Grand jury decides not to indict activist Buehler, officer | www.statesman.com

Grand jury decides not to indict activist Buehler, officer | www.statesman.com:

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Buehler, a 35-year-old Army vet, could have faced up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the third-degree felony of harassing an officer. He was arrested for filming officers a second time last summer and has been charged with two counts of interfering with an officer’s duties, a Class B misdemeanor , and resisting arrest

Buehler first made headlines after he was arrested about 1:15 a.m. Jan. 1, 2012, and charged with harassment of a public servant when authorities say he stopped to take photographs of a drunken driving arrest at a Central Austin gas station, according to court records. Police said Buehler interfered with the arrest of a woman involved in a traffic stop. The arrest affidavit said Buehler became aggressive and spat in the face of one officer, which Buehler denies.

He filed a complaint against the arresting officers, Oborski and Robert Snider, who were cleared by an internal affairs investigation in July.

The grand jury decision Tuesday came as an upset for Buehler, whose brushes with authorities sparked wide debate last year over the Austin Police Department’s videotaping guidelines and led to his founding of the Peaceful Streets Project, where members record police encounters and post them online.

Buehler said he was shocked the grand jury did not indict Oborski.

Buehler says their mission has been to hold law enforcement accountable. But the group has been criticized by the Austin Police Association, whose leaders say their filming creates “a very dangerous situation” for officers."

(What, they might have to do their actual jobs?)