I was very disappointed to learn of the recent run in Photographer Right’s Advocate Shawn Nee had with Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Richard Gylfie.
In the video above (edited down from 25 minutes to a little over 9 minutes) Nee documents an altercation he had with Deputy Gylfie while conducting the perfectly legal act of photographing the Los Angeles Hollywood Metro subway station. During the altercation Deputy Gylfie states that it is against the rules for Nee to be shooting in the subway, which is in fact incorrect. Law enforcement officials ought to know and understand the law as it pertains to the areas that they patrol.
More than anything I was disappointed in how Gylfie bullies Nee and especially how he threatens to turn his name over to the FBI to have him detained and inconvenienced in the future simply because the officer has the power to put his name on a list. As photographers we should not be subjected to this sort of harassment by law enforcement. Using 9/11 and terrorism as a bully pulpit is no excuse. It is simply not illegal to photograph subways.
This video should make you mad. Abusive cops like Gylfie don’t deserve to wear the badge. If this video makes you mad as well, please take a second to digg this story here.
This cop’s argument doesn’t make sense. He states taking photos isn’t an illegal act, yet he stops the photographer to see if he’s doing something illegal. So, if photography isn’t illegal what was his reason for questioning the photographer in the first place?
I really wish the cops in the country actually knew the laws they were supposed to be upholding.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Richard-Gylfie/1559671210
Hawk, Thanks for posting this. Here is a copy of the note that I sent to City Attorney Gennaco and to Councilman Garcetti.
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http://discarted.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/la-sheriffs-unlawfully-detain-photographers-rights-advocate/
As a resident of Los Angeles County I am appalled by the events that take place in this video. Not only does Deputy Richard Gylfie #2955 not know the law, his use of threats and intimidation while illegally detaining this photographer in violation of his First Amendment rights is extremely disturbing and something that I believe calls for disciplinary action as well as an Internal Affairs investigation. I also ask that I be advised of the outcome of this investigation.
Sincerely,
Marc Evans
Hermosa Beach
TH, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind a more detailed comment. For now, I’ll stick with a small point of clarification. The sworn officers of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department are titled Deputy Sheriffs.
Sorry.
Definitely related:
http://tristantom.com/a-funny-take-on-photographer-harrassment/
Got to say, the cop was mostly reasonable, certainly near the end of the video. Initially, I felt he was quite
unreasonable but he explained clearly why the photographer was being detained and I felt that the photographer was being rather defensive and uncooperative. No, he wasn’t doing anything illegal but if the police officer became susipicious then he was quite within his right to investigate.
That said, in his position I would have, and have, felt rather put out. In his position I probably would have just dropped the attitude, cooperated and explained exactly why and what I was photographing and he perhaps wouldn’t have been detained for 30 minutes. I have been approached by police officers on a number of occasions while out taking photos and simply explaining what I was doing, which was no real hardship, had the police on their way and me continuing to take photos.
I’m more often in agreement with you on matters such as this Thomas, but on this occasion I can’t say the attitude of the photographer helped him one iota.
I’m really sick of people saying that he should’ve just been nicer to the cops and it all would’ve ended amicably.
That’s probably true, but why should take this shit from the police? They’re here to serve and protect us. They’re not above the law, or some holy man, they’re the public’s servants. If he starts wildly accusing you of being a terrorist, I wouldn’t just calm down and explain my point to him.
Letting the police walk all over us is giving up.
You should try doing this in Britain where it seems taking pictures anywhere is becoming ‘illegal’ as far as public servants are concerned. It has become illegal to photograph in places like train stations because of the so called ‘terrorist threat’!
If taking photographs is such a threat why wasn’t it stopped in the ’70s and ’80s when the IRA were planting all the bombs?
It’s all about public fear and control.
Thanks for that clarification Trevor.
Jeffry, I agree with you. While certainly Shawn probably could have talked his way out of this altercation, that’s not really the point. The fact of the matter is that he was doing a perfectly legal activity. Having an”attitude” about being detained by the police, should not have you subjected to being threatened with arrest or with being put on an FBI hit list for the purpose of inconveniencing you without a trial in the future.
This sort of intimidation should not be tolerated. I do hope that disciplinary action is taken against this officer. Had Deputy Ego kept his ego in check and dealt with this situation responsibly I’d have more respect for him. But it’s his job to maintain composure and not to threaten to do illegal things to people like put them on FBI lists to have them inconvenienced in the future.
Man, that´s F´ed up! Props to the photographer for staying calm!
Glad stuff like that doesn´t happen i Norway..
was he actually detained before his attitude came out ?
Be honest the attitude was first , the Cop was reciting what they tell him to say. After attitude came detainment.
Sure the cop did wrong, so sue him and get it cleared up, but dont play the accidental victim, you totally acted a jerk and in this day and age who knows maybe they have reasons to ask us basic questions that we don’t know of… Thanks for ensuring they will be bigger jerks to the rest of us…
I have just watched the full 25 minutes and in my opinion the photographer was really provoking with the way he answered the questions. Of course it is his right to shoot there but its the job of a policemen to investigate when he is suspicious. If the photographer would have used some common sense and if he would have answered politely and detailled what he was doing I think the whole situation would have been over after 2 minutes.
I also felt like he wanted to provoke him to have some taped material that he can publish on the web. Of course there are real situations like these and those should be taped and published but this is not one of them. It will also not be the right one to fight for this issue.
I must say that I am absolutely appalled by the behaviour exhibited by Richard Gylfie #2955. The act of photography is absolutely not a crime and the bullying that those charged with with public safety display towards the public is absolutely reprehensible. I would go as far to say that Gylfie #2955 is much a terrorist as much as any Al-Quieda member. Gylfie #2955 is wilfully using the threat of force to coerce a member of the public guilty of no crime what so ever to his ends. Gylfie #2955 is ignorant of the law and statutes relating to the MTA. His strong arm tactics and extravagant claims at the beginning of the video are clearly an attempt to force compliance and submission. Further Gylfie seems to be a personal mission to subjugate, humiliate and harass and individual that he does not like. First he says that what he is doing is illegal, he then moves to say that Shawn is being detained to determine if illegal activities have been conducted. These 2 statements not jibe and it makes the officer appear as if he his searching for a reason to indulge his own personal prejudices.
Respect must be given to Shawn for defending his rights and his liberty, irrespective of any attitude that Shawn may have displayed – his detainment is unlawful. Why shouldn’t he actively and vocally defend that which is his, is personal liberty and justice not a bed rock foundation of the American constitution ?
The real terrorists are those use terror incite the fear, unrest, victimization and personal bullying we see in cases like this. This must not stand.
The 911 terrorists appeared to be doing nothing illegal until they actually took over the airplanes. I think this photographer needs to be investigated further as he probably is a terrorist. What other reason would anyone have to photograph turnstyles at a known terrorist target? Bring him to Guatanamo.
If you want to find terrorist, how about looking for mid east looking people?
I bet ya that would work.
I think that the billions of tax dollars given to the banks should have been spent to educate law enforcement. It’s not just photographers who are being mistreated by law enforcement officers.
All kinds of people are subjected to cops over reacting to “contempt of cop”.
If I’m stopped and questioned by an officer for doing something that is not illegal I get an attitude as well.
