Equipment seized, owners charge harassment

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Three New York videographers seeking to document police conduct during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., claimed police harassed them.

The three said Minneapolis police officers accosted them and confiscated their equipment, then released them without issuing a ticket -- which a police spokesman verified, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Wednesday.

"We were confronted with basically a raid," Vlad Teichberg said of Tuesday's incident. "They confiscated our cameras, they confiscated our notes, they confiscated our computers. What they took away is our ability to report."

Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. Bill Palmer said police saw the group trespassing on a rail yard, which triggered homeland security concerns.

"Given the totality of circumstances, it appears the officers acted reasonably," Palmer said.

Teichberg, co-founder of a group that documents police behavior during rallies and demonstrations, called the alleged offenses fabrications.

Bruce Nestor, an attorney representing the three, said he thought the seizure is "a pre-emptive strike."

Minneapolis City Council Member Cam Gordon said he was concerned by the incident.

"I am worried that it's going to set a bad tone at the beginning of the RNC," scheduled for Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, he said.