Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Homeland Security Arrests Shutterbug In Lower Manhattan
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 21, 2009
Modified Aug 21, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 21, 2009
Modified Aug 21, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Just when it looked like The Man was standing up for photographer's rights, or at least understanding the law, things have gone sour again. Carlos Miller reports that 43-year-old professional photographer Randall Thomas "was jailed for six hours—and had his camera and memory card confiscated by a judge—after filming an FBI building from across the street in New York City Monday."
He was standing at the corner of Duane Street and Broadway and was doing a pan of the building with his video camera when he was accosted by security. When Homeland Security was called in and asked what he was filming, he said, "That’s none of your business." Probably the magic words that landed him behind bars for six hours. They brought him up to the 10th floor of the building he was filming, and placed him in a holding cell, charging him with disorderly conduct, failure to comply and impeding duties of a federal officer. They also got a judge to sign a search warrant, which allowed them to confiscate his camera and memory card, neither of which were returned.
Previously Thomas had been arrested for taking a photograph of the same building, but he never heard back about the case after pleading not guilty.
Tagged
arrest
bill of rights
building
downtown
fbi
homeland security
photographer
photography
Randall Thomas
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .