

In this video out of Mesilla, New Mexico, a Mesilla officer is seen harassing a cop watcher and using a flashlight to blind him and screw up his shot.



Deputy "Salas," badge number 315, and his partner were reportedly investigating a theft at a local insurance office on the 22nd of September and were searching the outside shrubbery for evidence.



When cop watcher "Schmike Media" decided to film them, officer Salas suspended his investigation to harass him for filming, even suggesting that he could be the thief.



Interestingly, Salas is handed a flashlight from his partner, badge number 320, then proceeds to use it to blind the man and ruin his shot. It wouldn't surprise me if this was a new tactic officers are going to be using with increased frequency to fight back against cop watchers, one such a blinding weapon is currently in development for police.



I wonder how police would react if we the citizenry shined bright lights in their face when they came to talk to us, for some reason I doubt they would like it.



After the man in the video exercises his rights and asks if he's being detained, the cop admits he's not being detained and is free to go -- so much for his suspicion he was the robber.



Nonetheless, the officer comes back with a camera of his own to film and hopefully properly intimidate him. He failed of course, Schmike decided instead to file a complaint against the officer, but when he went to do so he says he was placed under arrest for "failure to ID" and refusing to stop recording the complaint process.



The police seized his camera so he can't release the video, though he says he'll keep everyone posted on the latest once he hears back, we'll have to wait and see if it winds up magically "deleting itself."