Having said that, when I have actually done something wrong…..for instance speeding….I am always polite and cooperative with the officer.
Bottom line is that despite some folks worry about the over hyped threat of terrorism, law enforcement officers don’t have some special right to stop me and ask me questions just because they want to…..making up some bogus bullshit excuse about homeland security to back them up.
By the way ignorance of the law is not an excuse for me and should not be an excuse for a cop.
The cop was doing his job and the photographer was clearly trying to provoke him. The photographer clearly has a poor understanding of the law and should really educate himself before lecturing a police officer (or anyone else for that matter) on what our “rights” are.
Bottom line… just show your ID & be on your way… it is ovious Mr. Nee was looking for a confrontation.
WHEN I TAKE THE TRAIN AND SEE SOMEONE TAKING PHOTO’S I GET SCARED. I DO NOT WANT TO DIE IN A SUBWAY TERRORIST ATTACK LIKE IN TOKYO, MADRID, LONDON OR ANY OTHER PLACE WHERE THE POLICE WERE TOO POLITICALLY CORRECT TO AT LEAST ASK WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING WHEN ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY (AND YES TAKING PHOTO’S OF A POSSIBLE TERRORIST TARGET SEEMS SUSPICIOUS TO ME). THOMAS HAWK IS LUCKY SOME GUN TOTING REDNECK DIDN’T SHOOT FIRST AND ASK QUESTIONS LATER THINKING HE WAS SAVING THE CITY FROM A TERRORIST ATTACK.
Ask yourself how the photographer would have responded if a regular citizen would have asked him what he was taking pictures of. Would he have reacted the same way? Unlikely. Was the officer threatening when he first asked the photographer what he was taking pictures of? No, he was not. The photographer was intent on provoking the officer to gain a reaction.
The cop was a bully. The cop violated Dept policy by threatening to put the photographer on an FBI watch list. The cop doesn’t have that authority. The cop was pushing his weight around because he could. The photographer had no duty to be nice to the cop because the photographer wasn’t violating the law. Were I the photographer, I’d sue the cop for an illegal stop. I would allege the cop did NOT have reasonable suspicion to believe a crime had been committed. The cop wasted taxpayer money and did not one thing to keep LA safer. The cop wasn’t ever interested in anything other than throwing his weight around.
Anyone watch Rick Sanchez on CNN?
I saw a video of him a few weeks ago criticizing one Sheriff about detaining people the Sheriff thought were illegal immigrants without proof.
Then, he declares this Deputy Sheriff a “hero” for doing essentially the same thing to the photographer. That’s right. “Hero.”
…
While I understand what Shawn Nee is trying to do, I disagree with how he’s going about it. He’s taking pictures of public places, which yes, he is allowed to do, but he is presenting himself as a suspicious character to the authorities that are trying to prevent him from taking photographs. I understand you’re “allowed” to be elusive in providing personal details to police officers, but there’s no NEED to do it and draw attention to yourself. I agree that Nee is highlighting the fact that many police officers don’t know the law (I have personally been affected by exactly this) but I can’t help but wonder, how many times does he go out, photograph public locations suspiciously, encounter some kind of security guard/law enforcement official/etc., and have a pleasant encounter that he fails to report.
Yes, there should be a greater awareness of photographer’s rights. But in my humbled opinion, I don’t feel this is the way of going about it. Are you allowed to take pictures of individuals in public? Yes, as long as you don’t use them in particular ways without the permission of individuals in the picture. However, is that always right (for example, when somebody doesn’t want to be photographed, even if they’re in public)? That’s a grey area, but one where you can find an answer through common sense and respect for somebody else’s dignity. The common sense thing that Shawn could have easily done to avoid this situation would have been to explain “no, I’m not a terrorist… yes, I’m a photographer… I know it’s within my rights as a photographer to take these pictures… I’m trying to raise awareness of a photographer’s rights, according to the law.” Taking such an approach would likely have diffused the situation much sooner, but his borderline antagonistic, almost teasing-like, tongue-waving, “hey, I can do this, what are you going to do about it?” attitude is what irritates this police officer, and what leads him to go beyond his proper authority.
I can’t believe that your clarifying that, an officer trying to keep high intilect terrorist from using “rights” to excape the inconvinence of being detained is cruel and “abusing the system” and therefore should be exploited as harrasment of “photograher’s rights.” I suppose the government should stop putting people through the inconvienince of searching it’s visitors and citizens at airports…some of us appreciate officers who risk their lives for even the ungratful inconvinienced. If you have been exposed to “crime scenes”, or even been involved in war activity in the name of photography, maybe YOU would understand the compromise you put America in by exploiding sensitive material. You want to be able to do your job, don’t complain about how someone (who you know nothing about prior to this incident) is doing his.
Doesn’t anyone watch the news? I feel protected with officers like him on patrol look at all the terrorist that DO attack the public transit world wide so he wasn’t wrong to be cautious.
This video does make me angry. You think that because you live in America you have the right to do anything you want, whenever you want, reguardless if there is a law against it. I agree that taking pictures is usually not against the law, but in a subway, that could be a terriost target, you should not have the right to take pictures without being questioned by law enforcement officers.
Deputy Gylfie’s detention of Nee was a little lengthy, but whose fault is that? If Nee would have provided I.D. and answered the questions Gylfie was asking without being evasive, the detention would have been much shorter.
When authorities ignore signs of possible terrorist activity, people pay a steep price. For example, Ft. Hood, Texas. Need I say more?
I’m sick of hearing about peoples “rights”. Yes, we live in a great country, one that I would defend to the death(and I am a U.S. Army Veteran), but we do not automaticaly have rights. I don’t want some jackass photographer taking pictures of me just because I happen to be in a public place.
It is true that Nee did not have to be polite to the Deputy. That just shows that Nee has no manners and his parents did not teach him the basics of common courtesey.
It sounds like Nee wanted to be detained, and was prepared for it. His evasive anwsers to the Deputy’s questions sounded rehersed. I’m sure Nee is one of these liberals that think the world owes them somehting and will sue the county, costing the taxpayers millions. Good job Nee, you should be brought up on charges of fraud!
I have the perspective of being both an amateur photographer and a cop. I get frustrated at seeing this from both sides. As a cop, we are sworn to “serve and protect” even those who cannot stand our existence – and we do the best we can. I have done my best to educate my peers with respect to photography and photographers rights. We (the cops) are taught to be observant and to see things that would tend to be criminal in nature and then act on it. Are we right all the time…no. However, for the most part 99.99% of the officers out there are doing these things not to be “bullies” or because of their ego as has been cited. It is because we are trying to keep everyone safe from the bad guys. If the cops saw someone taking pictures of a bridge – did nothing about it – then later the bridge was blown up and the citizens found out the police observed someone suspicious photographing it – what would be the repercussion for the police? Would the photography community stand by the officer or the department and say the officers had no right to investigate such activity? Yes, people are always suspicious looking with the benefit of hindsight. (By the way…can someone here tell me what a terrorist looks like? I have been doing this for 20 plus years and I don’t have a clear image – no pun intended – of what one looks like. Keep in mind you cant stereotype. Some one who posted here said we should look for middle easterners. I hope that was satire.)
