Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Just Askin'

I saw this car stopped at a security checkpoint outside the U.S. Capitol.  A policeman and his explosive-sniffing dog came up to check things out. 


I snapped this picture.   Another policeman nearby didn't like it. He told me not to take any more, and his telling wasn't in a very friendly voice.

                                           What's up with that?

Is there a federal law or city ordinance against taking photos of policemen doing their jobs on the Capitol grounds? 

I wish I had had the nerve to inquire.

1 comment:

Sue in Grapevine said...

from my photographer's rights expert:
The Supreme Court has ruled three separate times that any citizen may photograph ANYTHING visible from public space, under the protection of the First Amendment. No exceptions.

The police do tend to get antsy about it, but most of the ones I have dealt with also know that unless you are interfering with police business, you are within your legal rights to photograph police officers in the course and scope of their public duties.

—m