Photo By John Hoff, Saved From Police Censorship Attempt Under Color Of LawAt about 9:15 a.m. today, more than a dozen members of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department were observed to raid 2223 Bryant Ave. N., a rental property owned by an absentee landlord who lives in Littleton, Colorado.
Seven or eight officers broke down the front door while dressed in bulletproof vests and Kevlar helmets. A loud explosion was heard immediately upon their entry, presumably a "flash bang" grenade. One of the officers was holding what appeared to be a shield. I observed at least one officer armed with what I was able to identify as a Colt AR-15, the civilian version of the M-16.
As exclusively reported on this blog, 2223 Bryant Ave. N. was previously raided on...
...in December. Click here for more details, and also click here.
Today, officers were not observed to bring out any evidence or arrest any individuals at the property.
My son Alex, age 12, witnessed the raid from start to completion and thought it was REALLY REALLY COOL.
I would, however, like to note that once again this blogger was the subject of an intimidating demand by an armed police officer to delete photos taken from a vantage point on a public street, click here for previous incident. This time, because the photos were of more value (like the one above) I refused to delete the photos, stood my ground, and offered up the name of the attorney who defends my First Amendment rights: Al Goins.
Out of voluntary consideration of a request by the officers, I am not publishing any photos with clearly identifiable faces or undercover vehicles. The vehicle in the foreground of the photo above did not belong to the officers.
HOWEVER..
Routine violations of the First and Fourth Amendment directed at blogger journalists and/or ordinary citizens appear to be a common practice in Minneapolis by both MPD (in the Fourth Precinct) and now the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department. It would appear that some high-ranking public official needs to sit down and have a long, heart-to-heart talk with MPD and the Sheriff's Department about the right of citizens to photograph police activity from vantage points on public property without being ordered to delete photos.
Part of this discussion might include the finely-tuned distinctions between the United States and (expletive) Communist China.
My son Alex, age 12, witnessed the raid from start to completion and thought it was REALLY REALLY COOL.
I would, however, like to note that once again this blogger was the subject of an intimidating demand by an armed police officer to delete photos taken from a vantage point on a public street, click here for previous incident. This time, because the photos were of more value (like the one above) I refused to delete the photos, stood my ground, and offered up the name of the attorney who defends my First Amendment rights: Al Goins.
Out of voluntary consideration of a request by the officers, I am not publishing any photos with clearly identifiable faces or undercover vehicles. The vehicle in the foreground of the photo above did not belong to the officers.
HOWEVER..
Routine violations of the First and Fourth Amendment directed at blogger journalists and/or ordinary citizens appear to be a common practice in Minneapolis by both MPD (in the Fourth Precinct) and now the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department. It would appear that some high-ranking public official needs to sit down and have a long, heart-to-heart talk with MPD and the Sheriff's Department about the right of citizens to photograph police activity from vantage points on public property without being ordered to delete photos.
Part of this discussion might include the finely-tuned distinctions between the United States and (expletive) Communist China.
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