As a photographer, what I do is respectfully listen to an officer. Then, once they see that I am not the bad guy, I explain to them that what I am doing is not against the rules or the law. If they insist, then I move on and make a complaint to that department about the officer’s conduct if their conduct was an issue if not I tell them about them trying to enforce something that is not illegal. (First, I would make sure it was not against the law to photograph what I was photographing.)
To Scott Bourne [Were I the photographer, Id sue the cop for an illegal stop. I would allege the cop did NOT have reasonable suspicion to believe a crime had been committed.] I would not tell you how to photograph a landscape given your experience and expertise. I hope you would use the same restraint and not say the officer had no reasonable suspicion. Most likely, you are not privy to the intelligence reports and threats that come out daily in a police department. You would surely lose this suit.
I have an idea. Why doesn’t the photography community take information to your local police department and ask them what they are teaching their officers about photography and the way they are treating photographers. Chief’s love to go to community meetings – go to a community meeting and ask them about it. See what they can do in the police in-service training to educate officers about this problem. Call the police department’s public information officer and ask them if they can give you the department’s stance on this issue. Talk to county/city managers and get them involved (That is the best way in most cases). Try to work with the police and not be an agitator. Talk to your county/city district attorneys. Call the precincts and speak with the commanders or supervisors. Better yet, approach the officers and just ask them what the rules are for photography where you are. Explain to them what you are doing. Believe me when I tell you this – There are terrorists out there taking pictures of critical infrastructure (subways, airports, etc). Would you rather the cops sat on their hands? Dont wait for it to become confrontational.
Another issue is the bully aspect. The common thread here is that the officer was being a bully. What are you advocating by posting this officers Facebook page? The correct route is to call his supervisor or the internal affairs unit. Putting up someones personal stuff is just another form of bullying someone dont you think?
Also, if you are one of those haters of the police, when your camera is stolen, call the fire department.
I do not understand why any of these people who are repsponding negativly towards Deputy Gylfie, do not understand that he is protecting the very person who was taking those pictures , although he may not know that. Officer Gylfie took a vow to protect us. I dont know about all of the world, but I personally am scared of the access that the terrorist have in our country, Officer Gylfie lays his life down every day going to Los Angelos , a very dangerous city, where many many people are murdered every day. If he is willing to do this , I think I would trust him to make a decision to ask a citizen very politely ,what he was taking a picture of. He only asked a question, which if it had been answered , would have stopped the whole thing, I would personally rather answer the question that would have taken mabe two minutes, rather than the twenty five , that Shawn caused to happen himself, simply by not responding to Officer Gylfies request. I saw this video and it looked to me like the guy kind of liked making some kind of trouble just so he could get some attention. I am so grateful to you personally Officer Gylfie, if you are reading this ,for putting your life on the line , for sacrificing what may happen to you every day of your life, off duty and on. Making the ultimate sacrifice if neccisary. Shame on you Shawn!!!!!!Shame Shame Shame,
I wholeheartedly support Shawn for what he is doing. He along with several other LA photographers have enacted a change in the way Downtown LA building security deals with photographers. There are a few videos on the discarted site showing groups of rent a cops acting like goons harassing photographers on public sidewalks where the rent a cops have no authority. A few of his videos later and now the same security comes out and hands out a slip of paper defining their photo policy.
Officer Gylfie’s first sentence of this encounter was a LIE! “you can’t take photographs”. Then “it’s against MTA rules”. Both are lies. Shawn was detained for a perfectly legal action.
Because Shawn stands up for his rights, Gylfie goes onto threaten to put his name on a watchlist so he is harassed everytime his ID gets checked. That is insane!
Officer Gylfie says over and over he is conducting an investigation, but instead of investigating he lectures Shawn about Al-qaeda.
It seems like several people in this comment thread are happy to give up their rights in the name of safety well Benjamin Franklin thinks you deserve neither.
oh and al-qaeda can just google the pics of the turnstiles.
http://tinyurl.com/yj8qbgr
Well said “CY.” Unfortunately I think your message will not get through to the thick headed people who want to keep talking about the “photographer’s” rights being violated instead of looking at the big picture.
I am also in Law Enforcement and my response has always been “if you can tell me exactly what a criminal looks like or when they start getting CRIMINAL tatooed on their forhead then I will confront only them.”
We are living in a time when everyone is forcing each other to be “politically correct” and in doing so we leave the door wide open for those who wish to harm us (free citizens of America).
Most recently, look at all the signs that were ignored regarding the Fort Hood shooting suspect. People are afraid to do their jobs for fear of being “crucified” by the activists. I do my job daily for the hundreds of thousands of quiet grateful people. We should not be fearful of being judged by the ignorant.
I am confident I will be judged, some day, by a higher power. I go home daily knowing that I helped make a difference, for the better, in someones life. What good has this photographer done. There is a time and place to defend people’s rights and this was not it.
I have found in my 25 years of law enforcement that law abiding, not guilty, clear thinking people without a hidden agenda are usualy grateful to know we are out there doing our job.
I have also found that “most” activists and liberals are people who have not yet been victimized by the criminals in our society
Maybe Gylfie should have been at the local donut shop drinking coffee and having a donut so Nee could have photographed him and then ranted “is this what our taxes are paying for?”
There aren’t too many other jobs out there where your “damned if you do and damned if you don’t!” You should all be grateful that there are still people who want to do this thankless job.
As a photographer, we’ve all experienced some type of oppression at some point when shooting in public. There’s no aurguring that the officer was overstepping his authority and just being difficult.
However, the photographer seems to have an anti-authority and combative attitude right from the start. I believe if he would have merely answered the officers questions, he wouldn’t have been detained so long. For instance, when officers / security guards ask what I’m shooting and why, I tell them politely. “I’m a stock photographer shooting images of street scenes.” – For instance. I often end up engaging security officials in conversation. I don’t stand there and repeatedly say “I’m not breaking the law!”
Even if you know you’re not breaking the law / rules, just be pleasant, honest and engaging. If you are quarrelsome and resistant, then you will only prolong being hassled.
Shawn is obviously asking to be detained!
I don’t believe that intentionally provoking an officer proves a point at all. Shawn was obviously intent on creating a situation where he appears suspicious and calls attention to himself within sight of an officer. He was wired to film the ordeal that he created in the first place. I don’t think he even answered a single question the officer asked.
The officer merely asked “why are you taking pictures?”, a polite response might be “I am photo enthusiast getting some shots of this busy subway scene.” Instead Shawn answers contemptuously “because I want to.” Come on! That’s just blatantly disrespectful!
The officer’s whole terrorist list threat was a little overboard. However, you can’t blame the officer for getting a little ticked off by Shawn’s evasive and contentious nature. I can equate this to walking around in the subway leaving suspicious parcels laying around and then calling it harassment when an officer asks what your doing.
Any photog who shoots in public will invariably experience some type of questioning from an authority figure. However, if you are cordial and cooperative, the ordeal should go smoothly.
To all you sheep who decided on the side of the Cop. Shame on you. You will soon get the Country you deserve. 1938 Germany comes fast to mind.
I personally applaud Shawn and his willingness to stand up for his rights granted him by the Constitution. You all would rather throw that away.
The Millions of lives lost defending that Constitution will soon be for naught thanks to thinking like yours.
Sieg Heil and Have your papers ready for inspection you Sheep!
