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brooklynite

(94,302 posts)
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 08:04 AM Aug 2020

A protester tried to ID a police officer on Twitter. Now he faces a felony

Source: Washington Post

When Kevin Alfaro noticed a masked police officer befriending a counterprotester who had threatened him at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Nutley, N.J. on June 19, he whipped out his phone and took a picture.

Then he tweeted: “If anyone knows who this b---- is throw his info under this tweet.”

Now, Alfaro and four others who retweeted the post have been charged with cyber harassment, a fourth-degree felony that carries up to 18 months of incarceration and a $10,000 fine.

A complaint sent July 20 to Georgana Sziszak, who retweeted the post, first reported by the Verge and reviewed by The Washington Post, claims that the tweet caused the officer to “fear that harm will come to himself, family and property.”



Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/07/black-lives-matter-tweet-police-felony/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter

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A protester tried to ID a police officer on Twitter. Now he faces a felony (Original Post) brooklynite Aug 2020 OP
Damn! hlthe2b Aug 2020 #1
Is there a threat there? bucolic_frolic Aug 2020 #2
Disturbing!! rainin Aug 2020 #3
I am at a loss here trc Aug 2020 #4
If the officer had been willing to identify himself UpInArms Aug 2020 #5
This Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Aug 2020 #8
And the cops literally refuse to help people actually being cyberstalked obamanut2012 Aug 2020 #6
Oh, for fucks sake. A HERETIC I AM Aug 2020 #7

rainin

(3,010 posts)
3. Disturbing!!
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 08:40 AM
Aug 2020

If he can claim cyber harassment, what about all the pResident's tweets? Even Fauci has had to hire security for his family. So many ordinary citizens have had their lives ruined by people on the right. What is so special about this policeman? And what is it with how afraid they are? They're there to terrify citizens - we shouldn't protect their anonymity

I think this case if really important because their ability to continue to convince people to join paramilitary groups and attack Americans on the streets DEPENDS on them acting without consequences to themselves and their families. They removed their names, now they want to punish people for naming them.

I wonder if tweets read "If anyone knows who this is, I'd like to sit down and have a peaceful conversation with him" if they could claim fear of harm then.

trc

(823 posts)
4. I am at a loss here
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 08:47 AM
Aug 2020

According to the article: "Peyrouton, Sziszak’s lawyer, said he suspects that prosecutors are going after the five co-defendants because they are concerned about police officers being doxed online." The officer had placed tape over his badge number, you know, the way we would normally ID the officer, and was wearing a mask. Do citizens have a right to know who the police are that are acting for, with, or against them? Seems to be another step in the direction of secret police acting to suppress constitutionally protected dissent.

UpInArms

(51,279 posts)
5. If the officer had been willing to identify himself
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 09:28 AM
Aug 2020

Through proper badge wearing, showing those he was confronting who he was, this would not be in question

We have completely gone off the rails with anonymous officers...

obamanut2012

(26,041 posts)
6. And the cops literally refuse to help people actually being cyberstalked
Fri Aug 7, 2020, 09:33 AM
Aug 2020

Harassed, doxxed, etc. They are notorious for refusing to especially help women.

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