While Miami Heat basketball star Lebron James sips margaritas in his Crystal View Court mansion, located in Coral Gables, Florida, Taylor Hardy, a Miami photographer, sits in jail, accused of an unconstitutional crime, and a victimless one as well.
So what does James have to do with Hardy you may ask?
Well, over the weekend Hardy, who owns Miami Impulse Photography, was arrested by Miami-Dade Police for doing nothing more than exercising his first amendment right to take photos in public.
Hardy was standing on a public street, taking photos of an ESPN commercial starring James, which was being filmed in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami.
According to Photography is Not A Crime's Carlos Miller, who was first to report Hardy's arrest, in a phone conversation from Miami's Turner Guilford Knight Correction Center, Hardy told Miller that as he was taking photos, a member of the production crew ordered him to stop taking photos.
Hardy refused, saying there were approximately 25 other people standing near him who were also watching commercial being filmed.
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| Taylor Hardy, with actor Rob Schneider |
At that point, the production crew member called a Miami-Dade Miami Police Sergeant, who was standing nearby.
The Sgt., who more than likely was moonlighting as security for the production crew, as law enforcement officers are known to do, ordered Hardy to leave, and walk down the street.
Hardy explained to the Miami Police Sgt., that he had a a right to be there, just as the other people, and at that point, the Sgt. grabbed Hardy's camera, trying to take it from him.
Hardy told the cop he had as much right to be there as the other people, which prompted the cop to grab his camera by the flash in an attempt to take it from him.
Hardy told the Sgt. to let go of his camera, to which the Sgt. told Hardy that if he did not let go of the camera, he was going to jail.
The MDPD Sgt. then told Hardy “‘If you say one more fucking word, I’m going to throw your head on the ground and beat the fuck out of you", and arrested Hardy.
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| From left to right, Carlos Miller, of Photography is Not a Crime, Taylor Hardy, and myself in Miami |
Just last month, I had the pleasure to meet Taylor Hardy, while on vacation with my family in Miami.
It was Hardy's video of a Miami-Dade paramedic who filpped out on Hardy, as he was video recording a helicopter landing, which got my attention.
And it was another video, where Hardy stood his ground, and asserted his right to record, even though a couple of Miami-Dade cops tried to tell him he couldn't, which earned my respect for him.
I've included both videos below.
Click Play to watch video of Miami paramedic flipping out on photographer Taylor Hardy
Click Play to watch Hardy assert his First Amendment Rights
Click link below to read original Photography is Not a Crime story of Hardy's arrest
http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2013/08/18/miami-man-arrested-for-photographing-filming-of-commercial-from-public-street/
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