1st Amendment Violated?

[HoosierHelen]

What do you all think?

Michael Meehan, Berkeley Police Chief, Sent Armed Cop To Reporter's Home At Midnight, Potentially Violated First Amendment

Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan has come under fire after sending an armed sergeant to Oakland Tribune reporter Doug Oakley's home in the middle of the night to push for changes to a story.

According to the Oakland Tribune, Meehan claimed that Oakley misquoted him in a story. Minutes after reading the article, Meehan ordered Sgt. Mary Kusmiss to visit the reporter's home and request that he correct the article -- at 12:45 a.m.

"At first I thought something really bad was happening or they were coming for me, like I was going to be arrested," said Oakley to Berkeleyside. "It was really intimidating."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1336992.html

[blue adept]

I think we are already past the time when we could have reigned in the problematic cops that give the others a bad name. The big problem is the perceived harm the good cops think would happen if they took down their own like any other perp.

[HoosierHelen]

I believe if the reporter has misquoted Police Chief Michael Meehan, the sane thing to do would have been contact the reporter from the Oakland Tribune during business hours the next day and request a correction be published in their next news. This smells like nothing except intimidation by the Police Chief. If he had already read the story, it must have already been released in public news. The only obvious resolution would be to publish a correction, unless, the Chief was not misquoted. If that were the case, I can understand the desire for him to intimidate the reporter.

Our honest journalist really have a difficult task when it comes to reporting controversial events. Without the cooperation of the local police and politicians, they can be left out of the loop on news stories.

[blue adept]

I believe if the reporter has misquoted Police Chief Michael Meehan, the sane thing to do would have been contact the reporter from the Oakland Tribune during business hours the next day and request a correction be published in their next news. This smells like nothing except intimidation by the Police Chief. If he had already read the story, it must have already been released in public news. The only obvious resolution would be to publish a correction, unless, the Chief was not misquoted. If that were the case, I can understand the desire for him to intimidate the reporter.

Our honest journalist really have a difficult task when it comes to reporting controversial events. Without the cooperation of the local police and politicians, they can be left out of the loop on news stories.

The chief obviously thinks the law doesn't apply to him, and that he can use his badge to get what he wants.

[Common-Tater]

Interesting since I have yet to ever see a police officer unarmed.

[NightFire]

my guess the difference is in the line of duty, they are under arms just as a soldier. If they are operating as a thug or heavy, which is common criminal activity, they are considered armed. Gee didnt i read about an armed soldier killing civilians in Afghanistan??? Nuff said

[blue adept]

As far as I know, the only machine gun killing with a legally owned machine gun, was by a police officer. The Waller case shows that cops are just people after all, and commit crimes, just about as regularly.