A Pennsylvania man who was jailed for more than five months for hiding his face as police tried to photograph him has cashed in on a settlement from a federal lawsuit.
The settlement has also prompted the Lancaster Police Department to change its policy when photographing people whom they have no probable cause to arrest.
The new policy states that police have every right to photograph people in public as we all do. But if that person covers their face in an attempt not to be photographed, then police have no grounds for an arrest.
In 2007, Gregory Bush ended up hospitalized for trying to hide his face as police tried to photograph him, even though they had already acknowledged they had no probable cause for an arrest.
After slamming his face to the pavement, they charged him with obstructing justice and threw him in jail for 150 days, according to Lancaster Online.
Bush was among six to eight men aiding with the move. One of the movers got into an argument with a neighbor, who called police and said one of the men had a gun.
Police arrived, searched the men and house and discovered no gun. Police asked for identification, and determined they had no probable cause to arrest anyone.
Still, police decided they wanted to take everyone’s picture
When it was Bush’s turn, he said he didn’t want his photo taken and raised his hands to cover his face. Bush was then “subdued” by Officer Corll, which caused Bush to cut his face on the pavement, according to court documents.
While the amount of settlement has not been disclosed, Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray said it was “an expensive lesson to learn.”
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