Arrested for taking a photo in public!

I'd believe this could happen in DC or in Texas, but in Philly? "Cruz, 21, told the NBC 10 Investigators that police arrested him last Wednesday for taking a picture of police activity [in public] with his cell phone." (NBC 10 Article) The report sparked outrage not only in the Cruz family, but also on slashdot where readers left many interesting comments (the link is to the backlash article which summarizes the best comments).

Now I can understand forbidding pictures in a government research lab (even if it means a colleague had to carry his camera-phone back to the car), but on a city street? The ACLU doesn't think it's illegal (quote in the NBC10 article). Apparently, neither does the police department; by the time NBC got to talking to them, they denied saying it was illegal.

It's good to know that we live in a police state. It could be worse, we could be in Montana, where it's illegal to assert your 4th Ammendment rights.