«

http://tinyurl.com/yepyj4


Snapper to sue police

Oct 29 2006

By Sarah Robertson, The Sunday Sun

A furious Press photographer is to sue a North police force for false
arrest, claiming he also lost £8000 worth of equipment after being
cuffed.

Marc McMahon, who was working with his daughter Carly, 16, said the
incident was sparked when he tried to take a picture of a man
threatening to jump off Newcastle's Tyne Bridge.

He was approached by two police officers and one said he couldn't take
photographs, despite seeing his ID.

Marc, 36, said: "I told the officer we were well within our rights to
take photos as there was no police cordon, it was a public place and
there were other people standing about taking photographs."

He began setting up his equipment and the officer arrested him for a
breach of the peace.

Marc, of Longbenton, North Tyneside, alleges that when his daughter
tried to take a photo of him being arrested with her mobile phone it
was knocked out of her hand and damaged.

He said: "Despite me having a camera body in one hand and a monopod in
the other I held my hands out for him to allow him to put his
handcuffs on me.

"When the van arrived to take me to the station I asked the officer to
collect my equipment that was still on the pavement, but I was
ignored."

Marc was kept in the cells for 10 minutes and claims when he was
released he asked for the paperwork for his arrest, only to be given a
Post-It note with the incident number on and date.

His equipment has never been found and he claims CCTV footage shows a
man walking away from the scene with a black backpack that looked like
his camera bag.

Mr McMahon has asked his solicitor Peter Dodds to file a complaint
against Northumbria Police for aggressive assault, unlawful arrest,
unlawful detainment and excessive use of force on October 17.
He also made a complaint for negligence for the loss of his camera
bag.

He said he is unable to work and wants an apology for the stress
caused to him by the arrest and compensation for the loss of the
equipment.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Police officers are aware of the
need to work with the media and let reporters and photographers carry
out their jobs when covering events which are happening in public
places.

"However the actions of the media must not compromise police
operations, put anyone in danger or obstruct the police.

"In this case, officers were concerned that media attention could have
exacerbated what was already a tense situation with a man threatening
to jump from the Tyne Bridge.

"This led to an arrest for breach of the peace."


--
Paul (Need a lift she said much obliged)
-------------------------------------------------------
Stop and Look
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/

Paul Heslop wrote:
> http://tinyurl.com/yepyj4
[]
> A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Police officers are aware of the
> need to work with the media and let reporters and photographers carry
> out their jobs when covering events which are happening in public
> places.
>
> "However the actions of the media must not compromise police
> operations, put anyone in danger or obstruct the police.
>
> "In this case, officers were concerned that media attention could have
> exacerbated what was already a tense situation with a man threatening
> to jump from the Tyne Bridge.
>
> "This led to an arrest for breach of the peace."

Proving that there are plenty of shades of grey between black and white.

David

David J Taylor wrote:
>
> Paul Heslop wrote:
> > http://tinyurl.com/yepyj4
> []
> > A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Police officers are aware of the
> > need to work with the media and let reporters and photographers carry
> > out their jobs when covering events which are happening in public
> > places.
> >
> > "However the actions of the media must not compromise police
> > operations, put anyone in danger or obstruct the police.
> >
> > "In this case, officers were concerned that media attention could have
> > exacerbated what was already a tense situation with a man threatening
> > to jump from the Tyne Bridge.
> >
> > "This led to an arrest for breach of the peace."
>
> Proving that there are plenty of shades of grey between black and white.
>
> David

I think the real problem here is the treatment of his equipment. It
seems very VERY heavy handed to arrest someone for something and leave
their equipment behind, specially in the area in which this happened.
They'll steal the shoes from a dying man round here and yet they
knowingly left his equipment standing in the open to be stolen.

Otherwise yes, there are certainly two sides to the story.
--
Paul (Need a lift she said much obliged)
-------------------------------------------------------
Stop and Look
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/

Paul Heslop wrote:
[]
> I think the real problem here is the treatment of his equipment. It
> seems very VERY heavy handed to arrest someone for something and leave
> their equipment behind, specially in the area in which this happened.
> They'll steal the shoes from a dying man round here and yet they
> knowingly left his equipment standing in the open to be stolen.
>
> Otherwise yes, there are certainly two sides to the story.

