Cop busts guy for taking his pic: "It's illegal to take a picture of a law enforcement officer… if you don't give it to me, you're going to jail"

Bernardo sez,

I read in Dispatches From the Culture Wars about Scott Conover, who was arrested for taking a picture of a policeman during a traffic stop.

Conover quotes the police officer as saying "… you took a picture of me. It's illegal to take a picture of a law enforcement officer… if you don't give it to me, you're going to jail".

The arrest was, technically, for pointing a laser at a police officer (the officer claims he thought Conover was pointing a laser at him, but he arrested Conover even after discovering that it was a cell phone, which, y'know, looks a lot like a laser, dunnit). A commenter on the Dispatches blog points out how "The law they charged him under is 39-13-605, which requires that 'the photograph… was taken for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification of the defendant'."… Seems like a bit of a stretch.

The police officer's affidavit also makes for entertaining reading.

Link

(Thanks, Bernardo!)