At first, Ohio Valley Mall officials remained loyal to the security guard [__who went berserk__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2013/05/18/ohio-mall-security-guard-flies-off-the-handle-trying-to-prevent-photos-of-accident/) on a group of citizens taking photos of a truck that ended up in a ravine on mall property, telling a local news station that she was merely doing her job when she got into a physical confrontation with another woman.
But that was before the jaw-dropping video went viral over the weekend.
On Monday, the [__Cafaro Company announced__](http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/mall-security-guard-fired-after-scuffle/nXx9t/) that “Officer Adams” was fired following a week-long “investigation” into whether or not her actions met the standards of the company.
Now Belmont County prosecutors are also investigating to determine whether any charges need to be filed against the Adams or the others.
In a brief telephone interview with *Photography is Not a Crime* Wednesday, Joe Bell, director of communications for the Cafaro Company, said the rule against photography has been in place for at least ten years when people would stage accidents, such as slip-and-fall incidents, with the intention of suing the mall.
“There were also cases of potential thieves photographing security details of jewelry stores,” he said. “So to prevent that from happening, our legal department drafted the policy.”
But he also acknowledged that times have changed where almost everybody is carrying a camera, so mall security guards are instructed to use a common sense approach to dealing with shoppers who are taking photos.
“You could have a situation where a grandmother is taking a picture of her grandson standing in front of a Christmas tree or a celebrity signing where hundreds of kids are taking photographs,” he said.
“Or if a wife is buying a sweater for her husband and she takes a picture to send it to him. Nobody is going to be cracking down on those types of situations.”
In the case of Officer Adams, she was fired when it was determined she did not use a common sense approach to this policy.