Yes, the equipment should have been treated better. Perhaps things had
become too heated, and he was unable to make a polite request about his
kit?

David

David J Taylor wrote:
>
> Paul Heslop wrote:
> []
> > I think the real problem here is the treatment of his equipment. It
> > seems very VERY heavy handed to arrest someone for something and leave
> > their equipment behind, specially in the area in which this happened.
> > They'll steal the shoes from a dying man round here and yet they
> > knowingly left his equipment standing in the open to be stolen.
> >
> > Otherwise yes, there are certainly two sides to the story.
>
> Yes, the equipment should have been treated better. Perhaps things had
> become too heated, and he was unable to make a polite request about his
> kit?
>
> David

I wouldn't be surprised. I think the police, and a lot of other
agencies, are quick to assume everyone is the same. they're so used to
dealing with troublemakers they don't always think that a certain
situation could be handled differently. If I am right about the
incident this guy was trying to photograph it brought a lot of roads
to a standstill as they shut off two bridges and another is being
repaired. I can imagine tempers being frayed quite a bit!

--
Paul (Need a lift she said much obliged)
-------------------------------------------------------
Stop and Look
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/

"David J Taylor" <david->
wrote in message news:Ga11h.43443$ k...
> Paul Heslop wrote:
>> http://tinyurl.com/yepyj4
> []
>> A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Police officers are aware of the
>> need to work with the media and let reporters and photographers carry
>> out their jobs when covering events which are happening in public
>> places.
>>
>> "However the actions of the media must not compromise police
>> operations, put anyone in danger or obstruct the police.
>>
>> "In this case, officers were concerned that media attention could have
>> exacerbated what was already a tense situation with a man threatening
>> to jump from the Tyne Bridge.
>>
>> "This led to an arrest for breach of the peace."
>
> Proving that there are plenty of shades of grey between black and white.
>
> David
>

Sounds more like shades of red to me, if you know what I mean.

Bill Crocker

"Paul Heslop" <> wrote in message
news:...
> David J Taylor wrote:
>>
>> Paul Heslop wrote:
>> > http://tinyurl.com/yepyj4
>> []
>> > A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Police officers are aware of the
>> > need to work with the media and let reporters and photographers carry
>> > out their jobs when covering events which are happening in public
>> > places.
>> >
>> > "However the actions of the media must not compromise police
>> > operations, put anyone in danger or obstruct the police.
>> >
>> > "In this case, officers were concerned that media attention could have
>> > exacerbated what was already a tense situation with a man threatening
>> > to jump from the Tyne Bridge.
>> >
>> > "This led to an arrest for breach of the peace."
>>
>> Proving that there are plenty of shades of grey between black and white.
>>
>> David
>
> I think the real problem here is the treatment of his equipment. It
> seems very VERY heavy handed to arrest someone for something and leave
> their equipment behind, specially in the area in which this happened.
> They'll steal the shoes from a dying man round here and yet they
> knowingly left his equipment standing in the open to be stolen.
>
> Otherwise yes, there are certainly two sides to the story.
> --
> Paul


You would think if the arrest was conducted properly, the equipment would
have been held as evidence.