I only discovered all of this was going on. I had an incident at a local mall. A couple of days ago a friend of mine had another incident in a different mall. After five hours of DSLR photography the guard we spoke to decided this was a security issue.
The incident with the LA cop is very interesting. Most of the comments are about the cop, the photographer and other such things. What I found interesting is the odd manor that this cop performs his duties. I am surprised that many of his actions were not recognize. First of all we know that he is an older officer that should have been placed in a place of higher responsibility. At some point the must have done something, and more than once, that had him watching a subway platform. He dresses in a manner that shows he is a vitally important person in his organization. He wants people to believe that he is singlehandedly saving America. He wants people to believe that he is somehow involved with the FBI. He believed that he could generate false documentation and submit it to the FBI computers. I am wondering if the FBI knows that when this man does not like a person that he places them in their computer database. It is obviously he has deep emotional issues. A person that interfaces with the public must have a good personality and never argue with people or in front of other people.
Let us look at his first contact with the photographer. He yelled at the photographer. He should approach the man and asked what sort of photos he was taking. If he had mentioned the tile wall or other detail the photographer might have opened up. The suggestion of terrorist activates was a real show stopper. If this person had been part of a terrorist organization the officer would have been dealt with according to some sort of a plan. There would have been others in the crowd.
The type of camera the photographer had is not typically a canceled spy camera. I would guess that if someone wanted to take spy photos that they would take their pictures in a way that would avoid detection. They would also go to the county records and purchase the public record of the targeted site. As for pictures of the infer structure any architect could visually observe what they wanted. Most of the bombings I have seen on television involved people with packages, backpacks or such caring or leaving these things at the site. I see no intelligence in this kind of attack. I saw no evidence of the cops searching packages and using metal detection devices, so they were not to terribly concern.
Now let us refocus on the cop. He wants to be the center of attention. He wants everyone within earshot to know that his is clearly in charge. When he was arguing with the photographer he appeared to be throwing a temper tantrum. When he did not get his way he began to threaten the photographer. He then increased his power by telling the photographer that he was connected to the FBI. The bottom line was that he let the photographer go with no ticket or anything.
This was a clear cut example of intimidation. I believe that the officer was getting sexual gratification from the experience. I perceive that this cop has no friends and if he does they are others like him. He suffers from the delusions that he is above the law; he has more power than he does, he speaks for the FBI and that all people are terrorist. He definitely hallucinates. When he sees people with cameras and sees them as terrorist is defiantly a break with reality. His paranoia that all people are defiantly terrorist. At moments he seemed to be ok, but quickly reverts to the emotionally disturbed state. This is schizophrenia. Together all of this indicates an Antisocial Personality Disorder. I do not know how deeply this goes, but I do know that he very dangerous. I also that this individual is functionally disturbed and not organically. This would mean that with drugs and continuous treatment he may be able to function at a low level. However, he will not be cured and should not be allowed a position like this or other public type job.
I am sure that someone knows about this cop and is being protected. His union or someone else has kept him on the job. When he does break he may cause more damage that a terrorist attack. If is brought up on charges he will blame others for his problem (Antisocial Personality Disorder).
My recommendation is that this film and a complaint of his disorder should be brought to the attention of his top level command, not his supervisor or commander. Duplicate complaint should be brought to the state level, perhaps the state attorney general.
I agree with MAL, but there is something that also else going on. Note in all cases be it the police or security guards the common factor is that these people have something to hide. In the case of the police they do not want anyone not you or someone from the national press to catch them doing something illegal. I have been looking at a lot of raw YOUTUBE videos on the subject. All show these people attacking, detaining or harassing photographers. They all know that this act is illegal, but are more concerned for what you might catch them doing. After all the only important thing is that they keep a clean record so they can strong arm others another day.
My local grocery store prevents people from taking pictures in the store. They claim first that if people used cameras in their store, competitors would copy their layout. At the door the greeters had out very detailed maps with every isle and a key to why is where. The other claim is that if people take cameras into their store people could photograph sales items. Since they put out regular sales circulars of all the sales items, broadcast on television and have customers on cell phones and recorders this not the issue.
I made an inquiry with one of the store managers. I explained everything to her. She said that she had never heard of this restriction. She took me to customer service and discovered that they had no written policies. They only follow the local laws such as shoplifting or other such laws. Her opinion was that it was ok to photograph in the store. I told her of an incident of a mother that took pictures of her own daughter ridding the penny horse in the front of the store. Security surrounded her and threatened her. She assured me that this was not store policy. I asked that she would follow up with upper management and let me know. When I went through the checkout lane I mentioned this to my clerk and was told security instructed them to call security when these see people with cameras. In this case it is the guards that set the rules, not the store management.
In summary it is the police and the private guards that set these policies. There is nothing in writing so as to not leave a paper trail. It is a very rare thing to commit a crime and have a documentation to backup the illegal act. I would suggest that when asked what you are doing you should tell the truth. Tell them that you are conducting an investigation of possible wrong doing. Data gathered will be used when combined with other data to provide a report. Interference in this data gathering will naturally become part of the report.
In the case of guards the report summary can be presented to the owners of the structure. In the case of the police reports can be presented to the city consol during the public part of the meeting. You could ask the consol if they would please instruct the local police to not molest the citizens taking pictures. It does not make for good press.
Rick Gylfie is a fat, baldheaded, dumbass faggot and Shawn Nee needs to sue him for conducting an illegal search and seizure. By the way, did anybody see Rick Gylfie’s facebook? It is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. What a fatass joke.
There was nothing wrong with the officers response he was protecting our safety and just wanted more information about why the photos were being taken… he is there for that reason…
He was reasonable the photographer was unreasonable and looking for a arguement.
I beg to differ. I think there was everything wrong with what the security guard did. He was probably walking around with a big chip on his shoulder because maybe he’s insecure about being fat or maybe he hates the fact that he’s bald. Whatever the case may be, this security guard was looking for a confrontation. He’s the type that harasses little old ladies, children and innocent people like Shawn Nee because he’s too weak to take anybody else on. I guarantte you if Gylfie really thought that Nee was a terroist, he would have p*ssed his pants and ran the opposite way. Nee is the real hero in all this. F*ck Rick Gylfie.
@genevieve
He wasn’t a security guard he’s a deputy your an idiot he was doing his job I feel a lot safer that he did what he did these are different times so everybody fck off!!!!
You must be a relative, because those are the only people defending that fat f*ck. 98% of the smart people know that what Richard Barney Fife Gylfie did was wrong and illegal. And by the way, hes not a real cop, hes a SECURITY GUARD. The real cops are out in the streets dealing with gang members, drug dealers and prostitutes, and where is Richard fat a*s Gylfie? Hes down in a subway asking an innocent photographer why he was taking pictures. Yeah, his job is real difficult. The only reason he made his outlandish and unsubstantiated claims of Shawn Nee being associated with terrorism is because he has to make his job look more important than it actually is. His superiors probably dont even give him a gun, he probably just gets a safety whistle and whenever he feels threatened he just blows his whistle and the real cops come to help him out. What a loser Richard Gylfie is with his fat a*s, baldhead, high pitched voice and his 1980s out of style mustache. Hes the type that becomes a SECURITY GUARD because he was picked last for sports as a kid and made fun of in class. If you wanna see a real idiot, watch Richard Gyflies YouTube Video. What a disgrace and an embarrassment to REAL COPS everywhere. The LASD must really be laughing their as*es off at this dumb f*ck. Its no coincidence that if you take the letters i, c and h out of the word Richard, and replace them with the letters e and t, you get the word Retard. And thats what Richard Gylfie is, hes a f*ckin retard!
