In Berkeley: to Shoot or Not

by Steed Dropout
Sept. 27, 2013
Berkeley, Ca

ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE BUST TOLLS or SHOOTING CAN PUT YOU AWAY

A shot can be a bullet or a photo.

I had my shoulder camera with me at meet-up recently with BPD Chief Michael K. Meehan and dropped the word — shoot.

The chief was concerned. Even the word shoot caused him to re-coil. I cradled the camera and said, “Don’t worry, Chief, I can’t shoot you with this.”

Later, I e-mailed chief the probable decade of coinage for this shoot-use — 1920’s. Our top cop is interested in words. He laughed heartily when I told him a story about a BPD cop whom, in 1970, accused me of being “obstreperous.”

DOESN’T MY FRIENDSHIP WITH CHIEF MEEHAN PROTECT ME FROM OTHER COPS?

As I tell my friends, I could have had the chief of the FBI with me and I would still be subject to police commands. I have no illusions of being not subject to arrest, even though — especially though, I’m a press photographer and often in the way.

The shot that almost got me busted, Thursday. Photo by Ted Friedman.

All Berkeleyans should partner with cops but hold no illusions that this will buy you special handling. Isn’t that the mark of a good department?

A cop recently, said “Thanks, pal” to a friend of mine outside Caffe Mediterraneum. I made a note to watch pal’s next dope citation go down.

IN THE NAME OF THE LAW, STOP SHOOTING NOW!

“Stop shooting or you’ll wind up in the back seat of my car,” the cop on an op to assist a side-walked woman outside a sports bar on Telegraph, warned me.

The woman roared with indignation when she saw me aiming my little, but powerful stealth camera at her. “You’re agitating her,” said the cop heatedly.

Later, another cop, who was there, told me that I was the last, not first, to shoot the woman’s private nervous break-down. Cell-phone citizen journalists had transmitted scores of photos to leering friends.

“I hope I didn’t cause trouble,” I told the cop. “You were all right,” he smiled reassuringly.

A FEW STEPS BACK

A few steps into the street, risking a jay-walking beef, and out of sight of the distressed woman, I shot from a distance with a slight zoom. The cop followed me, repeating, “if I see you take another shot, you’re going into my back seat”

My friend wrote me that I might have gotten some great shots in that back seat. I don’t think so and suspect the cop would have bagged my camera as evidence. A retired Oakland Tribune press photographer said, “It just wasn’t worth it [getting busted]” and told me how he once stood trial for shooting.

THE MORALITY OF SHOOT-FIRST, QUESTION LATER

Let’s say I’m a cop with a gun in his holster that I refuse to use. Bad analogy?

As a press photographer, I get my camera ready, sometimes on the way to an incident. Arriving on-site, I immediately take some shots, with not much scruples. I’ve shot and had published a number of violative or paparazzi shots. Some of those have been of friends.

Bloody neck on Solano Stroll last year. Photo by Ted Friedman.

I have suppressed only two shots — one, of a woman who tripped on her Solano Stroll last year and managed to cut her throat. She looked terrified, as blood trickled down her blouse as she awaited an ambulance. An Albany cop was chatting her up.

Bloody knee. Photo by Ted Friedman.

I went with my least gruesome shot of the bloody neck but regret that.

The other guy. Photo by Ted Friedman.

I regret not publishing a bloody knee from Mustang Flips Out on Telegraph perhaps two years ago. That knee was news, but I didn’t know that. That bloody knee was the only injury in the flipped-out Mustang fiasco, although the other driver looked worse on the gurney.

His rag-top flips and he only has a bloody knee. Photo by Ted Friedman.

This was a heads up for me to be more aggressive in shooting and to drop morality concerns.

Michael's bad Caffe Med day two years ago. Photo by Ted Friedman.

THE MORALITY OF SHOOTING ANY THING IN SIGHT

“To thine own self be true”

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”

“Know thyself.”

My fave: Emerson’s, “Do your own thing.”

The cop did his own thing and I did mine.

But hey, “it’s all good.”

Don't shoot! Last year. Photo by Ted Friedman.
I shot. Last year. Photo by Ted Friedman.

The views here do not in any way represent — or even coincide — with views held by publications in which my work — photos and prose — appear.

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