A man who filmed an ambulance crew outside his apartment last year was found not guilty of disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice by a Ramsey County jury on Thursday.

On October 2012, Andrew Henderson filmed paramedics and Ramsey County Sheriff's deputies as they responded to a call involving a drunk man in Little Canada.

Henderson said he was sitting on a bench more than 35 feet away from paramedics when a Ramsey County Sheriff's deputy approached and ordered him to stop filming. Henderson refused, and the deputy confiscated his camera.

Prosecutors argued that his filming of the incident had interfered with paramedics ability to help the man. Kevin Riach, one of the attorneys that represented Henderson, said he was gratified by the jury's verdict.

"The evidence showed that he had been peacefully sitting on a bench outside the building that he lived in, and that he hadn't done anything disorderly or obstructed anyone," Riach said.

Henderson said the last 16 months that he's spent fighting the case have taken a toll, but that he didn't want to plead guilty when he hadn't done anything illegal. He hopes his case will save others from being charged for filming law enforcement officers.

"It's our first amendment right to film law enforcement officers engaged in their duties," Henderson said. "That's what I was doing that night."

Jurors deliberated for an hour and a half before reaching the verdict. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota assisted with Henderson's defense. No one from the Little Canada City Attorney's office was available to comment.