Obama surprises reporters at D.C. tea house, asks one to 'stop filming'

WASHINGTON, April 30 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama surprised several people -- including a group of White House reporters -- inside a Washington, D.C., tea house Wednesday afternoon when he walked in with the recently named National Teacher of the Year.

However, one of the reporters said the commander in-chief didn't like being filmed with a smartphone.

Obama, members of his entourage and teacher Shanna Peeples walked from the White House to Teaism for lunch -- a trek that was even documented by the president's own staff.

Peeples, an English teacher in Amarillo, Texas, was recently selected as the National Teacher of the Year. She was honored at the White House on Wednesday, along with several other teachers from across the United States.

However, when he walked in and saw Time magazine reporter Zeke Miller filming his arrival with his smartphone, Obama supposedly told him to shut it off. Miller was broadcasting Obama's presence via Periscope -- an app that allows users to live-stream events.

"Put those away," fellow reporter Oliver Griswold quoted Obama as saying, via his Twitter account.

"You don't need to be recording this," Charlie Spiering, a White House correspondent for Breitbart, quoted Obama as saying.

Miller immediately respected Obama's wishes and stopped the Periscope broadcast.

"Condolences to [Zeke Miller], who had to end his Periscope of Obama @ Teaism at the President's request," Greg Greene tweeted.

Teaism is about a block away from the White House, and Obama often breaks free to walk among the public -- an occasion typically marked by the phrase, "the bear is loose."