Skip to main content

Tom Zebra, Anti-Police Hero or Troublemaker?




Tom Zebra, Citizen Journalist/provocateur
Los Angeles, CA—If you’re a cop in or near the City of Angels, Tom Zebra may just get in your face and under your skin. 
In the age of the cell phone camera explosion came body cams and the ever-popular GoPros. 
With the new technology police have been placed under the intrusive and unblinking eyes of millions of cameras.  A large percentage of them are in the hands of genuine antagonists like Zebra . 
The next generation of police monitoring devices is here in the form of multi-rotor camera drones.  They can be quietly deployed over any police action.  They can record video of anything taking place in plain view under the skies.   
Cops have been understandably hostile to these cameras and nationwide thousands of bogus arrests have been made of people recording them.  Cops have confiscated cell phones, cameras and their media storage cards.  Cops felt they should have a right to privacy but the courts have spoken.  They have no such right. 
Lawmakers at local levels have been sympathetic to the cop’s concerns and have unsucessfully tried to make end runs around the law that would inhibit or end the public’s rights to record police.
There is yet another side to the police/camera issues and that’s the amazing fact that the captured videos vindicate the cops well over 99% of the time.  Slowly cops are beginning to realize that these cameras and much more objective than the people using them!
Targeting cops from both land and now the air is Tom Zebra.  Zebra is a citizen journalist/provocateur.  He points his cameras where they are not wanted in various police matters. 
Zabra garnered additional cop hostility by flying his camera drone over a walled-in police parking lot.  The cops came out and actually threatened to arrest Zebra for trespassing even though he never set for inside the police parking area.  Zebra got his video and wasted no time posting it on YouTube. 
Police recently San Pedro Port police arrested Zebra and confiscated his drone as evidence.  Ironically Zebra was not photographing police, but a U.S. Naval vessel that the public was invited to both visit and photograph. Zebra’s crime was the apparent violation of a L.A. park’s ordinance. 
The little known existing law banned the use of remote controlled model aircraft in parks, beaches, horse trials or any place not specifically designated for them.  
I’m convinced that the law was drafted to target noisy fixed wing model aircraft that frightened horses posed a danger because of their speed.
One of my legal experts believes that Zebra has a first Amendment right to use his drone camera despite the L.A. Parks ordinance.  Zebra has a right to take photos.  My expert said that collecting the legislative history of the remote control ban showing it was never intended to cover the much quieter and slower moving multi-rotor camera drones would help Zebra in court.
In the meantime to the cop's chagrin Zebra’s not grounded, he apparently obtained a new drone and is back in business. 
Last but not least, are the thousands of people nationwide that have camera drones.   They are holding their breaths, waiting for lawmakers and the FAA determine the future this new and exciting industry. 
The majority of the camera drone operators I talk with are hostile to Zebra and his militancy.  They say he’s going to ruin it for everyone.  I say that idea is dead wrong.  If anything Zebra is making it better by taking the lead in challenging government tyranny. 
Someone will have to test bad laws or unreasonable enforcement.  Frankly I’d rather stand behind Zebra rather than in front of him in that regard.  We can only learn what are rights really are by the Tom Zebra’s of our world willing to test the system.
 



Comments

Anonymous said…
Please see my videos and subscribe on youtube...mrtomzebra.
The comment in this story about video vindicating cops 99 percent of the time is flat out dishonest.
Yeah, cops dont like to be recorded because video proves their integrity.


Not.
Bye the way Zebra's drone piloting skills are very good and his videos are interesting. I want to see more of them. As for the cops they will have to adjust to this new technology. Cameras can be a good cop's best friend.

Popular posts from this blog

Chicago Cops Slammed with Sudden Ban on the Sig/Sauer P320—And the Officers Will Pay thePrice

In a move that’s rocking the rank and file, the Chicago Police Department has abruptly banned the use of the once-trusted Sig/Sauer P320 pistol as an authorized duty weapon. The order came down swiftly, leaving thousands of officers scrambling. The official reason? Alarming reports that the weapon can fire without the trigger being pulled. For years now the gun-maker has brushed off horror stories about negligent discharges, usually blaming human error. After all, it’s easier to blame the gun than admit to a deadly mistake. Just think back to Alec Baldwin’s tragic shooting on a New Mexico movie set—he insisted he never pulled the trigger, yet a woman lost her life. But experts were quick to point out that the revolver in question simply doesn’t fire on its own. This, however, isn’t Hollywood. The Sig Sauer P320 has a documented pattern of discharges—many occurring while holstered. Lawsuits are piling up, and the manufacturer continues to deny fault, but the incidents are too numerou...

A 40 Caliber Nightmare Is Caught On Tape.

So you’re confident that that .40 caliber S&W service round will keep you safe. Maybe you’ll have second thoughts after you see this video. One hot summer night in 1994 Tempe and Mesa Arizona police were involved in a pursuit with this suspect who ran into a stranger’s apartment to hide after being shot TWICE in the chest. He was shirtless and you can see the blood pumping out of those two wounds. What’s really frightening is just how agile this fellow is as he struts to the ambulance. If he was not handcuffed and had a knife or a gun, ask yourself if he could still hurt you, your partner or a hostage? If your jurisdiction demands that officers carry either the 9MM or the .40 Caliber S&W it’s time to show this video to your bosses and lobby to have the .45 ACP round authorized. The switch may well reduce the screaming by self-appointed community activists about how many rounds police had to use on a suspect. The really talented and courageous video journalist, Karen Ke...

America Will See Its Worst Race Riot Yet This Summer

Star Prosecution Witness, Rachel Jeantel Sanford, FL —Yes, the George Zimmerman trial here has thousands of African-Americans getting ready for some serious bloodletting. I don’t want to make idle and dire predictions but this nation has never been so divided and racially sensitive.  Our African-American President took sides on this case at the very beginning.  That ratified a George Zimmerman guilty verdict in the minds of millions. There’s just one little problem, and that is the murder case should have never been filed.  It was filed purely for political reasons despite the fact that it was a simple justifiable homicide.  Zimmerman was on the block watch lookout program and followed a suspicious Trayvon Martin after he used an improper entrance to a gated community.  Zimmerman was acting as the eyes and ears of the Sanford Police Department. Martin did not like being followed and knew that he could easily beat up the out-of-shape...