Look at Richard Gylfie’s fuckin’ facebook picture…LOL…What a fuckin’ loser LOL.
@genavagina
you probably get harassed by cops all the time cuz your fuckin ugly and you stay home with nothing better to than write long ass comments GET A LIFE and GET LAID
@ Liz-bian
Get a life? Get laid? Im ugly? LOL Im the biggest pimp in the world. Dont hate me because Im beautiful. Youre just hating on me because youre jealous of my good looks. Youre probably some over-the-hill, skinny little crack-whore looking bitch with a fucked-up face. Or, youre just a male using a female screen name. In that case, youre probably just a fat, bald-headed, wrinkly-faced old man with loose skin just like Richard Barney Fife Gylfie. Nobody wants to fuck you, just like no girl would ever want to fuck Richard Gylfies ugly ass. The opposite sex probably looks at you and laughs because youre just as ugly as Richard Gylfies fat ass. Dont hate the player, hate the game bitch. LOL
That’s funny what Genevieve said to Liz. lol
As for the video. I think that Discarted needs to sue Gylfie. It clearly was not against the rules of the MTA and a few months after this incident the MTA had a contest that actually encouraged people to take pictures of the subway system. This in itself makes Gylfie look like a complete bone-head. Additionally, I know first-hand about officers like Gylfie that think they know the law, but really don’t. As Genevieve stated, often times, people like Richard Gylfie became security guards or police officers because they were picked on in school and also were not educated enough to get into college. Gylfie clearly fits this mold. Most officers like Gylfie think that a badge and uniform will get them respect, but look what it got Gylfie; an embarassing YouTube Video and millions of articles written about him on the internet talking about his stupidity.
In cahoots with Al-Qaeda. Who talks like that? Gylfie needs to get in cahoots with a bottle of Rogaine and a treadmill. The top of his head looks like a monkey’s ass and that belly of his is so big I think it’s been centuries since he’s actually seen his toes.
I went to Workman High School with Richard Gylfie and believe me he was as just a joke then as he is now. None of the girls wanted to date him and all the guys laughed at him cause he was so pathetic. Im glad that he was made to look like a fool in this video. It doesnt surprise me that he ended up being an $8 an hour security guard; he was too stupid to go to college.
I looked up little Richard Goofy’s facebook pic. What’s up with him trying to pose as if his p*ssy ass is a real biker? That helmet he’s wearing just makes him look like he’s mentally retarded and in a special ed. class. There’s another pic where he’s wearing two fake earrings and a bandana to hide his male pattern baldness and that just makes him look like a gay pirate. HAHAHA. Real bikers don’t like posers like this uncle fester looking mother f*cker. We laugh at big fat P*ssies like Richard Goofy. Hey Richard Goofy, if you’re reading this, F-A-T-A-S-S, it’s pronounced “Fatass”. Stick to what you know best: eating doughnuts and beating your meat. HAHAHA
For those of you saying that the security guard Richard Gylfie is fat, bald, ugly, stupid, has a high pitched voice, loose wrinkly skin and an out-of-style mustache. You’re right. And don’t forget, he also looks like a convicted child molestor.
I have seen this security guard down in the subway before. He tries to flirt with the girls. He think he’s being sexy, but all the girls just think that he’s creepy.
Somebody took a picture of Gylfie without him knowing it and posted it on the internet. Check it out on this link:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_orkXxp0bhEA/Sh8u2wXlaAI/AAAAAAAASzA/CZVG3LaNOr8/s400/090528-fbg2.jpg
Richard Gylfie does look like a child molestor.
I honestly dont know what makes this fat, obese security guard think that hes so intimidating. Every time I look at his old, denture having, bald headed fat pussy ass, I cant help but laugh, hes so goofy looking LOL. Im sorry, but when you have a girly Mickey Mouse sounding voice like his, how can you not laugh hysterically. He has the emotional maturity of a 5-year old little boy and couldnt fight his way out of a paper bag with those fat flabby arms of his. You could tell that Barney Fife Gylfie was really scared of Discarted cause he knew that Discarted would kick the shit out of his punk ass.
In that pic that someone posted of Gylfie, it looks like he’s getting ready to shove a big giant dick in his mouth.
If you listen closely you can hear his fat ass starting to breath heavy like hes getting aroused while he starts telling the photographer to spread his legs and starts feeling between his crotch. I wouldnt sweat it too much though. Deep down this security is just insecure. Nobody wants to be fat and bald, youre pretty much invisible to girls then.
That fat idiot of a pig didnt know what the hell he was talking about. He thought he was so smart saying, you have no clue with whats going on…obviously youre not in law enforcement. But yet, everything Gylfie was saying was false. So obviously Gylfie is the one without a clue. Next time the photographer should speak slower and not use so many big words so that Gyflies fat stupid bubble butt can better understand him.
Saw Fatso Gylfies facebook. I dont why he wrote: Live to ride, ride to live. It needs to say, lives to suck dick, sucks dick to live. What a poser, he needs to stick to something more his speed, like a pink motor scooter.
wow, somebody really hates this dude.
If this ignorant guy is looking out for the publics safety, then we’r all screwed.
It doesnt matter what his attitude was, I would have been a little pissed that I was being illegally detained. For a cop to begin any investigation, which is what this fat cop did, he or she must first have probable cause. Taking a picture is not probable cause that any crime is taking place. This fat cop just decided to be a jerk
This video was funny because the naive security guard fell right into the trap
What good is porky pig if he doesn’t know the laws? He needs to get fired for his incompetence
I have been a cop and in law enforcement myself long enough to know and understand that you are there to serve the people, not the other way around. The bottom line is that this insecure, ego maniac cop got into a pissing match with Joe Citizen and got his feelings hurt when Mr. Citizen didnt cooperate and out-smarted him. He must have been asleep in the academy the day they taught him about what a consensual encounter is. That is exactly what this should have been, nothing more, nothing less. If the photographer told him to take a flying dump, the cop would have had to do exactly that, unless the cop could point to articuable suspicion to the level that would have warranted a detention, which the cop clearly lacked. Now, the flip side of this coin would be if there was a posted sign that warned the public about filming or taking pictures but there were none. I have never seen such a sign myself in these areas.
Cops like this are what give the profession a bad name, resulting in a lack of trust by the general population. He needs to learn his place and what his role to the general public is all about.
That cop is a liability to public safety and the rights of all Americans. For his fascist and un-American notions he should be relieved of duty immediately. His ignorance of the law might also be a good reason to fire him. On top of that his employers should want to unload him before he screws up even more than he did here and his employers end up the targets of a lawsuit that will cost all of us taxpayers dearly
The security guard was out of line, unprofessional and had no knowledge. He also might want to chase down the suspicious photographers who took pictures of the interior of the L.A. Subway that I found on Google Images. What an idiot.
