Lower than low?

I'm not a big fan of the corporate news media, so when police act in a way that makes even journalists seem praiseworthy, it makes me take notice:

Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit.

During the arrest, one of the officers can be heard saying to Eslocker, "You're lucky I didn't knock the f... out of you."

So let me get this straight: it's OK for our exalted masters to demand cameras on every public streetcorner to record our movements, but not OK for reporters to stand in a public space (i.e. the sidewalk) to capture information about the associations of our various public officials acting in a quasi-public capacity? But what if one of those officials may be planning something nefarious? What's a little privacy when the security of the nation is at stake, right, senators? Right?

Clear double standard aside, I have to say of all the video I've seen lately of cops behaving badly (and sadly, I've seen plenty), this one just flat makes me embarrassed we allow people like this to wear a uniform and draw a paycheck. Sunglasses wearing, cigar chomping, power happy thugs with a badge... that's what I see in this video. Given their tendency to escalate things rather than act as peace officers it's no wonder they fear to go anywhere without full battle rattle, backed by armored vehicles. We better start reminding these clowns they work for us, not the other way around, or it won't just be cameras on the corners. It'll be goons like this saying "your papers, please..."