The Associated Press
PAOLI, Pa. (AP) - A Villanova student has run into problems with local authorities after he was seen photographing police cars - something officers said the FBI told them to look out for after Sept. 11.
Mohammed Budeir, a U.S. citizen of Syrian descent, has been charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct. Willistown Township police said they found Budeir in the parking lot taking photos without permission on two days in August.
Budeir, 20, has said that the photos are a hobby.
Police said the FBI had warned them to watch for people taking photos of emergency vehicles.
Budeir’s attorney, Richard Meanix, said the family was upset because they thought police were inferring that Budeir was involved in terrorist activities because he is Middle Eastern.
Meanix said Budeir just wanted the photos for his collection. He said there is a large online community of former officers and civilians who are interested in police vehicles.
“He’s just a college kid who likes to take pictures of cop cars,” Meanix said.
But some police officers said this activity can be dangerous, especially in a post-Sept. 11 climate.
“Our hypersensitivity is about people taking detailed photos of a police car to duplicate those markings,” said Joseph Angelino, a chief of police in Norwich, N.Y.
Willistown Police Chief Hugh Murray said Budeir was first seen in the station’s parking lot taking photos on Aug. 1. Murray said an officer noticed Budeir, not because he was Middle Eastern, but because of the FBI warning.
He was asked to delete the photos from his digital camera and leave, Murray said.
But court documents said he returned to take more photos the following day.
Budeir, who is free on bail, waived his preliminary hearing in district court last week and applied for a rehabilitation program for non-violent offenders. The program would allow him to perform community service and have the arrest wiped from his record.
First Assistant District Attorney Patrick Carmody said it may take a couple of months to decide whether Budeir qualifies for the program.
Budeir did not return calls for comment.