In my opinion this incident would have never have happened if the security guard wasnt such a jerk. the photographer didn’t have to show any id either. California is home to over 2 million illegal immigrants all of whom dont have id. Secondly, if its against mta rules then why aren’t camera phones being banned. This security guard was just bored and didn’t have anything better to do
The irony of this entire YouTube Video is that the security guard seems to be the one who does not have a clue at all of what’s going on and obviously is not the one in real law enforcement. Because if he was, then he would have known the laws of the beat that he is supposed to be patroling. He does not, though, and it is rediculous that it is a regular citizen (i.e. Discarted) who has to be the one to point out the laws to him.
Then of course, there are the security guards inaccuarate claims that the 2005 London Bombings involved bombs that were planted in the London subway system, when everyone not born under a rock knows that they were suicide bombers who had homemade bombs packed into rucksacks and strapped to them. Like Discarted said in the video, the security guard needs to do his research because he is totally wrong.
SO if there’s anything to be learned from this video, it is that we should not take things that someone like a security guard says for face value. And that is one of the main reasons why this security guard got so bent out of shape and threw such a temper tantrum, is because somebody was questioning him and as it turns out that person was a photographer who turned out to be right and seemed to know more then the security guard did.
As for submitting his name to T.L.O. and the FBI, that was just a scare tactic to try and get the photographer scared so that he would comply and back down. But kudos to Discarted for having the courage to not do so. The security guard was just bluffing because if he could have, he would have. But he did not because he knew there was no probable cause to do so. T.L.O. and the FBI would have just laughed in the security guards face.
Bottom line, this security guard thought that he was going to convince Discarted and other people that he is somehow a hero looking out for public safety, but the only person he’s fooling is himself if he really thinks that.
I made an official complaint about this officer back when this happened. The bottom line is that the officer knew the guy wasnt breaking any laws. He also knew (or shouldve known) that the guy wasnt breaking any transit rules. Certainly, if he didnt know, he knew that he was making it up when he said it was against the rules. This is not a police state. We have something called a Constitution in this country.
What Id like to know is how this security guard plans to determine whether Discarted is committing a crime. I mean, really, how is he going to determine that on the spot? Does he think anyone selling photos to terrorists is going to have a memo mentioning it in their pocket or something? I just dont see how the security guard thinks he would be able to determine that the photographer is working for terrorists!
This fat ass security guard wouldnt know Al Qaeda if one of them were right under his nose
It is rare that a cop can do anything right. He was asking questions that if simply answered with a no, Im not a terrorist would only lead to 20 more asinine questions. The cops are looking for conspiracies that just do not appear in public like this. The bottom line is we have a right to not incriminate ourselves which means not answering most of his dumb ass questions. So unless he wants to take us at our word (not likely the first or third time) he is a jackass.
Most of the time the cops dont know the law and cant shoot straight beyond 15 feet. Unlike, Gylfie, Im a real biker and am not a poser. I can recall I was on a motorcycle with handlebars that were at or below seat level (in the mid 70s). I was stopped at a stop light when a copper pulled up and said the law was a minimum of 17? above the seat. I told him the law was a maximum of 17? so he called in to verify and was told a maximum of 17?, as I said. Than be wanted to be buddy buddy and talk about my riding experiences and how can you ride in that position .not even an apology. What an asshole.
In Metros guideline it says taking pictures onboard a moving train is prohibited. Was he onboard? No! Stupid sheriff
Discarted was well within his rights to take photographs in the subway. There have been several instances of harassment in the LA subways written on various blogs and on flickr. Subway rules expressly permit photography in public areas.
Here in New York a student was handcuffed and detained for 20 minutes. He sued and was awarded over $30,000 for his trouble. I hope discarted sues also.
The sheriff should be fired for detaining the guy who hasnt violated anything
Gylfie proved to be an arrogant moron who deserves to be fired. Hes a threat to public safety and if hes the one protecting us from terrorism, we are doomed as a country.
First Gylfie stated that it was illegal to photograph inside the subway station. Or at least against the rules of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. But hes wrong.
Only permissible in public areas, proof of fare required in marked fare required areas (station platforms of all rail stations and the Metro Orange Line)
No commercial photography without prior authorization and
consent from Metro
Hand held equipment only, no tripods are permitted
No photography inside moving trains for privacy and safety
reasons
No flash photography, especially into oncoming transit
vehicles (rail or bus)
Photography must not interfere with passenger safety or
movement at any time
Then he accuses Nee of taking photos of the subway turnstiles to sell them to Al Qaeda, as if Al Qaeda was not aware that you could simply Google such images.
Then he states that terrorists took pictures inside the London subway system before they planted bombs during the 2005 attacks. He was wrong on that count as well. Those terrorists were suicide bombers.
Then he states that he has the right to detain Nee under reasonable suspicion. But he is wrong here as well because the legal act of taking pictures does not constitute reasonable suspicion.
Reasonable suspicion is evaluated using the reasonable person or reasonable officer standard, in which said person in the same circumstances could reasonably believe a person has been, is, or is about to be engaged in criminal activity; such suspicion is not a mere hunch
In other words, just because Gylfie is delusional and living in a fantasy world where all photographers are terrorists does not give him a legal right to detain a man for simply taking photos
They dont issue brains with badges that is for sure
I hope a suit is on the way for illegal search since they removed his ID from his pocket. A Terry stop only allows for a pat down to search for weapons. It does not include searches for drugs or ID etc.
You guys shouldnt come down so hard on Richard Gylfie. Its not his fault that hes mentally retarded. Just give him a cookie and make sure that he wears his helmet
Seconds into the video and its blatantly obvious Richard Gylfie is an idiot, living in some sort of 24-inspired fantasy world. Theres just no excuse for anyone this stupid being allowed to carry a badge
Goofie, whoops I mean Gylfie, sure doesn’t do much to disprove the stereotype that all security guards are fat, stupid and ugly. He’s just got a chip on his shoulder cause he was the fat kid growing up that every body picked on. And look at him now, he’s a fat, bald headed old man and still the punch line of everybody’s joke. Keep up the good work Discarted.
What I think is really funny is that this fat security guard thought he was being so clever telling the photographer that he was going to submit his name to T.L.O. and the FBI and they would wreck havoc on the guys life. But instead it was the security guard who got his name submitted to Internal Affairs, councilmen and the office of independent review and had his life wrecked havoc upon. Oh the irony, HaHaHa.
This is an outrageous violation of rights protected by the First Amendment. You have wonderful evidence in this tape. Sue the fat bastard and buy a condo in Maui with the proceeds.
Why would Al Queda pay for pics when they can just steal mine off of Flickr?
I’ve seen this fat security guard before. Me and my buddies were laughing at him and he just thought he was so cool but didn’t have a clue as to how stupid he looked with that fat bulging belly of his. He thinks he’s hard but he’s just a homo. That’s funny now he’s got a youtube video so everyone can laugh at him LOL.
The photographer handled himself pretty well
the security guard was clearly in the wrong, not to mention ignorant of MTA rules, and he deserves some sort of punishment.
Discarted I wholeheartedly support what you are doing a keep up the good work.
Think this happened for one reason and one reason only.
The Sheriff are bored
photographer = hero
overweight security guard = loser
This ugly security guard is a retard
yet another Barney Fife moment- small mind
Gylfie’s an idiot. Photography IS ALLOWED on the LA subway
First, it is very disturbing that we have leos that are dumber than a box of hammers. Second, poor guys that are taking pictures at a subway are put through the Gestapo routine, but the Army lets a Muslim terrorist doctor operate freely within an army base and pays him at the same time to go on a terrorist rampage. Third, keep up the good work recording these incidents.