Bill Crocker

Bill Crocker wrote:
>
> "Paul Heslop" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > David J Taylor wrote:
> >>
> >> Paul Heslop wrote:
> >> > http://tinyurl.com/yepyj4
> >> []
> >> > A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Police officers are aware of the
> >> > need to work with the media and let reporters and photographers carry
> >> > out their jobs when covering events which are happening in public
> >> > places.
> >> >
> >> > "However the actions of the media must not compromise police
> >> > operations, put anyone in danger or obstruct the police.
> >> >
> >> > "In this case, officers were concerned that media attention could have
> >> > exacerbated what was already a tense situation with a man threatening
> >> > to jump from the Tyne Bridge.
> >> >
> >> > "This led to an arrest for breach of the peace."
> >>
> >> Proving that there are plenty of shades of grey between black and white.
> >>
> >> David
> >
> > I think the real problem here is the treatment of his equipment. It
> > seems very VERY heavy handed to arrest someone for something and leave
> > their equipment behind, specially in the area in which this happened.
> > They'll steal the shoes from a dying man round here and yet they
> > knowingly left his equipment standing in the open to be stolen.
> >
> > Otherwise yes, there are certainly two sides to the story.
> > --
> > Paul
>
> You would think if the arrest was conducted properly, the equipment would
> have been held as evidence.
>
> Bill Crocker

well, if there was truth in them slapping the camera phone out of his
daughter's hand then I'd say it definitely wasn't handled properly.
--
Paul (Need a lift she said much obliged)
-------------------------------------------------------
Stop and Look
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/

On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 12:00:34 +0000, Paul Heslop wrote:

> http://tinyurl.com/yepyj4
>
>
> Snapper to sue police
>
> Oct 29 2006
>
> By Sarah Robertson, The Sunday Sun
>
> A furious Press photographer is to sue a North police force for false
> arrest, claiming he also lost £8000 worth of equipment after being
> cuffed.
>
> Marc McMahon, who was working with his daughter Carly, 16, said the
> incident was sparked when he tried to take a picture of a man threatening
> to jump off Newcastle's Tyne Bridge.
>
> He was approached by two police officers and one said he couldn't take
> photographs, despite seeing his ID.
>
> Marc, 36, said: "I told the officer we were well within our rights to take
> photos as there was no police cordon, it was a public place and there were
> other people standing about taking photographs."
>
> He began setting up his equipment and the officer arrested him for a
> breach of the peace.
>
> Marc, of Longbenton, North Tyneside, alleges that when his daughter tried
> to take a photo of him being arrested with her mobile phone it was knocked
> out of her hand and damaged.
>
> He said: "Despite me having a camera body in one hand and a monopod in the
> other I held my hands out for him to allow him to put his handcuffs on me.
>
> "When the van arrived to take me to the station I asked the officer to
> collect my equipment that was still on the pavement, but I was ignored."
>
> Marc was kept in the cells for 10 minutes and claims when he was released
> he asked for the paperwork for his arrest, only to be given a Post-It note
> with the incident number on and date.
>
> His equipment has never been found and he claims CCTV footage shows a man
> walking away from the scene with a black backpack that looked like his
> camera bag.
>
> Mr McMahon has asked his solicitor Peter Dodds to file a complaint against
> Northumbria Police for aggressive assault, unlawful arrest, unlawful
> detainment and excessive use of force on October 17. He also made a
> complaint for negligence for the loss of his camera bag.
>
> He said he is unable to work and wants an apology for the stress caused to
> him by the arrest and compensation for the loss of the equipment.
>
> A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Police officers are aware of the
> need to work with the media and let reporters and photographers carry out
> their jobs when covering events which are happening in public places.
>
> "However the actions of the media must not compromise police operations,
> put anyone in danger or obstruct the police.
>
> "In this case, officers were concerned that media attention could have
> exacerbated what was already a tense situation with a man threatening to
> jump from the Tyne Bridge.
>
> "This led to an arrest for breach of the peace."

Cross-posted to uk.legal, where the increasing use of police state tactics
is of interest.

--
Phil Stovell, South Hampshire, UK

"They said I should not take him to the police, but rather
let him pay a dowry for my goat because he used it as his wife"

Phil Stovell wrote:

> Cross-posted to uk.legal, where the increasing use of police state tactics
> is of interest.
>
> --
> Phil Stovell, South Hampshire, UK
>
> "They said I should not take him to the police, but rather
> let him pay a dowry for my goat because he used it as his wife"

I'm glad you did that and not me :O)
--
Paul (Need a lift she said much obliged)
-------------------------------------------------------
Stop and Look
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/