In NYC it is illegal to film law enforcement officers without their consent. It was a law passed after 9/11 to protect the officers. It even included parking enforcement officers. If any of you have watched the Jimmy Justice videos of him filming parking and traffic cops, you will notice some of them tell him he doesn't have permission to film them.
As far as cops being bullies, I was once in a bar that was raided by police. There were dope dealers hanging out outside the bar and they also believed one of the bartenders was dealing behind the bar, which turned out to be true. I was in there the day the raid happened. In addition to searching all the bar patrons, they checked everyone's ID's too. Anyone who didn't have an ID went to jail. The cop who came to the area of the bar where I had been coming out of the restroom was obvioulsy an undercover cop judging by his clothes and grooming. He was acting as tough as he could, and I stopped putting up with it. I demanded to see his supervisor who did eventually came over. I told the supervisor about the asshole, and he was of course unsympathetic.
I consented to a search, and was sitting there waiting for them to let us all go. At one point I heard my name coming over one of their radios, but I couldn't hear what else was said. Undercover cop leaves, comes back and asks me if I have any warrants. I said no. He said I have a no-bail arrest warrant from San Francisco CA. I assured him I did not, and I am sure that he believed me judging by the questions. He goes back over to his supervisor and the radio, then comes back.
"stand up, turn around, put your hands behind your back". He was arresting me anyway. I'm sure he knew I wasn't the guy on the warrant, but his asshole supervisor must have told me to arrest me anyway. As I was being led out in cuffs, the supervisor was taunting me. He was a little short shit no taller than my chest, my arms were bigger around than his whole body. But he saw his chance to prove his manhood and took it, even though he didn't beat me. I was stuffed into the paddy wagon with the dope dealers and taken to the police station, but the immediately released me, having had their entertainment for the day. The person on the warrant did not even come close to matching my description.
The station was close to the bar so I stormed back to get that supervisors name. The bartender was outside the bar and advised me to just let it go because I was too upset, and buzzed too. So I never got the guy's name. I would have loved to have the chance to have him taunt me when I wasn't cuffed.
