Moments after convicted murderer Danilo Cavalcanti, 34, was arrested on Wednesday, more than 30 police officers and federal agents gathered around him for a photo.
This group marks the end of a two-week police hunt for the killer, who has been on the run since he managed to sneak out of a Pennsylvania prison on August 31.
Helicopter footage captured the moment one policeman held up a mobile phone as the rest of the group gathered around Cavalcanti.
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Defending the image
Some wrote that some of them knelt down while the arrested man stood in the middle New York Post.
Police spokesman George Bivins, who defended the measure, said according to the newspaper that they were proud of the work they did.
“I’m not upset at all that they took a picture with him in custody,” Bivins added.
However, law enforcement experts disagree.
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– No excuse
– It’s not appropriate. It’s not ethical. It’s really inhumane, says retired police Capt. Niles Wilson, according to the New York Post.
– I know how police can get carried away after a successful arrest, but there is no excuse to mistreat someone, he says further.
Although smartphone photo-taking is becoming more common, many law enforcement agencies have social media policies that prohibit such posts to officers’ personal users.
However, many experts say that these rules are inconsistent and that they are not implemented by everyone.
From an ethical standpoint, it’s not right for a police officer to take a photo on the street and post it on social media, says Adam Scott Wandt, associate professor of public policy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
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