of $178 plus court costs, were sent to Connecticut Superior Court, and later dropped. “As the video shows, these police officers were more concerned with thwarting Mr. Picard’s free speech and covering their tracks than upholding the law”. Barrett is representing Picard in the lawsuit.
“Over the years as he has conducted his protests, he has become known to state and local police officers around Hartford [Connecticut]”, the court document reads.
The suit claims that Picard’s First Amendment rights were violated when police restricted the use of his camera and smartphone and that by taking the devices and his firearm, though they were later returned, his Fourth Amendment right against warrantless seizure was violated as well.
“In Connecticut, police officers have clear requirements under the law to intervene and stop or prevent constitutional violations when they see them”.
“Community members like me have a right to film government officials doing their jobs in public, and we should be able to protest without fearing political retribution from law enforcement”, Picard said in a statement through the ACLU of CT.
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“As an advocate for free speech, I’m deeply disappointed that these police officers ignored my rights, particularly because two of the troopers involved were supervisors who should be setting an example for others”, he said.
