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[UPDATES at bottom, below the first four videos!]
Anaheim homeless advocates R. Joshua Collins and Lou Noble have been filming Anaheim Police Department harassment of the homeless for about a year; many of their videos (which we will post below) document the police infringing on their fourth amendment rights by confiscating their property. Bad enough there’s a recent ordinance forbidding the homeless to “store” their belongings in Anaheim parks for over three hours, the police have been seizing stuff RIGHT OFF THEM – backpacks, blankets, bikes, medicine, strollers, ID, anything.
The Police Department denies doing this, but these two troublemakers have plenty of video evidence of it. And I guess that pisses the police off, because yesterday afternoon Lou and Joshua were arrested for filming them. Technically, for PC148, “obstruct, resist, delay.” Chief Quezada confirmed years ago that it is any citizen’s right to film the police at work as long as you’re not so close that you’re obstructing their work – and Lou and Joshua were not.
This happened at Maxwell Park. Police were busy with one of their customary raids of that park’s homeless, and Lou was filming them from a reasonable distance, when he noticed that he was being filmed himself by a maintenance guy in a Parks and Rec truck – kind of strange. This fellow also beckoned at Lou, so he walked past that vehicle just to see what was happening. Lou had already walked past the truck without even saying anything, when Homeless “Liaison” Sgt Lozeau called him over, cuffed and arrested him for “obstruction.” Meanwhile Officer Bob Conklin seized Lou’s cell phone, as “evidence.”
During this time, Joshua was about 100 feet away, filming Lou get arrested, and then filmed some more police rousting of the homeless from about 30 feet away, when Sgt Boyer arrested him for the same bogus charge, and also seized his phone. Boyer was extra rough when arresting Joshua, twisting his arm viciously.
This was only a few hours before last night’s Forum on the Kraemer Place Homeless Shelter, and it seemed a good bet that the arrest and jailing were timed to keep these two outspoken advocates away from this forum. But the jail was flooded with dozens of phone calls demanding their release, and this MAY have had the desired effect – they were let out after about three hours.
We think the big deal is that the police still have both of these gentlemen’s cell phones, which are full of videos of police misbehavior. The claim the police need these phones for evidence against Lou and Joshua is bogus – the cops already have plenty of films of the two, and what the phones contain is evidence against THEM. And some of us still remember how the video of the March 2012 police killing of Martin Hernandez was taken by Anaheim police “as evidence” and then mysteriously “lost.”
[Also – update – APD had a history back in 2012 of seizing cell phones or trying to BUY cell phone footage after police killings; it’s looking in many ways like 2012 might be back.]
These phones should be returned immediately, with nothing erased from them. Don’t you agree? Then let Sgt Mundy know at 714-765-1967.
Meanwhile let’s take a look at what these police have been doing to the homeless, and what made them mad enough to arrest Lou and Joshua on trumped-up charges:
UPDATES OCT 2:
Late yesterday afternoon, Sgt Tim Schmidt told Joshua he could have his phone back this morning at 10 (which he has now) but that they weren’t finished looking at Lou’s. (The Lookie-Lous.) What kind of bullshit is that? We suspect they’re taking longer with Lou’s because he has it password-protected, and Joshua doesn’t. Now they’re saying Lou might get back his phone sometime NEXT WEEK – and it is his business phone.
Meanwhile other citizen activists such as Renee and Boaz Balenti of In-League Press stepped into the breach, because it seems like the APD is on an urgent mission to clean out all the homeless everywhere. Renee got this yesterday afternoon, featuring Officer Edgar Hampton. (And some of us saw the same thing happening at La Palma Park a little later.)
By the way nothing seems to have been removed off Roussan’s phone, which contains these two videos, the first one of Lou’s arrest:
… and of Roussan’s arrest directly after:
More to come, we’re sure.
This looks like a job for, HOMELESS ADVOCACY AND ACTION COALITION. (Facebook)
Yes, tomorrow I am buying a Live Streaming Data Device.
Please forward me the contact information of these fine Gentlemen and I will take my stuff over to Anaheim and I will document them taking it from me.
tobynixon@gmx.com, 408-207-5729
The cops do not like to look bad.
However, rather than acting good so as not to look bad, they find it easier to get rid of evidence so as to keep acting bad with impunity.
But hey, that’s just for appearances. They can do anything they want with impunity thanks to POBR.
Love the truth you state David, and what is POBR?
The Police Officers’ Bill of Rights. Makes it really hard to know what they’re doing, or bring them to justice, along with many other things.
