Thursday, July 23, 2009

Police Intimidation, Arlington MA


On my way to an appointment in Arlington MA, I noticed this attractive house on Marathon Street near Waldo Road. I stopped to take a picture. You can see a man on the second floor porch. There is a sign saying "Life goes on." He asked me why I was taking a picture of the house. I said "I can't tell you." He asked me why. I said "It's a secret." He asked what the secret was. I said "I can't tell you. If I told you I'd have to put you in jail." He said, "You can't just go around taking pictures at random." I asked, "What are you going to do call the police?" He said "I am the police." I asked him what department he worked for. He said "Boston." I said "Go back to Boston." I added, "I've got to go." He said "You better go there." I asked him if he was threatening me. I walked away. I thought of calling the Arlington police to report a man pretending to be a cop. I did not want to waste my time. I realized that this guy was one of two things: A felon officer trying to intimidate me from the free exercise of a Constitutionally guaranteed right -- a First Amendment Right to take pictures; or a man impersonating a police officer. MA Civil Rights statute MGL Chapter 265 Sec. 37, is a felony.

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