By Sky Chadde / Unfair Park / Dallas Observer - October 17, 2014

Max Geron, the Dallas Police Department's media relations officer, smiled and shook his head in disbelief. In the video, a veteran East Coast police officer approached a photojournalist, who was standing across the street from a traffic stop with multiple squad cars present, and told him to leave. The officer didn't seem to know that, as long as they don't insert themselves into the scene, citizens and journalists have the right to film officers in public. Also, within reason, officers have the right to keep those taking pictures a certain distance away. However, "'Go away and step off the face of the earth' is not reasonable," said the moderator of a panel on the issue Thursday night, which is essentially what the East Coast officer told the photojournalist.

The moderator, a former photographer and a current media-rights lawyer, said that police officers have a sensitivity toward one of their own being filmed, and that's when Geron, who publicly is a progressive on policing, took the mic to defend not the East Coast officer's behavior, but the mentality that may lead to it.

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Ever since 9/11, there has been a heightened awareness of anyone taking pictures or recording events in public. This issue has only been exacerbated by the widespread proliferation of cellphone cameras and the ability of everyone to post photos and recordings on the Internet where they may be viewed and shared, in many cases going “viral” with thousands of views.

Many in law enforcement have the erroneous belief they can order people to stop taking pictures or recording in public. Interference and in some cases arrests stemming from those actions have led to a number of court cases resulting in six-figure settlements, new policies and procedures and sometimes serious disciplinary actions against the officers involved.

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There was a bike-vs-car accident on Thrusday evening at Bennett and Ross Avenues. Since BD had to go to the bank down the street, he grabbed a camera bag and drove to the scene. Shot about 20 photos of the scene in about 10 minutes.

BD will include those photos here. But that's not what this post is about.

It's about the DPD A&I (accident investigator) who arrived on the scene about ten minutes later. Immediately upon his arrival, the attitude of the already on-scene officers changes. One officer tells BD he needs to move way back, like way up on the CVS pharmacy parking lot, 'cuz really, he already took alot of photos. BD eventually got to stand his ground on the sidewalk, but only after the intervention of another officer who did not have an attitude. That officer stated the A&I told him to make BD back up (and we have that on tape).

By Eric Nicholson Tue., Sep. 9 2014 / Dallas Observer / 2:00 PM

Neighbors never exactly embraced Wal-mart's plans to build a Neighborhood Market on Lower Greenville. Suspicious of the chain's ability to integrate into an urban neighborhood, particularly one as fastidious as Lower Greenville, their opposition was close to unanimous, the only variation being in the intensity of their anti-Wal-mart sentiment.

Leaders of the surrounding neighborhood associations -- Belmont, Greenland Hills, Vickery Place, Lower Greenville and Lowest Greenville West -- also realized they didn't have much choice. The zoning was in place and the landlord, former City Councilman Mitchell Rasansky, could lease the property to whomever he chose. Their only option was to band together and wring what concessions they could out of the world's largest retailer, which they did.

Melissa Kingston, an attorney who lives two blocks from the Wal-mart, led negotiations on behalf of the neighborhood groups.

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One of the biggest reasons BD left Lowest Greenville was the construction of a Neighborhood Walmart across the street from his house (yes it was legal, in a space formerly used by Whole Foods and Blockbuster Video, but it was still a WalMart, for god's sake).

The other was due to the lawsuit foisted on BDby HRH Melissa Kingston, spouse of current city council rep HRH Phillip Kingston. She sued BD into the next City Council district because he dared to oppose her unchallenged rule over the neighborhood, and would not love and embrace WalMart.

Imagine his shock, absolute shock, to see an email from a neighbor in the area quote HRH and her fight - yes, a fight! - with that same lovely WalMart. The message was posted on NextDoor.com for Belmont Addition, but was shared with NextDoor.com neighborhoods in the area, hence its delivery to BD.