Don’t forget confiscating Depends undergarments from an elderly homeless woman while she was at the doctor (which the police were very aware of – she even left a note) – these Anaheim Police are COWARDS!!!! I don’t care how much the City Council or Police or Code Enforcement think that the rich people around those parks have deemed the homeless “unsightly” “BLIGHT” and want a force of bully thugs at their beck and call to evict, evacuate and eradicate homeless people from their line of desired pristine vision – I call EVIL, LOW CLASS, COWARDS, SIMPLETONS, UNDER EDUCATED TWAT HEADS on the whole kit and kaboodle that would have or allow or encourage any hand in any of this mess!
Anaheim has no soul if this is the outcome. Rich people sneering and placing on the payroll Disney thugs to perpetrate this utter unholiness on innocent, vulnerable people! I don’t want to hear about anyone who owns a house spewing a boo-hoo story about picking up human feces while they’re walking their dog either! I call bullshit!
Give back the cell phones, Anaheim PD! It wasn’t just Quezada who stated filming the police was okay – even if Quezada disagreed with filming police – just as he disagrees with cooperating with ACLU and Legal Aid freedom of information act requests for documents pertaining to interactions between police and homeless peoples – SCOTUS SAYS IT’S OKAY TO FILM THE POLICE!!!!! Anaheim is on a fast track to a hefty Lawsuit payout if they don’t quit it!
Zia, I am one of the people who has complained of clearing human waste from my beloved dogs mouths on walks in the local park where I have every expectation to not encounter a potential bio hazard PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM. HOWEVER my answer was to OPEN THE DAMN RESTROOMS at Pearson Park overnight, they were closed because people were having sex in them. I have to bet the presence of a homeless person eliminating in an open stall would curtail the sexual activity pretty quick. But then it is hard to get into the mind of someone who finds sex with a stranger in a public loo appealing.
I don’t care for Josh’s anti-homosexual bigotry and I think there are ways to minister that are more effective than shouting at people, but I have never seen him do anything wrong, never seen him take on the Police in an antagonistic manner that would interfere with their jobs, and yes I have spent time with him out in “the field.” I cannot fathom Josh or Lou doing something worthy of arrest. This sucks.
So now what do we do to help them? Do they need lawyers? Can we pass the hat?
APD is clearly taking orders from above, because Quezada does not want to be called on the carpet by Council, he would not let his troops take such an adversarial position unless he knew he had the cover of 3 votes, So what they say in public meetings is “the policy” and what is accepted with a wink and a nod is something else.
What the Hell is wrong with these people?!
You speak much truth Zia! Thanks so much for your support!
Joshua doesn’t seem to need a lawyer. If Lou does, I’ll bet that one can be found.
This is more than a big deal. Apparently neither Lou nor Joshua were obstructing the police job. It looks like plain harassment by the APD to discourage these two grassroots advocates. It is ironic that while Chief Quezada and Kris Murray were presenting the Homeless Shelter plans, the APD was detaining these homeless advocates and confiscating the property of a homeless person.
Are you actually still surprised that Raul Quezada, John Welter, Roger Baker and Randall Gaston are / were hypocrite criminals deserving of a federal prison term?
It truly seems ironic indeed!
I want to thank all of you for all your support and prayers! Together I do believe we can make a difference! Please be sure to come to city hall Tuesday at 5pm and let your voice be heard! Write the city attorney also – any other ideas you might have – please be sure to let me know! My email is servingjesus99212@yahoo.com – Thanks so much again and I hope to hear from you soon!!
R. Joshua Collins (Homeless Advocates for CHRIST)
Hi Joshua and Lou,
You may already have this app Justice CA , which has three main functions: Record, Report and Witness.
https://www.mobilejusticeca.org/
You have the right to film law enforcement in California. Exercise those rights. Take this free app with you and film the police for justice and accountability.
•Record encounters with law enforcement officials and a copy will be sent automatically to the ACLU, even if police take or destroy your phone.
•Report to the ACLU with a description of the incident.
•Witness incidents nearby.
•Alerts allow the ACLU to update you on breaking news.
•Know Your Rights so you know what to do during a police encounter
Thanks so much!
Looks like it’s time to return to the Anaheim city council chamber and continue to speak about the white trash racist assholes in that PD that have harassed me since the days of Randall Gaston.
You can watch as Raul Quezada and the city of Anaheim shit bricks as I speak per usual.
That a city park employee in Anaheim is cooperating with the Anaheim PD to set up and screw a resident in Anaheim isn’t unusual at all. There are a number of confidential informants/city employees in Anaheim/Garden Grove doing the criminal bidding of this racist toilet shit masquerading as a police department.
These anaheim bastards have the sprinklers on as the few homeless remain 9n the wet grass. This is not a “white thing” this is a cop thing.