This fat security guard thinks he’s tough? He’s got big tits, no balls, a womans voice, fat ass and constantly whines. He’s basically an old woman, except he lost all of his hair. lol. As for the video, what an idiot. He needs to get fired for his incompetence pronto. What good is he to his employer if he doesn’t even know how to do his job. It’s not that difficult of a job anyways, the only pre-requisite is a GED.
how embarassing to screw up so bad, and then have it plastered all over youtube.
Gylfie’s an idiot, plain and simple.
This fat tub of shit security guard thought he was being so smart and clever and thought he was gonna scare discarted by telling him he was gonna have his name submitted to T.L.O. and the FBI. But to see the expression on his fat little face when he found out it wasn’t against MTA rules, he was being recorded and was gonna have his name submitted to Internal Affairs………..PRICELESS lol.
Heres a picture I took of the turnstiles on the Red Line Subway. http://www.flickr.com/photos/8579276@N05/3781607089/
Oh God, the terror! Ahhh!!! Feeling scared yet?
Oh yeah? Heres another, American scum!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/8579276@N05/3781587589/
BAWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
CLOSE UP!!! RARARRRRRR http://www.flickr.com/photos/8579276@N05/3782410770/
I like the way the photographer handled himself. He definitely knew what he was talking about unlike the security guard who was a moron. Good job discarted
Its a shame that the people who we pay to enforce our laws are blatantly ignorant.
Tell Officer Gylfie all us Terrists are coming to get his TURNSTILE (at Hollywood & Highland)! Be afraid. Be very afraid~!!! In the meantime, keep disregarding the US Constitution and look out for our next fake Bin Laden tape to make you more paranoid. American sheeple are so funny, especially dumb ones with badges.
Al Ky-Duh
c/o Terrist Camp
Sandy Desert Caves, Eye-Rack
PS: Please put us on the FBI most-wanted list. Its so nice to be wanted
The sheriff isnt the brightest bulb in the tool shed
I didnt see anything confrontational from the photographer, just a citizen asserting his rights
A terrorist target? You know what else are terrorist targets? National landmarks and public amusement parks. Should we stop and detain every single person taking pictures at these places? Because if we listen to Deputy No Brains, housewives at Disneyland might be taking pictures of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and the Snow White Castle so they can sell them to al-Qaeda. Then we should stop and detain all of the families on vacation in San Francisco taking pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. They too might be in cahoots with al-Qaeda.
This security guard had no exigent circumstance that would warrant a physical seizure of the photographer, who was not committing a crime or acting suspiciously
I have to hand it to Discarted, he knew exactly what he was talking about and you can tell that he’s highly educated. Good job Discarted.
@Genavagina
I rest my case you have no life look how long your comeback was…..gotta go I have a life cuz im beautiful homophobic bitch….btw if u do get laid put a bag over ur head cuz ur fuckin UGLY!!!
Genavagina
Ur comeback also was kinda lame…can u do better next time
Thanx
Isnt it silly to assume that outlawing photography will stop terrorist bombings? Wont terrorists just use hidden cameras? Or sketchbooks? Or their memory? Should we stop and question everyone on the metro with a sketchbook? A tape measure? Eyes?
“how do I know your not a terrorist”? LOL. What a dumb ass. Sounds like somebody is trying to make themself seem more important then they actually are
Aside from the way he looks, theres two things that I think are funny about this fat ass security guard: (1) him having to get on his hands and knees and squirm in front of Internal Affairs so he doesnt lose his pitiful little job and (2) He now has a YouTube Video so everyone can watch him screw up over and over and over and over again. How embarrassing.
Did this security guard also detain people using cell phones, cause terrorists are known to use cell phones. Either way it probably wont change his opinion. Im sure he thinks he is doing something good when hes really not.
For the safety of the public? Bro, you work in a subway station checking peoples tickets all day long. LMAO.
R-E-T-A-R-D. Its pronounced retard.
I thought the photographer in this case did a good job of keeping his cool, while defending his position. The security guard on the other hand seemed to be antagonizing him
@Liz-bian
Hey Liz its good to hear from you. It took you long enough to try and think of a comeback, whats it been over a month? LOL. And I know its not because you have a life, you have no life, your life consists of constantly looking in the mirror and wishing you were as good looking and intelligent as me. But youll never be as attractive and smart as me, youll always be ugly and retarded just like this fat ass, bald headed 1970s reject security guard. You keep coming back to this website because you dont have anything better to do with your time. Me, on the other hand, I have a life and keep coming back because the video of this goofy looking security guard makes me laugh. In case you havent figured it out by now, Im not gonna back down to you. And oh by the way, keep replying to my responses, I enjoy making you look stupid, its a lot of fun. LOL.
My first reaction is Unbelievable! Of course, its perfectly believable, because this sort of thing happens time and time again. The officers argument is I dont know if you were taking pictures of the track for terrorist purposes. That right there negates his reasonable suspicion.
Im a strong supporter of law enforcement personnel, but incidents like this make it very difficult to take their side.
The cop was a douche
Its absolutely ridiculous that shawn nee had to point out the laws to this guy. When some random person has to tell you how to do your job thats a sign of incompetence. My taxes pay this guys salary and I would much rather my money go to someone who knows what the hell they’re doing.
“I know it’s not your left, I’m not stupid”. He sure does look stupid. He doesn’t know his right from his left? What an idiot. Lol
Genavagina
u must be 12 with that comeback yawn boring….your life must be pretty pathetic if u come back to this website for laughs lame ass
Wow, Barney Fife really does exist, and he’s got a YouTube video. LMAO.
As a person who lost a loved one in lower Manhattan in the September 11 attacks, I am especially angered that this fat asshole Dick Gylfie who I see occasionally on the Red Line and who would do well to steer clear of me unless he can immediately identify a crime I am committing would evoke an event about which his dumb-ass knows very little.
Making the jump from someone taking pictures to being in cahoots with al Qaeda is stupid. Like al Qaeda doesnt know what a turnstile looks like? Thats like stopping everyone who drives a car because maybe theyre going to use that car sometime in the future for a car bomb. What an idiot.
@ Liz-bian (my secret admirer)
12 year olds can be child prodigies and child geniuses smarter than the average adult. So basically, what youre saying is that Im an intelligent person.
As for being lame and pathetic. Those are the words typically used by haters to describe the people of whom theyre a jealous of and wish they could be like but cant. Critics use these words to describe some of the most attractive people in the world which means that you actually think of me as being remarkably good looking.
In a nutshell, what youre saying is that you think Im cute and charming as well as stylish and clever. So thank you for the compliments Liz, you made my day. XoXo. LMAO.
Shawn, thank you for your courage and for exercising your rights.
BTW, I thought you were entirely TOO cooperative. The moment the security guard suggests that he suspects you of a crime, I recommend Am I legally required to answer that question? and nothing else. You werent legally required to have any of that discussion, making you extremely helpful and friendly compared to what you would have been within your rights to do remain silent.
That girl genevieve (genavagina lol!!!) seriously needs something else to do other than write long ass novels to Liz I don’t think Liz cares as much as the other girl
Richard gylfie needs to know mta rules before he gets in some more trouble he messed with someone that obviously knew his rights he done fucked up!!!
