New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a message for the public: If you're going to film a police arrest or encounter, don't get too close.
The mayor made the comments on Wednesday, saying that there is "a proper way to police and a proper way to document" actions by officers, and said he wants to educate the public on how to do capture police encounters.
"If your iPhone can't capture that picture with you being at a safe distance, then you need to upgrade your iPhone. Stop being on top of our police officers as they're trying to do their jobs," Adams said.
He went on to say that filming in certain situations has "gotten out of control" because of the potentially "dangerous environment" it has created.
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"There have been officers on the ground and had people standing over them with a camera while they're wrestling someone. If an officer is trying to prevent a dispute from taking place, they shouldn't have someone standing over the shoulder with a camera in their face, yelling and screaming at them without even realizing what the encounter is all about," he said.
Adams did note that there is a way to "safely" film incidents which law enforcement and other officials can use, but said that is not what is happening most of the time, saying it is "not acceptable. That's not going to continue to happen."
The comments are already facing backlash, however. The New York Civil Liberties Union tweeted that people have the right to record police work in public and can't be ordered to stop.
