Charge reduced for man arrested after filming FBI building
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POCATELLO — The case of a man who was arrested after filming the exterior of the FBI Field Office on June 20 is now over.
Sean Johnson of Pocatello appeared in Bannock County court Tuesday where his charge of misdemeanor resisting arrest was amended to misdemeanor disturbing the peace. He was sentenced to eight days in jail and given credit for all the time. He also received a $207.50 fine.
Johnson gained national attention earlier this year when he posted a video on Youtube showing a confrontation between him and a Pocatello Police Officer. The video went viral and sparked a controversy over police overreach and security versus freedoms.
The nearly six minute video shows the officer questioning the man until the situation between them escalates and leads to an arrest. The officer originally told the man he was being arrested for public voyeurism.
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Several days later, Pocatello Police Chief Scott Marchand said the officer misspoke and that the individual was arrested for resisting and obstructing officers. The police chief defended the actions of the officer for investigating a suspicious situation, but also said officers will be better trained on the the U.S. Department of Homeland Security policy that outlines the rights of citizens to photograph the exterior of a federally owned building.
On Tuesday, Johnson told KPVI that he’s glad it’s over, but will do similar stunts in the future, “I’ll test again to see if they have learned anything or respect rights more, but other than that I’m just living my life normal.
He says it was all worth it.
“My lawyer says it’s affected how things are done in this area of Idaho. So I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to do.”
Johnson says his message to the police is simply that “everybody has cameras…so don’t be afraid of them.”
Portions of this article were originally published by KPVI. It is used here with permission.