Activist Arrested for Filming Cops Loses Civil Rights Suit

Austin, Texas, police officers are immune from a suit by a cop watcher alleging that they violated his First Amendment rights by arresting him in 2015 for filming their activities, the Fifth Circuit said.

Antonio Buehler is the Austin leader of the Peaceful Streets Project, a watchdog organization that aims to hold police accountable for official misconduct.

Buehler was recording and yelling at Officer Randy Dear, who working crowd control on a busy street on Aug. 2, 2015, when Dear asked him to move away. Buehler was standing about a foot away from Dear when Dear asked him to move ...