@genavagina (delusional)
Awww now I feel sorry for you I guess when you’ve been told your ugly, lame, and pathetic ur whole life your mom probably taught u that they really meant the opposite poor thing keep thinking positive you need it I won’t pick on u anymore now I feel like a bully
Keep thinking positive
How stupid. Imagine if you were a terrorist. Would you, in front of security cameras, lift up a camera to your face and start shooting? What an idiot.
I like how he starts to stutter when discarted proves him wrong that its not against mta rules. Hilarious.
@Liz (my envious admirer)
That’s it? That’s your whole comeback? LOL. I especially like how you used two different usernames. Wow, your smart, you should be a security guard. LMAO. You say I’m pathetic for coming back to this website, but yet you keep coming back like everyday responding to my comments, so what does that suggest about you? LMAO. The day I no longer make comments on this discussion board is the day you get to go back to not having a life and wishing that you could be me. LOL.
For the safety of the public? I think thats just what this guys superiors told him so hed take a meaningless job that nobody else wanted. The smart ones move up in rank while the less educated end up being 60 years old with the same job title that they came in with. In the video he didnt even know his right from his left and thats a tell-tale sign of ineptitude. Good stuff Nee, keep up the good work.
This photographer definitely knew the right people to contact.
I know the camera adds 10 pounds but goddamn how many cameras was nee pointing at him. Lol
Now the terrorists dont have to buy his pictures, they can just watch his YOUTube video for free. Its not gonna make a difference though, there’s nothing a terrorist can see in a video or picture that they cant see firsthand with visual memory.
he just ended up making shawn nee look like a hero.
After watching this video I was very impressed with how well Shawn Nee handled himself. Nee was very knowledge and articulate. If I was the one being detained for something that was perfectly legal, I wouldn’t have shown quite the restraint Shawn did.
Youtube, you gotta love it. LoL
Personally, I didn’t see anything wrong with what Shawn Nee did. It wasn’t against MTA rules and was perfectly legal. There was no probable cause whatsoever to warrant being detained. Therefore, if I was the FBI or TLO, I would be very upset and embarrassed that this simple minded security guard was making both agencies look bad.
If shawn nee was a terrorist this fat ass pussy wouldn’t have done anything about it. Notice how it wasn’t some low level idiot security guard working in a subway station that killed osama, but rather it was men with real balls and intelligence
Hey look, rosie o’donnell lost all of her hair, grew a cheasy mustache and goes by the name gylfie. LOL
This overweight security guard is just mad because hot girls just look at him and laugh at him cause he has bigger tits then they do. I especially like how he starts stuttering in the video, “its its its its against mta rules”. What a dumbass.
Genevieve keeps commenting on this page and I’ve wondered why she keeps coming back lol cuz she Richard gylfies wife and he hates her and she this her only way at getting back at pretty pathetic!!!! Lol
I think a certain amount of respect must be given to Shawn for defending his rights and his liberty, irrespective of any attitude that Shawn may have displayed his detainment was unlawful. Why shouldnt he actively and vocally defend that which is his, is personal liberty and justice not a bed rock foundation of the American constitution? The real terrorists are those like Deputy Double-chin.
LMAO. Somebody said this guy looks like a child molester. Maybe thats why he wanted so bad to look at shawn nees camera, he thought there might be some pictures of little kids on there. Lol
Why was this guy spelling out his name to the photographer? He sounded like a retard in a special ed. class.
I think Deputy Goober didn’t like Nee cause deep down he was envious of him. Nee’s young, smart and sexy, whereas Deputy Goober is old, fat and ugly. Some might say that we should show respect to the elderly, but with Deputy Goober, he doesn’t deserve any.
I know officer Gylfie on a personal basis. I don’t want to say how I know him because Richard (or Rick as the people who know him call him) Gylfie is a bully who will do anything within his power to unfairly retaliate against those whom he comes into conflict with, abusing his power as an officer of the law (you can see an example of this in the video when he threatens to place the cameraman on an FBI list). Whether or not you think the cameraman was provoking him is up to you but let it be known that Richard Gylfie SHOULD NOT have the privilege to enforce the law. This man is truly a bully in every sense of the word and it saddens me to see that he is allowed to “serve” the justice system. There’s so much I could reveal about this man’s personal life that would make most people sick to their stomach’s but I do not feel at liberty to do that. I will not sink to this abusers level. I will tell you this though, he obsessively reads comments left on different sites concerning this story. So if you want to say something to Mr. Gylfie, now you know how. Karma will not serve you well for the things you’ve done, be it as an officer or as a citizen, Rick.
I agree with a lot of these posts,
I too know this man and he is a sad, retarded, and pathetic human being. He’s is a total lard-ass,(regardless of the fact that he “works out” frequently. I don’t see what he could possibly be “working out”, except possibly his barely there dick, seeing as how nobody would ever consider fucking him. That includes his wife, and his ex-mistress/s.)
He is vain, regardless of how fat and ugly he is, he still manages to convince himself that he is “God’s gift to women” and hits on anything wearing a skirt,from the ages 10 and up. (I’ve heard he “mistakenly” tried to make it with a tranny hooker).
I read on this page that some people think he looks like a child molester…well,that’s actually not to far from the truth.Only he doesn’t just look like one. Ask anyone who knows him. (or rather any kid)
As quite a few people have said on this site, he abuses his authority as a cop.(fucking pig) And those who know him well, know he abuses it in his personal life as well.
He frequently complains that his wife “abuses” him. Though,from what I’ve observed, she may be an antagonistic bitch but I don’t think that being argumentative can be considered abusive,in any way, shape, form, or culture. My god! fucking grow up. They fight, but he dishes out as much, if not more, of what he takes. If she is abusive then so is he, and then some.
I’ve watched this fucking ass cheat on his wife and hit on more women than I can count. Although most attempts are a complete fail. he may be wearing a uniform, but even a uniform can’t cover the fact that he’s a greedy, selfish, arrogant, pompous, know-it-all, fuck up. He’s a whale shaped man-boy that throws epic,humongous fits when things don’t go his way. And that’s putting it lightly. (He’s tried suing his own sister,just for moving their parents closer so they could be cared for better. Why? Because it meant he couldn’t get his hands on his parents hard earned money.
Not only does he use his badge to try and get women he can cheat on his wife with, but he uses it to get favors from hookers,or pose “Money for him or Jail for them” scenarios to all shorts of crooks.
To sum it up,basically this guy is a epic failure,he completely fails at life. And I can’t wait for the day he no longer walks this earth. This world will be a better place without him.
To voice your concerns about the misconduct of this particular officer you can contact the following individuals and agencies.
Michael J. Gennaco, Chief Attorney
The Office of Indepdent Review
4900 South Eastern Avenue, Suite 204
Commerce, CA 90040
Phone: (323) 890-5360
Email: mjgennaco@laoir.com
Karyn Mannis, Captain
Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, Internal Affairs Bureau
(323) 890-5300
Eric Garcetti, City Council President
5500 Hollywood Blvd., 4th Floor
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 957-4500
Email: councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org
Tom LaBonge, Council Member, District 4
Hollywood Field Office
6501 Fountain Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 957-6415
Email: councilmember.labonge@lacity.org