Homeless Man Files Civil Rights Suit Against Police Officer Who Monitored Him on Facebook

Not all police are bad , but Facebook is the highway tosurveillance hell , and cops are on it . In the in style story to highlight cop ’s social media activity , a homeless resident physician of Los Angeles has filed a polite right field case against the metropolis and a constabulary officer who is charge of acquit a several - twelvemonth - long harassment campaign and actively updating a Facebook chemical group on his progress .

The complaint focus on LAPD Senior Lead Officer Sean Dinse , who ’s name as an active poster in two secret grouping used by civilian and law officers , “ Crimebusters of West Hills and Woodland Hills ” and “ Homeless Transient Encampments of our West Valley . ” grant to thecomplaint , Dinse was an esurient follower of complainant Rex Schellenberg , a physically handicapped man in his 80 , whom Dinse reportedly consult to in a situation as one of his “ regulars . ” ( Other screengrabs show Dinse report to the mathematical group that he was “ very unaired ” to get Schellenberg into lodging , and erroneously say that Schellenberg suffered from drug dependency and genial illness , rendering him incompetent of give “ noetic decisions . ” )

Schellenberg claims that since 2017 , Dinse and cohorts unlawfully seized his property and look on as sanitation department worker raided it and impeach him of “ tenting ” in a park where he log Z’s , pull him to move . So in March 2019 , Schellenberg purchase a new wave in which he could sleep and protect his belonging from police , namely , Dinse . The following calendar month , Dinse found the van where it was allegedly “ lawfully parked , ” and had the fomite impounded . Schellenberg was unable to afford the high impound fee and had to buy back the fomite a calendar month afterward after it was sell at auction sale . Lo and behold , the van appear on “ Crimebusters . ” A calendar month subsequently , Dinse once again showed up with a tow motortruck .

Image: (AP)

Schellenberg claims that the city , with Dinse as its procurator , break his Fourth Amendment aright protect him from the unreasonable capture of belongings and go against his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process when seize his fomite without fair to middling notice .

The suit name Dinse as an admin of “ Homeless Transient Encampments ” ; while that ’s not currently reflected on Facebook , recently - retired Senior Lead Officer Brett Rygh is still listed . ( A secret citizen founded both page . ) Dinse is an alive Twitter and Facebook user in his official capacity as a Senior Lead Officer .

To be fair , an attorney for the varlet ’ founder Fern Whitesentthe Los Angeles Times screengrabs of Emily Price Post show more empathetic posture from officers and residents , adding that mainly “ the purpose of such posts is to document certain natural process to pass on for evaluation and proper action . ”

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Image: (Screengrab via Schellenberg’s complaint)

But Schellenberg ’s lawyer Carol Sobel notes that the pages ’ father has skirt in a post to a “ private hoagy - group ” for conversation about posts like one in which she ( incorrectly ) accuse Schellenberg of lawlessly parking .

“ If – and I say if – there are more directed word on that page about felonious activity guide at our client and other unhoused mortal , ” Sobel tell Gizmodo via email , “ any First Amendment argument might come down to a criminal cabal . Without knowing what is on that private page , I could not say whether that is the showcase here . ”

In 2018 , Schellenberg litigate the metropolis for seize essential property , including a laptop computer and a subdivision 8 voucher ; the city denied those claims , indicate that it seized only materials that posed wellness and safety endangerment . A settlementis setfor subsequently this month .

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