| Bruce Fealk was arrested hours ago by the Troy Police for failing to comply with police orders to turn off his camera equipment in a room rented by the Troy-Clawson and Oakland County Republican Forum.
OaklandPolitics was as also covering the event and I was there at the time of the event, and as a result plan to report on both the event and arrest, but want to do so with extreme precision. I have no editorial position at this hour.
Look for a follow-up - the upshot is that Fealk wanted to videotape at a Republican event and the organizers offered him (and all others were asked not to videotape at the beginning of the event - we didn't videotape either) an opportunity to stay and listen but not to tape. Fealk refused their request, refused the request of the Troy Community Center director after he explained the room was rented, and continued taping for several minutes when the director called the police. Fealk then argued with police and attempted to continue taping, and was promptly handcuffed and detained.
In other news, this weekend, OaklandPolitics received word from Christine Barry of ChristineBarry.com that our actions in freezing certain comments by Fealk citing rumors of a personal nature were consistent with our policy. While Ms. Barry agrees with Fealk that the allegations he made, "if true", would be of some political relevance, she agrees both that OP handled it correctly and that there was not sufficient evidence to allow the comments to remain in place. I plan on updating the community on the exact nature of her decision and how I've incorporated that advice into a warning against Fealk. That event alone will not in itself be justification for completely censoring or removing Fealk, but a second violation would result in more serious action.
Obviously, events are transpiring at a fast pace here though and more will follow. |
