Woman claims she was arrested for videotaping cops

An Ansonia woman, Jennifer Gondola, said she was arrested by New Haven police after refusing to giver them her phone she had been using to record officers make an arrest. An Ansonia woman, Jennifer Gondola, said she was arrested by New Haven police after refusing to giver them her phone she had been using to record officers make an arrest. Photo: Contributed Photo: Contributed Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Woman claims she was arrested for videotaping cops 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN -- An Ansonia woman said she was arrested after refusing to give police her cell phone that she used to videotape the officers making an arrest.

Jennifer Gondola, 35, said she stuffed her iPhone into her bra when police asked her to turn it over to them. She was then arrested.

"The handcuffs were so tight," Gondola said. "They were like the tightest they could be."

Gondola said she'd be arrested again if it means protecting people's rights. She said she was leaving Pulse Nightclub on Chapel Street in New Haven early Saturday morning, when she joined others in filming police who were arresting a man.

About 10 minutes later she said police noticed her recording with her iPhone.

"I told him it was my civil right to film and he told me he would need to review the tape," said Gondola, who works for a real estate agency. "I told him it wasn't evidence of the suspect doing a crime, it was police doing a crime."

Gondola said the officer asked for the phone again or else she'd be under arrest. Instead of handing it over, she said she put it in her bra.

"He yanked my arms behind me and cuffed me," Gondola said.

She said she's innocent based on rules put in place just last year.

Police General Order 311 says: "It is the policy of the New Haven Department of Police Service to permit video recording of police activity as long as such recording does not interfere with ongoing police activity or jeopardize the safety of the general public or the police."

Gondola says the story of her arrest outside Pulse has become so popular that a blogger from Miami contacted her to share his story.

"He's been arrested numerous times for videotaping police and this is very important to him," Gondola said.

It's clearly important to Gondola too.

"It may seen petty to some people," she said, "but I think it's very important everyone know their rights and they're not intimidated by the police."

Gondola says since police confiscated her phone, it's been impossible to do her job as a realtor with no contact numbers.

She'll be in court June 12. Gondola was charged with interfering with police.

Police said there is an internal investigation regarding her allegations against the arresting officer, identified by the New Haven Independent as Sgt. Chris Rubino. The Independent (http://bit.ly/JHmjjj) reported police were arresting a 24-year-old Bridgeport man who police said was involved in an altercation outside the nightclub and refused to leave when asked by officers.

Gondola told the Independent police hit the man after he had been handcuffed.