Charges dismissed against woman arrested while videotaping traffic stop from her front yard

The case against a 28-year-old woman charged with obstructing governmental administration after refusing a police officer’s order to leave her front yard while she was videotaping a traffic stop has been dismissed.

WHEC reported a judge dismissed the case against Emily Good of Rochester, New York on Monday because there was insufficient evidence of a crime.

Good was arrested while she filmed police officers conducting a traffic stop in front of her home. Good's recording shows the officers saying that they feel threatened by her standing behind them because she seemed "very anti-police."

The arrest added to the already heated debate over videotaping police officers.

In a joint statement, Mayor Tom Richards, City Council President Lovely Warren and Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard said they agreed that the case should be dismissed.

"We believe that the incident that led to Ms. Good's arrest and the subsequent ticketing for parking violations of vehicles belonging to members of an organization associated with Ms. Good raise issues with respect to the conduct of Rochester Police Officers that require an internal review," the statement said. "A review into both matters has been initiated."

"Police officers must be able to cope with a high degree of stress while performing oftentimes dangerous duties, relying on their training and experience to guide their behavior. As routine as a traffic stop may appear, it has proven over time to be a potentially dangerous activity for police. Nonetheless, police must conduct themselves with appropriate respect for the rights of those involved or who are observing their actions."

Donald Thompson, attorney for Emily Good, said they may sue one of the police officers involved in her arrest.

"Her stated reason for video taping in the first place was that three white officers were stopping a young black male," Thompson said. "And she's obviously attuned to social issues and concerns. There's nothing wrong with monitoring the course of those proceedings to make sure the correct procedures are being followed."